I have been dying to try the Stellar Phono Preamplifier ever since it first came out. I have been using the NPC which I bought when I drove my BHK 250 with the Directstream DAC mk 1 so I could play my records. I also use it to archive records. It has served those purposes well. When I traded in my Original Direcstream for the mk 2 I was given a generous trade in of $3500 and a balance of $2500 and an addition $250 for participating in the Beta program. This quickly began to burn a hole in my pocket. I decided it was time to use some of that and bought the SPP. I applied $750 the maximum allowed on the Stellar Preamp. This brought the cost down to $1749. It was a great move. It is dead quiet and so open musical and fun to listen too. The dynamics are great, soundstage deep and wide and all this is out of the box without any burn in. I am glad that I can afford to keep the NPC to utilize the A to D to transcribe my records. Of course they sound so much better through the SPP that I will probably end up re recording the ones I have already done. I am glad tha Darren said it was ok to use both the balanced xlr outs and the rca outs at the same time. I have no issue with the level I get in vinyl studio as there is more than enough gain from the SPP. Now I still have $2000 on my account for the next purchase!
SPP is really so musical, I found it can bring a more realistic sound, profound and natural, I love it.
I was told in 2021 that Darren was working on a new Phono Pre, I opened also a thread here, I really don’t know actually if the project is still on the run and scheduled time. Can’t imagine how wonderful would be a step up like this in my analog rig thanks to Darren ability and sensitivity (fine ears)!
Wait, wait… since I started streaming digital last summer this type of analog fever doesn’t burn my brain so much! Until the new toy is coming, as usual.
Enjoy your brand new SPP!
I love the blue glow eminating from the vents of the SPP. It reminds me of what one sees coming from a nuclear reactor core when it is in operation. Radioactive!
Then you should really like the Modwright KWH 225i. Sometime this year I am going to replace my office rig with one.
…just before the melt down!