PS Audio Stellar M1200 Power Amp

And just like that, PSA delivers a power amp with a tube front-end, and Class D back-end, with 600WPC into 8 ohms, and 1200WPC into 4 ohms.
$6,000 for a pair https://www.psaudio.com/products/stellar-m1200-power-amplifier/

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"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
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Comments

  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    edited September 2020
    Risk free in home trial! Take your old amps in on trade at full retail! 12AU7 pre driver tubes!

    Tempting...
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    Up to $1800 trade-in value for your old gear. They are pretty liberal with original MSRP.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • I think these were actually announced a few months back. Already a set on Audiogon actually.
    I do think it's interesting how much PS Audio is committing to class D. And this new tube buffer is kind of a trickle down from the BHK line of amps. I haven't used any of their gear enough to have an opinion on it, but they do a great job marketing their stuff. Deep product line that has a very obvious customer growth journey hitting pretty much every price point with the ability to mix and match.

    Their biggest downside is the direct to consumer model. The return program helps a ton, but it's just a bummer that the only way to hear them is to find a current owner or put some money out of pocket. Hopefully they come up with some sort of event schedule once the world opens up a little more.
    Analog: MoFi MasterTracker > MoFi UltraDeck > Sutherland 20/20
    Digital: Cambridge CXC / Streaming > Cambridge CXN v2
    MastersounD Dueventi > Rosso Fiorentino Certaldo or Arcam rHead > Hifiman HE4XX
    Discogs
  • JayCee
    JayCee Posts: 1,474
    I think these were actually announced a few months back.

    Yes, these have been in public hands since March. For anyone interested here's the initial thread from beta to production. https://forum.psaudio.com/t/stellar-m1200-mono-beta-test/15750

    My takeaway is the M1200 provides exceptional dynamics but it's still the Stellar line, so not on the level of a BHK. Little direct comparisons. Would be interesting to listen to both. Supposedly, there are industry reviews in the works.

    I'm a BHK owner (+Directstream DAC) and am very happy. Purchased everything prior to their switch to direct sales and paid nowhere near MSRP. I Recently went on a tube buying spree and am rolling NOS tubes.
    Speakers: Polk1.2tl's (Uber Mods) Pre/Amp/DAC: PS Audio BHK Signature & 250, DirectStream Cables/IC's: MIT S1Bi-Wire/S1 Balanced +Avel Lindberg 1000VA "Dreadnought" Power Conditioner: PS Audio P15 Power Plant Power Cords: Core Power Technologies Gold, DH Labs Power Plus DIY w/Neotech NC-P301 & P311ends Streaming: Roon ROCK on wifi'd NUC, TP-Link WAP, & Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark, Emperor Double Crown Clock, Black Modernize LPS, PS Audio AirLens⟿Ω☯☥☮⟿🔊♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬
  • invalid
    invalid Posts: 1,270
    I heard on another site that the BHK amps don't fair too well with hard to drive speakers. I don't know if this is true, but if it is then the stellar m1200 might be a better alternative.
  • JayCee
    JayCee Posts: 1,474
    Not sure, either. I'm pushing uber modded 1.2tl's and have no issues w/the 250 keeping up. Swapped out the SDA inductor with the HUGE 16 mH Solen and I'm also running the 1000 VA dreadnought. My XO's are upgraded to the same as @DarqueKnight. Can't remember what load an amp sees with them...Ray, are the modded 1.2tl's a hard to drive speaker after the mods?
    Speakers: Polk1.2tl's (Uber Mods) Pre/Amp/DAC: PS Audio BHK Signature & 250, DirectStream Cables/IC's: MIT S1Bi-Wire/S1 Balanced +Avel Lindberg 1000VA "Dreadnought" Power Conditioner: PS Audio P15 Power Plant Power Cords: Core Power Technologies Gold, DH Labs Power Plus DIY w/Neotech NC-P301 & P311ends Streaming: Roon ROCK on wifi'd NUC, TP-Link WAP, & Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark, Emperor Double Crown Clock, Black Modernize LPS, PS Audio AirLens⟿Ω☯☥☮⟿🔊♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    Given my long-time line of work, I cannot see the letters "BHK" and not think of Baby Hamster Kidney cells. Those have been used, over the years, for the production of numerous (potential) therapeutic proteins, particularly in the early years of monoclonal antibody therapeutic development. :)
  • JayCee wrote: »
    Can't remember what load an amp sees with them...Ray, are the modded 1.2tl's a hard to drive speaker after the mods?

    My modded 1.2TL's are equivalent to a 4 ohm load. No issues at all with any of the 4 ohm rated amps I have used. Same goes for my modded SDA SRSs.

    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    edited September 2020
    I can imagine that adding the tube to the mix will help in presenting a certain character to the sound and the extra power helps to avoid the strain on class D during transients (of which there looks to be plenty on tap).
    I would think these are a solid upgrade over the M700’s I used to own.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    That was interesting.
    Cool to see that he uses Charles King's tape recorder head amp/EQ. :)
    Good stuff.


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