My components consist of a PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC, PS Audio Stellar S300, and Bluesound Node 2 as source playing Tidal HiFi…each plugged into a PS Audio Duet.
If I were to upgrade my power cables to these components, which order would be most preferable/noticeable? I’m thinking of trying the PS Audio AC3s…
Or would I be even better off upgrading to a regenerator like the upcoming Stellar line and do the power cords after this since I have the Duet in the system?
Regenerator
Definitely the latter. The Duet’s good but a regenerator will make a huge difference. Hang in there for Stellar.
Thanks!
Thanks for the input, Paul, and taking the time to reply. figured this might be the recommendation. I’ll definitely hang in there for the Stellar - I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.
Doug
Had no idea there was a Stellar regenerator coming out. Has there been a price assigned to it yet?
Hopefully someone from PS Audio can chime in, but I thought I read somewhere that Darren Myers related earlier this year that it would be around $2,000. I’m hoping it comes in close to the Gain Cell DAC/S300 price point.
Yes, its target pricing is $2K but after the BOM is finalized it might creep upwards of $2,195. It all just depends on the landed costs. We’ll try and keep it at $2K.
Thanks for letting us know!
So if I have one aftermarket upgraded power cable (Audioquest), should I use it in the Gain Cell DAC or the S300 amp?
Try it in both places and see what works best.
Thanks, I was just curious if there’s one place where it should sound better.
I’ve heard that you should put the best power cord on the source, but in my experience that’s not always the case.
In my experience the power cord on the regenerator influences everything else in sometimes subtle ways. I’d put the best cord on the regenerator if there is one, and then on amplifiers.
The greatest focus is attempt to eliminate voltage drop, especially at peaks. (which can be in the millisecond range) If it were me, I would assure at the panel a new high quality breaker is installed, and properly tightened. If you are utilizing the basic 12 gauge (15 amp) drop to the receptacle you are using, use a new receptacle and only use the screws on that receptacle for the drop. (not the push in insert if provided) If you are using power regeneration, use the best cable between the device and the amp.
Thanks. No regenerator yet, but hoping to get one soon. In the meantime I have to choose just one. It’s in the amplifier at the moment (made the most sense to me over the preamp/dac).
I do have an upgraded power cable at my source (Bluesound Node 2) using an audioquest cable, and I have heard improvements with this. So now I’m just deciding between the GCD and the S300 - I’ll have to do some comparative listening in my system and see what I hear. I’ve yet to switch out the nicer audioquest cable to the GCD instead of the S300, so I’ll be curious if I hear any differences.
I am using a PS Audio receptacle in the wall, but I’ve yet to try replacing the breaker with a newer, high quality one. This would be an inexpensive upgrade I imagine - my house was built in '94 so it’s definitely older.
Am I assuming most folks around here would prefer using a dedicated breaker for the system that is independent from the rest of the house? I could do this quite easily actually since my listening room is adjacent to my garage which houses my panel. It’d be a short run…
In homes with recent construction, you may just want to ensure the screws are still tight. They do work loose over the decades. If the breaker has been tripped, this can and will damage the contacts inside the breaker, and for audio usage, it would better to simply replace the breaker.
Thank you for the tip, I’ll check my panel and the breaker connections tomorrow!