Overview & Features

What happens when you take a highly respected, cutting edge DAC, like our own NuWave DSD, and connect it to your power amplifier through an analog preamp? Audio nirvana.

It turns out that a great analog preamp preserves a DAC’s magic. Together, DAC and preamp form a new class of product whose sum is greater than its parts.

Stellar Gain Cell DAC. A redefined and improved NuWave DSD and a Gain Cell analog preamplifier in one chassis.

Think of the Stellar Gain Cell DAC as a complete analog control center with an exceptional performing DAC at its heart.

All the features and functions you’d ever want in a DAC are right here in Stellar. Pure DSD, asynchronous USB, Digital Lens technology, I²S to connect to our best transport, balanced throughout, analog volume control. Replace your preamplifier, your DAC—or both—and be stunned at the level of improvement when the full and rich tapestry of music surprises and delights your senses.

In the more than forty years of PS Audio’s design innovations and breakthrough products, Stellar’s groundbreaking level of performance as our gateway standalone DAC and preamplifier is unmatched for price and performance by their standalone competitors. Taken together, we’re willing to bet you’ve never heard anything quite this good at anywhere even remotely close to this price.

Class A balanced analog preamplifier

Full function DAC

Class A headphone output

Remote control

Fixed or variable DAC mode

2 output 12 volt triggers

Analog preamplifier

One balanced analog input

Three single ended analog inputs

Analog Gain Cell stage

Fully balanced input to output

Balanced XLR analog output

Single ended RCA analog output

Home theater bypass

Direct coupled without any capacitors in output signal path

Digital To Analog Converter

Four digital inputs

I2S input

Digital Lens technology

Native Mode

Three user selectable digital filters

Compatible with PS Audio DMP for SACD playback in DSD

DSD direct through I2S

192kHz asynchronous coax input

192kHz asynchronous USB

96kHz asynchronous TOSLINK input

Single and double rate DSD

CPLD input (FPGA) lowers jitter, waveshapes, reduces propagation delay

Native mode standard

No added Sample Rate Conversion

High current class A hybrid output stage

Passive output filter lowers transient distortion

Direct coupled without any capacitors in output signal path

High bandwidth output stage -3dB 60kHz

Low jitter clocks

High Current oversized analog power supply

7 voltage regulators

High speed power supply diodes

Massive 15,000 mFd low ESR capacitors

ESS Hyperstream