PS Audio has expanded its Stellar Series lineup with the introduction of the StellarGold DAC and StellarGold Preamp. These high-end audio components are designed to deliver exceptional performance and flexibility to audiophiles and music enthusiasts. The StellarGold series represents a significant step up from the existing Stellar Series, offering innovative technology and user-friendly features.
One notable feature that sets the StellarGold series apart is the distinctive real-gold-plated accent line on the front panels of both the StellarGold DAC and StellarGold Preamp, providing a visual distinction from their predecessors. Available in silver or black finishes, the StellarGold DAC and StellarGold Preamp are as visually appealing as they are sonically impressive.
Paul McGowan, PS Audio CEO says: “Our Stellar Series components have always delivered outstanding performance at price points that represent real value. The new StellarGold preamplifier and DAC take this design philosophy to a higher level than ever before."
The StellarGold preamplifier serves as the central control hub for audio systems. Engineered by Darren Myers, this preamp boasts flexibility with multiple balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs. Users can easily access and configure these options through the preamp's front panel menu system or the included remote control.
StellarGold preamplifier stands out for its full balanced design, which should ensure excellent audio quality from input to output. It utilizes pure Class A analog amplification, high-slew-rate, high-bandwidth JFET and BJT devices, and hand-selected internal components. The preamp's two discrete audio amplification stages are designed with minimal global feedback, emphasizing clean and unaltered signal transmission.
Furthermore, the StellarGold preamplifier pays special attention to its power supply design, incorporating an oversized transformer, multiple-stage regulation, and other refinements. This design philosophy should provide optimal performance even with long cable lengths.
The StellarGold DAC is built on an advanced parallel DAC architecture, a design that leverages multiple DACs to achieve performance levels unattainable by single-DAC designs. By averaging out the individual non-linearities of each DAC, this architecture reduces noise, lowers channel crosstalk, and enhances linearity and dynamic range.
Featuring ESS 9038 Pro technology, the StellarGold DAC employs four parallel DACs per channel, delivering an outstanding signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 127dB. The DAC supports a wide range of digital formats, including PCM up to 768 kHz and DSD up to 256 (11.2 MHz).
Multiple digital inputs, including I2S, coaxial, USB, and optical, provide users with versatile connectivity options. Additionally, the DAC offers user-selectable digital filters for tailored sound preferences.
The StellarGold DAC and StellarGold Preamp are currently available at a suggested retail price of $3,999 each.
