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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#228 Serita’s Black Rose Duo Shakes Your Soul With a Blend of Funk, Rock, Blues and a Whole Lot More by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 Vinyl, A Love Story by Wayne Robins Mar 02, 2026 #228 Thrill Seeker by B. Jan Montana Mar 02, 2026 #228 The Vinyl Beat: Donald Byrd, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Eddie Palmieri and Frank Sinatra by Rudy Radelic Mar 02, 2026 #228 Listening to Prestige: The History of a Vitally Important Jazz Record Label by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 How to Play in a Rock Band, 21: Touring With James Lee Stanley by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 The NAMM 2026 Show: The Music Industry’s Premier Event by John Volanski Mar 02, 2026 #228 The Earliest Stars of Country Music, Part Two by Jeff Weiner Mar 02, 2026 #228 From The Audiophile's Guide: A Brief History of Stereophonic Sound by Paul McGowan Mar 02, 2026 #228 A Bone to Pick With Streaming Audio by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 Blast Off With Bluesman Duke Robillard by Ray Chelstowski Mar 02, 2026 #228 A Visit to the Marten Loudspeaker Factory in Göteborg, Sweden by Ingo Schulz and Sebastian Polcyn Mar 02, 2026 #228 Pure Distortion by Peter Xeni Mar 02, 2026 #228 A Nagra Factory Tour by Markus "Marsu" Manthey Mar 02, 2026 #228 Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 27: Noodge and Ye Shall Receive, Part Two by Ken Kessler Mar 02, 2026 #228 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Mar 02, 2026 #228 90-Degree Stereo by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 The Keys to Art by Rich Isaacs Mar 02, 2026 #227 Seth Lewis Gets in the Groove With Take a Look Around: a Tribute to the Meters by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Passport to Sound: May Anwar’s Audio Learning Experience for Young People by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Conjectures on Cosmic Consciousness by B. Jan Montana Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Big Takeover Turns 45 by Wayne Robins Feb 02, 2026 #227 Music and Chocolate: On the Sensory Connection by Joe Caplan Feb 02, 2026 #227 Singer/Songwriter Chris Berardo: Getting Wilder All the Time by Ray Chelstowski Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Earliest Stars of Country Music, Part One by Jeff Weiner Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Vinyl Beat Goes Down to Tijuana (By Way of Los Angeles), Part Two by Rudy Radelic Feb 02, 2026 #227 How to Play in a Rock Band, 20: On the Road With Blood, Sweat & Tears’ Guitarist Gabe Cummins by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 From The Audiophile’s Guide: Audio Specs and Measuring by Paul McGowan Feb 02, 2026 #227 Our Brain is Always Listening by Peter Trübner Feb 02, 2026 #227 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Listening Chair: Sleek Style and Sound From the Luxman L3 by Howard Kneller Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society Celebrates Its 32nd Anniversary, Honoring David and Sheryl Lee Wilson and Bernie Grundman by Harris Fogel Feb 02, 2026 #227 Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 26: Half Full – Not Half Empty, Redux by Ken Kessler Feb 02, 2026 #227 That's What Puzzles Us... by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Record-Breaking by Peter Xeni Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Long and Winding Road by B. Jan Montana Feb 02, 2026 #226 JJ Murphy’s Sleep Paralysis is a Genre-Bending Musical Journey Through Jazz, Fusion and More by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Stewardship by Consent by B. Jan Montana Jan 05, 2026 #226 Food, Music, and Sensory Experience: An Interview With Professor Jonathan Zearfoss of the Culinary Institute of America by Joe Caplan Jan 05, 2026 #226 Studio Confidential: A Who’s Who of Recording Engineers Tell Their Stories by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Pilot Radio is Reborn, 50 Years Later: Talking With CEO Barak Epstein by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 The Vinyl Beat Goes Down to Tijuana (By Way of Los Angeles), Part One by Rudy Radelic Jan 05, 2026 #226 Capital Audiofest 2025: Must-See Stereo, Part Two by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 My Morning Jacket’s Carl Broemel and Tyler Ramsey Collaborate on Their Acoustic Guitar Album, Celestun by Ray Chelstowski Jan 05, 2026 #226 The People Who Make Audio Happen: CanJam SoCal 2025, Part Two by Harris Fogel Jan 05, 2026 #226 How to Play in a Rock Band, 19: Touring Can Make You Crazy, Part One by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Linda Ronstadt Goes Bigger by Wayne Robins Jan 05, 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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