Parks Audio Puffin

some guys I know with pretty decent ears ( Gig Harbor Audio ) think pretty highly of it.....given it’s low ¥£€$ entry point, I will most likely give it a spin.....why not ????????

Dear @tyray: """  Right now not many have posted to this thread..."""

well this is an analog forum and DSP is an " intruder " here but really interesting item.

I know that was designed and builded to a price point but I wish that the DAC were choosed 32/384 instead 24/96.

I had the opportunity to listen the Devialet Expert 440 that's a very high price digital unit ( over 18K. ) using 32/192 format and sounds/performs great and you can't tell if what you are listening is in the digital domain: who cares !.

Digital advanced so much today. ! ! 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Hello, have any Puffin owners compared it to Lounge Audio LCR III? Does it really play in that league?

Thanks johnto for starting this discussion and thanks jimofmaine and mschu for taking the time to responding to this thread. I may not have sounded like a fan of the Puffin, but I really am. And if I would not have the Budgie, I would have purchased the Puffin in a heartbeat.

I think the Puffin is going to do just what the Budgie did and them some. The Budgie at its price point was called the ’giant killer’. And one thing I know is that ’audiophiles’ love a clean transparent sound and I believe schu is correct as he has one heck of a rig to test the Puffin and put it through its paces.

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/176323-parks-audio/

Right now not many have posted to this thread but with folks like you guys here to give us all a heads up, I’m sure this will be one long thread that will last a long time. In fact I believe the Puffin will have many a buyer who can afford a much more higher priced component but will end up buying the Puffin for its quality of sound reproduction alone. I think this little thing called the Puffin is going to scare the bageebers out of the competition.

Hi good folks,

I would like to hear a review from someone who already owns a Parks Audio Budgie Tube Phono preamplifier and has tube rolled (2) NOS Telefunken E88CC/6922 vacuum tubes or similar vs the new Parks Audio Puffin.   

Not to long after purchasing my Parks Audio Budgie Tube Phono preamplifier and after seeing Kevin Deal of Upscale Audio NOS Telefunken E88CC/6922 youtube video I bought (2) Platinum Grade, Cryoed, matched pair of NOS Telefunken E88CC/6922 vacuum tubes.

The tubes cost more than the Budgie but the SOUND that came out of that little box after the tubes were finally run/burned in was amazing to say the least.

I see where the Parks Audio Puffin has a 'tube' sounding feature and if anyone can post a review comparing the Puffin 'tube' sound verses a Budgie setup with (2) NOS Telefunken E88CC/6922 vacuum tubes or similar I and whole lot of others would really enjoy to read that review here.

So Shannon if you're reading this I have no problem with you sending me a Puffin to run through its paces and compare to the Budgie with the best tubes rolled in.☺

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/973/42175962812_58cea84277_k.jpg

I echo your findings... it's easily one of my favorite new components in my system. Its quite silent and very transparent, even with HIGH efficiency speakers.

I purchased and received a Puffin this week and these are my first reactions....

Overall, I find the Puffin very impressive. Firstly, the Puffin does not fit neatly into a device category. Its purpose is (at least) threefold: It headlines as a MM and MC phono preamp, it is an audio sound processor and it serves as an efficient system analyzer. Yes, it is a tweaker's dream (or curse--you know who you are). The instructions list no less than 16 parameters to control. Parks calls it a Phono DSP or digital signal processor, however, it's designed to be put into the signal chain after ANY source, such as a CD player, tuner or other. A turntable may have been what it was primarily designed for, but as I quickly found out, it offers much more. While I do not own, it seems comparable to the Jolida Foz.

In today's world of, "shorter is better" signal paths, this piece of equipment stands apart. After all, digital to analog to digital to analog is a bit of a mouthful. Could this approach really work?

When I stopped scratching my head, I hooked it up to my CD player. The last time I had a DSP device was a 90's Yamaha DSP-A1. I quickly realized that sound delays and "hall" effects weren't my cup of tea. Ever since then, I've quickly turned off any such tricks to "better sound". So here I am a bit of a skeptic when it comes to anything with the letters dsp on it. Well, I can attest this dsp isn't your father's dsp. None of the features are gimmicky. In the digital domain it seems you can find a sonic alchemy.

So what does it do? The short (non-technical) answer for me is that it takes shortcomings (some minor, some large) in your audio system and transparently corrects them. It improves the sonic character without adding annoying artifacts. It points out flaws you may not have noticed. Missing some bass? No problem. Two-dimensional soundstage? No problem. Too bright or too cold? No problem. Recording out of phase? No problem. Balance issue? Fixed. Need more, clean gain? With a 76db range, gain aplenty!

I use the words, "transparently corrects" to mean I sense no compromise in the audio signal integrity by introducing this device. It only seems to add good things. Moreover, you are in full control over adding more or less. If a feature does not apply, leave it "off." But my bet is that you'll listen and be surprised.

If you wanted, you could use this as a nicely implemented RIAA equalizer only. But why?

How does it preform as a phono preamp? For my system and with my cartridges, I couldn't be happier. Within 15 minutes I felt I was listening to the best my equipment has to offer. It biggest selling point may be the Puffin's ability to accept a wide range of equipment (low output MC to high output digital players) and many formats (from 78rpm records to SACDs) and works to optimize your system to your personal tastes.

My only big criticism is with the ability to have only one source connected at a time to the Puffin and the need to dig into the controls to find your "user" settings for each device.

This is my first Parks Audio product and I am happy to recommend. 

What I listened with:
PrimaLuna tube integrated, McIntosh solid state, tube CD player, CD transport with multibit DAC. My speakers are Martin Logan electrostatics, Monitor Audio Gold ribbon and Dahlquist 20.