RMAF and AXPONA are the two U.S. audio shows where manufacturers like to strut their stuff debuting new products. There are two “newbies” of note in the PS Audio room this year.
AN3 Speakers
First, we should mention the gorgeous AN3 loudspeakers. Although they had their first appearance at AXPONA, and we covered them there, they are still worthy of headliner status. Here’s the backstory. As many of you know, the AN in their name is for Arnie Nudell, co-founder of Infinity and mentor to Paul McGowan, of PS Audio.
It’s all in the design meant to honor Arnie. The AN3 shown at RMAF differs from the model shown at AXPONA earlier this year. In this iteration, all of the drivers are designed by PS Audio’s Senior Loudspeaker Engineer, Chris Brunhaver, and are custom-built for PS Audio. No off-the-shelf drivers are used.
The tweeter and midrange are both planar magnetic, with the two drivers grouped in a coaxial configuration. The mid-bass couplers are the two aluminum-coned drivers mounted above and below the mid/tweet array, in a modified D’Appolito configuration. The bass is a custom 12” woofer in a sealed enclosure with a built-in power amp and DSP.
One thing that is not immediately evident is that the speakers are modular for ease of shipping and installation. The mid-bass couplers, midrange, and tweeter are in one cabinet that mounts on the bottom cabinet which contains the woofer and electronics. The side panels are removable and interchangeable.
Stellar Phono Preamp
From their first product way back in 1974 to their newest product, the Stellar Phono Preamp (top in the picture above), PS Audio’s aim is to bring “superb musical performance at a price far less than your ears would indicate.” That quote is from their press release last week launching this new preamp. The Stellar will be shipped by the end of September with a US MSRP of $2,499.
The Rest of the System
Thank you, Bill Leebens of PS Audio for sending us the list of what else was in the system. Here are the specifics:
- Source – Mac Mini
- DAC – DirectStream DAC ($5,999)
- Preamplifiers – BHK Signature Preamp ($5,999)
Stellar Phono Preamp ($2,499) - Amplifiers – BHK Signature 300 Monos ($7,499 ea.)
- Regenerators – 2 P20 PowerPlants ($9,999)
1 P15 PowerPlant ($7,499) - Turntable – VPI HW-40 Turntable ($14,999)
- Loudspeakers – AN3 (TBD)
- Power cords – PS Audio AC Series Cables
