So - one beta impression from the weekend: A friend was over, doing a good job of sitting and listening, up until the point he involuntarily jumped up from the chair and started Windmilling to “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. He actually did a split-jump that caused the needle to skip once, but it was worth it. It has that effect, and that’s what I’m looking for in audio gear : )
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Thanks for the post Charlie. I love the aesthetic of your room and the whole Stellar suite.
Sounds like you need a wall shelf for your table. Makes it impossible to skip due to exuberant jumping on the floor.
Yeah - used to have one in my old house mounted into a concrete wall. Bomb-proof. Just moved to this new place, so still sorting it out : )
James,
Thanks. Spent a lot of time getting that room comfortable, looking good and still have decent sound. I am enjoying the system and do like the clean look of an all matching system, plus all the components are sonically matched. I have mixed and matched gear for years and that is fun and still have my old systems.
I thought about trying to describe the sound of the new phono preamp, but that is a tough thing to do, so I just kept it short and sweet.
Charlie
In the immortal words of my father when I was 12 yrs old or so…
Always f**king mute JP, remember that! And I always have
-JP
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Right!! I couldn’t tell you if my current pre had issues or not when changing sources or when taking the tubes out of standby. I’m always muted.
You rattled off a comprehensive list of your PS Audio stuff that doesn’t work properly only a few days ago! It was more than just the DMP! That is why it was fresh in my mind. Granted, you have had a much easier run with your gear than a few others here.
I might buy some PS Audio stuff in the future. The TSS was of possible interest. But the great man has recently said he’s not doing any of the PIC coding in it which automatically turns my possible interest into mildly luke warm interest.
What I “rattled off” were two betas I didn’t keep (as I was essentially being accused of being a shill for PS) not because they didn’t work, but because I liked what I had better. The third and last item in the "comprehensive list’ was the DMP which I kept despite the functional issues.
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Received my SPP, first impression is positive, didn’t get that one note I was forming in my head, but it warmed up quickly and I can hear deeper and taller sound stage, as well as tighter bass compared to my Rega Fono MC. I can see what Darren meant by sound originating away from the speakers. This fed from a Rega P6 with Ania MC cartridge. Granted we’re comparing a $500 unit vs $2500 unit, so expectation is the SPP got to be better. I can tell that the Rega held it own very well. Is the SPP worth 5x the price?? not sure yet, will need to have more listening sessions… but alas got to go sleep, early work day tomorrow.
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Not a listening note, but an appreciation for Darren’s use of the blue LEDs!
My SPP was on the bottom shelf of my main rack (where the JC3 Jr. sat).
This morning Susan helped me move the SPP to a shelf that I just now installed above the PPP, all in the service of being able to enjoy the light show.
I be tripping.
Smart engineering. Thanks, Darren!
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Haha, I was about to complain about the blue LEDs. I thought they were too bright… maybe dim down by half would be much better, I had my SPP on top shelf, I guess it would be better if it in one of the middle selves.
Agreed - not a big LED light fan on stereo gear generally unless very low/defeatable/run through lots of diffusion material. These are actually performing an internal audio function though. Sorry - apologizing again. …Now I just apologized for apologizing ; ) But I may go in and pop some diffusion over 'em. Though lower shelf works well as well.
I may have missed this, but what audio function are the LEDs performing?
As I recall, they are biasing circuit(s) - which could be an entirely faulty recollection. So the light was just a side effect that happens to fit in with the Stellar Thing. Darren is up in the mountains with his dad this week, so not sure if there is someone else that can answer that question more clearly. @jamesh?
LEDs act as a great voltage reference for the transistors and FETs in the gain stage. This helps them behave in a more linear fashion regardless of any current differential.
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Yes, you’re correct. They are the current source biasing networks in the many voltage regulators in the SSP.
Agree. Even when I ripped out the Neon lamp on my “Dogs Breakfast” Bose EQ. The white LED which matches the Sony AVR display was too bright. Stuck another resistor in there and fixed ‘er.
I’m sure that’s something that can be worked out at the factory unless it’s a magical part of a circuit (Krell did something like that…I think).
My Stellar Stack is invisible to the point that the lit up power buttons are hidden by my cabinet glass door frames !
@Paul I am a big fan of no lights so I don’t see the components. Hoping there are effective ways to make @DarrenMyers creation dark when it shows up at my doorstep in September. Placed a back order today from your friends at the music room. Currently using a musical surroundings phenomena II+ with separate power supply. Looking forward to making a comparison between the Stella phono next month.
Since my audio rack is behind me, I don’t see the light show, but when it goes into the rack I don’t think I will be able to see those on the inside. Speaking of which, I may have to stack the SPP. OK to put it on top of the SGCD? If so, is it worth spacing it a little more than the standard feet provide with some aftermarket product? This would give the SGCD some more room to breathe.
The sound of the SPP continues to impress - I have a listening session scheduled with some audio buddies next week (one who has a Pass phono but pre-ordered the SPP). I look forward to getting their take.
Small feedback - there’s a very minor ergonomic downside of selecting options via the remote: I switch off the system and unplug from the wall when leaving for the weekend, especially in summers where thunderstorms are common. When I return and repower it starts up with the defaults (MM/46k) so it does not retain prior settings. No big, but something to point out since that’s not something I encountered where settings are done by toggle switches.