93%
PS Audio S300 Amplifier
From the deepest bass to the warmest, sweetest highs, the Stellar S300 makes any loudspeaker sing and is our most affordable stereo power amplifier ever.
Breathe new life into your loudspeakers with the Stellar S300, a full-sized, affordable stereo power amplifier that honors the music and controls your loudspeakers better than you ever imagined possible. The S300 combines the slam, linearity, and toe-tapping pacing of a Class D output stage with the warmth, grace, and rich inner detail of Stellar's Class A Analog Cell. The results are nothing short of ground breaking. Liberate a wealth of untapped energy trapped in your media library. Plumb music’s subterranean depths and finally hear the bass your speakers were capable of. Revel in rich layers of fine, full detail. Marvel at the deep, extraordinary, wall-to-wall soundstage. Effortless. Lush. Stellar.
Design
The Stellar S300 stereo power amplifier is a dual mono power amplifier capable of effortlessly driving demanding loudspeaker loads to concert levels. It combines the best of two worlds: ultra linear, high-current, Class D technology for the output stage; a discrete, Class A MOSFET based Analog Cell for the all-important input stage. The S300's rich, warm, and engaging sonic character comes from the Analog Cell. It's powerful, authoritative control over the loudspeaker stems from its high current, ultra-low impedance Class D output stage.
Application
The perfect choice for just about any loudspeaker, the S300 slips into any system, surprising and delighting even the most discriminating Audiophile. Rated at 140 watts per channel into 8Ω and 300 watts per channel into 4Ω, the S300 has plenty of horsepower for even the most demanding loudspeakers. Your musical library will open up in ways you might not have thought possible, revealing nuance and detail covered up by traditional amplifiers.
Technology
The S300 is an extraordinarily musical power amplifier rated at 140 Watts per channel into 8Ω and 300 Watts per channel into 4Ω. Power enough for even the most demanding speakers. The S300 design marries the best of two worlds: an ultra linear high-current output power stage with a discrete Class A MOSFET based AnalogCell input stage. Between them, the S300 delivers powerful, authoritative control over the loudspeakers, while maintaining a perfectly layered soundstage under the most complex musical passages. Designed by PS Audio engineer Darren Myers, who invested hundreds of hours of tuning, voicing, and perfectionist tweaking, the results are extraordinarily musical. Stellar amplifiers never draw attention to themselves, and are one of our highest value offerings in amplification, a rare quality in amplifiers of any price.
The connection between preamplifier and power amplifier is critical, for it is at this junction where most essential musical details are easily lost. Nothing in the design of a power amplifier is more important than its input stage when preserving music's finest nuances. In the S300, a unique topology, called the Analog Cell, has been employed to preserve the rich details found in music. The Analog Cell is the heart of the S300's musicality, where rich overlaid layers of music's inner details are preserved even in the most complex orchestral crescendos. The Analog Cell is a proprietary, fully differential, zero feedback, discrete, Class A MOSFET circuit, hand-tuned to capture the smallest micro dynamics without sacrificing the loudest macro dynamics music has to offer. The Analog Cell makes all the difference.
The Stellar S300 is a dual mono design. This means that each channel has its own, separate power supply. Each of the two channels is a complete and independent power supply and power amplification stage, based on a modern Class D ICE module, designed in Denmark. Class D output stages provide near-perfect linearity, low distortion, and high efficiency. Because Class D amplifiers require an output filter to remove their switching noise, they do not have frequency extremes into the many hundreds of thousands of Hertz. Depending on their design, modern Class D amplifiers, like the type used in Stellar, extend high frequencies to about 50kHz. Human hearing limitations are 20kHz, though most listeners rarely have hearing exceeding half that. The S300 provides excellent frequency extremes, low distortion, high efficiency, high damping factor, and a powerful output of 300 watts per channel into the most common loudspeaker loads of 4Ω.
Features
STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER
DUAL MONO WITH SEPARATE POWER SUPPLIES
POWERFUL MOSFET OUTPUT STAGE
RCA SINGLE-ENDED INPUT
XLR "TRUE" BALANCED INPUT
140 WATTS PER CHANNEL 8Ω
300 WATTS PER CHANNEL 4Ω
2Ω STABLE
VERY LITTLE HEAT PRODUCTION
< 0.1% THD 20Hz - 20kHz AT RATED POWER
DAMPING FACTOR > 550
FRONT PANEL STANDBY BUTTON
ZERO-LOSS INPUT
DUAL, COPPER, PLATED, OUTPUT BINDING POSTS
13 LBS.
INPUT 12 VOLT TRIGGER
WATT RECOMMENDS
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Professional Reviews 93/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
89/100
Value for Money
94/100
The PS Audio S300 Amplifier delivers fast, neutral dynamics, tight bass control, and lifelike vocal and instrumental tone from its hybrid Class A/Class D architecture. Future Audiophile found it exceptionally poised with demanding musical swings, while its compact, solid aluminum chassis and 300W-into-4-ohms capability make it a compelling gateway to revealing high-end separates.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Fast, neutral and highly controlled presentation preserves lifelike vocal and instrumental timbre.
Delivers tight, impactful deep bass and substantial headroom, even at elevated levels.
High-end fit and finish in a compact 13-pound chassis, with solid construction and premium speaker terminals.
Strong value as an accessible, high-performing entry into separates.
&
Cons
No line output for passing a source signal to another amplifier or secondary zone.
Cannot be bridged for higher-power monoblock operation; listeners with very large rooms or inefficient speakers may want more output.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Review listening finds the S300 notably neutral, fast and musically engaging, with lifelike vocal and instrumental timbre. It combines strong low-frequency grip and unconstrained dynamic response with convincing detail, although spatial performance receives less direct coverage than the rest of its presentation.
Transparency Resolution
93/100
The reviewer says the amplifier disappears in the system rather than coloring or embellishing the music, praising its accuracy and lifelike reproduction. Low-level background information, the harp strings' resonance, and their extended decay were all reproduced with convincing nuance.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
Its tonal balance is described as effectively invisible, with a neutral character that lets recordings speak for themselves. Vocals, individual instrumental timbres, and even the opening French horn in Mahler are said to sound lifelike and hauntingly realistic.
Dynamics
95/100
The S300 was never heard struggling to follow musical shifts and was said to respond instantly to major dynamic changes. The review praises both its delicacy with quiet information and its speed, power, and firm control during deep-bass and explosive timpani passages.
Soundstage Imaging
89/100
The reviewer reports that recordings came alive in the listening room and revealed fresh details, suggesting an involving and communicative presentation. There is little specific discussion of stage width, depth, image placement, or layering.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
89/100
The reviewer finds the light 13-pound chassis surprisingly solid, with high-end fit and finish, thick rolled aluminum panels, and custom-milled speaker terminals that feel luxurious. Balanced and single-ended inputs, two pairs of binding posts per channel, and a DC trigger add useful system-integration flexibility, though it cannot be bridged and lacks a line output.
Value for Money
94/100
At its approximately $1,545-$2,399 asking range, the S300 is described as an unusually affordable path into high-end separates. The reviewer calls its mix of accurate musical performance and affordability rare, and also notes the transferable three-year warranty and potentially decent resale value.
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Authorized dealers for PS Audio S300 Amplifier
- Advance Audio — in-store — Wichita, Kansas, United States (website)
- Altitudo Audio — online and in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Affair — online and in-store — Deritend, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Excellence (CA) — online and in-store — Markham, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Audio Solutions - AU — online and in-store — Mascot, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Audio Venue — online and in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- AUDIO VIDEO TODAY — in-store — Laguna Hills, California, United States (website)
- Audio Vinyl — online and in-store — Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (website)
- Audiolife — in-store — Buren, Gelderland, Netherlands (website)
and 53 more verified dealers