PS Audio,NuWave Phono Converter

August 13, 2013
Boulder Colorado

PS Audio, a US company designing and manufacturing high-performance audio products for over 40 years, announced the introduction of a new product category called a Phono Converter. The Phono Converter, or NPC, features two separate and parallel signal path formats in one chassis with a single user interface.

The PS NPC combines a full featured analog RIAA phono preamplifier together with a high resolution Analog To Digital Converter (ADC). The unit is capable of simultaneously producing both a balanced analog audio output as well as a digital PCM or DSD output in multiple formats.

More information can be found on the PS Audio website.

The parallel digital path

The heart of the NPC’s design philosophy is running parallel and separate analog and digital paths, allowing each to be fully optimized for best performance and faithful to the original recording and mastering process.

Vinyl mastering is handled through filters and reverse RIAA EQ kept strictly in the analog domain from the input to the output of the cutting lathe. To help faithfully reproduce this delicate non-digital path an analog playback chain is the preferred reproduction method – which is why the NPC is 100% analog through its phono chain.

Once the playback and EQ requirements of the vinyl path have been properly amplified, it is then a relatively straightforward process to quantize the output through a state-of-the-art Analog to Digital Converter (A/D Converter).

Using the NPC

The NPC can be used as a standalone A/D converter through its auxiliary analog input, a digital output phono preamplifier feeding a DAC or computer, or as a purely analog phono preamplifier. Simultaneous analog and digital outputs are available on the NPC. Connections to a preamplifier, DAC, or computer are simple and direct.

Using appropriate software on a PC, NPC owners can RIP their entire vinyl collections to their computers at 192/24 PCM or up to double DSD rate.

Reclocked 192/24 as well as 64X and 128X DSD can be sent over S/PDIF through either the USB or coaxial output and direct DSD and PCM streams are available through the I2S output. Use of the DoP protocols are standard on the NPC.

Inside the NPC

The phono preamplifier’s input differential analog gain stage is a low-noise THAT 1583 featuring 60dB of programmable gain and noise specified at 1.9nV/√Hz, with bandwidth to 1.7mHz. This stage forms the interface gain device between the phono cartridge and the NPC and its output feeds a passive RIAA EQ stage.

Following the EQ stage is a new class A all FET discrete gain block featuring a combination of JFET and MOSFET devices in a low open loop design.

The A/D converter is the Burr Brown PCM4222 . This high-performance A/D converter features dynamic range, low noise and distortion characteristics that exceed 120dB in both linear PCM or DSD formats.

For PCM the NPC gives a full 24 bit 192kHz output while the DSD option handles 64X or double DSD at 128X oversampled rates. The output of the PCM4222 is passed through a PS Audio Digital Lens reclocking solution removing added jitter from the datastream.

Both PCM and DSD can be sent over S/PDIF, I2S, or USB using the DoP (DSD Over PCM) protocols. S/PDIF and I2S are used to feed a DAC while USB is used to feed a computer.

Connecting to the computer

Users can record either DSD or PCM through either Mac or Windows machines using an off-the-shelf program such as Audacity. Because DSD is sent using DoP, Audacity or other recording programs handle the files as if they were standard digital audio WAV files. DoP does not alter the DSD data; instead it cuts it up into acceptable packets that look like PCM but are not. The pure DSD stream is maintained perfectly for future playback.

Recorded files play directly on your computer using a program like Foobar for Windows OS and Pure Musicfor the Mac operating system. Users can also stream these files directly to a DAC via USB from the computer or Ethernet with an appropriate server.

The back plate of the NuWave Phono Converter

The NPC produces both DSD and PCM from its digital outputs and high resolution fully balanced analog from its audio outputs. Use the NPC as the vinyl heart of your purely analog setup or digital setup. Either way, albums and analog sources of all types come alive with the NuWave Phono Converter.

• High resolution balanced or single ended analog outputs
• High resolution asynchronous DSD and PCM outputs
• 1 stereo analog input from any source such as a tuner
• 1 stereo phono input
• Accepts low output moving coil cartridges (0.3mv)
• Moving magnet cartridges
• Passive RIAA curve
• Resistive cartridge load selector
• Mono or stereo select
• 100% pure analog path for the phono stage
• Gain select from the front panel
• Reclocked digital output to 192kHz 24 bit
• Reclocked DSD output at 64X and 128X
• Polarity invert function
• XLR, RCA analog outputs
• S/PDIF, I2S, USB digital outputs
• DoP protocols for DSD
• Massive power supply
• Front panel OLED display
• RIP to either Mac or PC in DSD or PCM
• Build a library of your vinyl, tape or from radio broadcasts
• Record live events or even studio work without compromise
• Play live into any DAC with DSD or PCM

Retail pricing and availability

MSRP for the NPC is $1,895 in the United States. Pricing outside the US varies from country to country. Shipping begins September, 2013.

Source PS Audio