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PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier
Our 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.
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.
Technology
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.
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.
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.
Features
MOVING MAGNET AND COIL
FIXED AND VARIABLE LOADING
70dB ULTRA LOW NOISE GAIN .15mv CARTRIDGES
2x INPUTS FOR 2x TONEARMS
SINGLE-ENDED BALANCED INPUTS
DISCRETE FET DESIGN
CLASS 'A' ANALOG CIRCUITRY
LOW DISTORTION
20v RMS OUTPUT
LOW NOISE CIRCUITRY
HAND SELECTED DISCRETE COMPONENTS
DC COUPLED FROM INPUT TO OUTPUT
LOW NOISE PRE + POST VOLTAGE REGULATION
NO COMPLIMENTARY FET TRANSISTORS
OVERSIZED POWER TRANSFORMER
REMOTE CONTROL
WATT RECOMMENDS
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Professional Reviews 93/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Cartridge Compatibility
95/100
Build Quality
89/100
Value for Money
94/100
The Stellar Phono pairs exceptionally low-noise playback with explosive dynamics and a wide, precisely focused soundstage. Positive Feedback found its musical balance natural and expressive, while HiFi News praised its remarkable detail retrieval and speed. Remote-selectable gain and loading, dual MM/MC inputs, and balanced outputs make it a highly adaptable vinyl front end.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Exceptionally quiet, detailed presentation with fast transient attack and strong dynamic expression.
Expansive, precisely organized soundstage with convincing image focus and scale.
Extensive MM/MC gain and loading flexibility, including remote control and custom MC loading.
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Cons
Its high resolution can make surface noise and groove wear more apparent on imperfect records.
Most adjustments rely on the remote, while rear-panel custom loading controls are awkward to access in a rack.
Bright front-panel LEDs can make settings difficult to read.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers consistently describe an exceptionally clear, quiet and musically involving presentation, combining neutral information retrieval with enough warmth and texture to avoid sounding clinical. It is especially praised for lively dynamics and an expansive, precisely organized soundstage, although its resolving nature can make surface noise on worn records more noticeable.
Transparency Noise Floor
91/100
Several reviewers call the Stellar very quiet, citing an exceptionally low noise floor, inky-black backgrounds and unusually strong clarity. HiFi News notes that its resolution can reveal surface noise on imperfect records, while Audiophilia encountered a high-pitched MC noise issue that was traced to cable and power-cord routing rather than the unit itself.
Tonal Balance Musicality
93/100
The tonal balance is repeatedly described as neutral, honest and free of an obvious house sound, with The Audio Beatnik particularly impressed by its open midrange. Other reviewers also found it rich, warm and organic enough to make music inviting, balancing resolution with body and natural instrumental texture.
Dynamics
93/100
Reviewers report excellent microdynamic expression, forceful transient attack and convincing scale, from delicate chamber music to explosive rock passages. The Audio Beatnik found the bass focused and driven, though not quite the final word in weight compared with far more expensive equipment.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
Spatial performance earns unusually consistent praise: reviewers describe a wall-to-wall stage with real height, depth and precise performer placement. Positive Feedback found images firmly focused within a large venue-like space, while HiFi News heard the stage extend well beyond the loudspeakers.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
95/100
Separate MM and MC inputs, three gain settings for each mode, and remote-selectable MC loading make the Stellar unusually adaptable. Its 44-56dB MM and 60-72dB MC gain range accommodates high-output moving magnets through low-output moving coils, while the rear-panel custom loading control extends MC adjustment from 1 ohm to 1k ohm.
Build Quality
89/100
Reviewers describe a substantial steel chassis, quality and well-spaced connectors, and thoughtfully implemented balanced and unbalanced outputs. Positive Feedback calls the build and aesthetics nicely executed, although Future Audiophile found the bright front-panel indicators difficult to read when confirming settings.
Value for Money
94/100
At its reviewed pricing of roughly $2,499-$2,999, multiple writers consider the Stellar unusually compelling. Positive Feedback judged it an uncommon value and found it comparable to a phono stage costing more than twice as much, while Part Time Audiophile highlighted its unusually extensive feature set for the money; HiFi News does note that it remains a substantial purchase.
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- Advance Audio — in-store — Wichita, Kansas, United States (website)
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