Hoping to come in at $1995.
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Cool, thanks!
Oh - you betcha! I was kind of hoping the decimal was going to be over to the left some ; ).
Actually - happily surprised it may be a bit lower than expected. The term “hotcakes” comes to mind.
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Looking forward to this one. Hopefully this won’t run into the review unit confusion that the NPC went through.
How would you compare this vs NPC Paul?
I think the real question is now, when can we expect a PS Audio Turntable?
This is pure phono stage all the way. It just blows away the NPC. I was frankly stunned how good it sounds especially after Darren removed most of the feedback. It just opened up the music and blew us away. Reminds me of my days of lusting after the Audio Research
SP3A4. There was always that special sense of magic when listening to it and this new Stellar Phono has that magic.
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Wow very cool, and to think there’s the BHK version in the work too…
Would it be able to run the output of the Stellar or BHK phono preamp through a NPC so it can be added to my system digitally or world I just be defeating the sound improvements it makes? I’ll eventually have a BHK pre in my system but still want to have a digital copy to travel with. I’m asking because I have some rare LP’s and a real to real that you can’t find anymore. That I’d like to listen to.
Yes you could, as the NPC is an ADC. With the caveat that the Analog Line input is RCA only. So you can put an analog source into it to be converted to digital.
Very nice, I just purchased a used NPC. Going to use it for vinyl ripping as well as replacement for my Rega Fono MC
Ok, good. Thanks @badbeef That’s great to know. Now if I used a balanced output I just need a adapter to single ended right? And that wouldn’t hurt the sound right? I’ll using the NPC now and am very happy with it. I have a vintage pioneer turntable but I’ll get a better turntable some time in the future. I might also get a newer BHK phono/Stellar or something else in the future. I just don’t want to damage the quality sound as I build up my system.
Correct. Whether it hurts the sound is a matter of the gear and cables used. Be sure the cables are correctly shorted for the devices.
The Stellar is a screaming deal at $2k. The BHK Phono AFAIK and JSYK, is slated to come in around $10k. You would want significantly better…everything to take advantage of it.
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The BHK Phono will be around $10k?! Yikes! I had assumed it would be around $6k, which is still too much for me given how little I use the turntable (actually I haven’t used it at all the last year). I did receive an e-mail a short time ago indicating the Stellar is available for preorder! I think I will wait and see what the buzz is once they get in the hands of users. I reallly need to get the turntable out and relisten to it and the NPC before spending any more money on the vinyl rig. Thanks for keeping us abreast of the development!
That pricing would definitely push me towards the Stellar. But I was probably going there even if the BHK came in closer to $6k. Thanks for the info Beef.
Wow… $10k…
It’s early-ish in the development of the BHK, but that is the only number I’ve ever heard for it from a couple of sources. It’s entirely possible I could be wrong in either direction by X kilodollars…as it doesn’t actually Exist yet. We are often dealing here with speculation regarding products that don’t exist. However, my impression is it will be an all-stops-pulled-out unit. As such, $10k is not the most expensive phono pre available.
Take, for example, this from nearly a decade ago (adjust for current currencies):
BHK himself weighs in here on occasion, and I’m always open to correction. Though he is an outside designer like Ted, and does not set pricing, AFAIK.
I think it’s cool that PS Audio is releasing some reach-for-the-stars products at rather high prices, but don’t forget the current in-between price range of 4-7k!
10k is quite a lot given the factor in non US countries.
I don’t really get the PSA price range strategy with totally different levels within one equipment series
You forgot to list the PS Audio Reel-to-Reel deck.
Please - no one make any assumptions based on my postings. However, I would be surprized if my sources are off by any significant factor.