Phono Preamplifiers

Boulder Colorado nestles in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, albeit at over 5000ft elevation, and is home to PS Audio among other high-end audio brands. In 1975 when flares were cool, ELO ruled the airwaves and ABBA were recording 'Dancing Queen', the firm created its first product – a phono preamplifier. PS Audio (named after its founders Paul McGowan and Stan Warren) sold its phono preamp direct for $59.95 and its success led to the company expanding into preamplifiers which it referred to as 'Linear Control Centres' and, by the late 1970s, into power amplifiers too.

PS Audio claims to have been the first US company to introduce a dedicated line of external PSUs to power its preamps, much as Naim was doing in the UK. Today, and despite creating a stir with its digital offerings, PS Audio is arguably still best known for its range of AC mains regenerators from the flagship DirectStream Power Plant P20 with its 13 outlets [HFN Apr '19] to the Stellar PP3 [HFN Jan '20]. The phono preamp reviewed here is part of that same, comprehensive Stellar range and, some 44 years after the brand burst onto the scene, is touted to be the best it can make at any price.