whest audio PS20
+ MSU20 power supply

The whest audio phono stage is not cheap however it is worth many times more than it's investment suggests.

In fact this phono stage has been rated by experts to be among the tiny handfull of absolutely top phono stages available at over 8 times the price.

We highly recommend this stage as being an outstanding investment for those interested in ultimate performance. Due to the importance of the phono stage it is a must in any high performing front end.

Housed in a non-ferrous extrusion
Full Dual-Mono configuration
2 Box with 1.2m high current multiple power supply cable
RIAA curve to within 0.2dB
Ultra low noise input stage
Class-A discrete output stage
Hybrid Filter configuration
Unique 50Khz zero ( see text)
Fully variable cartridge loading via user specified plugs
Multiple regulated power sections for improved crosstalk.

PhonoStage.20 + MsU.20 power supply

Key Benefits:

There are several areas where the PhonoStage.20 excels in audio reproduction and retrieval compared to phonostages costing many times as much.

Don’t be fooled by its size. The internal circuitry of the dual-mono PhonoStage.20 is quite complex. The input stage utilises ultra low noise circuitry and ultra low noise multi-regulation so MC cartridges with super low output levels have no problems when connected to the PhonoStage.20. The input stage is also ultra linear in frequency response to allow the possibility of 50Khz reproduction. The input stage has been designed to have a frequency response of 1hz-130Khz +/- 0.05dB. This really allows reproduction up to 50Khz which exists on all LPs as studies into cutter head electronics and RIAA curves shows that the cutter head does cut all the way to 50Khz. We have added a special 50Khz zero on the end of the RIAA to mimic the cutter head and only now by using modern audiophile playback equipment can we appreciate just how much information there is on vinyl.

Most people know and studies have also shown that above 30Khz is where the ‘signature’ of instruments exist. Pianos, violins and many other stringed instruments all have their upper harmonics up to and sometimes above 40Khz. This is what tells us the difference between instruments in the same family. With The PhonoStage.20 you will hear much clearer mid and high frequencies and because the hf is extended ALL instruments down to kick drums will sound much more realistic with better transients and positioning within the soundstage.

The majority of phonostages in recent times have been designed from a circuit published by a very well known chip manufacturer. Although quite good in design it does not address the problems with phonostages and audio reproduction from vinyl. This standard circuit used by some very well known UK manufacturers was only intended as a test circuit for the IC on that page. With the help of regulated supplies and expensive components, manufacturers have been able to get some good results from this circuit. But there is no real reproduction above 20Khz and .....

No driving capability

It is also a well known fact that IC chips CANNOT drive difficult loads.
A 1m length of interconnect is quite a task for any IC chip. The maximum output current available from even the best IC chip is about 50mA! There goes your soundstage, high frequency content, low frequency drive. Why? Because to be able to achieve accurate soundstage with all instruments having their own space, solidity and speed you need current and headroom. The output stage of the PhonoStage.20 uses output devices usually found in the driver stages of modern esoteric power amplifiers. Just one of these driver transistors has a current capability of 3A at 20 deg. So here we have the current drive. The speed comes from a newly developed discrete circuit which operates up to 30 Mhz with bipolar voltages of +/- 30v. There’s the headroom +/- 30v. The absolute maximum level for most ICs is about 15-18 dB but with the PhonoStage.20 the maximum output level is greater than +26dBu.
This means that if a trumpet suddenly want to ‘scream’ it can without the whole soundstage collapsing.

Because of the different needs of the various circuits involved in the PhonoStage.20 a special power supply was developed. The transformer is a bespoke unit developed by Whest Audio Ltd and manufactured in the UK. The current capability of the MsU.20 is about 300 times what the PhonoStage.20 actually needs (on paper) but the extra headroom is totally beneficial to audio reproduction.

So we have:

Ultra low noise input stage with a frequency response of 1hz-120Khz
Infinitely variable cartridge loading user specified
Hybrid filter technology with reproduction to 50Khz
High current discrete output stage
Multiple regulated low noise and high current power supply.
This gives us the ability to:

Amplify super low output level cartridges
Match the loading characteristics exactly via the loading plugs
Playback to 50Khz for better definition, soundstage and ambience
Reproduce a clearer and more precise mid and high frequencies
Drive interconnects with ease for better low frequency drive and reproduction
Have the headroom for anything to happen when it wants to happen without the soundstage collapsing!

PS20 plus MSU20 power supply (Black finish)
UK retail £1250    Export £1063.83 Pounds Sterling

PS20 plus MSU20 power supply (Titanium finish)
UK retail £1275   Export £1085.11 Pounds Sterling

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