PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier Review | Rega Planar 3, Nd5 Cartridge & Michael Jackson

Welcome back to An Accidental Audiophile. The PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier just arrived — and I wasted no time dropping the needle. In this video I'm walking you through the full setup: Rega Planar 3 with the Nd5 moving magnet cartridge, feeding into the Stellar Phono, then through the PS Audio StellarGold preamplifier and Stellar M700 monoblocks into the Focal Theva N°2 speakers. All powered by the PS Audio PowerPlant 3. The Stellar Phono is a fully discrete, Class A phono stage with MOSFET and JFET topology — DC coupled from input to output, no capacitors in the signal path. For the Nd5 I'm running MM input, 44 dB gain, 47kΩ loading. The difference over my previous phono stage is not subtle. To break it in properly, I spun Michael Jackson's Off the Wall — one of the greatest-sounding records ever pressed. Produced by Quincy Jones, engineered by Bruce Swedien. If you want to hear what a phono stage is actually doing, this is the record to test it with. The Stellar Phono also has XLR balanced output — I'm currently running RCA into the StellarGold but the Mogami 2534 balanced upgrade is coming very soon. If you're serious about vinyl and want a phono stage that gets completely out of the way of the music — this is the one I'd be looking at. I'm Bill. This is An Accidental Audiophile — making high-end audio accessible, one component at a time. 📌 Timeline Chapters 00:00 - Intro & The Vancouver Deal 00:35 - Unboxing the Stellar Phono 02:00 - Back Panel Tour (Inputs & XLR/RCA) 03:55 - The Dual Remote Control Integration 05:15 - Current Rack Setup & Component Stack 06:25 - Wiring the Rega Planar 3 & System Synergy 08:25 - Moving to the Listening Room 08:50 - Rega Nd5 Cartridge Breakdown 09:30 - The Audiophile Rabbit Hole & Upgrading from Rega MK4 12:00 - Why Darren Myers' Design Hooked Me 13:00 - Deep Dive: Class A, JFET Specs & Loading 14:00 - Listening Test: Michael Jackson's 'Off the Wall' 15:15 - Screen Capture: PS Audio Spec Sheet Breakdown 17:30 - Final Thoughts & Future Travel Teaser 🔔 Subscribe for more real-world hi-fi reviews 👍 Like if this helped you 💬 Drop your questions in the comments 📦 Gear in this video: PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamplifier — psaudio.com Rega Planar 3 / RB330 / Nd5 Cartridge — rega.co.uk PS Audio StellarGold Preamplifier PS Audio Stellar M700 Monoblocks PS Audio PowerPlant 3 Focal Theva N°2 Speakers https://www.psaudio.com/products/stel... https://www.ayreborn.com/products/ps-... 🎵 Record spun: Michael Jackson — Off the Wall (1979) Produced by Quincy Jones | Engineered by Bruce Swedien #psaudio #stellarphono #vinylreview