PS Audio GCPH comments-opinions

The reason I ask for you "real" folk for a review, and personal opinions about this unit, is that I read the Stereophile review of this unit, which I believe was in
Jan 06's edition.

Robert Deutsche (sp) starts out the review with the Statement that went something like "I'm not too knowledgeable-experienced about reviewing Phono Stages, and don't really have much of a Reference to compare this unit to-with?

So why the heck did they let HIM review the product in the first place? lol

While the review seemed to cover the basic bases, it still left me hanging, and wanting for more about it. Mark

Several years ago, someone at Stereophile (it may have been Deutsche) reviewed
the Benz Glider. This reviewer's reference was cartrdges of a much lesser price
range and so, of course, he loved the Glider, delared it to be Class-A worthy,
etc. There was quite a bruhaha about this among readers, who felt that the
Glider needed to be evaluated against is truer competition, which this reviewer
was not capable of doing. Fair point. Same thing here with the PS Audio.

Likeiwise Art Dudley, whom I like, uses mostly modestly-priced gear and doesn't
do much tweaking. Yet every now and then he'll review something like a pair of
Lamm amps. Guess what? He's amazed by them. Well, duh! And somewhere
along the line he started using Valhalla cables (when he was at Listener, he may
have been the first to tout Nordost). It seems a little odd.

Context and comparative space is very important to the usefulnees of a review.

I was going to wait for one to show up on Audiogon and actually one did show up for $750 but I was too late. That thing flew off the site! You have to be patient and check the site constantly if you want to get one at a nice discount - and that's only if one shows up. It's not really worth my time or effort to try to save a couple hundred or so. I also didn't feel like waiting for a "B" stock unit to show up from PS Audio. I finally broke down and ordered one from AudioAdvisor because they offer a 30-day money back and free shipping! I was going to listen to it for 30 days and then send it back. Guess what? I'm not sending it back! It's that good!

Tell us more!

Somewhat sadly, It's doubtful now that I myself will anytime in the near future get my hands on a PS Audio GCPH, as about acweek ago, I bought a used, mint Sutherland PhD from another A-Goner for what I feel was a very excellent price.

While I have yet to recieve this Unit, I'm looking forward to it becoming a mainstay in my system.

This product too also had many nice features with a myriad of both Gain, and Loading options, and I like the idea of DC Battery Power (16 D-Cells), with no need of onboard chargers, and whatnot, versus internal, or external power supplies whish possibly be problematic for some with RFI problems.

I'm very sure the PS Audio Unit is a very fine product indeed, and it's nice to see these folks bring a product to market with what I feel are first class features, and no doubt first class performance to boot.

I'm hoping that the Sutherland though is in another league all together, and one would think the added cost reflects that.

None the less, I'm glad I initiated this thread, as I feel the more nice products like this that become available, and the better knowledge becomes about them does benefit us all, and gives us all more worthy equipment to choose from.
The GCPH does sound like a giant killer to me.
Mark