Heed Questar Phonostage (MM or MC)

Key Features

• MM or MC option
• 2-stage topology
• Discrete bipolar transistor circuits
• New improved in-line power supply
• RIAA equalisation
• Upgradeable power supply 

Heed Questar MM Phono Stage 

The QUESTARs are destined to be the MVPs (Most Valuable Phonostage) of the Heed analogue range. At first glance, they physically resemble the Pulsar, our 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.

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.

The QUESTARs utilise an external “wall-wart” power supply to avoid undesirable electro-magnetic interference within the chassis, distinguishing them from their predecessor, the all-in-one-box Pulsar. Sonic performance can be even further enhanced by upgrading to the Quasar’s substantial separate box PSU, constructed around a massive 60 VA toroidal transformer with low-density magnetic field and minimal dispersion. With substantial 40,000 µF capacitor filtering, the Quasar PSU can feed the QUESTAR’S circuitry with the kind of super-clean current usually delivered only by battery-based supplies, even with extreme dynamic swings.

Who are Heed

Heed Audio have been manufacturing truly engaging hand crafted high-end audio equipment for 30 years. The Beginnings their hi-fi story goes back, to 1987 when Zsolt Audio was formed to import famous U.K Hifi Brands into Hungary. After meeting Richard Hay, the legendary designer of Nytech, and later Ion Systems products they started to assemble on their premises the unique ‘shoebox-design’ Obelisk amps, use of balanced circuits, external power supplies, active crossovers, avoiding of DC coupling are typical of Heed designs.