Description
The QUESTARs are destined to be the MVPs (Most Valuable Phonostage) of the Heed analogue range. At first glance, they physically resemble the Pulsar, Heed's previous entry-level MM phono stage, but looks can be deceiving. Under the hood of their hefty, shielded steel chassis beats the heart of our award-winning audiophile Quasar MM/MC phonostage, conveniently divided into neatly specialized a' la carte portions.
The QUESTAR MM incorporates the Quasar’s unsurpassed MM circuitry. Its sibling, the QUESTAR MC deploys a streamlined version of the Quasar’s MC stage, eliminating the need for jumper switches by optimising the amplifier to suit the 300-600 µV output range characterising the vast majority of today’s moving coils. Considering its generous 18 dB headroom, ideal cartridge matching is virtually assured.
The internal construction of the QUESTARs meets the most critical high-end standards in every respect. The amplifier employs an entirely dual-mono configuration and uses a two-stage - passive/active - RIAA equalisation. Gain adjustment has been optimised for maximum headroom and highest signal-to-noise ratio. Component parts are selected to exacting tolerances matching those of our flagship Quasar.
The QUESTARs are suitable for any line-level amplifier input, and can easily drive virtually any length of interconnect. There is no internal wiring or binding, and all high-current parts of the circuit are shielded. Both models feature gold-plated RCA terminals soldered directly onto the PCB, limiting all signal paths to a bare minimum.
Specifications
| Input |
3 mV/47 kOhm (Questar MM) / 220 µV/100ohm (Questar MC) |
| Frequency Range |
20 Hz - 20 kHz/± 0.3 dB |
| Gain |
42 dB (Questar MM) / 64 dB (Questar MC) |
| Signal/Noise Ratio |
82 dB (Questar MM) / 74 dB (Questar MC) |
| Headroom |
20 dB (Questar MM) / 18 dB (Questar MC) |
| Channel Seperation |
50 dB (1 kHz) |
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| IMPORTANT NOTE: You must specify when ordering whether you require the MM version designed for Moving Magnet and High Output Moving Coil cartridges or the MC version designed for Low Output Moving Coil Cartridges. If in doubt please contact us.
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