STELLAR GAIN CELL DAC VS AYRE K5XE-MP, BATTLE OF THE PREAMPLIFIER'S PART 2!!

[@jcgoobee]

I just purchased my first PS Audio equipment (SGCD) to replace my 10-month old SMSL D400 Pro DAC. I must say, the SGCD sounds way better and I have zero complaint. Granted that I haven't had the chance to try as many DACs as I want but the SGCD has incredible soundstage which opens up really well. I did a AB and the difference was quite noticeable in a good way. I enjoy your sharing and your videos are great. Keep up the good work and can't wait to see more from you.

[@hondamoto-rb6bk]

How do u like the remote on the ps audio?

[@jcgoobee]

@@hondamoto-rb6bk Just an ordinary remote, nothing special. Functional for sure

[@TheBTG88]

I’ve had the Ayre for 19 years and have no desire to change.

[@Audiorevue]

@@TheBTG88 it really is a stellar preamp no doubt about it, pun intended.😂

[@joeygsaudiochannel3972]

I had the SGCD/Preamp for about 6 months before trading it in for the MK1 PS Audio DirectStream DAC Sr. in Jan. 2020 (plus the difference in cost direct to PS Audio). It's a great Preamp and served me well during it's short stay. The DAC is from a cellphone but the analog circuitry around is the the "magic".

[@Audiorevue]

Yeah and as I said in the video I don't think it's necessarily bad I think it's good, I just think AYRE is better from a preamplifier standpoint. A good analogy would be the PS audio is like a Porsche 911, it's a great high performance sports car that has great handling and acceleration and it's fun to drive and is everything you could want, however the ayre by comparison is more like a mclaren F1. Certainly more of a purist car but equally fun to drive and way more visceral in its experience

[@y.k.9705]

I bought PS Audio stack. Really disappointed with the quality. My DirectStream DAC broke twice and Steller preamp now broke. I baby my equipment. Oh well. 😓. I don't want to keep throwing money at it anymore.

[@Audiorevue]

@@y.k.9705 well truthfully this experience is one of the only times I've personally used their equipment. I've had experiences with friend systems and listening to their gear and those type of situations but overall my experience was positive. As I said to another commenter, while I preferred the sound of the ayre, that's not to take anything away from the PS audio. Because I found its sound quality good if not exceptional. Sorry to hear that you've had so much trouble, however as I understand PS audio is quite renowned for their customer service and taking care of issues quickly.

[@DrNoahBoddy004]

Charles Hansen’s Ayre components are leagues above ps audio. Far more sophisticated construction.

[@kurtisk_cbgb]

What do you use a tape loop for these days? I have an NAD integrated amp with a tape loop and have no idea what to do with it.

[@Audiorevue]

Well of you watch so in my older videos you'll see that I have three different tape machines actually four now that I do use from time to time. Another option that people sometimes have for tape loops nowadays is they won't really use the loop aspect but having the output go to another piece of gear. Like for example on your NAD The amplifier might be everything you could want however maybe the headphone amplifier built in isn't so good, so you could run the tape output to a separate headphone amplifier and use the NAD for input switching and then just run your headphones off the external headphone amp.

[@jeffreypicciolo7706]

Disagree. I have the PS Audio Gain Cell DAC + PS Audio Stellar S-300 amp and it is an incredible satisfying musical combination. I play them through Stereophile Class B full range speakers (PSB Stratus Gold i) and it just makes beautiful music. I also have Schiit Ragnarock 2 playing KLH Model 5's as a comparison, and have a third system with NAD driving Elac DBR's. The PS Audio combination is my number 1 system. Just another point of view. Thanks for your review!

[@Audiorevue]

It's important to note that I never said that it sounded bad, never once did I say it sounded bad. What I said was with my emotiva power amplifier and several sets of speakers that I use that rotate in and out, the ayre just sounded better to me in this system and with my taste. I like the sound of the stellar, And it's a great fully featured product truly. And it's also important to note that for all intents and purposes of both of these preamps are sort of like high performance sports cars. You really can't go wrong either way whichever one you would choose but for me I just prefer the sound of the ayre. Thanks for watching and commenting

[@brydon10]

Apparently the Stellar measures pretty poorly, if you care about that (I only care to an extent, but I like my dac's to be pretty transparent). I'm not sure how the Ayre measures.

[@Audiorevue]

No I don't necessarily care but in regards to the Ayre stereophile reviewed it and said it measured at the state of the art for solid state and all without negative feedback of any kind, which John Atkinson was impressed with.

[@joeygsaudiochannel3972]

So the Amir pissed on the PS Audio Directstream DAC Sr. 's measurments a few years ago. That said, it's been in my rig for over 4.5 years. Understand that measurements ARE NOT the be all and end all regarding performance/sound quality. I don't care who you are ! They have said many times on many of their products. They start out with an excellent measuring piece of 'Kit" (as the English say) and then start tuning it to not just what they think or know sounds good but also to their community to either Beta test or test while in Prototype stage. I honestly agree that verifying manufacturer's claim's is a good thing but ASR very rarely comments on the sound quality because of its fear that something that measures "bad" sctually sounds good. Rant over !

[@Audiorevue]

@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 truthfully whenever I get on that website and read anything which I do occasionally, I feel like screaming at my computer. Not because they're wrong or I disagree with a objectivist approach to audio But I disagree with the idea that measurements and objectivism should be and is the final arbiter of what constitutes something that sounds good or not. In some ways I think amir is doing a service to the hi-fi community by measuring products in the way that he does. I mean at least from an objective measurement-based standpoint people can have a yardstick to gauge products and that sort of thing. Like I said what is maddening to me is their approach and a lot of the members of that website's approach in the sense that if it doesn't measure well then it's crap, when you and I both know that that is far from the case. Literally the best sounding amplifier or piece of Hi-Fi gear I have ever heard and let me repeat I have ever heard ever, was the decware zen triode. And I'm pretty sure if that were to be measured it would probably measure like trash, and it would be disregarded by the audio science website. Besides the whole premise to me of audio science is almost a misnomer, audio and the enjoyment of listening to music and the associated gear and equipment that we use is very much an emotion based activity and emotions are illogical, to quote Spock. Because of that and their unquantifiableness it becomes necessary to disregard that aspect of logical thinking and measurement based assumption and simply go with what feels right and what sounds right. Oh and by the way if you're wondering why I don't have a Zen triode even though I said it was literally the best thing I've ever heard, that's because they've got like a 4-year waiting list and it's been a 4-year waiting list forever and it just keeps getting longer and I've actually got a couple of eBay searches saved in case used ones come up.