This review is of the new solid-state PS Audio PMG Signature Preamplifier (USD 8999). It is the first release of a special PMG Signature Series of high-end PS Audio equipment (designed by Darren Meyers) in honour of Paul McGowan (PMG), one of the founding members (the “P” in PS), and CEO. The remaining three in the series will be an SACD Transport, 512 DAC, and Phono Preamplifier.

Until 9 years ago, in 2016, I did not use a traditional stand-alone preamplifier; I had convinced myself that it was unnecessary unless one needed several inputs and that it had little to do with sound quality (and could even ruin it). Since about 2013, when I had monoblock amplifiers and DACs were beginning to become part of my audio system, I did what many audiophiles did: I went direct-to-amp or checked out passive preamplifiers. When I added a turntable to my system (after many years without one), I even acquired a phono stage that, as an option, converted the analog to digital on the fly and sent it as 24/96 PCM to my DAC. For quite a while, I was content. Life was good.

In those days, McGowan even promoted the saying, “There is no preamp like no preamp”. However, he eventually changed his mind, commissioned Bascom H. King (BHK), and in 2016, produced the exceptional PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier, featuring vacuum tubes in the input stage and a solid-state output stage. It truly won me over; you can read the details of that and more here.

During the 9 years in my possession of that preamp, I even became enamoured with tube rolling; I began acquiring new old stock (NOS) vacuum tubes from places such as Hungary or Russia. I enjoyed the pleasurable, nuanced changes in sound that they elicited.

But as years went by, my enthusiasm for tube rolling dwindled. What was originally fun and exciting became a chore: the tubes I liked best became difficult or impossible to obtain, and the prices of tubes, in general, were increasing. That is when it dawned on me to find a solid-state preamp; I wanted something that simply did its job, yielded outstanding sound quality, and did not require engaging with it except to play music.

Over the last 2 years, I kept searching, listening to many examples, and asking for advice, but I was not satisfied enough to take the plunge. But then very recently, I noticed that PS Audio was close to releasing the new PMG Signature Preamplifier mentioned above.

I gambled and took a risk: I bought one. Now that I have been using it for over a month, suffice to say, the coin landed heads; it is exceptional. (Many thanks to Paul McGowan and the others at PS Audio for shipping me the unit so quickly.)

How does it look, and how do you control it?

It comes in either silver or black; mine is in silver. Overall, it is elegant and modern looking with a weight and dimensions of 30lbs, 14 ¾”(W) x 17 ½”(D) x 4 ⅜”(H). It comes with a full-function silver-colored remote control, called the “PMG Remote”, which can also control the rest of the upcoming PMG series.

The front: Instead of flat, it is tastefully molded with what looks like a wave from the upper left down to the lower right. The upper left has the classic PS Audio logo on/off button for the display and outputs; it lights up with a blue perimeter when on. In the lower left is printed “PMG Signature Preamplifier” in small black letters. The most fascinating and impressive part is the disk-shaped touch screen display on the right, which, in general, against a black background, shows the volume level (large white numbers in the middle, from 0-100) and the output in use (such as RCA 2) in small letters/numbers above the volume.

But the volume level is also displayed as a blue ring near the inner edge of the display, which, by swiping with your finger clockwise (increase), counterclockwise (decrease), controls the volume. For example, a volume of 50 is a half-ring; a volume of 25 is a quarter-ring.

The inputs can also be changed in a similar manner by swiping the current one left or right.

Moreover, all features of the unit (e.g., input choice, balance, and lots more) can be controlled by the touchscreen; just press the mini menu icon within the touchscreen for the main menu, and proceed accordingly with various submenus. It is intuitive and easy to use, and you don’t have to go in reverse to get back to the original volume display; it automatically does so after 15 seconds of inactivity.

Warning: Be careful showing the circular volume feature to young children; I did so, and my daughter was on her way to make a full circle (volume=100)! Fortunately, I stopped her from succeeding, and after witnessing that, I set the maximum allowable volume at 60.

The top: it has a grill near the back area.

The back: the main power switch, 2 fuses, and the power cord input are on the left, followed by a USB port (for firmware updates only) and trigger outputs. In the middle are the 2 RCA and 2 XLR outputs. To the right are the 2 RCA and 4 XLR inputs (for a total of 6 inputs; nice.)

Overall design features:

Fully balanced from input to output

Zero-feedback diamond buffers

Stepped attenuator: yields precise volume with 1/10th dB channel accuracy

Power supply: utilizes long-life film capacitors

Housed in a double chassis construction that shields against noise and interference

Gain stage: operates in pure Class A, utilizes a folded cascode topology, is direct-coupled, and servo-controlled

Frequency response: 15Hz-150kHz, +/- 0.1dB

Noise floor: -145dB

Specifications

Listening

When I first started listening to it out of the box, I focused only on aspects such as clarity, bass response, and textures, and all seemed promising, but clearly, it would take time for my ears to adjust to a new “heart” for my system. However, when my 6-year-old daughter came to sit with me to listen, she surmised, “The sound is now further in the back, daddy, it sounds far away, and not so big as it was before.” Then she ran off without asking to play her choices from our joint playlist, as usual. I listened again, now considering the sound stage—and she was right. It was smaller and further away in a distant mist. Alarmed at first, I recalled I had not bothered to think about burn-in. I thus kept playing digital music 24 hours a day in blocks of 2 days at a time.

It started blossoming at about 150 hours, and by 200+, it became stunning to behold. The soundstage was back to its large size and presented details with remarkable clarity, but in a highly non-clinical spirit. Whereas the BHK had a warmer, richer, colored presentation, the PMG removed from that any fluff/distortion, revealing more realism and accuracy in the soundstage and imaging. A wonderful intimacy and presence of vocals and instruments were evident in the overall presentation, and a clean and pure sound was the norm. The bass presentation was at a new high as well, full-bodied, tight, and with superb clarity.

Reference equipment:

Infigo Audio Method IS-1 Cryogen Streamer, Mojo Audio Mystique X SE DAC, Jay’s Audio CDT-3 MK3 CD Transport, VPI industries HW 40th Anniversary Direct Drive turntable (with Grado AEON3 cartridge), PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier, Audio by Van Alstine M750 Monoblock Power amps, Alta Audio Aphrodite loudspeakers. IsoAcoustics Orea Series for footers on most components.

Music examples

Digital:

“Sixteen Tons”, Geoff Castelluci (2021), Qobuz, 16/44.1. As with his version of “Big Bad John” from 2022, one gets the real feel of Castelluci’s ability to go subharmonic with his voice. Backed by harmonies of singers at higher frequencies in a cappella style for effect, and tasteful use of percussion, this is a crowd pleaser; so present sounding that when it started, dead quiet, I truly felt as if Castelluci suddenly burst through the wall in back of my speakers and began to sing to me.

The Doors, “Indian Summer”, from the album Morrison Hotel (50th Anniversary Deluxe), (2020), Qobuz, 24/192. Mysterious, beautiful, so calming, I once described it as a lullaby for adults, and I stick to that. Guitar on the right, drums, and bass (from a keyboard, not a bass) on the left; vocals by Morrison in the middle; so intimate and present from the PMG. Even if I were to crank up the volume (as my daughter almost did), I suspect my neighbours would doze off in wonderland.

Vinyl:

Breaking Silence, by Janis Ian, Analogue Productions (2012). This is a classic album by Ian, as I think many audiophiles would agree. I not only love the music, but the recording quality is especially good. The detail in the imaging within the soundstage sounded spectacular; I could hear small details lined up from back to front in percussion, things I had never heard before. They had more presence and delicacy, more 3-D, and again, the intimacy was apparent. Even if I wandered away from the system into my kitchen, I could hear the difference. This is an album that I have always felt sounds better than any of the digital versions I have heard; the PMG confirmed that. The last cut, “Breaking Silence”, where, while she is singing, with the guitar, essentially mimicking her voice (from the left channel), was very special sounding, with her singing slightly left in the soundstage (I assume on purpose?). Meanwhile, the so naturally sounding earthy toms were bouncing back and forth from left to right. The PMG made me appreciate this special album even more.

Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto Getz/Gilberto 1STEP Numbered Limited Edition 180g 45rpm 2LP Impex Records “The Girl From Ipanema”. I used this album when I reviewed my Alta Audio Aphrodite loudspeakers, but there I focused on how this new pressing was superior to previous mixes/mastering with a more 3-D effect of the voice of Astrud Gilberto. But now I could hear the exceptional recording quality as a whole, and how the PMG helps with that: It tightens up and adds clarity to the sound of what typically sounded soft and fluffy before. Exceptional.

Ditto for this:

Falla: The Three Cornered Hat, Ansermet conducting, L’orchestre de la Suisse Romande Decca LP (1961). The sound of the individual instruments is so clean and natural-sounding within the large soundstage. I can hear more of what each instrument is contributing to the whole through the PMG.

Summary

If this is the beginning of the new PS Audio PGM series, then I think they have already hit a home run with the PS Audio PMG Signature Preamplifier at USD 8999. I sense it will compete favorably and even beat many higher-priced preamplifiers. It is impeccably clean and quiet, but it retains its unique personality to my ears, which to me makes it special, just as the BHK Preamplifier did, but now at a new and higher level. And just like the BHK, which I kept for almost 10 years, I do think this is a keeper. I gambled, and I feel I won. No more to say. Very highly recommended.

Further information: PS Audio