Up for sale is my infrequently used HEED Quasar III phono preamp with separate PSU. I bought this new in 2022 from Analogue Seduction in the UK. It was a major upgrade from the already decent phono pre I had. It shines brightest with a high quality MC cartridge. I was using it with my Rega Planar 3 and Apheta II cart...and I used it also with a very low output Audio Technica MC with excellent results...this thing can really handle very low output carts. This preamp truly elevated my vinyl experience. This is the European version of the Quasar III power supply, Q-PSU. I emailed Hungary-based HEED support to see if I could use a transformer with this. No problem they said, so long as the transformer is double the power requirements of the HEED. For US buyers I will include the pictured transformer at no additional charge, if you need it. Its overkill for the Quasar and dead quiet and runs very cool. If you dont need the transformer, please let me know and I wont ship it, which might save me a bit on shipping. Everything has been working perfectly for me for the past year. What follows are specs and information from HEEDs site and also the conclusion from a review on Stereophile. (As the reviewer notes, the soundstage on this pre is broad. When I got it, it was astoundingly broad, compared to my previous pre.) Trust me...this is a superb preamp that punches well above its weight. Its not inexpensive new (around $1,300 new) and difficult to source in the US. Its well built. The first two pictures in this listing are the actual units themselves. The third photo is from the Stereophile review to show you how well crafted the electronics are. I found HEEDs customer support to be super responsive and if I were building a system all over again, Id be looking at a number of their offerings. From HEED: The signal processing of cartridges is one of the most delicate jobs in amplification. All the more so because it isn’t done merely by boosting a few hundred microvolts to a few hundred millivolts. In fact, at this thousandfold amplification (60 dB) the signal must be processed as cleanly and noise-free as possible. The extremely low signal level and the frequency-dependent amplification which arises from the RIAA equalisation curve applied in the cutting of LPs make the highest demands of the circuit topology and technical realisation of a phono preamplifier. Our award-winning QUASAR phono stage, with its discrete conception and wide range of features, meets the requirements of even top-class turntable/cartridge combinations without being “unreasonable” in the usual high-end fashion. The QUASAR is built in dual-mono configuration from the power supply upwards. There are two separate amplifier stages for MM and MC cartridges, both being fed from their own regulated power supply arrangement. Optimum adjustments to the MC cartridge in use can be applied for sensitivity and load by various settings of the jumpers on the PCB. The two separate outputs with different output levels make it possible to fine match for preamps or recorders.The output stage has huge headroom at extremely low noise levels and, due to its low output impedance and high current delivery, can drive long interconnect cables without any sonic degradation.The enhanced power supply of the QUASAR, the Q-PSU that also can be used as power supply upgrade with other components, is based around a 50 VA toroidal transformer with low-density magnetic field and very little dispersion. This power, together with a fine voltage regulation system, can feed the circuit with the kind of super-clean current usually delivered only by battery-based supplies, even with extreme dynamic swings. FEATURES– separated MM and MC input stages– adjustable MC gain and impedance– discrete bipolar transistor architecture– separated power supply (see Q-PSU) SPECS Inputs:1x MM / 1x MCOutputs:1x 0dBm (High Out)/ 1x -10 dBm (Low Out)Frequency response:3 Hz – 150kHzInput sensitivity (MC):100 / 330 / 600 µVInput impedance (MC):100 / 470 / 1000 ?Input sensitivity (MM):2.5 mVInput impedance (MM):47 k?Gain:50 dB (MM) / 62 – 78 dB (MC)RIAA accuracy:+/- 0.5 dB (20 Hz – 20 kHz)Power supply options:Q-PSU (standard) / Obelisk PX / Thesis PiDimensions (W x H x D):9.5 x 7.5 x 22 cm CONCLUSION from the Stereophile review: I spent many a night with Heed Audios Quasar and Q-PSU, engaged in all the revelry and vinyl music-making excitement they created with boundless enthusiasm and deep soul. Like Heeds Elixir, the Quasar is very well built, and its jacks easily withstood the endless tugs and twists this audio reviewer subjected them to. It exhibited pleasing tonality from LP to LP, resolving each disc with its own unique character and a broad soundstage with a grain-free treble, and plentiful midrange and bass extension. Id long heard about this rather plain-looking, spartan phono stage—how it could transform the sounds of lesser systems, and challenge bigger comers with more hi-fi cred and glossier nameplates. The Heed Quasar is a mighty mite of musical authority, a twin-turbo phono stage that offers plenty of flexibility, a practically bombproof enclosure, and ample musical meat and value for the dollar. My brother already wants to buy one. Radically recommended! SHIPPING: Free in the US and in the original boxes, including the extra pre to power supply cable HEED provides.