With the Stellar Strata coming down the pike with streaming functions, is there any thoughts to a Stellar streamer for us SGCD users?
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I just asked this in another post, but yes, bump for curiosity.
Ah, well, the more the merrier.
The notion seems to be for us to lobby Paul to make a Stellar server, like Octave for those that can’t afford it.
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Yes many have asked that and I had the impression that PS Audio was going to finally provide an I2S source, Octave Stellar server for our SGCD’s, but after that discussion Paul posted in another thread that it will not be worth the wait.
Certainly no clear picture.
There seems also to be a budget issue with the Stellar range:
When complaining about fast increasing costs PS Audio responds that their design engineers seem not to be able to keep new developed Stellar products in the original US$ 1700 - 2000 range. It looks like the original SGCD budget (I consider already an investment) customers will indeed need to find what they want elsewhere. The Stellar Phono PreAmp is US$ 2500, the integrated, US$ 3000, the upcoming M1200 will also be in the US$ 3000 range. If you have that budget, a whole lot of other options become in reach and for the original SGCD budgeteers Schiit and the likes become more and more attractive as PS Audio seems to have no other choice than to abandon customers with the original Stellar Gain Cell Budget.
Man. Who peed in your cereal this morning? 
Stellar products are right in line with where they were always targeted. What you’re seeing is higher prices at launch for some pretty extensive and spectacular products that indeed are higher than what you’ve seen in Stellar but not because we’re
incapable of meeting price targets, but because of what’s inside them.
Stellar phono, I remind you, is a fully discrete phono stage that trounces almost every other stage out there. Wait until you read the first review on it. This didn’t happen because we followed the path of others with a handful of ICs. To build
a fully discrete JFET phono stage like Stellar is expensive. And a 1200 watt mono block isn’t inexpensive to build.
On the upcoming docket for Stellar are some lower cost products as well.
We’re hardly abandoning customers.
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I am afraid your customers income has something to do with what they can afford.
Off coarse fully discrete phono amp sounds really good, just like the V6 gasoline engine runs much smoother than a 4 cilinder line engine. But for my budget I’ve got to do with the 4 cilinder.
Or with other words a US$ 2500 phono preamp may top a US$ 5000 unit from the competitor.
But if I only have US$ 1000 to spend on a phono pre amp, I can either buy a Schiit Mani and still have money left for a new Sol turntable or buy an equally full discrete ELAC with balanced input and don’t crave into my budget for a turntable ans speakers. A US$ 2500 phono preamp is Signature level material that is indeed used by many of your customers and yourself utilized with BHK amplifiers and turntables that are even more expensive.
I understand the budget problem, but I really prefer gear not built to meet a budget but to meet a certain standard of performance/sound quality. 2500$ or 3500$ is still far away from the 6k range of the next level.
A chip phonostage wouldn’t have fascinated anybody. I still have a very well regarded 9k chip stage in parallel to my general one and I must say they still sound somehow anemic and dry in mids compared to discrete, no matter how good they can get in other aspects.
You may be right that some Stellar line customers could have preferred a cheaper one and could have accepted the sonic downgrade…but as I said I like the other approach of PSA. Same with the speakers…better change and get more expensive to meet a SQ standard set, than to stick to a price point and make more compromises than intended.
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And there will always be many less expensive choices.
Agree with jazz nut 100%. And as the old saying goes…ya get what you pay for.
If one cannot afford a $2500 phono preamp that sounds amazing…ya simply just don’t buy it.
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OR, you save up for it. I have always tried to avoid the “gotta get it now” impulse. (Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t! 
) When I see or hear something I want, I start saving my money and pretty soon it’s in my system. Years ago I started a “stereo upgrade” account and I put something in it regularly. When I read about the Stellar Phono Pre coming out, I knew I wanted it because of the GCPH phono I bought years ago. I had the money for it, so I called Scott and went to Boulder to pick it up. Man! What a great piece of gear! Anyway, the point of this is, by saving your money, you CAN get most of what you want.
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What I was saying, for the higher Stellar prices other options become available. With no PS Audio gear available to listen in shops to compare and no 14 days return policy the Stellar series is not so much the no brainer anymore what the Stellar Gain Cell DAC used to be.
Also claiming that no SQ is possible at a lower price point is odd, ask Terzinator and Chops, they let the Stellar stack pass by and went for Schiit at a more attractive price point and are happy.
I truly don’t understand why budget should be no issue for customers of PS Audio while the whole world has to deal with it including PS Audio.
Interesting points.
You make it sound like a bad thing. Schiit is really good chit! I have no regrets at all offloading my PS gear for Schiit gear, but that’s an entirely different discussion. 
What are the general differences between Schitt and PSA sound in your experience?
To keep it short, this is what the Schiit gear brings to the table over my previous setup…
Space, depth, layering, texture, weight, organic, alive, fine inner detail, crystalline and highly refined top end, soul. Just to name a few.
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Would be interesting to know a bit more about Schiit and how they manage to offer equipment for the price all others spend for their carton packaging.
But why blame manufacturers of a higher price and probably performance level for not offering at lower level, too? Nobody would blame Esoteric for not offering under several thousand $. Those who want to buy cheaper can do so somewhere else.
Not even the Chinese manage to offer at those prices, so I’d really like to know how this Schiit performs in a setup for realistic impact. Maybe I have a chance to listen somewhere.
Chops I did not mean to make it sound your and Terzinators move like a bad thing, I said that you like it and I read good reviews about Schiit.
The fact that you find it sound equally as good as the Stellar gear means that it is possible to build (assemble) good phono pre amps and amplifiers for less than US$ 1700. Which simply makes me wonder why all new Stellar gear has to cross the US$ 2000 mark. And that PS Audio claims that anything less doesn’t seem to tick their boxes. That, to me, is very interesting because my income just doesn’t grow fast enough to follow the Stellar price trend.
Wow, that about covers it all. What’s your Schitt setup?
I know that. I didn’t mean it that way. Was just a friendly poke.
I never claimed that. There’s nothing “equal” about them. As I said elsewhere, the Schiit gear completely stomps the Stellar gear by a long shot. Sorry to say that, especially on PS Audio’s own forum, but it’s the truth. This Schiit stack isn’t just a different sound, it’s a better sound.