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SOTA Pyxi has arrived

I'd really like to hear one of these one day.

They really aren't ideally suited to my system though, the MM gain is hotter than my ZPre3 can handle.
 
Blue Shadow said:
Was it your new word of the day? Glad you got it in.
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I wake up some mornings with these words stuck in my mind. "I gotta use them today, somehow, somewhere!"

anime_laughing.gif
 
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cgallery said:
I'd really like to hear one of these one day.

They really aren't ideally suited to my system though, the MM gain is hotter than my ZPre3 can handle.
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The architecture of the phono stage is - as far as I can tell - unique. It makes it hard to switch gains. It is possible to reduce the gain from 45dB to, say, 36dB, but with some loss of RIAA compliance accuracy. The next version of the Pyxi may well have this option, but it was decided by SoTA to not have it in the first version.
As for a comparison with the Curl design. It is of course up to the listener to decide, but the specs of the Pyxi are superior, and in two instances that I am aware of "the listener" concluded it was audibly better.
 
I listened last night for 4 hours and was impressed by what I heard. I’m goi g to have a couple more of these sessions before making any final judgement regarding differences between it and my 4100’s phono stage.
 
34dean said:
After reading a few extremely positive reviews on the ultra affordable Pyxi phono preamp from SOTA, I decided to pull the trigger and ordered one on Friday evening. Today, Monday, the unit arrive safely to me, packaged up nicely. It was very easy to set up using the included instructions/manual. A couple of easy clicks up and down on the settings on the bottom of the unit, and I was ready to go!
I connected my Basis 2000 turntable to the unit and the unit out to the AUX 2 input on my MA4100 receiver. I started with Donald Fagen‘s “The Nightfly“, a very well produced and pressed album. A wonderful full sound, detail, and airy presentation quickly came through my ADS 910’s. I especially noticed the mid range and low end sounding better than I have ever heard by system sound. I realize, this could be a “placebo effect“ of me getting a cool new piece of gear, so… A few hours of listening tonight will be necessary!
After Fagan, I put on Dire Straits “Love over Gold“ and the album has never sounded better. Tremendous!

I will continue to report back and let the unit break in for 10 or 20 hours before really summing up my thoughts, but so far, so great!
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No break-in is required. There are no components that need to be "aged" before operation, and the on/off output relay does not operate until the unit has completed its power up sequence.
In fact, there are no "audiophile" components at all in the design, which is not to say that the components are not of extremely high quality, and the unit is fully tested for distortion, RIAA compliance, gain and gain matching before undergoing a sample listening test before shipping.
 
As I wrote above. Zero time. The unit has spent some time on the bench before shipping, and all is tested.
As far as I'm aware there have been zero failures in the production build - which is almost totally automated- and zero spec failures on the bench.
SoTA is supposed to report any issues to me, and there were a couple of early assembly and test problems that were resolved, so I have a pretty high level of confidence in the build quality.
 
wyn palmer said:
As I wrote above. Zero time. The unit has spent some time on the bench before shipping, and all is tested.
As far as I'm aware there have been zero failures in the production build - which is almost totally automated- and zero spec failures on the bench.
SoTA is supposed to report any issues to me, and there were a couple of early assembly and test problems that were resolved, so I have a pretty high level of confidence in the build quality.
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Sorry Wyn, I thought I edited. I can't use these new fangled contraptions. LOL
 
wyn palmer said:
As I wrote above. Zero time. The unit has spent some time on the bench before shipping, and all is tested.
As far as I'm aware there have been zero failures in the production build - which is almost totally automated- and zero spec failures on the bench.
SoTA is supposed to report any issues to me, and there were a couple of early assembly and test problems that were resolved, so I have a pretty high level of confidence in the build quality.
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Great stuff, Wyn. Thank you for chiming in!
Can this unit support a LOMC?
 
Morgan D said:
Dean, this is why you started a new thread. You might not have heard from Wyn otherwise.
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I try to keep track of any SoTA Pyxi threads started anywhere as best as I can, as it seems reasonable to assume that I am the best product support that the Pyxi can have. However, I do have a life and I've been travelling a lot recently and I just got back from a lengthy trip which prohibited any "support" activity. Now I'm relaxing at home, listening to music, and I had a bit of time to do a search...
 
34dean said:
Great stuff, Wyn. Thank you for chiming in!
Can this unit support a LOMC?
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If anything it is better with a LOMC than a MM. The noise is slightly worse, the RIAA compliance is identical, and the distortion is lower than for the MM.
This is not your usual low cost phono stage.
 
Morgan D said:
Is the more expensive Sota coming out anytime soon?
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It depends on how the Pyxi does.
Asking people to pay $2500 is a big step up from $300. Sure, it has somewhat better specs and far more functionality (gain stepped in 2dB increments, 2nd order warp filter, balanced output, lower noise, lower distortion, optimized MM channels etc. etc.) but you need to have a reputation for people to cough up that, especially for a design that "uses opamps".
 
wyn palmer said:
It depends on how the Pyxi does.
Asking people to pay $2500 is a big step up from $300. Sure, it has somewhat better specs and far more functionality (gain stepped in 2dB increments, 2nd order warp filter, balanced output, lower noise, lower distortion, optimized MM channels etc. etc.) but you need to have a reputation for people to cough up that, especially for a design that "uses opamps".
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Well, those SOTA TT's aren't cheap .
 
Mister Pig said:
Now if "they" can't get the answer about an internal phono stage right...how much credence are you going to put into the answer about the 4100 being the best choice for you to run the KEF speakers?
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Us Mc guys are too transfixed by meters and other gee-gaws to be able to know good from bad. Fortunately we have authorities as yourself to keep AKers straight.
 
Morgan D said:
Well, those SOTA TT's aren't cheap .
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Yes, but the only phono preamp that SoTA has ever previously sold is a rather quirky one designed by John Curl a number of years ago.
In essence this is a whole new world for them, and a logical follow up to Bill Carlin's excellent motor control products.
 
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