REVIEW - Pheonix Engineering PSU + Tachometer

[Wakefield Turntables]

Just thought I write a few words with regards my latest toys. I've been banging on about getting an external PSU for the Garrard 301 for some time and after 2 years worth of research and speaking to numerous 301 Guru's (Audiograil, Dr. Bastin, Loricraft etc) I plumped for this combination. Shipping time was 5 days customs took nine days and charged my £150 import duty , costs all in was probably £600-700. This system is the 25W version and specially designed for TT's that need a bit of extra poke to get that platter spinning.


Diddy!.jpg

Setting was a doddle and took ~10 minutes. The tachometer takes ~1 minute to stabilise and then keeps the platter spinning rock solid at between +/- 0.001-2 RPM to 33RPM until you turn if off.

allthe3s.jpg

The PSU & Tachometer come extremely well packed and I'd give Pheonix 10/10 was the quality of the boxes/packing indeed each unit has an individual bespoke set of packaging. Truly excellent. The instruction manuals and short, sweet and straight to the point, again I have to comment Pheonix.

The PSU is built like a small tank and exudes quality, this baby pumps cleans your mains and pumps a healthy 25W into the Garrard.

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The vast majority of the connecting leads are 3 & 5mm jack plugs which are all gold plated, this gained them some more browny points.

The system works by installing a small magnet beneath the platter a small PCB installed under the magnet detected platter speed and automatically corrects the platter so that it runs as close to 33.3333 rpm as possible. This was perhaps the worst part as I had to rejig and remount my Garrard 301's bearing by an additional 2mm this raised the platter and allowed the PCB to mounted near the magnet.

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The PCB has to be within 1/4" of the magnet otherwise it dosen't work and I must admit that I wasn't impressed with this area of the Tachometer's design. This is only a minor gripe and should not be taken out of context. The system is excellent and very easy to work with. So how does it sound? Well in a word, STUNNING! This system has really transformed my 301 listening experience. I was initially confronted with a leaner presentation to the music and couldn't quite understand why? It was only when I listened to several albums of piano music that the penny dropped. The pitch stability had improved no end and whilst previously I could hear instability in a notes decay I have to say that such a phenonomen had disappeared. My soundstage has an improved clarity and the 301 now seems better at placing and defining instruments in the soundstage. The soundstage has also deepened and become more 3D. The 301 really has come on leaps and bounds with this system. I would heartily recommend this system and you can transfer it to pretty much any deck. I do have two complaints. Firstly I think the buttons on the PSU and Tachometer could have been made from metal rather than plastic and secondly I did have to find a USA/UK plug converter (probably a couple of quid extra) to make the Tachometer work. If I'm spending £600-700 on a system some nice steel buttons and a cheapo plug converter wouldn't each too much into Pheonix Engineering's profit margin. The 25W version is only available directly from Pheonix but Bill who owns the company is very good at responding to emails. So, I'd give this system 9/10.

[daytona600]

Phoenix Engineering
Eagle High Power Digital Turntable PSU 25W £ 379
RoadRunner Digital Tachometer £ 165
Package Deal
Eagle + RoadRunner - Turntable Digital PSU & Digital Tachometer £ 519

[daytona600]

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...-Turntable-PSU

[Wakefield Turntables]

Scott I'd already ordered and paid for the system otherwise If I'd have known you would have had a sale. I'd not seen that review before so it's nice to see that I agree with the other reviewer.

[daytona600]

very well designed piece of kit as you found out andrew
client just fitted one to his £3500 VPI Prime & huge step up in sound quality to already very good sounding standard deck

once my 301 is rebuilt adding PSU & Tacho to mine
Brings DD speed stabilty to belt & idler decks

http://positive-feedback.com/reviews...and-eagle-psu/

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/...1b2E6QKxXI4.97

[Gazjam]

Interesting...

do-able on a Gyro you think?

[daytona600]

Tacho fits any turntable
PSU if your Gryo is AC motor

[lurcher]

once my 301 is rebuilt adding PSU & Tacho to mine Brings DD speed stabilty to belt & idler decks

Not strictly true. A stable 50Hz will help, which the PSU will do, but all the Tacho is doing is adjusting the 50Hz slowly to make the platter rotate at the target speed. A typical direct drive responds to speed variation every 20ms, this responds every 1.8 seconds.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Not strictly true. A stable 50Hz will help, which the PSU will do, but all the Tacho is doing is adjusting the 50Hz slowly to make the platter rotate at the target speed. A typical direct drive responds to speed variation every 20ms, this responds every 1.8 seconds.

Still sounds bloody good especially when it's filetered through the P10 power regenerator enabling a decent stable 50hz (THD usually <0.1%) and all the DC crap filtered out .

[lurcher]

Still sounds bloody good especially when it's filetered through the P10 power regenerator enabling a decent stable 50hz (THD usually <0.1%) and all the DC crap filtered out

I am sure it does, as I said, not saying its not a good idea, just the comparison with a direct drive is a bit bogus (not that you made that comparison)

I take it you are feeding the supply from the P10, not the other way around :-)