Industry Reviews - Stellar M700 Amplifier

All PS Audio components I've encountered (or owned) are incredibly well-built and the Stellar line is no exception. They have a weight, look and feel that exudes quality belying their sub-$5,000 USD total cost and puts me in mind of gear I've reviewed costing double this price point. The PS Audio Stellar 'three-fer' proved itself to sound far more captivating, powerful, lyrical, musical and possess a humanity to its sonic signature in playback of all types of music than I previously thought a preamplifier and mono blocks priced under $5,000 USD would be capable of. They would, without fail, elicit both an emotional and physical reaction whenever I played music through them and their lack of digital pretense and healthy dose of analog spirit was a listening experience which I embraced.

I was really able to hear the amplifiers' real attributes: astonishing and accurate bass, with sparkling highs that had an almost tube-like sound. How did they accomplish this in such a small footprint for such an amazing price? In the end I believe this is the top of the line in its price range. Nothing comes close—the sheer amount of power and sound quality that comes from these little chassis is nothing but pure engineering magic. Kudos to the PS Audio team for coming up with such a simple yet ingenious design. In my world of 30-somethings, there are a ton of people interested in high-end audio but don't want to spend 10k on an amplifier. Well, this is the amp that I recommend every time.

I could not fault the sound of the Gain Cell DAC -- its neutrality and honesty were captivating, leading to compelling listening. During my time with it and the pair of M700s, I always felt they had total control over whatever music was thrown at them, in whatever format. From the understated nuance of an unaccompanied lute to the bombast of a symphony orchestra going full tilt, the laid-back drive of dub or the pulse of electronica, I not once felt deprived of any of the music's emotion, rhythm, dynamics or detail. Whether using planar, stand-mounted or floorstanding speakers, I knew...

PS Audio has been on a roll. That roll continues with the Stellar M700 power amplifier. I have had nothing but good experience with PS Audio products; still, with the Stellar M700, my expectations were exceeded. Having little sound of its own, the M700 delivered well-balanced reproduction that was always faithful to the music… the Stellar M700s came ever so close to matching the sound of my high-end reference monoblocks, Theta Digital's Prometheuses—which are ranked Class A in "Recommended Components" and, at $12,000/pair, cost four times as much as the PS Audios. The Stellar M700 is an outstanding bargain.

I've been putting source material through the rig with the PS Audio Stellar M700's Mono amps for a month and I have been consistently impressed with their musicality and get up and go. These powerful PS Audio Stellar M700 Mono amplifiers are capable of effortlessly driving demanding loudspeaker loads to concert levels. This may be the first higher-priced component I can't live with out... but wait, there's more! At $2995 per pair, they're not higher priced, just bit of a stretch for my thin wallet. If my 83 dB sensitive speakers have anything to say about it, these review amps have found a new home.

In the Stellar M700, PS Audio has designed excellent sounding mono amps that can be the foundation of a reasonably priced high-end audio system. The analog input section is as expansive and natural sounding as the ICE amp modules are powerful and accurate. The resulting sound is a wonderful balance between expression and precision, allowing the amps to disappear within the audio chain. They clearly take on the signal they are fed, allowing a great front end to weave its audio magic.

There are many excellent-sounding amplifiers in this price range, but few can put out anywhere near as much power as the Stellar M700, and most of those that do don't sound as refined. PS Audio says that the Stellar M700 is one of the most extraordinary monoblocks ever sold for less than $5000/pair. I have to agree. The Stellar M700 is my new favorite entry-level high-end power amplifier.