PMG Signature Preamplifier

The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is a statement of what's possible when nothing is held back. Designed by Darren Myers and carrying the name of our founder for the first time in 50 years, this is the culmination of a lifetime of innovation. Fully balanced from input to output, every stage features zero-feedback Diamond buffers for unmatched speed, transparency, and control. A high-resolution stepped attenuator ensures precise volume with 1/10th dB channel accuracy, revealing microdynamics with lifelike precision.
At its heart is a revolutionary power supply that eliminates traditional electrolytic capacitors, replacing them with long-life, sonically superior film capacitors. The result is lightning-fast transient response, deeper silence, and greater dynamic swing. Housed in a double chassis construction that shields against noise and interference, the PMG Signature achieves a noise floor of -145dB—so quiet it’s not there.
What you hear is exactly what was recorded—nothing added, nothing taken away. No glare, no grain, no veil. Just the music, uncolored and alive. The PMG Signature is the finest preamplifier we have ever built.

At the heart of the Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier lies a completely reimagined gain stage—one that defines its unmatched sonic purity. This is where the real magic happens, where the fragile musical signal is amplified without the slightest trace of coloration. The design blends the best of both FET and BJT technologies, combining the finesse and linearity of FETs with the dynamic control and drive of BJTs. Fully complementary from input to output, the gain stage maintains perfect symmetry and balance, operating in pure Class A, direct-coupled and servo-controlled for absolute signal integrity.
What sets this stage apart is its innovative take on the folded cascode topology. Traditional cascodes use stacked transistors to improve gain and bandwidth, but the folded version "bends" the signal path, allowing high voltage swing, low noise, and wide bandwidth without the instability or harshness of conventional designs. Our version pushes this even further, lowering output impedance, increasing linearity, and preserving every nuance of the source.
The result is pure and perfect amplification—no filters, no coloration, just an open window into the soul of the music.

Everything we hear in our systems—every note, every whisper, every explosive crescendo—starts life as raw DC power. That power is then modulated by the circuitry into music. Which means, at its core, what we’re actually listening to is the quality of the power supply. Get that wrong, and nothing else matters.
Most high-end preamplifiers rely on electrolytic capacitors to store and deliver that energy. But electrolytics come with baggage: high equivalent series resistance, limited lifespan, increased distortion under load, and poor high-frequency performance due to internal inductance. They dissipate energy inefficiently and smear transients. In short, they dull the edge of realism.
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier throws all that out the window. Using an elegant system of analog level multiplication and dozens of large, hand-selected film capacitors—components known for their speed, ultra-low loss, and near-eternal lifespan—we’ve eliminated the noise, grain, and sluggishness that plagues even the best conventional designs.
The result is a supply so clean, so responsive, it disappears. What’s left is music with effortless dynamics, stunning clarity, and a sense of magic few have ever heard. This is power reborn.