{"id":28556,"date":"2021-06-15T11:34:07","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T09:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=28556"},"modified":"2023-05-15T19:27:22","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T17:27:22","slug":"avid-pellar-pulsus-pellere-and-pulsare-ii-phono-stages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/amplifier-reviews\/phono-preamp-reviews\/avid-pellar-pulsus-pellere-and-pulsare-ii-phono-stages\/","title":{"rendered":"AVID Pellar, Pulsus, Pellere, and Pulsare II Phono Stages"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review samples supplied by Hexagon Audio<\/a>
\n<\/a>Retail prices in the NL including 21% VAT:<\/h4>\n

Pellar: 990 euro
\nPulsus: 2.000 euro
\nPellere: 5.500 euro
\nPulsare II: 7.700 euro<\/h4>\n

AVID is widely known for producing superb turntables. What’s probably less well-known is that they also produce a range of phono stages. The technology and engineering involved in the turntable motor power supplies are right at the basis of their phono stages.<\/p>\n

The AVID range of phono stages spans four products: the entry-level Pellar and the more advanced Pulsus, the more upscale Pellere, and the top-of-the-range Pulsare II. Reviewed here are the first two products as well as the range-topper. The second-best Pellare unit was not available and is described only in terms of features. All AVID phono stages are designed, manufactured, and tested within their Huntingdon facility in the UK.<\/p>\n

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Pellar<\/h3>\n

The entry-level Pellar is a simple but rugged and comfortingly heavy phono stage with a 24VA Toroidal-based linear regulated power supply built in. Designed to achieve low distortion and lots of headroom, the Pellar is built entirely in-house using mostly discrete components. Granted, as with the vast majority of products out there, the Pellar uses op-amps for amplification but no integrated circuits. Importantly, the RIAA filtering is of the passive kind (using Neumann HF correction) and built using high-end capacitors.<\/p>\n

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The Pellar has a fixed 47kOhm impedance with 100pf capacitance for MM cartridges and allows the adjustment of MC cartridge loading via two RCA plugs on the rear next to the inputs. Supplied are two 500 Ohm connectors but extras are available at a whopping 77-euro extra cost per pair. I would suggest simply soldering your own. To this end, the user manual is descriptive and contains a lookup table to assist with picking the correct values.<\/p>\n

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As with nearly all competing products, the remaining settings need to be made using micro-switches that are located on the unit’s bottom. Even though bottom placement is ubiquitous, I would argue that placement on top (and covered by a lid) would be much more ideal and with the main PCB mounted upside-down, not necessarily any more complex to build.<\/p>\n

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Unlike the picture in my printed manual (above) which probably depicts an earlier model, the channel input and loading terminals on the physical unit are confusingly not color-coded, as can be seen below.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The online manual mentions that the channel inputs should mirror the output connections and that the lower sockets are for the turntable and the upper sockets for the loading plugs, as seen below.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The unit can be switched between MM (48dB gain) and MC and then between low gain (60dB) and high gain (70dB). The location on the bottom is inconvenient but for the majority of customers it’s likely a one-time setting and it is the most cost-effective solution. What I cannot understand, however, is that the descriptions are printed such that they can only be read when viewing the product from the rear which, I suspect, is not how most people would access this.<\/p>\n

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Pulsus<\/h3>\n

With the same look, finish, and dimensions and with some similarities inside, at first glance, the Pulsus seems to be based on the Pellar but with the power supply built into a separate enclosure. The power supply chassis is of the same quality and has the same dimensions as the main chassis and contains a powerful toroidal transformer (upped to 35VA) and linear rectification. Like the Pellar, the Pulsus uses op-amps for amplification but no integrated circuits and the RIAA filtering is of the passive kind (using Neumann HF correction) which is built using high-end capacitors.<\/p>\n

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Upon a closer look, the Pulsus distinguishes itself from the Pellar by having significantly more flexibility in terms of available settings for capacitance- and resistance loading. The Gain can be set to 48dB, 60dB, and 70dB and the Resistance loading can be set to 100R, 300R, 500R, 1k, 5k, 10k, and 47k. Capacitance, finally, can be set to 100pf, 200pf, and 500pf.<\/p>\n

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Alas, the micro-switches for all these settings are on the bottom and the descriptive text is printed in reverse so that it is legible only when viewing the product from the rear. Thus, unless one has ample access behind the audio system, simply flipping the unit upside down is not enough, one needs to rotate it in all directions. Then again, for most customers, this will be a one-time setting.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Pulsare II<\/h3>\n

The Pulsare II is the AVID range-topping model, and indeed, it is quite something else than the Pellar and Pulsus.<\/p>\n

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Built into two much larger and much heavier chassis, the Pulsare II is not only the non-plus ultra of the AVID phono stages but also one of the most flexible phono stages in existence. The only other phono stages that I am aware of that offer similarly extensive functionality are the Pass XP-27 and the CH Precision P1<\/a> and both are considerably more expensive than the Pulsare II.<\/p>\n

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All AVID Phono Stage models are also available in Silver<\/em><\/p>\n

The Pulsare II’s beautifully sculpted power supply chassis contains a 300VA Toroidal transformer and fourfold rectification to supply discrete plus and minus voltage lines for both channels via a large yet flexible umbilical cable with beefy 12-pin metal connectors with a lockable collar.<\/p>\n

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A fully balanced design from input to output, the Pulsare II is conceived to have exceptionally low noise levels and massive headroom. The circuits are built using extremely high-specification components and, 1% tolerance capacitors for the passive (Neumann HF correction-) RIAA filtering.<\/p>\n

All of the unit’s Gain, Resistance, and Capacitance settings are set directly on the PCB via banks of relays which are controlled by an array of smoothly-running, solid-metal rotary dials conveniently placed on the front panel.<\/p>\n

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The Gain can be set to 40dB, 50dB, 60dB, or 70dB. The Input Resistance can be set to 10R, 30R, 100R, 300R, 500R, 1K, 5K, 10K, 47K, or any custom desired value. The Input Capacitance has an unusually wide range and can be set to 100pF, 200pF, 500pF, 1.5nF, 10nF, or 20nF. The custom resistance loading value is achieved by adding internal RCA plugs fitted with resistor values as required to alter the 47k loading to the desired value. The user manual contains a lookup table to assist with picking the correct values. Additionally, the Pulsare II offers a mono facility, a subsonic filter, both also relay-driven and accessible from the front panel. Finally, there is a ground lift function which is the one and only function that is accessed from the unit’s back panel.<\/p>\n

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Inputs and outputs are both XLR and RCA, and whilst running fully balanced internally, the output is optionally balanced or unbalanced. Even the RCA inputs can optionally be used in balanced mode by a flick of the front-panel dial.<\/p>\n

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Pellere<\/h3>\n

The Pellere phono stage was not available to listen to but it may be good to know that this friendlier-priced alternative to the Pulsare II provides all the same settings minus only the custom resistance loading. Spec-wise, it looks to be identical to the Pulsare II and I wouldn’t be surprised if it indeed offered nearly identical performance. Looking inside, the PCB layout is in part different due to the replacement of the Pulsare II’s banks of relays by bottom-mounted micro switches, but otherwise, it is extremely similar.<\/p>\n

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The main difference between the Pulsare II and the Pellere is in the location of the microswitches: on the bottom, rather than conveniently on the front panel. Other than this, the only visible difference is that the Pulsare II has the AVID trademark knob-like feet in a highly polished finish while the Pellere has simpler and more regularly shaped matte black feet. If the intended use is to set it and forget it, then the Pellere offers improved value for money.<\/p>\n

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System Context<\/h3>\n

The three AVID phono stages will be reviewed using both of my regular systems. The main system consists of the Origin Live Calypso mk4<\/a> turntable with Aidas Rainbow<\/a> cartridge, CH Precision P1<\/a> phono stage, Ayon Stealth<\/a> preamp, CH Precision A1.5<\/a> power amp, and Magico S1 MkII speakers.<\/p>\n

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The secondary system consists of the Thorens TD1601<\/a> turntable with Audio Technica AT33Sa<\/a> cartridge, Ayon Spirit III<\/a> KT-150 tube amplifier, and Xavian Perla Esclusiva<\/a> loudspeakers. All the electronics (AVID phono stages included) are all used with Belden 19364<\/a> power cables.<\/p>\n

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Listening to the Pellar<\/h3>\n

Starting with the entry-level Pellar in the main system and using the AVID Sequel<\/a> turntable with the Audio Origami PU7 tonearm (12-gram effective mass version with Cardas 33ga internal wiring and super OFC external cable) and a Dynavector 10×5 mkII<\/a> high-output MC cartridge and all of the Pellar’s DIP switches in the off-position and with the 500 Ohm adapters applied, the sound is immediately likable, with a full-bodied bass and a warm midrange. It’s a surprisingly royal presentation with a large sound bubble and a free-flowing, lush, rich, and warm delivery.<\/p>\n

The midrange is invitingly rich but also quite relaxed. Considering that I am using the very open and communicative Dynavector 10×5 this is a point worth considering. On the other hand, the Pellar is likely to be used with much more affordable turntables and then most likely with a Rega-type tonearm. Coincidentally, or perhaps by design, these tonearms tend to be forward in the midrange, thereby likely balancing out the tonality.<\/p>\n

The bass could be more articulate for my taste but it’s not slow and the toe-tapping factor is still present. In the Pellar’s price range, there are phono stages that are more revealing, more linear, and more nuanced, but I would be surprised if you could find one for less that sounds this powerful, voluptuous, and smooth. Likewise, the midrange could be a little bit spicier but it’s easy to go overboard. As a case in point, the ridiculously cheap Schiit Mani has a more articulate and transparent delivery that initially tricks the brains into liking it but is also rather lean and gray and ultimately not groovy and emotionally not very involving. This is where the Pellar definitely does not let down.<\/p>\n

Listening to the Pellar in the secondary system with the Thorens TD1601 that, with the AT33Sa cartridge sounds quite neutral but slightly sweet, the Pellar (set to 500 Ohms and MC-Low) sounds in line with what I heard in the main system. Also in this combination, its sound is big, warm, and smooth, with a relaxed midrange. If there’s one thing that the Pellar will likely never be, it’s overly forward, let alone aggressive.<\/p>\n

Where competing products, even those with similar 1000-euro price tags, tend to offer clean-and-lean sound, the AVID Pellar offers the kind of full-bodied, “grown-up” sound that is normally only obtained when further climbing the audiophile ladder.<\/p>\n

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Listening to the Pulsus<\/h3>\n

To make a fair comparison in the secondary system with the Thorens TD1601 turntable, I used the 500-Ohm setting on the Pulsus and the low MC setting, just like on the Pellar. At first glance, the Pulsus appears to be a Pellar with an external power supply. That it’s more than that is imminently clear when listening to the two units side by side.<\/p>\n

The Pulsus retains the Pellar’s full-bodied bass and its smooth overall sound but it scores extra points in the midrange where it remains gently rich and sweet but is more open and expressive, making for a better balance between fullness and liveliness. Whereas the Pellar tends to slightly lump subtle individual sounds together tonally as well as spatially, the Pulsus adds nuance and more separation. Also worth mentioning is that the timbre is entirely natural and decidedly non-electronic. This is also an aspect where many rival phono stages fail.<\/p>\n

The overall sound is chunky, full, forgiving, and emotionally involving. As with the Pellar, the Pulsus is not the last word in differentiation or transparency but it has a hugely enjoyable delivery. It’s the antithesis to being clinical. While the Pulsus provides a thoroughly enjoyable presentation, I’m not sure if it sets new benchmarks in its price range. For instance, at 1.875 euros, the recently revised Lejonklou MC-only Entity in its latest 1.1 guise poses an alternative with a cleaner and leaner, less full-bodied presentation and the bare minimum in terms of configurability but with superlative transparency, low-level detailing, treble air, and refinement.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, if the Pulsus’ sonic improvements over the Pellar alone may not entirely justify a doubling of price, it’s good to realize that the extra money also buys massively extended configurability.<\/p>\n

Like the Pellar, the Pulsus works exceedingly well in any combination that I tried. Whether with the AVID Sequel turntable, the Origin Live, or the Thorens, and with the Dynavector 10×5, the Aidas Rainbow, and Audio Technica AT33Sa cartridges, it performs entirely consistently and always musically.<\/p>\n

The benefit of having a separate power supply is that it also allows the two units to be placed further apart. While the sonic advantages of the Pulsus design are clear with the two units stacked side by side or on top of one another, an extra measure of breath and freedom within the soundstage is obtained when moving the power supply away from the preamp.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Listening to the Pulsare II<\/h3>\n

The Pulsare II carries a serious price tag, but it also brings very serious performance as I soon found out. Whereas the Pellar and the Pulsus understandably required no comparisons with my reference CH P1 phono stage, the Pulsare II actually turned in such an elevated performance that it begged for a direct comparison.<\/p>\n

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The Pulsare II’s PCB layout has been strenuously optimized in a dual mono, fully-balanced topology with optimal isolation to allow the lowest background noise and distortion and to maximize the headroom. It makes sense for a product from the AVID branch to be conceived to be mechanically and sonically robust and this applies to all their phono stages but the Pulsare II, in particular, is designed to “never induce a feeling of running out of steam<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The basic sonic character is in line with the other AVID phono stages but with substantial improvements across the board. It might seem obvious for a higher-tier product to do everything the lower-placed models do but it’s not guaranteed. Often, I’ve found that when a given brand’s mid-range model is superbly musical, their highest-end model can be on the analytical side. Not so with the AVID phono stages. They all share the same sonic balance and I commend them for it.<\/p>\n

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The sound is still full-bodied and decidedly non-clinical but besides still being subtly warm and gently rich, there is now massively<\/em> improved transparency, refinement, and low-level detailing. Particularly impressive is the additional separation between subtle sounds, not only in terms of vividness but also in terms of placement within the soundstage.<\/p>\n

As with the other models, the timbre is spot-on natural. Wooden instruments really sound like the material of which they are made, rather than being reduced to something resembling a synthesized variant of the real thing. The other AVID phono stages were already great dynamic performers, but the Pulsare II has also raised the performance here. There’s simply absolutely never a sense of restraint.<\/p>\n

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Using either the AVID Sequel with AT33Sa cartridge or the Origin Live turntable with Aidas, it is obvious that the Pulsare II is truly something else. I found the sound to be ideal with the Pulsare II set to 300 Ohms and the MID MC gain setting for either combination. Then, it’s easily as spacious as the CH P1 phono stage and even better in terms of the placement of individual sounds into separate layers into the depth plane. In terms of ultimate refinement (articulation, transparency, treble air), the P1 is still superior, but it’s not far off! These differences manifest primarily when focusing on cymbals and other high-pitched percussive sounds, which are just that little bit more textured and refined. But it’s important to note that the Pulsare II never injects any dryness and is most definitely not rough in any way. The treble may lack the last bit of ultimate precision but it’s entirely natural and superbly fluid. Considering the Big Swiss preamp’s eye-watering price tag (30.000 euro in the basic configuration), that’s quite the achievement indeed.<\/p>\n

The Pulsare II’s most obvious competitor would be the 5.300-euro Pass Labs XP-17<\/a>. Although I heard this preamp almost four years ago and in an entirely different context, I’m positive that the Pulsare II has bigger bass, more warmth, and more charm, and although I think the Pass will be more strictly neutral, I don’t believe that it would outperform the AVID in terms of resolution.<\/p>\n

Ok, 7.700 euro is a serious chunk of money. But based on its performance alone, I’m seriously tempted. And so far, I’ve not even taken the preamp’s superb configurability and convenient front-panel operation into consideration. The XP-17 may offer similar functionality but it’s all accessed via micro switches on its rear panel. While one may consider this an improvement over the earlier X-Ono’s internal switches, I still found it to be a pain to have to crawl behind the racks. As a reviewer, and by nature as well, I tend to do a lot of (cartridge-) swapping, and then it’s absolutely fantastic<\/em> to have all the controls right there on the front panel.<\/p>\n

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Having established the Pulsare II’s full abilities in the main system I proceeded to test it in the secondary tube system with the Thorens TD1601 turntable fitted with the AT33Sa cartridge. Oh boy, if I wasn’t seduced before, I certainly was now! I will agree that it appears to make no sense to use a 7.700-euro phono stage in a system based on a 3.100-euro turntable with a 700-euro cartridge but what I heard after connecting it proves otherwise. And, importantly, the Pulsare II will 100% support any upgrade made in the future. I’ll be short and clear: this humble system has never sounded better than with the Pulsare II in place.<\/p>\n

As with the Pulsus, the benefit of having a separate power supply is that it also allows the two units to be placed further apart. However, most of my testing was done with the two units stacked or right next to one another, and this resulted in the stellar sound as described thus far. But because it is possible, I did test what would happen when the power supply was placed far removed from the preamp stage on the floor. In this configuration, there is a small but noticeable extra measure of breath and freedom within the soundstage. It’s not an earth-shattering difference but if the situation allows it, it’s certainly worthwhile.<\/p>\n

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Ground Lift<\/h3>\n

Besides settings for Gain, Capacitance, and Resistance, the Pulsare II also offers a Ground Lift function. Due to its placement on the rear of the power supply unit, this one is easy to overlook. Since I tend to read manuals only very casually (or not at all unless running into issues), and because my nearfield eyesight has been deteriorating as of late but I refuse to get reading glasses, and thus I did not read the description next to the switch, I simply assumed that it was a power switch. As it turns out, the actual power switch is located underneath the power supply unit, Ayon-style.<\/p>\n

While intended to solve noise issues under certain circumstances, I found that the Ground Lift switch’s setting also subtly changed the sound. The default setting is “Floating” but with the Thorens turntable at least, the “Earth” setting yielded a subjectively freer and deeper reaching bass whereas the “Floating” setting seemed to slightly curtail the bass depth while lending slightly more presence to the upper bass and lower midrange. As always, and especially where LP replay is concerned, YMMV. And precisely because of that, it’s great to have this feature available.<\/p>\n

Balanced connections<\/h3>\n

XLR outputs are not too uncommon but it’s quite rare for a phono preamp to also offer balanced input connections. The Pulsare II (and the Pellere) do offer this facility. The balanced connections mean that the cartridge’s inherently balanced signal is indeed used as such, instead of having its negative outputs tied to earth. Interestingly, the Pulsare II (and Pellere) also offer the possibility to use the RCA inputs in balanced mode by the flick of a switch. For the Pulsare II, this switch is located on the front panel while the Pellere has it on the bottom of the unit.<\/p>\n

At the time of writing, I have not yet carried out any comparisons between using RCA in balanced or unbalanced mode nor have I tried XLR cables. I will likely revisit this at a later point in time and when I do, I will report my findings here.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

AVID turntables stand out for their highly precise and super-robust build and their solid and impactful sound, with a touch of smoothness. The AVID phono stages leave a similar impression. From the entry-level model to the flagship model, they are solidly built and have a sound that is full-bodied and powerful as well as smooth and with a hint of richness. As you move up the model ladder, you gain ever increased definition, low-level resolution, and transparency.<\/p>\n

All three AVID phono stages have proven to work universally well under all circumstances and with other turntable brands as well. Not once have I encountered any hiss, hum, or other noise. While it makes sense to complete the analog setup with one of these products when owning an AVID turntable, as the pairing with my Origin Live and Thorens turntables made clear, it’s not a prerequisite.<\/p>\n

If the Pellar is a great phono stage at its price and the Pulsus is clearly better but arguably less competitive, the Pulsare II is nothing short of superb. In fact, I was so impressed with its performance in my Ayon system that I was already contemplating keeping it based on its sonics alone. Further adding to this is the utter convenience of front-panel control over all of the preamp’s important facilities. This is an absolute blessing if you often swap cartridges or like to tweak about.<\/p>\n

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\n(Pulsare II)<\/p>\n

Associated Equipment<\/a><\/p>\n

External Links<\/h3>\n

Distributor for the Benelux: Hexagon Audio<\/a>
\nManufacturer’s website: AvidHifi<\/a><\/p>\n

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