I’ve had the S 300 audio about 29 hours of operation now.I was initially impressed.Then at about 18 hours it started to regress and did not sound very good at all. So I set my I mac to play classical music and went to watch the super bowl. When I came home at 27 hours of operation, there had been a huge transformation, like holy smokes ! So let me start with the most apparent, and go from there. This amp has PRAT and musicality that is at level with some of the best British amps that I have heard. Next, I have been listening for about four hours now, with no fatigue ,zero ,zilch ,none ! The S 300 is smooth.very smooth. This is accomplished with impressive detail ,cymbals ,triangles ,chimes ,come through with clarity. Transient attack is at a jump facter level ,I’m listening to Genius Invisible touch right now and Phil Collins rim shots are rifling through my living room. The bass drum and bass are producing some serious punch and slam. All this is accomplished with low level detail retrieval and inner detail that is like ,wow ! Listening to Celtic Women ,You Raise Me Up, it starts out with a violin solo, for the first time I could hear what the stereo mags describe as hearing the wood in an instrument, very impressive. The S 300 is a serious piece of kit.
Thanks for a great review filled with examples and heartfelt thoughts.
I received the S 300 a few days ago. These are my hasty first impressions.
Right out of the box, installed in my main listening room (dedicated 2-channel), it sounded dynamic and quite promising, but with a bit too much upper midrange grain and lower treble stridency. Well, that was with zero minutes of break-in.
For the last few days I’ve left it on, and played music on repeat for about 40 hours of that time.
This evening I’ve spent over 2 hours with it, flipping through some of my favorite jazz on JRemote / JRiver, streaming through the DSD Dac. Much of the grain has gone, and about half-way through my listening session I just quit paying attention to the amp. Having found that the bass control is there, the macro- and micro-dynamics are there, the sound-staging is as 3D as I’ve heard–well, as I said, I quit listening to the amp and found myself repeatedly lost in the beauty and creativity of the music! I haven’t found myself wanting to switch back to the BHK Mono 300s, which list for 10x the price. This little amp is amazing me!
Much more to come, including comparisons to other amps. I’m anxious to hear what another few days of break-in will do. This is going to be fun!
That’s awesome. I made the same comparisons and with the same devices and felt the same way - though, when I did switch back to the BHKs I realized how much better they are - but the Stellar just holds its own.
I came very close to going for an S300 to beta test along with the GCD. I did not do it since I have never owned a Class D amp that I thought had realistic upper frequencies. And I have had some pretty good Class D amps including the Bel Canto REF1000, Channel Island D200, Wyred4Sound ST-500, and PS Audio HCA and GCA-250.
But reading these reviews is making me wish I had pulled the trigger on the S300.
spons said But reading these reviews is making me wish I had pulled the trigger on the S300.There is still time . . .
I can no longer find the Stellar beta test page so I am assuming all the units - including the S300 - have been spoken for.
Hi spons,
If you are still interested, you can contact our retail sales manager Kevin Jackson at 720-402-3924. He should be able to help you out.
-Darren
I was thinking about stepping up to this amp. Right now I have a Parasound Halo A23 for my Bowers & Wilkins 804 Diamond speakers. Do you current S300 beta testers think this will be a distinct step up in sound quality? I might have to give Kevin a call tomorrow if you guys feel it will be a worthwhile upgrade. 
I would guess it would be, but then I am biased. 
I have a pair of 800Ds (the first model). I hear a worthwhile improvement with a pair of S300’s bi-amping the speakers compared to a pair of Parasound 2250v2’s. Plus, for the first time ever, no ground loops.
Improvement is significantly better bass, and perhaps (initial impressions only) better detail. I’m letting the S300’s settle in before a final comparison test, but right now I’m expecting to take the Parasounds down to my local dealer (who does a good business in selling used kit).
The better bass is a significant improvement; no longer any need for the pair of Rhythmik Audio sealed-box 15" subwoofers (anybody want one??)
It may help to keep in mind PS Audio produces equipment which performs above its price point. It is not inexpensive, but in my experience is always competitive with higher priced products.
Elk said It may help to keep in mind PS Audio produces equipment which performs above its price point. It is not inexpensive, but in my experience is always competitive with higher priced products."....but in my experience is always competitive with higher priced products."
That’s so true and more so ! They can, and do, outperform equipment “way above” P S Audio prices…as I can testify to.
I haven’t seen any reviewers pick up the S300.
Can anyone point me in the right direction of something objective?
There are reviews in the works. They just take time.
have just heard a set and I am very positively surprised. The hifi people have something to look forward to
