PS Audio Stellar GainCell Preamplifier/DAC

This unassuming low-profile product offers fully balanced analog circuitry from input to output and a full-featured DAC based on the state-of-the-art 32-bit ESS Sabre Hyperstream architecture, which is capable of processing both PCM (through all its digital inputs, up to 24-bit/384-kHz) and DSD signals (through its I²S and USB inputs, up to 5.6 MHz). The versatility of the Stellar Gain Cell Preamp/DAC does not stop there; it also includes an analog headphone amplifier with a headphone jack on the front panel. Other features of the preamplifier include selectable DAC filters, home-theater bypass, and DC in-out triggers. All this for $1699! A bargain, you ask? My answer to that would be: not so fast, depending on the sonic performance the product can deliver. I will delve more into this in my upcoming review of this interesting preamp/DAC unit.