While Blue Coast Records is starting to standardize on DSD256… . Perhaps an uprev of the SGCD would fit nicely with the release of the M1200 and Stellar speakers.
Would possibly an upgrade kit for existing units become available? I know some people, like in the Baltic states who’d also be interested.
Waywayway too early to say. Certainly not a half bad idea though.
Agree you’re right on need for gcd upgrade. Seems a real stretch that people purchasing the coming m1200 stellar amps at their price would want to use preamp with features of gcd (inexpensive but if I buy a $5-6k amp I’m not feeding it with ess9010 dac). Worse, lack of compatible quality pre in series likely keeps me from pulling trigger on the m1200s until preamp match fixed.
$6k too much for stellar amps and nobody will pair with existing gcd. But if you revamped and upgraded the gcd and charged $2-3k for it, and cut m1200 to $5k, you’d still get $7.5k for the pair (same as current projected 6 + 1.5 but as mentioned not sure why anyone would use current gcd with m1200). That’s the way to go.
Otherwise too close to bhk pricing.
IMO
Indeed the Stellar system synergy is important.
I do like the sound quality of the DAC of the Stellar Gain Cell DAC. Not sure if the DAC chip number is going to make a big audible difference.
Neither am I sure whether I’ll be able to hear an audible difference between DSD 128 and DSD 256 which is the data rate / frequency Blue Coast Records seems to standardize on.
But all above little things together, with others like:
Cost wise:
I can not see how a Stellar 2 X M1200 + 1 x SGCD combo gets into the cost region of the BHK/DS series.
To get the same features in the BHK/DS series you need:
Yet the Stellar package will be capable to drive any demanding low impedance / low efficient speaker of your liking like the BHK’s can, with perhaps a grand of less Sound Quality that some of us might even not be able to really hear.
What I’m saying is I doubt someone spending $6k on amps will pair it with a dated $1.5k preamp commonly available for under $1k, and if that’s right it may limit sales of m1200.
I think a better combo would be a 2.5k upgraded gcd to support the 300, 700 and 1200. And if 1200 went for 5k all the better.
Not too hard to find bhk pre and stereo amp and a dsj All for under 10k right, even all new? I know at least a month ago that easily doable. Not sure today.
If you read other forums where dacs discussed and compared across various manufacturers, for better or worse specific dac chip used and its attenendant specs tend to be important considerations for those in the market for purchasing a new dac or dac/pre combo
Wow, I can assure you, you can absolutely forget those price levels over here in Europe. But you are right at a certain price level it gets over here into highly regarded and top quality Octave Tube amplifiers and could decide to split the digital chain from the pre amp all together, for example by utilizing the AURALiC Altair. I refer to „Octave“ the German brand and trademark, existing long before PS Audio Octave Music services.
Oh yeah I’m speaking to USD and referencing clearance stuff widely available when dealers cut off over here or even the holiday pricing deals.
Sorry I’m pretty new here and don’t recognize other posters maybe like more longtime contributors would
As I initially pointed out long ago, it is exceedingly difficult to choose a single word which has not already been registered as a trademark or service mark by someone somewhere.
And that is no problem, wouldn’t mind an Octave server, Direct Stream DAC and Octave Amplifier 
@Paul: since you have the GCD and S300 on sale for only a few more weeks I have to ask: strictly for sound quality (not functionality) , do you prefer that pair or the Strata since it’s a newer design?
The SGCD and S300 are a good combination. To get the best sound quality possible, you will need balanced connections between the pre and power amps (if you do go that route). I am only guessing, but would expect both the integrated amp and the separates to sound very similar in sound quality. The main difference between the 2 options, is if you are thinking about upgrading in the future, separate components allow for greater flexibility. For instance, if you later decided to upgrade the amp to the (truly wonderful) M700 monoblocks or the M1200 monoblocks (when released), getting separate pre and power amps now would be beneficial. Or if you are tempted by the M700 now, the sale price is a huge bargain for the increase in midrange smoothness. If this one purchase is the final destination, the integrated amp might be the better route to have the pre and power amps in one neat box.
To my ears the sound quality of PS Audio equipment is excellent and as good as I’ve heard, and especially so, for the price. I preferred the musical abilities of the BHK300 amplifiers to the much costlier Constellation amplifiers I owned prior to buying the BHKs. That said, YES, the most unreliable equipment I’ve “ever” owned!
I often wonder if there is a correlation with 230 mains voltage… 230 volts equipment appear to be more problematic!
The DS DAC is in my top 5 best products I’ve owned - which is no small amount.
Or 245 in the UK. Vast majority of issues I see on here seem to be EU or UK…
Just measured the mains and it is sitting at 236 volts… I will measure it during the course of the day… and in the early hours of Monday morning!
That’s a tough one, but overall I’d have to pick Strata, The separates combo definitely has more noticeable power, a slight edge of clarity, detail, and size of soundstage, but Strata is the one I keep coming back to for sheer musicality.
I have had 6 PSA products over the last 4 years with no service issues.
My early DMP did burp a few times but was cured by the last update.
PSA’s widening product scope can be a curse or a blessing depending on
your viewpoint. My value orientation is simple, if it sounds better than like
product, is improved by upgrades, and is reliable, I’m good.
You might be right on the 230 volt observation. Although I am only one customer I have quite a few PSA 120v products spread across their line from Sprout to BHK. I have never had any quality or performance issues with any of them.
We have gone through the unfettered bashing of PS Audio multiple times in the past with no benefit to anyone, but with great harm to the forum with many personal attacks, destructive tribalism, etc.
We are not going there again.
It does quickly get like politics or religion - factions talking past one another.