AVID Pulsare II Phono Stage

• Available in Black or silver

 "The difference between listening to music and experiencing it"

AVID's remarkable Pulsare phono stage brought merely listening to music to a new immersive level of experience. Receiving unlimited acclaim and numerous awards from virtually every hi-fi critic who auditioned it, the Pulsare introduced a new apex of analogue sound quality.

Now, AVID introduces the Pulsare II, building on the impressive successes of its predecessor now enhanced with switchable Mono and Subsonic Filters, conveniently operated from the front panel. Additionally, resistance values can now be customized. Internal RCA sockets allow different resistance plugs to be fitted to alter the 47k setting so perfect cartridge matching for those obscure loads becomes simple. This is done internally to maintain the shielding of the fully balanced circuit and prevent unwanted noise.

"Providing what was missing"

AVID is world-renowned for state-of-the-art turntables which create a visceral, emotional connection, drawing the listener deeper into every recording. Over the years, AVID has tried many different phonostage designs, most of them technically excellent, but all lacking the emotional connection, the breath of life, the realism, which AVID turntables reveal. They also lacked what AVID calls "sheer power": the presence, solidity and drive that transcends mere audio equipment, creating the true physicality of the performance.

The Pulsare II is a two-box phono preamp that will literally deliver all the detail from your precious LPs while preserving the warmth and natural tonality that makes vinyl one of the most pleasurable listening mediums. No matter the phono cartridge or 'table, the AVID Pulsare II will simply make beautiful music, and the level of satisfaction you'll experience will make you grateful for the time and care you lavish on your record collection. Our highest recommendation!

• August 2012 Paul Rigby, HIFI World Magazine (5 Globes)
• AVID Pulsare II wins "Phonostage of the Year 2012" -Hi-fi World

"The AVID Pulsare II is the best phono amp that I have ever heard. It's concentration on removing distortion from the hi-fi chain is the primary source of my enthusiasm. As such, it remains true to the primary source, ridding the signal of noise and maintaining a colour-free presentation with great focus."

Conception

AVID turned their substantial manufacturing prowess towards the creation of their ideal phono preamplifier, one with the exceptionally low background noise, impressive isolation and visceral presence of their turntables.

Taking nothing for granted, AVID started with a blank slate, creating the Pulsare II circuit design from the ground up. This is a ground-up revolutionary design which communicates honestly and embraces dynamic attack with aplomb.

Design

A fully balanced design, Pulsare II is built with purely exceptional high-specification components; with the singular goal of maintaining the purity and integrity of the miniscule signals flowing through it. To this effect, Pulsare's distortion across the audio spectrum is vanishingly low and Pulsare delivers impressive headroom; never running out of steam regardless of the demands of the music. A passive RIAA (with Neumann HF correction) circuit using audiophile-grade capacitors maintains linearity.

Front Panel Controls

Gain, Resistance and Capacitance are all easily adjustable via the front panel, offering excellent flexibility. All front panel selections are routed through high-quality, low-impedance relay banks allowing the use of much shorter electrical pathways and minimizing signal damage. Fully balanced, the Pulsare II offers both XLR and RCA inputs and outputs.

Outboard Power Supply

The massive external double regulated dual-mono 300VA power supply provides prodigious power to each channel separately. Separating Power Supply and Signal sections reduces noise, vibration and susceptibility to outside interference. This two-box configuration also allowed AVID to engineer a much larger, higher-current power supply which like the Reference PSU for the AVID Acutus, delivers greater drive, greater rhythmic capability and greater dynamic range. 

Specifications:

• Noise: < -81dB MM  < -67dB MC

• Distortion: < 0.001%

• RIAA: 5Hz - 70kHz +/-0.5dB

• Gain: 40dB - 50dB - 60dB - 70dB

• Resistance Loading: 10R - 30R - 100R - 300R - 500R - 1k - 5k - 10k - 47k - Custom

• Capacitance Loading: 100pf - 200pf - 500pf - 1.5nf - 10nf - 20nf

• Power Supply: Double Regulated with 300va Transformer

• Voltage Input: 100-240vac 50/60Hz 10 Watts Max. (depending on region)

• Dimensions: 290mm x 240mm x 100mm (W x D x H)

• Net Weight: Control Unit - 3.8 Kg (8.4lb)   PSU - 6.4 Kg (14lb)

• Shipping Weight: 12.0Kg (27lb) 

We have this on permanent demonstration. Home demos also available.