PS Audio Stellar Phono

@firenze please keep us in the loop. I haven't decided if I'm going modwright or ps audio!

My system is not too impressive right now, but I'm slowly growing.

• Audio Technica AT-LP-DCVTA-EB (Drop collab) turntable
  
• Sumiko Songbird cartridge
• Jadis Orchestra Black Amplifier
• JBL 590 & Focal Chorus 706 (I go back and forth)

The folks at PS Audio said it is made-to-order so I should expect to get it within 1-2 weeks from now.

I have one of the very first Stellar Phono Preamps ever shipped.  It may be the most significant improvements I have ever made to my system.  Very neutral sounding, great detail retrieval and localization, and a perfect match for my VPI Prime Signature w/ Ortofon Cadenza Bronze.  

Hi guys

A friend of mine bought a Stellar phono stage to try and he also had a Pass Labs XP-17 he got from Reno hifi. He had them both in the same system at the same time. Turntable is an VPI HW19 with an Eminent Technology ET2 airbearing tonearm with an Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum cartridge. I asked him which one he like better, the Stellar or the XP-17 and he said the Stellar was better and not by a small margin. The Stellar was only about one week old when I asked him that question. 

After he he had the Stellar for about two months, I asked him that same question. He told me that it’s much better now. He said that it needs about 100 hours of break in. He said it’s like a different preamp and it sounds amazing. 

Scot

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.