PS Engineering vs Garmin

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Martymccasland

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M.McCasland
As part of a larger upgrade, we're installing a new audio panel.

I want to install a PS Engineering PMA8000 for about $300 more than a Garmin 340. It allows selectable distribution of the music inputs, autoVox, ATC playback, etc... Plus, I've been in 4-5 planes over the years where the sound quality was just so much better -- and when I look in the panel, I see "PS Engineering".

However, my shop strongly suggests going with the Garmin 340. They say they've had far fewer problems with the Garmins. Problem is, I can't find much if any reviews on the Internet that back up that opinion of the shop. Nearly every review I come across says the PMA8000 is the better panel.

FWIW, I've purchased quite a bit from this shop over the years and really don't think they are shady, pushing one thing over another. And as for install ease, both should be the same since the PMA8000 is a direct slide-in replacement for the Garmin 340.

Anyone have a experiences on PS8000 vs Garmin 340?
 
No experience with the Garmin but recently bought a PMA8000BT and it is great.
 
I have never, but never, read of anyone complaining about a PS Engineering device, and their customer service is exceptional. But I'd choose the PMA8000 series on features, alone.
 
I've had PSE audio panel for over 10 years with all the bells and whistles and never had any problems. I also have multiple Garmin GPS and if PSE made GPS, I'd have those, too.

PSE engineers and owner frequent various aviation websites, don't know if any of the Garmin folks do. PSE customer service is superb, timely and always accurate. I had a problem with a Garmin nav/com and it took 2 shops and multiple calls to Garmin to resolve it. Why? Because aviation is a shrinking market for Garmin. Its marine and ground market are the real money makers.

As for your shop, it may be that they are much more familiar and used to installing Garmin, so it's level of comfort.
 
Both are great, and I've never heard of reliability problems with either. Normally, I'd say try both and go with the one you like best, but there could be two reasons the shop is pushing the cheaper Garmin hard. One is that the shop has a bigger profit margin on the Garmin. The other is they are more comfortable installing the Garmin. Talk to them, tell them clearly that the PS has features you want that the Garmin does not, and see how they respond.
 
I vote for the PSE too... They will be there for years in case you ever need service.. Garmin will quit supporting their unit in just a few years... That way you get to buy their "newest, latest, greatest" audio panel...:mad:
 
When upgrading my radio stack I had planned on going all Garmin. Ironically the PS audio panel was the one thing my avionics shop recommended over the Garmin. I wound up going with the PS PMA8000BT. It seems to be a lot of bang for the buck.
 
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We love our PMA8000BT. No issues. Sound's awesome and works great!
 
I have an 8000BT that was installed last December. Simply incredible. Love the Bluetooth capability for picking up clearances over the headset.
 
SCCutler said:
I have never, but never, read of anyone complaining about a PS Engineering device, and their customer service is exceptional. But I'd choose the PMA8000 series on features, alone.
Click to expand...

Garmin intercom sucks. Stick with PS.

Op, find another shop.
 
Wow. I'm going to bookmark this thread--I'm not sure I've ever seen such unanimous opinion among pilots! :)
 
I have unkind things to say about Garmin audio panels. Mine became disfunctional after about three years and found that Garmin support is UNACCEPTABLE. No audio panel in an IFR, DC SFRA-area based aircraft is an AOG situation. The depot service was over a third of the price of the unit and slow with no loaner or quick exchange provision. I ended up replacing the panel with a new one (of course, which Garmin was more than willing to fedex for an additional charge).

Don't buy Garmin if you have to rely on your aircraft.
 
OP here... We're installing the PS PMA8000BT instead of the Garmin 340.

Searching the web, it's quite amazing that I could only find one guy who was unhappy with his PS8000 -- and even he said it was an installation issue.

There's lots of little nice elements -- like the primary/secondary radio monitoring (if listening to COM 1 and 2 together, Com 2 mutes if something is said on Com 1 -- i.e. getting ATIS... Can be disabled), the karaoke mode (select what if anything mutes the music inputs - e.g. intercom only, radios only, intercom+radios, nothing), music volume control, AutoVox, only the person talking on the intercom is transmitted (instead of opening all intercom mics when someone talks -- as with other intercoms), selectable distribution of music inputs, noise dampening on the audio channels, clearance/ATC recorder, selectable isolation, streaming bluetooth music -- with up to 8 devices, bluetooth phone full duplex connection -- that can be shared with all, just pilot, just crew, etc.... Plus longer warranty and overnight replacement.

All in all, it's quite a bit of flexibility for a small premium over the Garmin.

If someone has a 340, it's a direct slide-in replacement too...
 
you, my man.

Do NOT WANT THE GARMIN,

on this particular device...

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.
 
Another example of PSE customer service...a few years ago PSE added little rubber tips to the little switches. The owner was discussing this in rec.aviation.? and offered to send out the little rubber tips to anyone with an older unit. Send an email with address and a few days later little white rubber tips appear in the mail. Much easier to see the switches. When was the last time Garmin did anything like that?
 
I am fairly anti Garmin. If the King stuff is remotely comparable I would rather buy King's new units and let market pressures reel in Garmins arrogance.

But Pilots are mostly followers and will all buy Garmin as that is the most talked about crap out there. They will convince themselves that there is a market reason to do so, resell on their airplanes and such (as if?).

and yes King was once stupid and arrogant as well and they got there comeuppance. That is the way the free hand works.
 
We finished the install, of which the PS Engineering PMA8000BT was a part.

I've flown the plane now about 4 hours with the new panel -- and -- I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

I've owned a Garmin 340 in my previous plane, but this panel is much nicer.

First, the sound quality is better, cleaner, clearer. From the AutoVOX feature that truly works great to just very clean circuits that sound great.

Second, the music input is great. The sound can be distributed and muted (or auto-muted) in several different ways. Also, the panel itself has a music input volume control which makes it easy to get the line-in volume of all sources - Music, Comm 1, 2, etc.. -- sync'd with the intercom volume, then allowing to pilots to just make volume up and down with the panel volume alone. My Garmin 340 had a jumper to either boost or not boost the music 1 input -- and it was hard to mix all the audio sources to the same level to match the intercom volume to an acceptable ratio. With the PS Engineering panel, this is easily accomplished. Everything just sounds great. The back 4 seats have their own music input that too can be customized on who hears it.

Third, the intercom circuits are really quiet. A SINGLE mic is only opened when someone is saying something (instead of all mics being opened when the intercom squelch is broken on a single mic). I don't know if PS engineering is doing something else to suppress electrical noise/hum, but the intercom is crystal-clear and really quiet / hum-free.

Fourth, the Bluetooth feature is nice to play music or connect a phone for getting a clearance, etc., without a bunch of wires dangling around. The panel can have up to 8 sources connected via Bluetooth -- and there too the sound quality is crystal clear and full (compared to the Garmin 340). Even for the wired input (we have XM wired into a switchable music input), the sound fidelity is far better than my old Garmin 340.

Finally, the degree of customization of the muting of the radio / intercom / music as well of the distribution of who hears what is great. e.g. Can be flying with all 6 places talking -- and with the music either muting or not muting when someone says something -- then have the pilot/co-pilot automatically mute the back 4 PAX when ATC says something, while the PAXs simultaneously don't hear the ATC call or the pilots, then the panel automatically switches back to a 6-place party line when the ATC work is done -- allowing the back 4 people to continue their conversation while the pilots are not interrupted during ATC comms by the PAXs... And, again, all of that's customizable if you don't care for such a mode of operation.

All told, I couldn't be happier. I hope it works the same months and years from now. But as I originally posted, lots of Googling yielded only 1 negative review in my searches -- and even that owner said it was an installation issue.

I'd give the PMA8000BT a 10 out of 10. 'Wouldn't change a thing.
 
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