THIS is the comment I was hoping to hear commented on from PSA. Direct to wall better than high current outlet on the P3?
Sorry for the lack of an update since my email 5 weeks ago. As of about a week ago, it was still unsure how many we were going to be able to get out the door by the end of this month. We got about 16 out the door yesterday, and hope to have another dozen out the door by tomorrow. Itās been a long time coming, but feels so good to finally fulfill these orders!
1 Like
Weāre on track to finish delivering all P3 orders in August if the creek donāt rise (as they say). So far itās looking good.
Mine is in the Fedex system. Thank you.
Awesome! Let us know what you think when you get it in the system.
My P3 just arrived yesterday, so early going, but TL;DR: this thing is not going back!
I was one of the backorders from May, so Iād had a fair amount of time to talk myself out of this purchase, particularly given that it was a bit of an impulse buy for me (ie <100 hours of research and agonizing!), so Iād kinda talked myself out of it by the time it arrived. Did my first serious listening today and am really amazed that at the impact this thing has on the sound. I never believed reports of āitās like having a new amp/front end/whateverā, but here I am. Itās not subtle (at least how we define subtle). If thereās a such thing as improved hi-midrange and treble dynamics, thatās what Iām hearing. Bass seems more nuanced, but not punchier or anything like that. My initial impression was that the balance was more tipped up, but I think itās just the attention that the improved dynamics in that upper-mid to treble region creates. The usual cliche of hearing things I havenāt before defiantly applies here.
One very obvious effect is that a transformer hum from my amplifier (audible from the unit, not through the speakers) is now totally gone. Before I could hear it in a quiet room from 2-3 feet away, now I can press my ear on the case and I hear nothing.
I canāt comment on the effect of clean wave. Ran it first thing, but havenāt had this unit long enough to tease out any effect of clean wave vs the unit itself. As for multi wave, in my system is has a pretty obvious effect. If I close my eyes, click the button enough times to have no idea how itās set, and then switch back and forth while listening (eyes still closed) I can predict if its on or off before I open my eyes a good 80% of the time. Interestingly, I generally prefer the sound of it off. Itās almost like too much of a good thing when itās on, but I can see using it almost like a tone control depending on what Iām listening to.
I have to imagine the impact of all of this must be more systems specific than just about any other kind of componenet, so your milage will for sure vary. For context, my P3 is powering a Tavish vintage phono pre, Schiit Gungnir DAC, Schitt Freya Preamp and a Nuprime ST-10 amp. Turntable is a VPI prime and speakers are Wilson Sabrinaās.
So yeah, if anybody is on the fence about trying one of these, definitely go for it!
8 Likes
Itās interesting that you also prefer the sound of the MultiWave feature to be turned off. I do too but for the life of me, I canāt put into words the difference Iām hearing. Itās more like Iām sensing something rather than hearing it.
2 Likes
In my system, the sound difference is extremely subtle, but what I hear between Sine and Multiwave is that the sound is āricher/fuller/harmonicā in MW and ārefined/sharper/focusedā in Sine.
Which I prefer depends on the material Iām listening to. I use it as a ārichnessā tone control.
5 Likes
This is all good to hear. I received mine yesterday. I am going to let mine bake for about 4 days before putting it into my system(strictly headphone). My amp hums also so I am hoping this helps. The owners manual states or implies that the Multiwave +/- are only operative for DS powerplants. I would guess that on the P3 the Multiwave value is fixed. I too am skeptical. I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
This kind of feedback always puts a smile on my face! Glad itās found a new happy home.
4 Likes
Got my SP3 yesterday. Obviously Iāve not had enough time to burn in yet.
First impressions: first two hours of play I found SQ dull and lazy compared to the AQ Niagra 1200 conditioner. However, at the 3 hour mark the sound improved. soundstage showed up nicely, highs were there but a little harsh, bass was polite (subdued). I figure in 1-2 weeks Iāll have a good idea of what the SP3 brings compared to the AQ 1200. So far it looks promising. I did LOVE the improvement the AQ 1200 gave me, I do not expect such a drastic difference going from AQ to SP3 like I did from nothing to AQ. More to come.
This post is like a trip down memory lane for me. When I first connected everything to my P3, I wasnāt impressed. Now that Iāve had it for a couple of months, I wouldnāt dream of parting with it. I didnāt know that the burn-in process could make that much of a difference but it really does.
1 Like
I was considering this regenerator but wasnāt sure it could handle my systemās demands (line magnetic LM508, dsd jr, 2 rel subs, node 2). In wondering if a new to me p5 would be better. Is there any major difference other than the capacity?
Good question. Why not give PS Audio a call to see what they say.
Yes, thanks for the report. Indeed the SP3 takes a good couple of weeks to blossom. I canāt wait to hear about what you think then.
Each successive Power Plant sounds better because of its increased power supply. So, a P12 sounds better than a P3, and up the line.
That is not true for the older Power Plants as compared to the newer ones. So, a P3 or P12 sound better than a P5.
1 Like
I just looked up the specs of the LM508 and it appears that it pulls 400W continuous class A. This number alone rules out the P3 as being a possibility. Paul is right that the P3 is a better sounding regen compared to the P5, but with your system, a P5 or better yet, a P12, would be a better fit.
Thanks for the good info. Iām going to try a P5 and good to know I have an upgrade path with the P12 in the future.
Happy to help. P3 would do great for the rest of your gear, but you want to feed regenerated power to your amp as well if you can.
It has taken years of auditioning different combinations of components, speakers, cables, power cords, and other tweaks to achieve a system sound that I had long sought. I had it dialed in. When PSA offered the Stellar P3 at a promotional price, I decided to take one for a spin - nothing to lose with PSAās generous return policy, right? But I was dubious that this type of product would provide any advantages, or whether I would hear any differences at all.
My system consists of a tubed PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium amplifier (36 wpc and power consumption of 280 watts), a tubed PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Preamplifier (power consumption of 61 watts), and a PSA DirectStream Sr dac. I have 2 Powervar isolation transformers - one for analog and one for digital. The Powervars were used in a commercial lab to provide clean power to electron microscopes. My speakers are vintage 1979 103db sensitive Klipsch LaScalas with modified crossovers and kit built wooden eliptical horns that replaced the stock metal exponential horns. An Uptone Audio EtherRegen connected to the DS Sr Bridge II was the latest addition. After the Uptone addition I thought I was done.
I replaced my 2 PowerVar isolation transformers with the SP3. The amp, preamp, dac and EtherRegen were plugged into the SP3ās very snug outlets. All devices including the SP3, but not the EtherRegen, have upgraded power cords.
The results were not at all what I was expecting and not at all subtle. Instead they jaw dropping. The first thing I immediately noticed was a marked increase in clarity. Not brightness, but more like what you notice after peeling away a layer of cloudy plastic from a viewing screen that you didnāt realize was cloudy until it was removed. Then I noticed the bass, which was now punchier and made me pay closer attention to the pace of the music. Leading edges of notes were sharper, and I heard greater separation between instuments allowing me to appreciate the contribution of each instrument in an arrangement. On top of all that was the increase in dynamics. Music with dynamic passages just exploded from my speakers. Instead of 36 watts per channel, my tubed amp sounded more like 360 watts.
The Stellar SP3 has made as signficant an improvement to my system as any component I have ever added or changed. After listening for several days with the SP3 in my system I think the deeper emotional connection to my music is the most important contribution.
Thank you PS Audio. You made a believer out of a sceptic.
5 Likes