A PHONO converter! Phwooaar! PS Audio has just the thing we need as we strive to find common ground for our analogue and computer audio systems.
In case you’re a bit hazy on the product, which PS Audio says belongs in a new category, the NuWave Phono Converter (NPC) is an analogue-to-digital converter, or ADC … among other things.
The NPC has two separate and parallel signal path formats in one chassis, with a single user interface. It combines a full-featured analogue RIAA phono preamplifier and a high-resolution ADC, and can simultaneously output both a balanced analogue audio output and digital PCM or DSD output in multiple formats.
It can function as a standalone ADC through its auxiliary analogue input, a digital output phono preamp feeding a DAC or computer, or as a pure phono preamp.
Using software like Audacity on your PC or Mac, you can rip your vinyl collection into your computer’s hard drive at 24-bit/192kHz PCM or up to double DSD rate.
The low-noise phono section provides 60dB of programmable gain while the converting engine is built on a Burr Brown PCM4222 chip.
This wonderful solution for hybrid audiophiles will begin shipping in September, priced at US$1,895 in the United States.
More technical stuff on the NPC can be found here.