@Chris_Brunhaver posted his impressions of the new Gold Pre, which he preferred over the BHK Pre! Not sure how to direct you to that forum discussion. It would be interesting to hear your own impressions comparing the two, if you can. I have the Mk2 + BHK Pre (with new psvane tubes), BHK300S.
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kzk
Well, I can give my opinion but it is nothing more than an opinion. I think that this is a three dimensional question. Itâs not simply better or worse, as there are a lot of different aspects to the performance that may vary based on taste and system synergy etc. I spent a few nights listening to the Stellar Gold DAC during itâs development and doing A/B testing with the DSD Mk2, mostly.
Objectively, the Stellar Gold DAC has much lower measured noise and distortion than a DSD Sr⌠Whether or not this subjectively important hinges on your system setup and configuration to an extent. The Stellar Gold DAC has a very âhifiâ presentation with a very black background, tight, ended low end and airy top end. It seems more sensitive to cable/source quality and incoming jitter than the DSD but I wasnât involved in those measurements.
The directstream DACs and a âsmoothnessâ and musicality that are unique. The bass on the original DSD Sr. can have a bit of bloom a be a little âtubeyâ. There is a vibrant midrange. A bit less sense of sparkle and high frequency extension.
I will say that I significantly prefer the DSD Mk2 to the Stellar Gold DAC but prefer the Stellar Gold DAC to an unmodified DSD Sr. but your mileage may vary.
I think that the Stellar Gold Preamp is a huge winner in my book and I want one at home and prefer the sound of it to our BHK Pre. It also has a much lower noise floor and totally black background to the sound and is very open an lifelike sounding. If youâre looking for added flavor or warmth, it doesnât have that. I wouldnât say itâs analytical or etched sounding but itâs definitely very clean. To me, this product is a âwowâ.
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Thanks for pasting that! Very interesting analysis. My BHK Pre is autographed by the late, great BHK himself, so I may have difficulty parting with it.
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Read his comments very carefully. It is very system dependent which preamp you may prefer. If your speakers lean toward analytical the BHK Preamp would be a much better match. The other big factor is what tubes were in the BHK when he compared the gold to it.
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Completely agree, @sixpack1
We could call the forum members part of the âYMMV clubâ! Everything in the audio chain matters, not least our ears and brains. I just replaced my BHK pre valves which had completely lost their sparkle after a few years and it breathed new life.
That said, I would still be interested in any other membersâ impressions should they have the opportunity to compare these two pre-amps.
Just received Paulâs monthly email update, which didnât mention any update for the MKII. Is this a bad sign for those of us unable to use massive due to using MKIIâs volume?
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Thinking exactly the same myself. Does not bode well. Never know though, hope springs eternal.
We havenât forgotten. Ted got sick, then this and then that. I hopefully will have something soon.
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Best of health to young Ted!
Healing waves on their way!
Ted, take care of yourself first! We all want you to get better!
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Ted, Hope you are better soon. As great as your brain is, your health is the most important thing that you have. Take care, rest, get healthy, get strong! 
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Wishing Ted, and the PSA team the best of health!
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@tedsmith all the best and take care of yourself. Take all the rest you need and get well! Greetings from Switzerland!
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Ted, take care of yourself first! You do not need to work on TSS DAC so hard, MK2 is good enough so we can wait. 
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Best wishes to you! Take care of yourself first. That is much more important.
Best regards.
I say we should all chip in and purchase a supply of sublingual NMN supplements for Ted and Paul! We need these guys healthy to feed our audio addictions. Get better soon Ted!
Best wishes to Ted (the Sorcerer), hope he is back to rude health. However, who is to be the âSorcererâs Apprenticeâ?
Relying on one person has been the downfall of many in the past.
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The Stellar Gold Preamp is superior to the BHK in my system. The BHK squelches the capabilities of the MK2. Despite the noise riding on the signal The MK2 sounds so much better standalone then when connected to the BHK preamp.I want to get the SGP beta unit back again. I returned it to PSA this week. Bottom line⌠fix the noise issues so I can skip the preamp altogether.
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Thanks David / @marked4sound
Very interesting feedback. I thought my Mk2 sounded better direct to BHK300s early on, compared to using the BHK Pre, then I changed the (old) valves which had last been changed in 2019! The magic returned, and itâs now back in the chain (as I also use the bypass channel for theatre input). Nonetheless, I would be interested to do a comparison between the SG and BHK pre-amps in my system, although I probably have higher priorities for the next upgrade (thinking BACCH). The lousy Aussie dollar is dampening enthusiasm at the momentâŚ