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Boxed. In very good condition. It comes with a remote control and the original packaging box. It can be a DAC or a Preamp. Pick up: 45255 Cincinnati
At USD850, this Stellar Gain Cell DAC/preamp sits at the low end of the typical used market, where clean examples often trade between USD900-1,400—a solid bargain if it's in good shape, undercutting the original USD1,699 MSRP by a wide margin. I've seen similar units linger around USD1,000 on enthusiast forums, so you're getting PS Audio's clever Gain Cell volume tech and ESS Sabre DAC at a steal, provided no red flags pop up.
Before biting, verify the analog power supply caps—they're beefy at 15,000µF and can leak after 5-7 years, muddying the Class A output. Confirm all remotes, power cord, and original box are included, plus test USB/I2S for DSD glitches and headphone amp for clean power into 300Ω loads. Skip if noise floor seems elevated on low signals.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
PS Audio, a pioneering American hi-fi brand, traces its roots to 1973 when co-founder Paul McGowan launched the company in California alongside Stan Warren. Emerging from the analog golden age, it debuted with a standalone phono preamplifier, reflecting McGowan's early passion for vinyl playback honed through radio station connections and encounters with audio enthusiasts. The brand quickly evolved, embracing digital audio in the 1980s by releasing one of the first high-end CD players, the PS Audio CD-1, soon after Philips and Sony introduced the format.
Today, PS Audio specializes in premium electronics, including power amplifiers, preamplifiers, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), and integrated amplifiers, with a hallmark focus on power conditioning via innovative AC regenerators known as Power Plants. These devices, born from Stan Warren's mid-1980s discovery that oversized transformers enhance audio performance, remain a cornerstone. The lineup also encompasses digital lenses for refining streaming and disc playback, alongside select analog components, though it eschews speakers, headphones, turntables, or cables.
Positioned firmly in the high-end market, PS Audio commands respect among discerning audiophiles for its bold engineering and unwavering pursuit of musical purity. Celebrating 50 years in 2023, it occupies a niche as an innovator rather than a mass-market player, appealing to buyers who prioritize transformative power delivery and digital refinement in sophisticated systems.
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