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  Stereo Products > PCA-2 Preamplifier PCA-2 Preamplifier More Info Starting at just $1,995.00!  PS Audio manufactured its first preamplifier 30 years ago. Simple in features yet robust in performance, the preamp and its companion phono stage were considered to be among the very best in the world at the time. We spent the next 30 years honing our reputation and skills for designing and producing world class preamplifiers at affordable prices. As a result of those efforts, thousands of customers around the world continue to covet their PS preamplifiers and most would be loathe to part with them for any reason. The PS PCA-2 and companion HCPS Analog Power Supply continues that tradition of excellence, performance, innovation and affordability. Introducing the PCA-2 Without question the PCA-2 represents the culmination of our decades-long quest for perfection in the art of preamplification. Combining state-of-the-art electronics and power supply technology with innovative and user friendly features, the PCA-2 and HCPS Power Supply will take on any challenger at any price. Period. While many other manufacturers focus their design talents on making multi-channel preamplifiers that can  also accommodate a high-end stereo system, we felt it was important to first create the opposite: a no-compromise 2-channel preamplifier targeted towards musical perfection that could also become a part of a home theater system. Simply a matter of priorities.How does the PCA-2 sound? Perhaps one of the most defining sonic characteristics of the preamp is its open and spacious soundstage, coupled with what seems to be limitless dynamic range. The first attribute you'll notice is how your speakers seem to literally vanish; the music coming from everywhere but the speakers. It's unreal how transparent the sound through the PCA-2 is. Unique is the way this preamplifier provides an absolutely magnetic attraction that will have you listening to every recording you have. We’ve spent literally hours pulling all the old CD’s out of the closet that we’d forgotten about – just to hear them come to life again on the PCA-2. Tonally rich and robust, this preamplifier will energize your system in a way you probably hadn’t considered possible. Features of the PCA-2 Where does one start? There are so many features found on the PCA-2 that it is a joy to write about them.
The heart of any preamplifier is the volume control. We’ve heard preamplifiers that go from great to bad simply based on the care and design of this critical element.  Over the years we have experimented with hundreds of different volume control types, from stepped attenuators to volume potentiometers, to active circuits like the ever popular Crystal volume control (Cirrus Logic) used in most high-end products from extremely high-end manufacturers. The PCA-2 takes yet a different approach, eschewing stepped attenuators because of their degrading switch contacts, potentiometers because of their limiting wipers and resistive elements that the musical signal has to pass through, and other methods that do not (in our opinion) live up to the sonic standards we would expect in our own systems. The PCA-2 uses a MOSFET based ladder attenuator made by Burr Brown. This unique high voltage volume control was just announced by Burr Brown and we jumped on it with all fours. Featuring a dynamic range of 120 dB, distortion of 0.0004% and the ability to swing 26 linear volts on its output! So revolutionary is this new volume control that we abandoned our original stepped shunt attentuator to employ the new technology. Skeptical at first, we auditioned this new active volume control against our reference silver switch contact stepped attenuator, Penny and Giles and Noble mechanical potentiometers, and our own proprietary shunt device and the new Burr Brown simply wiped them out. We found that the key to making this part perform in a way that is sonically breathtaking has a lot to do with our implementation of it in the PCA-2. Power supply is key, as well as loading it into our high impedance JFET input stage. Class A instrument grade audio stages New to the PCA-2 is our  instrument grade class A fully balanced gain stage that follows our unique volume control.The gain stage is simple, yet low distortion without feedback, high voltage for increased dynamic range, and low output impedance to drive virtually any cable or combination of cables. Based on a current sourced cascode fed JFET balanced input, the gain stage has the ability to lower common mode noise by nearly 100 dB! The instrument grade gain stage in the PCA-2 is fully balanced and has a huge output voltage swing which equates to a very dynamic and robust musical performance with no audible restrictions whatsoever. Music is unchanged regardless of its level or complexity. Listen to most any other preamplifier and compare; the PCA-2 just simply 'isn't there' when the music is playing. Low output impedance We mentioned that the PCA-2 has a gain stage with extremely low output impedance. This is a key element to having a preamplifier sound great. Its ability to drive long lengths of interconnect, or complex interconnect impedances can make all the difference in the way your system sounds. Most tube preamplifiers fail badly at this requirement and so great care must be taken to connect a tube preamp with its associated power amp. Most solid state preamplifiers have an easier time generating low output impedances at their outputs, but few if any go as low as the PCA-2. In fact, the PCA-2’s output impedance is low enough to actually drive a small pair of loudspeakers! We  don’t recommend that you do this, but it’s a good example of just how robust the preamplifier is. If it can drive a pair of speakers, you can bet it’ll drive your cables!Fully balanced from input to output Many preamplifiers on the market today are not balanced. Yes, they have balanced inputs and outputs available on their back panels, but inside the preamplifier it’s a different story: single ended. For instance, rarely will a tube preamplifier be balanced from input to output and the same goes for most solid state designs. The PCA-2 is balanced right from the beginning and follows that path right to the end. Every element inside the preamp is balanced as well, from the four element precision volume control to the dual balanced gain stages and the output, the PCA-2 sets new standards for which others might aspire. A balanced circuit topology in a preamplifier is a key element to its sonic success. By balancing the unit throughout we avoid the traditional pitfalls of extra stages necessary to convert single ended designs into balanced approaches, higher common mode rejection, and lower distortion and noise. Multiple discrete regulators It should come as no surprise that PS Audio is big on clean power. At the power input of the PCA-2 there is a High Current Ultimate Outlet to provide the first stage of cleaning. From there the power is distributed to a large toroidal transformer, perhaps more befitting a 100 watt power amp than a preamp in terms of size, and then its on to the pre-regulator. Using large dye power amp transistors to gate the voltage, the pre-regulator is the first point that produces ultra-clean  DC voltages. The 90 volts of DC that is produced by this pre-regulator is about 3 times higher than the vast majority of solid state preamplifiers and is in line with the voltages used by many tube preamps. This extraordinarily high voltage is one of the reason the PCA-2 is so open and effortless in its musical presentation. Remote control A standard feature of the PCA-2 is its remote control. The pocket-sized remote can control any of the many features and functions of the preamplifier. Volume, balance, input selection, Home Theater Bypass, Loop, mute, power and the ability to choose one of the many optional card operations available, such as phono and an upcoming built-in DAC. Front panel controls Front panel controls are clean, simple and intuitive. On the left of the preamplifier as you face the front panel is the power button that switches the PCA-2 on/off. To the right of the power button are four control buttons that manage input selection, loop, mute and a large volume control knob. Even though this preamplifier is fully remote controlled, we have always loathed having to adjust the volume with an up/down button arrangement. The volume knob is a smooth device that actually senses the speed at which you are turning it. The faster you turn the knob the smart circuits inside adjust the volume to match your pace. Slow down the speed at which you adjust the volume control, and the resolution of the volume control becomes extremely fine allowing you to make minute adjustments to the level. This is a very user friendly preamplifier. Input naming We do not know what you are going to plug into any of the seven inputs provided on the rear panel. To make life eas  y for PCA-2 owners, you can write any name you want to assign to any input using the 'brainless' setup menu.This is a great feature that allows you to customize your new preamplifier to exactly fit your needs and your system’s unique character. Home Theater Bypass One of the features found on the PCA-2 that will be adored by anyone with a home theater setup is the Home Theater Bypass. This feature allows you to go from a high-end two channel music system to a home theater setup with the push of a button on the remote. With PS Audio’s Home Theater Bypass function you can use all your high-end two channel equipment as a part of your home theater setup! Your amplifier, preamplifier and speakers do not have to change just because you want to play a film and take advantage of the great equipment you already have in place. The Home Theater Bypass takes the front two channels worth of information from any surround processor and routes them through the PCA-2 directly to your two-channel’s front speakers allowing your surround system to take command of the system’s volume level. It’s as easy as a push of a button. Input gain adjust One of the coolest features of the PCA-2 is found on only a handful of expensive preamps. It is the ability  to individualy adjust each inputs gain.This is a great feature that can easily be adjusted via the remote control and front panel. Let's say that on Input 1 you have a CD player and on Input 2 you have a tuner. Input 1 outputs a relatively loud signal when compared to the tuner (for instance). When you switch from Input 1 to Input 2, the volume is dramatically different that you are forced to adjust the volume control every time you change inputs. Not so with the PCA-2. With the PCA-2's individual channel adjust feature, you can preset the level of each channel individually so you have a smooth and well balanced experience whenever you go from one source to the next. High Current Headphone power amplifier built-in In our survey of preamplifier features, the first most asked for feature was a phono stage. The second was a really high quality headphone jack. You asked and we listened. The PCA-2 comes as standard with a built in class AB power amplifier capable of driving just about any headphone to absolute nirvana.  This is not the standard off-the-shelf chip power amp used by many manufacturers for their headphone amps, but a discrete output stage with its own power supply and amplifier. Based around a truly unique high voltage Burr Brown op-amp and discrete complimentary output transistors, this is a killer little power amplifier built into the PCA-2. Two sets of outputs The rear panel of the PCA-2 sports two sets of outputs, both balanced and unbalanced. With these four sets of outputs per channel, you can bi-amp and feed a subwoofer without having to suffer the degradation of a “Y” connector. Five separate inputs Five of the seven available inputs on the PCA-2 are dedicated as inputs assignable to virtually any piece of equipment you’d like. Through the front panel display and remote control you can easily assign any name to any of these five inputs. Input one is balanced and inputs two, three, four and five are single ended. Plus two more Inputs six and seven are switchable inputs. This me  ans that you can select whether they are an input or in the case of Input six a Home Theater Bypass input, and in the case of Input 7 a loop input for an external processor.An easy access switch just above each of the two inputs allows the user to select either function or input. Communication ports and DC triggers To make sure the PCA-2 is compatible with all PS Audio equipment as well as outside equipment as found in a home theater environment, there is a robust set of communication interfaces on the rear panel. The CAT 5 PS Bus system allows the PCA-2 to control every piece of PS equipment in the chain. For instance, if you have a PS Audio power amplifier such as the HCA-2 or the Classic 250 or perhaps one of the upcoming multi-channel power amplifiers from PS, the PCA-2 can turn the entire system on with a single press of its front panel power button. The PS Bus communication port will also allow future upgrades in communication such as a wired remote volume control or an infra red repeater. The PCA-2 also provides both input and output 12 volt trigger controls. On the rear panel of the PCA-2 there are two 12 volt outputs used to control any piece of equipment you need and one input 12 volt trigger. This allows users of non PS Audio amplifiers to turn their amplifiers on and off via the PCA-  2’s front panel power button. Simply feed your power amplifier’s 12 volt input trigger from this output jack or purchase an after-market device that turns the power on/off to your amplifier in response to a 12 volt trigger.Analog HCPS external power supply PS Audio was the first high-end company to introduce the notion of an external High Current power supply for a preamplifier. While many other companies have successfully followed in our lead, it was PS Audio that introduced this concept to the world in the early 1970’s. What we discovered back then is still true today: a power supply befitting a power amp helps to improve the performance of a preamp. In fact, it helps any preamp. Available now, the High Current power supply is housed in a chassis about half the size of the PCA-2 and will help owners of the PCA-2 derive far more pleasure out of their preamplifier when connected. Listening to the preamp with the HCPS power supply is a real treat; it removes the final layer between you and the music in a way that perhaps you have never experienced. So important are the benefits of the HCPS that all PCA-2's will be shipped with Analog HCPS power supplies as a two-piece package unless you specify otherwise. The PCA-2 is state-of-the-art When it comes to two-channel based preamplification we would suggest there are no finer preamplifiers available anywhere on the planet. A bold claim? You bet. The PCA-2 is a bold new product from PS Audio that enjoys a 30 year history of design innovation and engineering experience and skills all wrapped up into one very pretty and easy to use chassis. Whether you have a two-channel or a home theater system, the PCA-2 represents absolutely edge-of-the-art performance at the affordable price of just $1,995 MSRP, available in both silver and black.
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