COPPER

A PS Audio Publication

Issue 223 • Free Online Magazine

Issue 223 PS Audio in the News

PS Audio in the News

PS Audio in the News

Audiophilia had effusive praise for the PMG Signature Preamplifier, which earned a Star Component Award. Reviewer Karl Sigman noted, “I gambled and took a risk: I bought one. Now that I have been using it for over a month, suffice to say, the coin landed heads; it is exceptional.” He said it was “revealing more realism and accuracy in the soundstage and imaging. A wonderful intimacy and presence of vocals and instruments were evident in the overall presentation, and a clean and pure sound was the norm. The bass presentation was at a new high as well, full-bodied, tight, and with superb clarity.” He concluded by saying, “very highly recommended.”

Future Audiophile also raved about the PMG Signature Preamplifier, stating, “It’s one of the most transparent preamplifiers I’ve heard.” Reviewer Jim Swantko continued, “PS Audio has hit an audiophile homerun with the PMG Signature preamplifier. Sonically, it checks all the boxes that I want from an audiophile preamplifier. It is uber-transparent, letting me hear deeply into every track I played through my system…If…you are shopping for a statement preamplifier, you absolutely must audition one, even if you are shopping for preamps that are as much as double the price. This preamp is just that good.”

Add The Audiophiliac to the list of reviewers who are highly impressed with the Aspen FR5. In his YouTube video Steve Guttenberg said, “they filled the room in a way few small speakers can do,” and called it “a very special speaker…especially in the low end.” He also said, “the midrange is gorgeous and the highs are easy to listen to.”

 

 

The Absolute Sound posted a video review of the Stellar DAC. They said the DAC had “an exceptional ability to reproduce the intimate atmosphere of a smaller space…with remarkable presence and three-dimensional imaging.” The reviewer liked its “organic warmth and natural dynamics.”

 

 

Positive Feedback also had great things to say about the Stellar DAC. Dean Seislove said, “This is a beautiful sounding DAC, by design. Playing Sasha Matson's newest album, Fillmore Street, the Stellar DAC does an exceptional job of capturing the breadth and dimension of the orchestra, but more importantly, the tone and texture of the instruments sings naturally and without distracting emphasis. I played many, many other artists from a variety of genres, but the overall balance and tonal fulsomeness was sustained in excellent fashion.

Stereophile’s Recommended Components Fall 2025 edition included the Aspen FR5 loudspeakers, which received a Class A rating, as well as the DirectStream Power Plant 20 and Power Plant 12 (accessories didn’t receive letter ratings and not all product categories were listed). The publication noted that “the Aspen FR5s were equally satisfying with a wide variety of music. They offer excellent treble detail without brightness, fine voice delineation without emphasis, and generous bass for their size. Most impressive is the FR5s’ spacious soundstage, revealing tonally balanced voices and instruments with music intimate or massive. These speakers may be small, but they do not sound small.”

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#231 Piano Prodigy Jude Kofie Releases His Debut Album On Octave Records by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 Underappreciated Artists, Part Two: City Boy by Rich Isaacs Jun 01, 2026 #231 Music and the Art of Creation: Talking With Saxophonist Rob Scheps by Joe Caplan Jun 01, 2026 #231 How to Play in a Rock Band, 24: Further Adventures at the 2026 Montauk Music Festival by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 Courtney Barnett: Creature of Habit by Wayne Robins Jun 01, 2026 #231 Angine de Poitrine: Interstellar Guitar Rock Saviors Headed for Late-Night TV Pop Stardom? by Mark Lepage Jun 01, 2026 #231 My Impressions of AXPONA 2026, Part One by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 2026 La Jolla Concours d'Elegance: Another Aesthetic Feast by B. Jan Montana Jun 01, 2026 #231 Country Music Icon Jo Dee Messina’s Bridges: A New Beginning by Ray Chelstowski Jun 01, 2026 #231 The Luxury Dispatch Hosts a Video Podcast With Ken Kessler by Ken Kessler Jun 01, 2026 #231 The Vinyl Beat: Tracking in the Motor City by Rudy Radelic Jun 01, 2026 #231 Lots of Fun With DSP: The Ferrum Audio WANDLA DAC and Its Tube Mode by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 From The Audiophile's Guide: Digital Source Components and Streaming Audio by Paul McGowan Jun 01, 2026 #231 Onkyo’s Monster M-510 power amplifier by The Staff at Just Audio Jun 01, 2026 #231 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Jun 01, 2026 #231 Naming Convention by Peter Xeni Jun 01, 2026 #231 Les Invisibles by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 Wildlife Scene by James Schrimpf Jun 01, 2026 #230 Camaraderie by B. Jan Montana May 04, 2026 #230 AXPONA 2026: A Family Gathering by Paul McGowan May 04, 2026 #230 Pianist Ryan Benthall Explores Jazz Realms and Far Beyond With Divine Sky by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 The Vinyl Beat in AXPONA-Land by Rudy Radelic May 04, 2026 #230 Teddy Thompson’s Musical Growth Deepens With Never Be the Same by Ray Chelstowski May 04, 2026 #230 More Fun in the Sun: Florida Audio Expo, Part Two by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 CanJam NYC 2026 Show Report: Heady Sound, Part Two by Frank Doris and Harris Fogel May 04, 2026 #230 Sonic Youth On Murray Street by Wayne Robins May 04, 2026 #230 Graffeo Coffee: A Symphony of Sensory Experience by Joe Caplan May 04, 2026 #230 The Saul Authority: The Story of Hi-Fi Pioneer Saul Marantz by Olivier Meunier-Plante May 04, 2026 #230 How to Play in a Rock Band, 23: Encounters With Famous Musicians, Part Two by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 An Outlier in the Rack: A Vintage BIC Beam Box by The Staff at Just Audio May 04, 2026 #230 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff May 04, 2026 #230 A Cautionary Tale by Rich Isaacs May 04, 2026 #230 Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 33 (Revised): Ken Kessler Reports On the 2026 (British) AudioJumble by Ken Kessler May 04, 2026 #230 Text Messaging by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 The Audiophile Rat Race by Peter Xeni May 04, 2026 #230 On the Rocks by Rich Isaacs May 04, 2026 #229 The Earliest Stars of Country Music, Part Three by Jeff Weiner Apr 06, 2026 #229 The Healing Power of Music and Sound at the Omega Institute by Joe Caplan Apr 06, 2026 #229 CanJam NYC 2026 Show Report: Heady Sound, Part One by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 Florida Audio Expo 2026: Warming Up to High-End Audio, Part One by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 Quick Takes: Anne Bisson, Sam Morrison, The Velvet Underground, and the Stooges by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 The Vinyl Beat: New Arrivals, and Old Audio Show Demo Scores to Settle by Rudy Radelic Apr 06, 2026 #229 Harvard Gets a High-End Audio Education by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 No Country for Old Knees by B. Jan Montana Apr 06, 2026 #229 How To Play in A Rock Band, 22: Encounters With Famous Musicians, Part 1 by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 The Soulful Grooves of Guinea-Bissau by Steve Kindig Apr 06, 2026 #229 Four-Hand Piano Performance at Its Finest by Stephan Haberthür Apr 06, 2026

PS Audio in the News

PS Audio in the News

Audiophilia had effusive praise for the PMG Signature Preamplifier, which earned a Star Component Award. Reviewer Karl Sigman noted, “I gambled and took a risk: I bought one. Now that I have been using it for over a month, suffice to say, the coin landed heads; it is exceptional.” He said it was “revealing more realism and accuracy in the soundstage and imaging. A wonderful intimacy and presence of vocals and instruments were evident in the overall presentation, and a clean and pure sound was the norm. The bass presentation was at a new high as well, full-bodied, tight, and with superb clarity.” He concluded by saying, “very highly recommended.”

Future Audiophile also raved about the PMG Signature Preamplifier, stating, “It’s one of the most transparent preamplifiers I’ve heard.” Reviewer Jim Swantko continued, “PS Audio has hit an audiophile homerun with the PMG Signature preamplifier. Sonically, it checks all the boxes that I want from an audiophile preamplifier. It is uber-transparent, letting me hear deeply into every track I played through my system…If…you are shopping for a statement preamplifier, you absolutely must audition one, even if you are shopping for preamps that are as much as double the price. This preamp is just that good.”

Add The Audiophiliac to the list of reviewers who are highly impressed with the Aspen FR5. In his YouTube video Steve Guttenberg said, “they filled the room in a way few small speakers can do,” and called it “a very special speaker…especially in the low end.” He also said, “the midrange is gorgeous and the highs are easy to listen to.”

 

 

The Absolute Sound posted a video review of the Stellar DAC. They said the DAC had “an exceptional ability to reproduce the intimate atmosphere of a smaller space…with remarkable presence and three-dimensional imaging.” The reviewer liked its “organic warmth and natural dynamics.”

 

 

Positive Feedback also had great things to say about the Stellar DAC. Dean Seislove said, “This is a beautiful sounding DAC, by design. Playing Sasha Matson's newest album, Fillmore Street, the Stellar DAC does an exceptional job of capturing the breadth and dimension of the orchestra, but more importantly, the tone and texture of the instruments sings naturally and without distracting emphasis. I played many, many other artists from a variety of genres, but the overall balance and tonal fulsomeness was sustained in excellent fashion.

Stereophile’s Recommended Components Fall 2025 edition included the Aspen FR5 loudspeakers, which received a Class A rating, as well as the DirectStream Power Plant 20 and Power Plant 12 (accessories didn’t receive letter ratings and not all product categories were listed). The publication noted that “the Aspen FR5s were equally satisfying with a wide variety of music. They offer excellent treble detail without brightness, fine voice delineation without emphasis, and generous bass for their size. Most impressive is the FR5s’ spacious soundstage, revealing tonally balanced voices and instruments with music intimate or massive. These speakers may be small, but they do not sound small.”

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