Stellar DAC

href="/products/stellar-dac?variant=48717285064994" class="link" >Stellar DAC

Stellar DAC

<strong>Stellar DAC brings wonderful imaging and musicality to any high-performance system at a price you can afford. </strong>

Stellar DAC embodies everything PS Audio has strived for in high-value electronics.

From its clean and rich tonal balance to its wickedly wonderful imaging, this DAC can be the centerpiece of your music system. Stellar DAC features a built-in Digital Lens, I²S inputs, adjustable filters, and a hand-matched class-A analog output stage that offers breathtaking clarity and musicality.

Rediscover the wealth of music in your library with Stellar. Rich, sweet, and always a musical treat, Stellar DAC is our best value in bringing life to music.

$2,199.00

Design

The idea of building an affordable, high-performance Digital to Analog Converter that can act as the center of an audiophile's music system was at the core of our engineering efforts with Stellar DAC. At this instrument's heart is the industry-leading Sabre32 bit Hyperstream Digital to Analog converter as fed by PS Audio's own Digital Lens reclocking circuit. Once the incoming digital audio data has been accumulated and organized, the Digital Lens outputs near-perfect data without jitter for an amazingly clear and clean image. Stellar DAC features a fully balanced Class A analog output stage with multiple power supplies, DSD, I²S, and asynchronous USB. Stellar DAC is a winner in any system.

Application

The Stellar DAC is a full-function Digital Analog Converter that can take in any digital source, from DSD to PCM, and output low distortion, high-resolution fully balanced analog. It is all you need as the basis for a reference quality digitally based music system. Add a power amplifier and a pair of loudspeakers, and using Stellar DAC's built-in lossless volume control, you'll be reveling in sonic bliss within moments. Connect a computer, CD player, streamer, AirLens, or digital source of any kind to any of Stellar's multiple digital inputs, and you've just built one of the highest-value music systems in the world.

Overview

Think of the Stellar DAC as the gateway to building a high-performance audio system at a down-to-earth price. Whether your dream system's main source of music is digital, or you're building a hybrid of both vinyl and digital, Stellar DAC offers great sonics that can bring a level of musicality to any system. Stellar DAC supports pure DSD, asynchronous USB, Digital Lens technology, I²S to connect to our best transport, balanced throughout. Replace your preamplifier, your DAC—or both—and be stunned at the level of improvement when the full and rich tapestry of music surprises and delights your senses. The Stellar DAC is the perfect foundation for those on a budget but are unwilling to compromise sound quality. Rich. Lush. Powerful. A music lover’s answer to spiraling cost-no-object equipment without sacrifice. In the more than fifty years of PS Audio’s design innovations and breakthrough products, Stellar’s groundbreaking level of performance as our gateway standalone DAC is unmatched for price and performance by its standalone competitors.

The DAC

At the heart of the Stellar DAC is its ESS Hyperstream and its fully balanced, class A gain stage. While numerous DACs employ ESS parts, no one but PS Audio surround those parts with our Digital Lens technology at its input and our hybrid class A gain stage at its output. Turns out that much of how a DAC performs and sounds is found in the way its input and output are handled. Engineers can tune an instrument's performance by varying the topologies of these two critical stages. At PS Audio, we focus our sonic efforts on imaging—helping the loudspeakers disappear— and proper, rich, tonal balance. One listen to the Stellar DAC and you'll know you're in good company.

An inside look

The DAC inside the Stellar GainCell will transform your expectations of what’s possible in resolving all of music's nuance and splendor without a trace of digital harshness. The DAC itself is based on the latest acclaimed 32-bit ESS Sabre Hyperstream architecture, the output of which is passively filtered to reduce transient distortion. The DAC's output stage is a unique Class-A configuration, fully balanced and direct coupled hybrid array, with an extended bandwidth of -3dB at 60 kHz. Stellar DAC features a high-resolution USB path based on the same XMOS technology found in our DirectStream DAC, as well as our exclusive I²S inputs featuring a separate clock and data signal from the source. I²S outputs are sent via an HDMI cable and I²S compatible sources can be purchased from PS Audio as well as other manufacturers. We believe that one audition of a simple CD, played through Stellar DAC, will open your eyes to the magic these design efforts have brought. And once you hear what Stellar DAC does on ordinary CDs, we can’t wait for you to hear what this fine instrument can do for higher resolution PCM and DSD.

Features

13 key features

CLASS A BALANCED ANALOG OUTPUT STAGE

FULL FUNCTION DAC

FIXED OR VARIABLE DAC MODE

HYBRID DESIGN

BALANCED XLR OUTPUT

DIGITAL LENS TECHNOLOGY

THREE SELECTABLE DIGITAL FILTERS

CPLD (FPGA) INPUT

HIGH-CURRENT OVERSIZED ANALOG POWER SUPPLY

LATEST ESS HYPERSTREAM

NO CAPACITORS IN OUTPUT SIGNAL PATH

SINGLE AND DOUBLE RATE DSD

DSD DIRECT THROUGH I2S

Reviews

reviews

Matt Coykendall - The Abso!ute Sound

The Stellar DAC displays its ability to handle this large scale orchestral work with grade and authority.

Read full review →

Dean Seislove - Positive Feedback

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.

Read full review →

Want to leave your own review?

Specifications

Technical details

Physical
Unit Weight	22.5 lbs [10.2 kg]
Unit Dimensions	17"W x 3"H x 12" D [43.18 cm x 7.62 cm x 30.48 cm]
Shipping Weight	26 lbs [11.8 kg]
Shipping Dimensions	22"W x 8"H x 17"D [55.88 cm x 20.32 cm x 43.18 cm]
Color Options	Black Silver
Power requirements
Input Power	Model specific 100VAC, 120VAC, or 230VAC 50 or 60Hz
Power Consumption	25W
Digital audio inputs
Inputs	I2S (2), Coax (2), Optical, USB
Sample Rates	I2S: 2 inputs - PCM 44.1KHz to 384Khz, DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 Coax: 2 inputs - PCM 44.1KHz - 192KHz Optical: 1 input - PCM 44.1kHZ - 192KHz USB: 1 input - PCM 44.1kHZ - 384KHz - DSD64, DSD128 (native) - DSD64, DSD128 (DoP)
Analog Audio Output
Connector	RCA single ended, XLR balanced
Output Level High, Maximum	4 VRMS Balanced 2 VRMS Single Ended
Output Impedance	100Ω / 200Ω
Frequency Response	20Hz-20kHz, +/- 0.1dB 10Hz-55kHz, -1dB
Max Output	4V RMS Balanced, 2V RMS single-ended
THD+N @ 1KHz (full scale)	<0.003% at full output
IMD	<0.004%, CCIF, at full output
SNR	110dB, referenced to 4V RMS
Data Handling
Format	PCM or DSD
Sample Rate (PCM)	44.1kHz, 48.0kHz, 88.2kHz, 96.0kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz
Word Length (PCM)	16-32 bit
Data Rate (DSD)	Up to DSD256 (11.2MHz) Native
Digital Volume Control	Yes
Analog Conversion	ES9018K2M DAC Chip
I2S Digital Input
Connector	HDMI
Format	PCM or DSD. DoP on all inputs as well as native DSD on
USB Digital Input
Connector	USB "B" Type
Format	PCM, DoP v1.1 (DSD over PCM), or Native DSD
Transfer Mode	Asynchronous

Questions?

Need help right now?

💬 Try our Virtual Audio Specialist! Get instant answers about products, setup, and technical questions. Just click the chat icon in the lower right corner.

If that doesn't work for you, feel free to use this form below, or call a real Audio Specialist at 800-PSAUDIO (800-772-8346), Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm MST.

Country/Region