Tag Archives: stereo equipment

Ultimate Integrated Amplifier Has It All

September 4, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

Boulder, Colorado, September, 2024 – PS Audio now offers its Stellar Strata MK2 integrated amplifier, with updated features including a moving-magnet/moving coil phono stage, a built-in improved high-resolution DAC, a Class A analog preamp stage, a headphone output, 150 watts of output power, and more.

Paul McGowan, PS Audio CEO noted, “The Stellar Strata MK2 significantly improves upon the original Strata concept of providing a superb-sounding, versatile high-end integrated amplifier. Designing the Strata MK2 gave us the opportunity to implement our latest technical advancements in an all-in-one audio component that offers exceptional sound, has an attractive, compact design, and is easy to use.”

Analog enthusiasts can now enjoy the benefits of superior vinyl playback, thanks to the PS Audio’s Stellar Strata MK2’s new moving magnet/moving coil phono stage. Two stereo pairs of MM and MC RCA phono inputs are provided, plus two RCA and XLR line-level inputs. The Strata MK2 features fully balanced analog preamplifier circuitry.

It’s equally flexible in accommodating digital sources.

The Strata MK2’s built-in DAC can deliver up to 384kHz digital audio (depending on the source), with native DSD capability up to DSD256. The Strata MK2 includes one optical and two coaxial digital inputs, plus asynchronous USB and two I2S inputs. For headphone listeners, the Strata MK2 offers a top-quality Class A headphone amplifier.

The DAC utilizes PS Audio’s exclusive Digital Lens technology to deliver extraordinary sound quality from any digital source. All digital signals are fed in native mode into the DAC’s proprietary Digital Lens, which recognizes the sample rate, re-clocks the data, reduces jitter, and applies other processing.

The Stellar Strata MK2 is fully balanced from input to output, for extremely transparent, detailed sound quality and ultra-quiet operation. Its Class A preamplifier stage features PS Audio’s exclusive analog Gain Cell variable-gain volume circuitry, which eliminates the sonic degradation that can be caused by conventional volume controls.

A high-current, Class D hybrid output stage with exceptional linearity delivers 150 watts of power (into 4 ohms), to ensure that the most delicate musical details are faithfully conveyed, as well as the most complex orchestral crescendos.

Also available in black.

The PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 offers a number of additional performance and convenience features. It’s digital filter for PCM sources allows the listener to choose between three settings, to tailor the response to personal preferences and program sources. The Strata MK2 also provides balance and phase controls (the latter for digital sources), input trim for each source, a headphone volume trim control, a USB port for potential future firmware upgrades, and a trigger output.

The PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 integrated amplifier is currently available in a choice of silver or black finish at a US manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $3,499 usd/ $4,727 cad. Only available via official dealers near you. For the Silo, Frank Doris.

Stellar Strata MK2 Features at a Glance:

Class A balanced analog Gain Cell preamplifier
Moving magnet/moving coil phono stage
Full-function DAC to accommodate up to 384kHz digital audio and native DSD up to DSD256
Three single-ended and balanced analog inputs; moving magnet and moving coil phono inputs; digital inputs including two coaxial, two I2S, optical, and USB (asynchronous to 384kHz)
Digital Lens technology Digital Lens re-clocks incoming data to reduce jitter and provide additional sonic advantages
150 watts per channel into 4 ohms, 100 watts into 8 ohms; high-current Class A hybrid output stage
Built-in Class A headphone amplifier
5- 15-volt trigger output for connection to other A/V system components
21 lbs., 17″ wide by 2.8″ high by 13.5″ deep

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Audiophile Pure DSD Release Showcases Classical Guitarist Ana Vidovic

September 27, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

Guitarist Ana Vidović Performs a Spellbinding Selection of Classical Works On Live at Hampden Hall — Renowned classical guitarist Vidović offers a program of J.S. Bach, Barrios, Scarlatti, Sor and more in an intimate Pure DSD 256 live recording–

Boulder, Colorado, September, 2023 – Octave Records is honored to present internationally-acclaimed classical guitarist Ana Vidović on its latest release, Ana Vidović Live at Hampden Hall. Recorded with impeccable clarity using Octave’s Pure DSD 256 process, the album features Vidović in an intimate live setting performing a two-disc set of works by J.S. Bach, Barrios, Scarlatti, Sor and other composers.

Ana Vidović has been hailed as one of the world’s finest classical guitarists. She began playing at age eight and became the youngest student to attend the Academy of Music in Zagreb, Croatia. She has appeared at recitals, concerts and festivals worldwide and won numerous international awards including the Fernando Sor Competition in Italy, the Francisco Tarrega Competition in Spain, the Eurovision Competition for Young Artists, and many others. She is a graduate of the Peabody Institute.

Vidović plays with a beautifully expressive, rich tone, where notes seem to bloom out of her instrument, an Australian Jim Redgate guitar. Vidović said, “Guitar is a very interesting instrument with such a wide range of colors and dynamics. I really try to explore that.”

Ana Vidović Live at Hampden Hall presented her with the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. “My wish has always been to do a live recording. And finally, I had a chance to do that, so I’m very happy.” Recorded at Hampden Hall in Englewood, Colorado, all the nuance and expression of her playing were captured using Neumann U67 large-condenser main and close mics, along with a stereo Telefunken mic at a distance for hall ambience. The album was recorded using Octave’s Pure DSD 256 process to convey the highest level of clarity, depth, spaciousness and musical realism.

The double album, available on disc or in two volumes via download, was recorded, mixed and produced by Paul McGowan, with assistance from Jessica Carson and Terri McGowan. It was mastered by Gus Skinas. Ana Vidović Live at Hampden Hall features Octave’s premium gold disc formulation, and the discs are playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. They also have a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible by using any SACD player or a PS Audio SACD transport. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download, including DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64, and DSDDirect Mastered 352.8 kHz/24-bit, 176.2 kHz/24-bit, 88.2 kHz/24-bit, and 44.1 kHz/24-bit PCM. (SRP: two disc-set, $58usd / 78$cad ; each volume via download, $19 – $39usd / 26$- $53cad depending on format.)

The album begins with a masterwork – a guitar transcription of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. Vidović performs this extremely challenging piece with a spellbinding depth of feeling. Other selections include Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1, the Gran Sonata Eroica, Op. 150 and Grande Ouverture Op. 61 by Mauro Giuliani, Intro and Variations on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 9 by Fernando Sor, and Augustin Barrios’ magnificent La Catedral, all performed with Vidović’s remarkable virtuosity and connection with the music. She noted, “My goal is to present each piece in a unique way, to try to find things that always have the guitar in mind and what the instrument can do.” For the Silo, Frank Doris.

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PS Audio Is Now Shipping Its Impressive Music Streamer

September 12, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

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How New $198K Speaker Produces Jump Factor

June 23, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

HOLBROOK, New York, June, 2023 At Pacific Audio Fest 2023 Nola Speakers will feature the West Coast debut of its Baby Grand Reference Gold Series 3 loudspeaker. The full-range floor standing speaker offers a number of upgrades from the previous model to deliver an extraordinary quality of musical realism, including a new isolation system that provides greatly improved dynamics, low-level resolution and other benefits.

The Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 loudspeaker will be showcased at Pacific Audio Fest, June 23 – 25, 2023 at the Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport, Seattle, Washington, in Olympic Room 3, Wing 7.

The speaker employs Nola’s hallmark open-baffle dipole design for the midrange drivers and tweeters, which eliminates box enclosure colorations and contributes to the speaker’s spacious soundstage. The Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 features four proprietary true ribbon tweeters along with four newly-designed midrange drivers, and dual 220 mm woofers. The new isolation system is a key element in the speaker’s remarkable performance. The isolation base’s construction features a spiked platform with an improved version of Nola’s ball-bearing isolation technology incorporated into the base.

While the concept may seem simple, the results are profound.

Nola president Carl Marchisotto noted, The idea was inspired by attending a recent live music concert. You can instantly tell live from reproduced music, and I wondered why. I was struck by the fact that with live music, the harmonics decay properly with respect to the fundamental. They’re not lost, or cut off abruptly. I set out to make sure this important aural cue was preserved, by designing the new isolation base, and achieving further improvements in performance with our new low-distortion drivers and upgraded crossovers. Marchisotto continued, For the first time, we will demonstrate our ball bearing isolation system applied to the whole system, including the source, amplification and other components as well as the loudspeakers.

The true ribbon tweeters, which are built with final assembly completed in-house with proprietary components, have a frequency response to 100 kHz, for smooth, effortless high-frequency reproduction.

The midrange drivers incorporate Alnico ring magnets for a more lifelike attack and transient response, and now feature the same gold-plated phase plugs used in the woofers. The 220 mm woofers employ magnesium cones and massive Alnico ring magnets, and are housed in individual rear-ported chambers for deeper, more articulate bass with exceptional dynamic response. The 3-1/2-way crossover network is hand-wired with premium components and no PC boards used, to maintain sonic purity.

These speakers have what designers and reviewers used to call the jump factor, where they can surprise you with their dynamic impact and clarity, Marchisotto said. You don’t realize that certain distortions in a loudspeaker are eliminated until you don’t hear them, in a speaker that brings you closer to musical reality. We invite everyone at Pacific Audio Fest to come by and enjoy a very special listening experience.

The Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 is available in mirror-imaged pairs in a choice of True Piano Black Gloss or True Piano Santos Rosewood finishes, with other finishes and colors available by special order. The Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 is now shipping at a suggested retail price of $150,000USD/ $198,190CAD per pair. For the Silo, Frank Doris.

About Nola Speakers

In 2004 Carl and Marilyn Marchisotto founded Accent Speaker Technology Ltd. and created the Nola product line with the goal of bringing the experience of listening to live music to a wider number of people. President and Chief Engineer Marchisotto has been designing audio equipment since 1973 at Dahlquist, Acarian Systems/Alon and Accent/Nola, which now offers a complete loudspeaker lineup from high-performance bookshelf models to the flagship USD$500,000/ CAD$660,650 pair Nola Grand Reference Gold VII System, designed and built to deliver ultimate musical performance in every aspect. Nola employs a number of key technologies including baffle-less dipole drivers, Alnico magnets, Unison Crossover technology that optimally blends the performance of multiple speaker drivers, and many other refinements.

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PS Audio Shipping New Stellar™ M1200 Monoblock Power Amplifier

May 13, 2020 The Silo 1 Comment

Boulder, Colorado, May, 2020 – PS Audio recently announced it is shipping its new Stellar M1200 Power Amplifier. Designed to deliver extraordinarily clear, detailed and musically accurate performance, the monoblock M1200 features an all-new hybrid design that combines a tube input stage with a customized ICE Edge output stage and delivers 1200 watts (into 4 ohms, 800 watts into 8 ohms), to effortlessly reproduce the most dynamic musical passages as well as the subtlest musical details.

The M1200 was designed by Darren Myers, the engineer who created the acclaimed Stellar Phono stage and other PS Audio products. The M1200 employs a 12AU7 vacuum tube at its input, chosen for its optimum gain and voltage characteristics in the circuit, and for its ability to preserve the most delicate nuances of the amp’s input signals. The 12AU7 is the identical tube used in PS Audio’s flagship BHK Signature amplifiers, chosen after extensive listening and performance tests.

The ICE Edge output stage is a new type of high-current Class D design, offering extremely low total harmonic and intermodulation distortion with high headroom and linear performance across the frequency range. As Darren Myers explained, “other output modules can exhibit non-linear phase and impedance issues at the frequency extremes. The ICE Edge design eliminates these problems thanks to patented circuitry and feedback techniques.” Myers continued, “Although it can deliver massive amounts of clean power into even the most demanding loudspeaker loads, the M1200 sounds equally good at lower volumes.”

Like every PS Audio product, meticulous attention has been paid to parts quality and construction. The M1200 has a sleek, elegant appearance that matches other Stellar Series components and is available in silver or black.

The PS Audio Stellar M1200 Power Amplifier will be available in June 2020 at a US manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $5,998 per pair. Pre-orders are currently being taken.

M1200 Features at a Glance: Zero-loss vacuum tube input stage and custom ICE Edge output stage. Fully balanced circuitry, RCA single-ended and XLR balanced inputs. 1200 watts RMS into 8 ohms, 600 watts into 4 ohms, stable to 2 ohms. Greater than >1100 damping factor for exceptional loudspeaker control. High-efficiency operation. Dual, solid copper, plated output binding posts facilitate bi-wiring, 12-volt input trigger, 27 lb. each; 17″ wide by 3.75″ high by 12″ deep (13″ with connectors)

About PS Audio
Founded in 1973, PS Audio has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in manufacturing innovative, high-value, leading-edge audio products. Located in Boulder, Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, PS Audio’s staff of talented designers, engineers, production and support people build each product to deliver extraordinary performance and musical satisfaction. The company’s wide range of award-winning products include the all-in-one Sprout100 integrated amplifier, audio components, power regenerators and power conditioners.

www.psaudio.com
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It’s equally flexible in accommodating digital sources.

The Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 loudspeaker will be showcased at Pacific Audio Fest, June 23 – 25, 2023 at the Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport, Seattle, Washington, in Olympic Room 3, Wing 7.

While the concept may seem simple, the results are profound.

The true ribbon tweeters, which are built with final assembly completed in-house with proprietary components, have a frequency response to 100 kHz, for smooth, effortless high-frequency reproduction.

About Nola Speakers

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