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broadcast whestTWO/4 (Discontinued) Phono stage, phonostage for vinyl
whestTWO aimed at the Podcaster, Radio station and the DJ/Producer.
The advantages of the whestTWO/4 are:

4 totally matched channels

Audio performance exceeding current RIAA standards used throughout the pro-audio industry

Enabling high-end audio performance even at low 128kbs. Perfect for streaming audio over low bit rate devices

Ultra low noise circuitry for use with high bit rate digital – maximising 120dB dynamic range at 24bits

Internally configurable for gain and load. MM 40dB or MC 55dB 65dB

Gain and load can be set to any value prior to leaving the factory

All internal audio channels are matched to within 1% of each other

For use with either one or two WPSU (whestTWO power supply) power supply units for higher-end audio performance

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whestTWO.2
It’s just a small whestTHREE Signature

 

Like all of the Whest Audio designs, the whestTWO.2 has been designed for use primarily for MC (moving coil) use. This means that to obtain the lowest possible noise levels and highest resolution, we recommend the use of medium to low output MC cartridges.

During its development we used the following cartridges:
Ortofon MC Anna, Denon DL 304 (0.18mv), EMT JSD6 (0.18mv), Lyra Delos (0.6mV) and the Dynavector XV1-T (0.35mV) for much of the listening tests and noise measurements.

High REZ MM phono stage

Because of the ‘impressive’ neutrality of the whestTHREE Signature and the smaller sibling whestTWO.2 in MC mode, we know that absolutely ANY high-end high performance MC cartridge can be used.  For MM (moving magnet) use, the input capacitance has been trimmed to give the flattest response curve for many of the new breed of high-performance moving magnets and moving irons on the market today.  Unheard of at this price range, the whestTHREE Signature phonostage employs an ‘elevated power rail’ section which gives far greater dynamic performance as well as lower noise specs for ‘earth shattering’ micro detail resolving power.  Vinyl playback never sounded so good at this price level.

For listening in MM mode we used the Ortofon 2M RED and Black, Goldring 2500, Grado Reference 1 Phono and Audio Technica AT440 MLA and AT95E, Rega Exact and the Roksan Corus Silver

Class-A output stage

Like all Whest Audio phono stages, the whestTWO.2 also employs a fully discrete transistor Class-A high output current output stage. This coupled with the high performance/ high voltage power supply will give you a level of musical performance you thought was only possible well outside this price range.

Balanced outputs

The whestTWO.2 comes as standard fitted with true balanced outputs which are fed from the output of the Class-A stage. While most manufacturers are content with using a 2.00 EUR IC chip to perform the balancing process and degrading the signal in the process, the whestTWO.2 processes the signal exactly like many high-end microphones and mixing desks…this means a perfect balanced feed if you are using long signal lines.

Loading options

The whestTWO.2 is equipped with 6 resistive load and 6 gain options for maximum flexibility with the wide range of cartridges available today.

The resistive load options are 100, 220, 470, 1k, 15k and 47k ohms.

MM gain is covered by 43dB. High output MC is covered by 50dB, 55dB while the low output MC sets are 60dB, 65dB and 72dB.

The standard ‘shipped’ setup is 65dB/100ohms which will suite 95% of MC cartridges today. For the other 5% it is just a matter of removing 2 small M3 screws under the head unit which will give you full access to both channels load and gain switches.

The Power Supply

The high voltage power supply has been adopted and scaled down from the highly acclaimed whestTHREE Signature.  The voltage rail voltages are higher than most phonostages 2-3 times its price.  Why? Because if properly designed a high voltage design will translate into better dynamic contrasts, better imaging and far better noise performance from your vinyl front end.  It’s good then that the power supply in the whestTWO.2 has a 12 year pedigree behind it.

Cabling

The whestTWO.2 comes with its own RCA-RCA 1.2m OFC Audiophile interconnect and 3.5mm Jack to RCA interconnects for connecting to your audio system and connecting to your computer system for high resolution transfers.

If you would like to know more about the whestTWO.2 and how it will perform with your current turntable setup then just drop us an email.

Downloads:

 

whestTHREE Signature – OUT NOW !!!High resolution Moving coils

Like all of the Whest Audio designs, the whestTHREE Signature phono stage  has been designed for use primarily for MC (moving coil) use. This means that to obtain the lowest possible noise levels and highest resolution, we recommend the use of low to medium output MC cartridges.

During the development of the whestTHREE Signature phonostage we used:
Ortofon MC ANNA (0.20mV), Denon DL 304 (0.18mv), EMT JSD6 (0.18mv), Lyra Delos (0.6mV) and the Dynavector XV1-T (0.35mV) for much of the listening tests and noise measurements.

High performance MM use for amazing vinyl experience

Because of the ‘impressive’ neutrality of the whestTHREE Signature in MC mode, we know that absolutely ANY high-end high performance MC cartridge can be used. For MM (moving magnet) use, the input capacitance has been trimmed to give the flatest response curve for many of the new breed of high-performance moving magnets and moving irons on the market today. In MM mode the whestTHREE signature will easily ‘see off’ the competition even if the competition is running a 1500 EUR MC cartridge. This is because apart from the trimmed input stage, the whestTHREE Signature also employs an ‘elevated power rail’ section unseen in a phono stage in this price range. This gives a greater dynamic performance as well as lower noise specs for ‘earth shattering’ micro detail resolving power. Given a great MM cartridge the whestTHREE is spectacular.

For listening in MM mode we used the Ortofon 2M Black, Goldring 2500, Grado Reference 1 Phono and Audio Technica AT440 MLA, Rega Exact and the 2014 Roksan Corus Silver.

Class-A output stage

Like all Whest Audio phono stages, the whestTHREE also employs a fully discrete Class-A high output current output stage. This coupled with the omission of an output capacitor means that the output from the unit is directly coupled to the following preamplifier. Even the very best ‘audiophile grade’ output capacitor would degrade the performance of whestTHREE output quality which is why the design ensures a far higher level of performance than what is normally expected at this price level.

Balanced outputs

The whestTHREE Signature comes as standard fitted with true balanced outputs which are fed from the output of the Class-A stage. While most manufacturers are content with using a 2.00 EUR IC chip to perform the balancing process and degrading the signal further, the whestTHREE Signature processes the signal exactly like many high-end microphones and mixing desks…..this means a perfect balanced feed if you are using long signal lines.

Loading options

The whestTHREE Signature is equipped with 8 resistive load and 8 gain options for maximum flexibility with the wide range of cartridges available today.

The resistive load options are 100, 220, 330, 470, 1k6, 15k and 47k ohms.

MM gain is covered by 42dB and 46dB. High output MC is covered by 50dB, 53dB and 56dB while the low output MC sets are 60dB, 65dB and 72dB.

The standard ‘shipped’ setup is 65dB/100ohms which will suite 95% of MC cartridges today. For the other 5% it is just a matter of removing 2 small M3 screws under the head unit which will give you full access to both channels load and gain switches.

HVDM power supply

A new bespoke external power unit has be designed specifically for the whestTHREE signature. The HVDM (high voltage dual-mono) power supply utilises a ‘whest designed’ extremely low mechanical noise high current toroid transformer. Unlike most other manufacturers today who use ‘off-the-shelf’ transformers to save on cost which also has a negative impact on audio quality, the HVDMs transformer has been designed for low noise and low signal level use. Low mechanical noise means less noise on the power rails and with ‘specific secondary outputs’ means the all important audio circuits in the whestTHREE Signature sees only what it ‘needs’ to see.

Cabling

To connect the whestTHREE Signature to the HVDM power supply, Whest Audio had designed 2 special XLR cables capable of handling currents far higher that what is required for the whestTHREE Signature head unit. The whestTHREE Signature comes with its own RCA-RCA 1.2m OFC Audiophile interconnect and 3.5mm Jack to RCA interconnects for connecting to your audio system and connecting to your computer system for high resolution transfers.

If you would like to know more about the whestTHREE Signature and how it will perform with your current turntable setup then just drop us an email.

Check out the whestTHREE Signature at your nearest Whest Audio dealer or call us.

Downloads:

PS.40RDT / RDTSEContinuing in the spirit of the TITAN Pro phono stage and a whole new chapter in the Whest Audio phono stage design range, comes the new 40 Series – the 40RDT and all discrete transistor 40RDT Special Edition.

Getting more resolution from vinyl isn’t easy and it certainly isn’t about the ‘KISS’ (keep it simple, stupid) principle.  Getting higher resolution from a phono stage and vinyl is much like getting higher resolution from an MRI scanner used in the medical field.  The reason why today’s MRI scanners are so much better than their early cousins is because of more processing power/ more electronics.  A modern MRI machine has hundreds of times the processing power of its distant cousin.  The same goes for our phono stages.

The outgoing and multi-award winning 30 Series was a class leader in its price range for the whole time it was in production and still outperforms the latest products the competition have to offer! It had amazing noise figures, class leading soundstage and musicality and it did this all in one neat package.

The essential elements that make the Whest Audio phono stages world-renowned and loved are still retained in the 40 Series but the departure from the 30 Series starts right here.

The 40 Series adds several layers of extra dimensional ‘space’ with greater instrument-harmonic resolution, ‘life like’ musicality and a ‘microscopic type’ of focus that the 30 Series electronics was incapable of.  The only way we found we could achieve this was to borrow much of the technology and ideas from the TITAN Pro which was designed to be the very best single box phono stage in the world, which it has accomplished, so we felt ‘why not just scale it down’ and use the essential parts to bring the TITAN Pro’s high-resolution sound to a market place that REALLY needs it.

The new 40 Series pushes the boundaries of what is capable at this price level. No other phono stage in the world at this price range has the abilities of the 40 Series thanks to its BIG brother.

Starting with the chassis w430mm x d290mm x h78mm – is manufactured using the same precision computer controlled machining technique, hand-welded and finished seams to give it the same high rigidity as the TITAN Pro and MC REF V MK4.  Internally the chassis incorporates the suspension system used in the MC REF V Mk4.  The combination of this suspension system and ultra strong chassis means that all unwanted vibrations from airborne or structure sources are very well damped.  The 40 Series circuit board uses ultra low impurity copper throughout and its copper weight is twice that used in nearly all audio electronics.  Small signal integrity is of the highest importance and with this in mind a new regulator system has been designed and employed for the 40RDT Special Edition.  The new discrete input stage for the 40RDT Special Edition is based ENTIRELY on the MC REF V MK4 input stage but has been ‘trimmed’ for the 40RDT Special Edition.  The input stage of the 40RDT uses an ultra low noise/ hand-matched monolithic amplifier. Because all of the major amplifying and filter sections of the 40 Series are channel matched, they are capable of incredible realism.

The hybrid RIAA filters have been kept in the 40 Series design because not only is it used throughout the full Whest Audio range, but in the 40 Series it is now trimmed to a far tighter tolerance for both curve and channel matching. Channel matching now is to within 0.12dB and RIAA curve accuracy to 0.15dB. Both these figures are across a bandwidth with spans from 9Hz and 62KHz. Any non-Whest Audio phono stage would be at least 4-6dB down at these extremes, but having experience in pro-audio, vinyl cutting and mastering means we at Whest Audio know what it takes to get the very best from playing back the vinyl format at al price levels.

Gain and load selection is accessed under the chassis like all Whest Audio phono stages. Maximum gain is 72dB and with the internals’ ultra low noise levels it means you will never be stuck for gain ever again! All units are setup for standard low output moving coil (65dB/100ohms with 91pf of input capacitance) but if you do want to experiment it just takes 30secs to change over.
MM gain is at a very healthy and modern 43dB not the older 1970s standard 40dB like our competitors. This with a total capacitance value of 91pf gives a beautifully flat response from your high performance MM cartridge and an unmatched sublime audio output that can only be achieved from a Whest Audio phono stage.

Signal inputs and outputs are on ‘audiophile grade’ RCA and XLR connectors identical to that used in the MC REF V MK4. Because Whest Audio phono stages are used in archiving both professionally and domestically we have included a second set of RCA outputs to allow the user to send the output to their computer for transfer while ‘monitoring’ the output through their main audio system. This means that the 40 Series can be permanently connected to the computer system and main audio system at ALL times, ready to transfer. The 40 Series noise levels are so low that using 24bit or 32bit conversion is possible without the fear of unwanted signals getting to the soundcard. With the PS.40RDT and PS.40RDT Special Edition we now have a new standard – no other company in the world designs with this much attention to detail for the end-user.

Tech stuff…

40RDT – Reference Dual Transformer with an ultra low noise/ hand-matched monolithic input amplifier.

40RDT Special Edition – As above but with is an ALL discrete transistor design, further channel matching of critical transistor pairs and filter components, higher operating voltage throughout and power transformer matched pairs.

Ultra matching critical components in the audio and DC paths (40RDT Special Edition). The matching is by channel so that each channel behaves as closely as possible to the other (ALL). This is translated in far better stable, realistic and etched images with far far better musicality.

The internal cabling borrowed from the TITAN Pro is high performance Pro-Audio grade OFC type designed for high-frequency stability and phase performance.

High Voltage and elevated voltage rails means better dynamic range and contrasts.

The new input stage Zero voltage float means far better signal transfer tracking and a higher resolution signal into the discrete output stage.

For testing and listening we used the following cartridges:

Ortofon MC Anna
Lyra Atlas
EMT JSD6
Ortofon Cadenza Black
Lyra Kleos
Audio Technica 50ANV
Audio Technica ART 9
Transfiguration Proteus
Dynavector DRTXV-1T
Van Den Hul The Condor

Downloads:

TITAN Pro
A whole new chapter in Whest Audio phono stage and small signal design starts here. The TITAN Pro utilises all new technology borrowed from a new Whest Audio flagship that is due for release very soon.

The essential elements that make the Whest Audio phono stages world-renowned and loved are still retained such as unsurpassed musicality, high-resolution, ultra stable imaging and realism.  What the TITAN Pro phonostage adds is huge amounts of extra dimensional ‘space’ with greater instrument-harmonic resolution, ‘life like’ musicality and a ‘microscopic type’ of focus that is totally unheard of at this price level and way above – the TITAN Pro pushes the boundaries of vinyl reproduction like no other phono stage.

Starting with the chassis. Although the chassis is the same size as the 30 series chassis (430mm x 290mm x 78mm) and manufactured using the same precision computer controlled machining, hand-welded and finished seams to give it high rigidity as the 30 Series and MC REF V MK4, a new high-tech paint process has been added to effectively damp the casework to reduce unwanted ‘ringing’ aiding in greater levels of mid and high frequency resolution. The paint process is unique to Whest Audio and is applied in the UK by a company regarded as the ‘specialists’ in paint technology.
Internally the chassis incorporates a suspension system for the TITAN Pro’s circuit board. The combination of this new suspension system and damped chassis means that all unwanted vibrations from airborne or structure sources are well damped.

The TITAN Pro circuit board uses ultra low impurity copper throughout and its copper weight has been increased compared to the award winning PS.30RDT Special Edition. Small signal integrity is of the highest importance and with this in mind a new regulator system has been designed and employed for the all-new discrete technology input stage the TITAN Pro carries. The new discrete input stage for the TITAN Pro is based on the MC REF V MK4 input stage but has been ‘trimmed’ to get the best from the new regulator system which powers it. Hybrid RIAA has been kept in the TITAN Pro design as not only is it tried and tested and used throughout the full Whest Audio range, but in the TITAN Pro is now trimmed to a far tighter tolerance for both curve and channel matching. Channel matching now is to within 0.12dB and RIAA curve accuracy to 0.18dB. Both these figures are across a bandwidth with spans from 9Hz and 62KHz. Any non-Whest Audio phono stage would be at least 2dB and even 3dB down at these extremes, but having experience in pro-audio, vinyl cutting and mastering, we have designed the TITAN Pro to be able to playback what your precious cartridge is capable to retrieving and often that is all the way up to 55 or 60KHz.

Gain and load selection is accessed under the chassis like all Whest Audio phono stages but the TITAN Pro stretches the envelope further to give the end-user more flexibility with 8 selections on each as well as a fixed ‘user’ position.

With the fixed user position a ‘permanent’ resistor can be fixed in this position if the user has settled on a non-standard value. Maximum gain now is 76dB and with the TITAN Pro’s ultra low noise levels it means you’ll never be stuck for gain ever again! All units are setup for standard low output moving coil (64dB/100ohms with 91pf of input capacitance) but if you do want to experiment it just takes 30secs to change over.

Signal inputs and outputs are on ‘audiophile grade’ RCA and XLR connectors identical to that used in the MC REF V MK4. Because Whest Audio phono stages are used in archiving both professionally and domestically we have included a second set of RCA outputs to allow the user to send the output to their computer for transfer while ‘monitoring’ the output through their main audio system. This means that the TITAN Pro can be permanently connected to the computer system and main audio system at ALL times, ready to transfer. The TITAN Pro noise levels are so low that using 24bit or 32bit conversion is possible without the fear of unwanted signals getting to the soundcard. The PS.30RDT and PS.30RDT Special Edition have always been the vinyl lover’s choice for archiving, now we have a new standard in the TITAN Pro

TITAN Pro – no other company in the world designs with this attention to detail.

THE TITAN Pro 2016

The TITAN Pro :

‘ultra matching’ critical components in the audio and DC paths. The matching is by channel so that each channel behaves much like the other. This is translated in far better and etched images, better low frequency tracking and rock solid and fluid stage imaging.

The internal cabling of the TITAN Pro is high performance OCC and comes with its own 1.2m Linear Crystal OCC interconnect.

As a one-box phono stage…. there is nothing better than the TITAN Pro anywhere in high resolution audio.

For testing and listening we used the following cartridges:

Ortofon Cadenza Black
Lyra Kleos
Lyra Atlas
Ortofon MC Anna
Audio Technica 50ANV
Audio Technica ART 9
EMT JSD6
Transfiguration Proteus
Van Den Hul The Condor

Downloads: