In a significant expansion of its acclaimed Stellar Series lineup, PS Audio just announced the introduction of its PS Audio StellarGold preamplifier (read the review) and PS Audio StellarGold DAC (read the review). The two new high-end audio components incorporate a host of PS Audio’s latest technological innovations, along with exceptional sound quality, flexible configuration options, and user-friendly remote-control operation.
Paul McGowan, PS Audio CEO noted, “our Stellar Series components have always delivered outstanding performance at price points that represent real value. The new StellarGold preamplifier and DAC take this design philosophy to a higher level than ever before.”
Like all Stellar Series components, the StellarGold preamplifier (SRP: $3,999) has a sleek, appealing design, with a new twist – both the single chassis stereo preamp and StellarGold DAC feature a new real-gold-plated accent line across the front panel. Available in silver or black, the StellarGold preamplifier is a flexible audio system control center with multiple balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs, all accessible via the preamp’s front panel menu system and included remote control. Designed by renowned engineer Darren Myers, the preamp is fully balanced from input to output, and utilizes pure Class A analog amplification. The StellarGold preamp employs high-slew-rate, high-bandwidth JFET and BJT devices along with hand-selected internal components, and its two discrete audio amplification stages are based on a minimal global feedback design. The high-current Class A output stage can drive long cable lengths with ease. Great care and attention have been paid to the preamp’s power supply design, with an oversized transformer, multiple stage regulation, and other refinements.
The StellarGold preamplifier combines extraordinary resolution, tonal accuracy, spatiality and dynamic impact with flexible operation. It adjusts volume and balance via precision stepped attenuation, and also provides control of input selection, input naming, IR control, and other functions.
The PS Audio StellarGold DAC (SRP: $3,999) incorporates a host of technological advancements to provide remarkable fidelity and musical realism from digital sources. Each channel is built by paralleling four high-resolution digital-to-analog converters, then feeding their combined output into a newly-designed discrete Class A analog output stage. The use of multiple DACs to form a single ultra-linear channel provides the advantages of lowering noise and channel crosstalk while increasing linearity, dynamic range, and resolution beyond what any single-DAC technology can achieve. The proof is in the listening.
The StellarGold DAC provides multiple I2S and coaxial digital inputs, plus USB and optical inputs, and balanced and single-ended outputs. Its built-in lossless volume control enables it to be used as a standalone preamplifier. The DAC is compatible with PCM to 768 kHz and DSD to 256 (11.2 MHz). The DAC provides user-selectable digital filters to enable sonic tailoring to the listener’s preferences.
The PS Audio StellarGold preamplifier and DAC are currently available at a US manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $3,999 each.
PS Audio StellarGold Preamplifier Features at a Glance:
- Class A pure analog amplification with high slew rate amplification stage
- Fully balanced from input to output
- JFET and BJT discrete architecture
- 2 pairs of balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs
- Volume and balance control via precision stepped attenuation
- Firmware-upgradeable via USB port
- Frequency response: 15 Hz – 150 kHz, +/- 0.1 dB
- Remote control or front-panel operation; remote can be used to operate other PS Audio components
- Available in silver or black
- Dimensions: 17″ wide by 3.3″ high by 13″ deep, weight: 24.1 lbs.
PS Audio StellarGold DAC Features at a Glance:
- Four parallel DACs per channel for exceptional sound quality
- Designed around ESS 9038 Pro technology
- Fully balanced design
- High slew rate, low-feedback, Class A output stage
- Compatible with PCM 16- and 24-bit from 44.1 kHz to 768 kHz, DoP64 to DoP256, and DSD 64 to 256 (depending on input)
- Adjustable volume control allows use as a standalone preamp
- User-selectable digital filters
- Available in silver or black
- Dimensions: 17″ wide by 3″ high by 12″ deep, weight: 22.5 lbs.
PS Audio’s Legacy in Using Outside Designers Like Darren Meyers
PS Audio has long been known as an audiophile brand that blends in-house innovation with strategic collaborations. Based in Boulder, Colorado, the company has developed a loyal following for its digital front ends, power regeneration products, and amplifiers. But one of the key elements in PS Audio’s design philosophy has been its willingness to bring in outside engineering talent—trusted voices from the audiophile community—to contribute to critical product development. Among the most impactful of these collaborators is Darren Meyers, a designer whose influence can be seen across several of PS Audio’s most notable recent products.
Darren Meyers joined PS Audio as a senior analog designer and quickly became a driving force behind the company’s push into more refined, audiophile-grade analog components. While Meyers works directly with PS Audio as part of the internal team today, his background includes work with companies like Classe Audio and BHK Labs, giving him experience with both traditional solid-state and hybrid tube designs. His approach emphasizes circuit simplicity, low noise, and dynamic linearity—all qualities that have found a welcome home in PS Audio’s product philosophy.
One of the best-known collaborations involving Meyers is the Stellar line, including the Stellar Gain Cell DAC and the M700 mono amplifiers. These products bridged the gap between entry-level and high-end, offering genuine audiophile performance at more approachable prices. Meyers’ engineering sensibilities helped refine these components into gear that performed well above their class without the bloat of overbuilt luxury products. Clean circuits, short signal paths, and efficient power handling became hallmarks of the Stellar line.
Meyers was also deeply involved in the Stellar Phono Preamplifier, a product that was widely praised for its quiet performance, wide dynamic range, and adjustability across various cartridge types. The phono stage reflected a mix of traditional analog voicing with modern circuit techniques, avoiding coloration while delivering excellent spatial accuracy and control—especially at its price point.
PS Audio’s decision to work with engineers like Meyers continues a legacy that includes other outside talents, such as Bascom H. King, the legendary designer behind the BHK Signature series of hybrid tube amplifiers. By naming the line after its designer, PS Audio acknowledged that some of the best work comes from partnerships that respect individual vision while aligning with the company’s broader mission.
