Parks Audio Budgie Phono Preamp
- Thread starter 63pontiacgp
- Start date
Coolhandjjl
Embiggened Pompatus
How does it sound using your amp’s phono stage?
Coolhandjjl
Embiggened Pompatus
I run Pickering carts. With a new-ish stylus and proper alignment, those sound good 47k, which is 1-0-0-0 on the Budgie
I got a used one of these a few months ago. I'm just using the stock tubes, run it with an Signet AM10S cartridge with a VMN40ML stylus. It feeds a Parasound ZPre3.
Let me start by saying, it is the best sounding phono stage I've tried.
But I do have some test albums with pink noise tracks, both the HiFi Producer's cut as well as the CBS STR-140. And while cheap SS phono stages measure essentially flat out to nearly 20k, the Budgie starts to roll off at approx 10k and is down about 3db by 15k.
And I'm just wondering if the test records are crap, or if there is an impedance issue with the ZPre3 (24k btw) or something else?
I keep my total impedance (interconnect and tonearm wiring) around 83pf, plus whatever the Budgie contributes. I'm running at 47k. If I increase that, I start getting a lift that starts as low as 6 or 6k (IIRC), so less flat midrange.
It is just sort of a curiosity. If someone told me a way to make it measure flatter above 10k, I'd likely decline because I like the sound as is. I can't hear much above 15k anyways.
But, any ideas?
Let me start by saying, it is the best sounding phono stage I've tried.
But I do have some test albums with pink noise tracks, both the HiFi Producer's cut as well as the CBS STR-140. And while cheap SS phono stages measure essentially flat out to nearly 20k, the Budgie starts to roll off at approx 10k and is down about 3db by 15k.
And I'm just wondering if the test records are crap, or if there is an impedance issue with the ZPre3 (24k btw) or something else?
I keep my total impedance (interconnect and tonearm wiring) around 83pf, plus whatever the Budgie contributes. I'm running at 47k. If I increase that, I start getting a lift that starts as low as 6 or 6k (IIRC), so less flat midrange.
It is just sort of a curiosity. If someone told me a way to make it measure flatter above 10k, I'd likely decline because I like the sound as is. I can't hear much above 15k anyways.
But, any ideas?
AvFan
Super Member
I had a Budgie and I liked it, in particular the loading flexibility and convenience of top mounted dip switches. The ability to increase the load from the typically fixed 47Kohm was very handy when loading a MC cart while using a SUT.
I wonder if the Budgie's high frequency rolloff is intentional. I have no idea about your cartridge but this TNT Audio article describes the high frequency rise of a Nagaoka cartridge that would be offset by the Budgie. The capacitance of the Budgie is fixed so maybe Shannon Parks designed the rolloff for the typical MM? Is it typical for MM carts to have high frequency rise like the Nagaoka? This TNT article might provide some additional insights regarding MM cartridge loading.
Coolhandjjl
Embiggened Pompatus
I have a Budgie. That is not normal. I can hear differences per each increment.
Give Shannon a shout. He still services these.
steelgtr
Well-Known Member
What are the extreme settings to test that out?
steelgtr
Well-Known Member
It could be, but Mr. Parks referred to the RIAA accuracy.
I've never used a tube phono before so don't know whether this is typical or not.
I had figured it was an impedance matching issue but see Mr. Parks ran it on something with a very low (9k?) input impedance back a few pages and indicated the unit measured correctly.
This would be a bit of a non issue except I designed my own tonearm and use the captures to compare recordings before/after incremental changes in my arm. So having a flat preamp would help in that regard.
Thing is, the Budgie sounds so amazing.
AvFan
Super Member
I'd send Shannon an email and describe what you are measuring (hearing?). He was very responsive when I had a problem with my Budgie.
I rolled out the stock Electro-Harmonix 6922 tubes for a pair of NOS Amperex 7308s and the Budgie's performance stepped up. There are lots of tube options and Shannon can offer some suggestions.
Coolhandjjl
Embiggened Pompatus
The stock EHX are nothing to sneeze at providing they are still at or near spec. Even preamp tubes wear over time.
I am running NOS BEL E88CC in mine.
I am running NOS BEL E88CC in mine.
So it turns out there was a change made during production that inadvertently added over 400-pf of Miller capacitance. The solution was lifting one leg of a capacitor between pins one and two on each tube socket. Now the unit measures as flat as any of my other phono stages, and sounds even more fabulous.
Last edited:
bar72
Active Member
My Gold Lions are doing the same with my Internet Provider Supplied Router. Swapped Router out for an aftermarket TP-Link Router and the pulsing is gone so I assume ISP Router is using cheaper non-shielded components than the TP-Link. Also noted that my Sovteks from the 80s, JJ Gold Pins and EH valves don't pick up the signal so who knows..
steelgtr
Well-Known Member
How to tell what units?
Have to look inside. From Mr. Parks:
At some point during Budgie production (years after the design process), I lowered the noise floor by adding a 15pF cap from pins 1 and 2 on both tubes. I neglected to account for the Miller capacitance that this little mod created (435pF!!!), as I was "outside the design time frame" and subsequent tests didn't reveal any frequency response change. You see, my QC testing happened with a low output impedance source (very little inductance) so the RIAA from 10kHz to 20kHz was spot on, unlike what happens with a much higher inductance cartridge . It wasn't until I was winding down production to switch over to the Puffin that I discovered my mistake. That said, I think this error contributed a bit to the sound that folks liked - interesting how that worked out.
Anyhow, you can flatten your Budgie out by just lifting one of the legs of the 15pF yellow, axial capacitors (by V1 and V2 pins 1 and 2 - at C21 and C22). Could just snip one side and lift, too. You could then easily resolder the snipped section to go back if desired.
Anyhow, you can flatten your Budgie out by just lifting one of the legs of the 15pF yellow, axial capacitors (by V1 and V2 pins 1 and 2 - at C21 and C22). Could just snip one side and lift, too. You could then easily resolder the snipped section to go back if desired.
Yeah, it is definitely noticeable. Without the added Miller capacitance, I am able to use the loading resistor switches to better effect.
Here is before/after, both at 47k. I would have spent more time working on loading and getting an even more flat response, but switched to another preamp because I was working on another aspect of my system.
