Owner`s manual

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Both the P-1A and P-3A come with an outboard power supply (wall warts). The Monolithic Power Plant (PP), borrowing its name from the PS

Audio power plant, is a 3rd party add-on power supply that was designed to be used exclusively with the 1A and 3A. It does not regenerate the

AC like the PS Audio stuff, but it's a beefier power supply than what comes with the PTs. It has two transformers inside, a large EMI filter, a

couple of caps, and a full wave rectifier. The PP has one 9V AC output and one 12V DC output. Be very careful to make sure you plug the

correct cables into the P-1A and P-3A. Accidentally getting them mixed up could damage the PTs. The Perpetual Power Plant for the P-1A and

P-3A is $349, and is available through Monolithic Sound, Inc., 515 Sandydale Road, Nipomo, California 93444.

Conclusion

The P-1A and P-3A represent the next evolution in digital electronics. They offer exceptional performance at a very low price in the a world

where the Internet stock craze has allowed companies to charge more because people now have more to spend. The future potential of the

P-1A really has me excited. and I can't wait to experience full speaker and room correction.

John Johnson and Paul Knutson will give you a lot more detail on how they actually sound. John's notes are given below. Paul Knutson's

comments will be added next week.

- Stacey Spears -

Notes by the Editor - JEJ

Although the P-1A and P-3A (PTs) have lots of ways that they can be configured, I found

the choice to be easy, and the configuration procedure to be without any problems. I also

had the optional Monolithic Power Supply that has connections for both the P-1A and

P-3A, and will deliver more current than the stock wall wart supplies. I recommend getting

it when you buy the PTs. After listening to the various choices, I decided on having the

P-1A set to 96/24 upsampling, along with enhancement, and the DAC automatically set

itself for 96/24 decoding. I used a Nordost Quatrofil digital cable between my McCormack

CD transport and the P-1A, and then an I

S cable (it came with the P-1A) between the

P-1A and P-3A. A pair of Nordost Red Dawn interconnects ran between the RCA outputs

of the P-3A to a Balanced Audio Technology VK-5i preamplifier. Nordost Balanced Red

Dawn connected the VK-5i to a Balanced Audio Technology VK-500 power amplifier,

which drove Carver Platinum Mark IV ribbon speakers, Threshold ES-500 electrostatic

speakers, or Osborn Eclipse cone speakers (Nordost Red Dawn speaker cables).

The P-3A is an excellent DAC all by itself, but it is the combination of the P-1A and P-3A

that made my jaw drop. Together, they delivered some of the finest digital audio I have

ever heard. CDs have been notorious for having a slightly harsh edge to them, and this

problem was now completely gone. I was able to turn the volume up louder without the

slightest hint of irritation. Some music demands loud playing, such as Copland's "Fanfare

to the Common Man". In the past, I have used this disc (Telarc) to test many things, and it

is a very demanding piece of music, especially the way it was recorded by Telarc. I have to play it loud for the tests, and it has always irritated

my hearing a little at these high levels, because that is the way many CDs are. But with the PTs, I enjoyed the music 100% regardless of the

volume. I could not get it to a loudness that bothered me from the edgy point of view. The only thing keeping me from cranking it all the way,

was the fact that I want to keep my eardrums intact for a while longer.

Cymbals and gongs have an enormous amount of overtones. The Copland Fanfare uses a huge gong throughout the composition. To my