Stellar Power Plant 3 New Purchase Help Needed

Power Components
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I just bought the Stellar Power Plant 3 to use with my Stellar GDAC and Stellar M700 Power Amplifier monoblocks and it will arrive early next week.

Sorry to have to ask but the .pdf manual online (that comes with the Power Plant) is not clear.

Since page 11 states “The Stellar PowerPlant 3 has a maximum output power of 300 watts.”, am I OK plugging my GDAC, CD Transport and 2 monoblocks into the four regenerated outlets? Or do the monoblocks need the two Filtered High Current Outlets?

Do I also leave the PP3 in MultiWave function mode?

Thanks,

Michael

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Great question, and thanks for asking! No, please plug your M700s into the regenerated zones. The amps really like the perfect power coming out. Though the M700s have the ability to crank out 700 watts, you’ll never actually reach that point. Your ears will stop you much before.

The MultiWave function is pretty cool and you’ll want to play around with it. 9 systems out of 10 will like being in WM mode, but not all. I have an older P5 in my system and keep it in MW mode. For me it makes the highs a lot sweeter, and the bass a lot tighter.

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Thanks for the help. I know I will never reach anything near max output but wanted to make sure the monoblocks were not current-limited.

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Happy to help. It’s nearly impossible to reach a current limiting state when using a PowerPlant. Before this happens, the PP will put itself into protection mode. Anything below 300 watts continuous and it will be rock solid.

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jamesh,

I received the Stellar PP3 on Monday and I have been so busy that I won’t be able to unpack it and set it up until Saturday. Can’t wait to dig in and connect my Stellar GDAC, M700s and a relic…my ROTEL RCD 1073 CD player (feeding the GDAC with a coax output). I appreciate your responses!

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Awesome man, so glad to hear you got it and it’s in the safe and sound!! I can only imagine how anxious you’re getting to get it setup. Keep me posted when you do.

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My initial reaction, sent to Kevin J. with a cc: to Paul:

Kevin,

I am cc’ing Paul just because I have a question I can’t find answered anywhere else: does the Stellar PP3 (or any other regenerator) benefit from break-in?

And also because I think Paul might get a kick out of my experience with my new toy.

I connected my Stellar GDAC, M700s and my ROTEL RCD 1073 CD player (Yes; it’s old, but it’s feeding the GDAC with a coax output) to the PP3. This combo feeds a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 300’s in Piano Gloss (or my Sennheiser HD650 or Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro cans).

This will admittedly be an unusual first-use report, using a pair of PSB Imagine B Bookshelf Speakers instead of the Monitor Audio Silver 300’s.

Do you know the fad of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)? Wikipedia describes it as “an experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine” and there are a boatload of YouTube videos that purport to cause the ASMR reaction.

Except they never work for me. I am a retired radio/television talent and I can tell you that I have listened to all sorts of audio sources and equipment. I have owned lots of medium to high-end systems. No ASMR. No tingle. Ever.

Until today. Fired up JRiver MC 25 and played a standard rez mp3 (!) of a song I enjoyed before: Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”. WOW! Instant ASMR! Tingling and chills. Next was Phillip Phillips’ “Home” and damned if the tingle didn’t happen again! Tingling on my scalp and up and down my neck.

Now I understand if you think this is silly but it took me by such surprise that I played more and more songs; some produced the ASMR as well.

The Stellar Power Plant 3 immediately made a few other changes. Deeper mid-bass, a bit wider soundstage, and what I call removal of treble “splatter”…you know…when bright recordings sound harsh and distorted.

I hope Paul sees this. I hope you understand that the PP3 made an incredible difference, and I am totally satisfied!

Michael Shaw

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Thanks, Michael! What a great note. I love the term ASMR and will expand upon it in a future Paul’s Post.

And yes, the Power Plants benefit from break in so you have more to look forward to!

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Wow Michael, thanks so much! This is awesome! You’re certainly not alone out there. The P3 has been doing one heck of a job out there.

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I have a Powerplant P300 from maybe 15 years ago, the one with 10 (I think) variations of wave form to choose from. It is still a fabulous unit and I guess fully broken in! I only recently realized I can connect my Denon AV Amp to it, as I had thought a surround amplifier would draw too much power, however even watching a 7.1 action movie at high sound levels, the surround amp is drawing no more than 130 watts, according the the Powerplant screen.

Also I just purchased a DS Sr. + Bridge2 DAC and now for the first time I keep the Powerplant 300 on all the time to keep the DS warm. I doubt there are many of these original Powerplant units around now, so it may be of little note, however I find the DS Sr. sounds best on the standard sine wave 60 Hz setting. I used to prefer the improved soundstage from the PS2 setting in my old setup, powering an Oppo105 CD player connected to a SET 300B integrated amp, (which I also power from the Powerplant with the SET drawing about 100 watts).

So yes the Powerplants do a heck of a fine job and are built tough.

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Thanks, Paul! If you have seen the TV spot for Michelob Ultra where the woman whispers and taps the bottle with her fingernails, that was an ASMR recording…