PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier

Description

PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier

The PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier is their  finest phono preamplifier in the company’s 45-year history. All analog from input to output, this stunning addition to the Stellar line will bring new life to your vinyl in ways you never dreamt possible.

PS engineer Darren Myers wiped the tradition slate clean by hand-fashioning a new approach to capturing all the magic trapped in the grooves of our records.

The results are breathtaking. Music that might once have been locked into the confines of our loudspeakers is suddenly free. Stellar phono features dual inputs that can support either a moving coil or moving magnet cartridge.

Cartridge loading and gain options are easily adjusted from your listening position via the supplied remote control. Input to output, Stellar is a fully discrete FET design with extraordinarily low noise and high overload capabilities, so even the wildest dynamics from the punchiest cartridges sail through Stellar with no limitations or compromise whatsoever.

If you love vinyl you’ll love Stellar.

 

 

View Owners Manual >> View PS AUDIO >>

 

Reviews

• “Stellar offers the best performance for price, often outshining some far more expensive competitors. This preamp should be welcomed by experienced vinyl fans as well as newcomers to this marvelous medium. You would have to spend a lot more to seriously challenge what this affordable and great-looking component delivers; its ability to change critical settings from your easy chair is a real bonus. Highly recommended” Lawrence Devoe, Tone Audio
• “The midrange on this phono preamp is as open, uncongested, transparent, and revealing as that of any phono preamp I’ve heard at any price. I recommend a listen to the Stellar to anyone in the market for a new phono preamp, regardless of price. I don’t think I’ve ever written that before” Michael Fremer, Stereophile

 

Features

PS Audio’s first product was a phono preamplifier that took the Hi-Fi world by storm in 1975. Its designers, Paul and Stan, labored for years over every circuit detail with one goal in mind—making musical magic.

Stellar Phono shares that same ethos. Stellar Phono is the finest preamplifier PS Audio has ever built in its 45 year history and sets a new standard within the industry. It is a triumph of performance and value that you’ll instantly recognize from that first needle drop, as music emerges from a velvet blackness, filling the room as if there were no speakers.

Stellar handles all cartridge types and employs no ICs in the signal path. Its all discrete, class A analog design produces over 20V rms output for unparalleled headroom and dynamics.

Design

Phono preamplifiers at anywhere near this price range are almost always integrated circuit based, but not Stellar.

Input to output, Stellar is a fully discrete FET design with extraordinarily low noise and high overload capabilities so even the wildest dynamics from the punchiest cartridges sail through Stellar with no limitations or compromise whatsoever. Stellar Phono stands out in a crowded field of conventional IC designs. Its sound is rich, warm and enticing as only vinyl through hand-tuned class-A circuitry can be.

Application

Stellar is the perfect phono preamplifier for any resolution system or cartridge type. From the lowest output moving coil to the most dynamic and punchy moving magnet, Stellar Phono will deliver incredible performance, low noise, and world class sonics.

Use Stellar as your reference preamplifier in the highest end systems in the world. Stellar comes complete with remote control so users can select between two turntables, or adjust cartridge loading and gain settings from the comfort of their chairs.

The Inside Scoop

The art of design is a careful balance between the measurement lab and the listening room. The hundreds of hours of design and audition resulted in a unique amalgam of time honored technology coupled with daring innovation.

Stellar Phono is an all discrete FET design that uses a passive RIAA curve, hand selected premium components, and is direct coupled from input to output. Its ultra low noise discrete pre and post voltage regulation stages, coupled with low internal feedback, offer increased transparency and openness rarely found in instruments anywhere near this price.

Construction

When you first pick up Stellar Phono Preamplifier you’ll notice its solid build and heft. Every inch of Stellar suggests quality: from its rear panel connectors, cartridge loading facilities, to its internal high current oversized power transformer.

The internal shielding and build quality provide Stellar with up to 70dB of ultra low noise gain for MC cartridges as low as 0.15mv. On its rear panel find facilities for two inputs for two tonearms selectable from remote control, as well as both single ended and balanced outputs to match any preamplifier.

 

FAQ’s

1. What cartridge types does the PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier support? It supports both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges, with adjustable gain and loading to match a wide range of turntables.
2. Does the Stellar Phono Preamplifier have adjustable settings? Yes, it offers selectable gain and impedance settings, allowing precise tuning for optimal cartridge performance and sound quality.
3. Is the Stellar Phono Preamplifier fully analog? Yes, it is a fully analog design with no digital processing, preserving the pure character and warmth of vinyl playback.
4. Can it be used with balanced and unbalanced connections? Yes, the unit provides both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) outputs for flexible system integration.
5. What makes the Stellar Phono Preamplifier different from standard phono stages? Its ultra-low-noise circuitry, accurate RIAA equalization, and high-quality components deliver exceptional clarity, dynamics, and musical detail from vinyl records.

 

Specifications

Dimensions

• Unit Weight: 21.6lbs. (9.8 kg)
• Unit Dimensions: 17”W x 13”D x 3.25”H / (43cm x 33.02cm x 8.255cm)
• Shipping Weight: 25.1lbs (11.4 kg)
• Shipping Dimensions: 22”W x 8”H x 17”D / (55.88cm x 43.18cm x 20.32cm)

The Unit

• Color Options: Black / Silver
• Voltage Options (Factory set only):
  • Japan 100V
  • North America 120V
  • Europe/Asia/Australia/New Zealand 230V
• Mains Power Input: IEC C14
• Idle Power Consumption: 26W
• Fuses:
  • 100V: T250V-2.0AH (2A Slow Blow)
  • 120V: T250V-1.6AH (1.6A Slow Blow)
  • 230V: T250V-1AH (1A Slow Blow)
• Accessories Included:
  • US (NEMA 5-15P) (100V/120V versions)
  • Schuko (CEE7/7) (230V version)
  • UK (BS1363) (230V version)
  • Remote Control
• Audio Inputs: RCA (Unbalanced) MM,MC
• Audio Outputs: RCA (Unbalanced) 1 Stereo Pair / XLR (Balanced) 1 Stereo Pair
• DC Trigger: 3.5mm 12VDC (2)

Performance

All measurements are with both channels operating, gain set to low, and balanced outputs.

• Input frequency is 1kHz.
• Gain: MM: 44dB, 50dB, 56dB / MC: 60dB, 66dB, 72dB
• Input Loading: MM: 47KΩ (100pF) / MC: 60Ω, 100Ω, 200Ω, 47KΩ, Custom 1-1KΩ
• Output Impedance:
  • Unbalanced <200Ω
  • Balanced <200Ω per leg
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz +/- 0.25dB
• THD: 0.5V out @ 1kHz: <0.01%
• Maximum Output: @1%THD: 24VRMS
• Overload Margin: @1kHz: >22dB
• S/N Ratio: MM: >82dB A-Weighted
• MC: >74dB A-Weighted
• Interchannel Crosstalk: >74dB
• Power Consumption: 26W