PS Audio Stellar Phono

I've had the Stellar for about a week now and have been doing a lot of listening. My DAC has never felt so lonely as I've been mostly playing records to really get a handle on the Stellar!

Initial impression is good. The sound is very different compared to the Tube Box S2, more than I anticipated initially. The Stellar is less harsh on the high notes. Also much fuller in the mid-range. Vocals and mid-to-low strings like Cellos have really shone through in a way I was not expecting.

I've been trying to A/B as best I can (it's though since I'm literally switching cables), and will be doing a longer writeup/"review" once I've had some more time to compare.

One thing I'm trying to troubleshoot is a bit of "hum" in the 60Hz range. It seems to disappear (mostly) if I disconnect the ground wire from the TT. I'm not super experienced in this department but it seems PS Audio is, so I plan on giving them a call this week to see if they can walk me through any steps.

I received my Stellar Phono Preamplifier last Friday and hooked it up over the weekend.  The other components of consequence in my systems are a SOTA Sapphire turntable, a Premier FT-3 arm, a Hana SL low output cartridge, MIT phono cable, and Wireworld Eclipse interconnect cable (to my Theta Casablanca IV preamp/processor).

Early Sunday evening, I invited my wife to listen.  To make it more interesting, I chose a selection of music that was also available for streaming from Tidal HD to my Roon Nucleus+ and Lumin T2 streamer/DAC, with the Lumin connected to my Casablanca IV via Kimber Kable Silver Streak cables.

After about 45 minutes of A/B comparisons, my wife turned to me and said we needed to get a better music streamer/DAC.  I had to agree.  My digital setup is really quite good, but the addition of the PS Audio Stellar phono preamp to my vinyl playback sub-system was even better.

Bottom line: recommended, but with two caveats.  First, to take advantage of the preamp's capabilities, it is likely wise to have a good turntable, cartridge, and phono cable and interconnect cable.  Second, while this phono preamp is quite good (and one can even say a bargain at its price), it is not cheap nor are the other components needed.

Thanks to both @firenze and @jmeyers for the responses. I've decide to go all tube and jump to the Chinook original. Fan-f'n-tastic upgrade over my Nova III. Like night and a day improvement. I definitely gained a ton at twice the price. Still considering taking a stellar home to A/B, but my god is the Chinook silent and fantastically dynamic. Bass if off the charts. 

@j-wall congrats! I've not seen the Chinook before, but it looks like a great option if you're feeling tubes. Certainly more so than my old Tube Box S2!

I'd be curious if you do an A/B with the Stellar. I was on the fence about ordering it, but since PS Audio's trial/return policy is so generous (in the US) I figured it was worth it.

I do disagree with @jmeyers on one point: My setup has a more modest turntable setup with basic blue jeans cables and even I could notice quite a difference. I think the Stellar could make any system sound better, not just with top-shelf components. That said, the additional upgrades certainly would help even more.

Anyone considering auditioning the PS Stellar Phono preamp should consider its very long break in time. IMO and actual experience 200 hours at least. That’s a lot of time to accumulate in 30 days. PS may give you more time if you ask for it. I almost returned it at 150 hrs use. At about 175 hrs it really woke up and sounded like something and I kept it. It is detailed and realistically warm and very transparent if you load your cartridge correctly. If you choose one of their preset loads it may or may not shake hands with your cartridge optimally and may disappoint. In order to get a perfect load the custom setting is a must. It is difficult to set because the resistors for each channel were not perfectly matched in my unit. I used an ohm meter to get a perfect match and it was worth the effort. Of course if you are using an SUT with the PS it isn’t an issue.