Whest Audio whestTHREE Signature Dual-Mono MM/MC Phono Preamplifier Features Elevated Power-Rail Section, External Power Supply, Class A Output Stage, Great Flexibility

A fully discrete Class A output stage, true balanced outputs, elevated power-rail section, and a bespoke external power supply specifically designed for the model are just a few of the reasons why the Whest Audio whestTHREE Signature dual-mono MM/MC phono preamplifier performs like a champion. Crafted without an output capacitor to bypass any degradation, and afforded eight load and eight gain options for exceptional flexibility, it jibes with practically any cartridge on the market while delivering fidelity marked by extremely low distortion, phenomenal solidity, and attention-getting resolution.

A two-box unit, whestTHREE Signature boasts a HVDM (high voltage dual-mono) power supply with a low-noise, high-current toroidal transformer. Unlike off-the-shelf transformers found in many phonostages, the HVDM's transformer arrives designed in-house and complete with specific secondary outputs that allow whestTHREE Signature to see only what it needs to see. In addition, two special XLR cables capable of handling currents far higher that what is required for the head unit take care of the connections. whestTHREE Signature also comes with its own RCA-RCA 1.2m OFC interconnect and 3.5mm interconnect for linking to your audio system and/or your computer for high-resolution transfers.

You can read more about whestTHREE Signature's synergy with both MM and MC cartridges below. And rest assured a bevy of proven, high-profile cartridges from Ortofon, Denon, Lyra, Dynavector, and more were used in listening tests and measurements during its creation. Our 100% Music Direct Satisfaction Guarantee supplies another reason to go Whest.

High-Resolution MC Use
The whestTHREE Signature has been designed for ultra-low noise at small signal levels from 7mV down to 0.1mV. Because of the impressive neutrality of in MC mode, absolutely any high-end high performance MC cartridge can be used. To obtain the lowest possible noise levels and highest resolution, we recommend the use of low- to medium-output MC cartridges or MM/MI cartridges from 7mV down to high-output MC. During the development of the whestTHREE Signature, the 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) were employed for listening tests and noise measurements.

High-Performance MM Use
For MM (moving magnet) use, the input capacitance has been trimmed to give the flattest response curve for many of the high-performance moving magnets and moving irons on the market today. For listening in MM mode, Whest Audio used the Ortofon 2M Black, Goldring 2500, Grado Reference 1 Phono, Audio-Technica VM760SLC, Rega Exact, and the 2014 Roksan Corus Silver.

Loading Options
The whestTHREE Signature is equipped with eight resistive load and eight gain options. 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/100 ohms, which will suite 95% of MC cartridges. For the other five percent,it is just a matter of removing two small M3 screws under the head unit, which will give you full access to both channels load and gain switches.