PS Audio Stellar Power Plant 3 Mains Regenerator

PS Audio Stellar Power Plant 3 Mains Regenerator

 

The Stellar™ Power Plant™ 3 is PS Audio's most compact high-end personal power generating station: an all new class of affordable Power Plant AC regenerator that takes ordinary wall voltage and rebuilds it into perfect AC.

The Stellar 3 features an ultra-low impedance analogue AC power amplifier, pure DSD FPGA based analogue sine wave generator, and low distortion high-dynamic-peak-capable outputs found only in PS Audio Power Plants. The Stellar 3 is capable of fully powering most small to medium-sized systems bringing forth all that’s possible from your HiFi system, ensuring you get the same great performance every time you listen.

The P3 includes 3 separate zones delivering 300 watts of pure continuous regenerated power, 500 watts of short term power(up to 30 seconds), and dynamic peak power (3 second or less) of a whopping 900 watts for explosive dynamics. From small to medium power amplifiers to all your source equipment, the Stellar Power Plant 3 will work magic on your system’s performance with pure, regenerated power. The Stellar 3 also includes up to 1000 watts of filtered and protected power for larger power amplifiers.

With your system powered directly from the output of the Stellar 3, dynamics and openness are breathtaking. New voices, new harmonics and a renewed sense of musicality are yours the moment the Stellar 3 starts up. This is one of the most important pieces of audio equipment you can own, building a firm and reliable foundation for your system that will serve you for years to come.

Features

• Built in Boulder
• 300 watts continuous regenerated output
• 500 watts short term regenerated output
• 900 watts peak regenerated output
• 1000 watts filtered output
• 3X lower impedance than P5 Power Plant
• 4 EU/UK outlets
• 10 amp AC input EU/UK
• 230 volt Regulated EU/UK
• Range 200 –285VAC EU/UK
• 100% regenerated AC
• MultiWave
• CleanWave
• Pure Sine Wave
• Remote Control

 

The Stellar Power Plant 3 takes your incoming AC power and converts it to DC, similar to what comes out of a battery, and then with patented PS Audio technology regenerates and produces new sine-wave-perfect, regulated high current AC power. In the process of regeneration, any problems commonly found on your power lines such as low voltage, distorted waveforms, sagging power, flat-topping and noise are eliminated.

Since the introduction of Power Plant regenerator technology in 1997 many reviewers, as well as many thousands of customers around the world, have experienced for themselves just how critical, essential and unique a Power Plant is. One long-time reviewer remarked that “It is the first component anyone serious about high-quality audio should get.”

It’s good to understand the importance of power in a high-end audio system. Everything we hear through our system is really the power from our home’s wall socket manipulated by our electronics to make music through our speakers. The quality of that power is critical to the success of any high-end system.

Legacy power conditioners

Traditional power conditioners have been widely available for several decades and range in price from a few dollars to multiple thousands.

Most power conditioners on the market today are passive filters. This means there are only passive parts inside such as capacitors, resistors, transformers and coils of wire. Power conditioners do not have the ability to add missing energy back onto the power line to correct for the serious issues in the AC, nor can they lower output impedance—critical to high-performance audio.

While some respected high-end power conditioners do provide better sound for many systems, they are only scratching the proverbial surface—unable to address the fundamental problems found on the AC line. They cannot rise to the level of an active regenerator ensuring your listening experience will always be the same. Quite simply put, by relying on passive conditioners to clean AC power, one relinquishes the performance, security, and reliability of an active PS Power Plant.

Power Plants are not power conditioners

Power Plants are personal AC generators that provide hard-working perfected results from the AC power line. Power regeneration uses active components like those found in large and powerful audio amplifiers to rebuild the AC power and produce clean, clear, distortion-free, regulated AC to the equipment.

Power Plants also provide excellent protection and cleaning of radio, cell phone, and computer interference, but more importantly, regeneration provides a steady, regulated, ultra-low impedance source of pure AC, unaffected by the equipment’s demands for power.

The key to the Power Plant’s success and what makes it so unique in the industry is the way it makes the power better.

Instead of simple filtering, as a legacy power conditioner does, the Power Plant repairs the main power issues caused by the equipment itself: dynamic fluctuations.

Dynamic fluctuations occur with every power amplifier or receiver on the market. When a loud musical passage is reproduced, the power amplifier draws more power from the wall to feed the loudspeakers. When this occurs, the voltage at the wall decreases in direct relationship with the loudness of the musical passage. Louder is worse.

Traditional power conditioners only worsen this already bad situation

If, on the other hand, the system is powered from a Power Plant AC regenerator, the problem is entirely eliminated. Dynamic voltage fluctuations are stopped completely and the power amp receiving perfectly regulated, steady AC power regardless of the demands from the power amplifier.

In a high-end system where perfection is hoped for and compromise is not an option that’s acceptable, the improvements brought by a Power Plant are instantly recognized with a simple audition that shows both with and without perfected power.

MultiWave

One of the major advantages of generating new power from old is the ability to also generate new waveforms that enhance the capabilities of the power feeding your equipment.

MultiWave extends the peak charging time of the sine wave so connected equipment has more energy storage and less power supply ripple. Turning MultiWave on is like adding a larger capacitor bank to your connected equipment’s power supply. The audible results are dramatic and produce a bigger soundstage that sounds far more natural than with a simple sine wave.

CleanWave

CleanWave is another feature of the Stellar Power Plant 3 and helps connected equipment demagnetize their transformers. AC power is never quite symmetrical and the small asymmetry that occurs can magnetize connected power transformers.

Activating CleanWave from the Power Plant 3 remote control can remove this problem from connected transformers resulting in far cleaner audio.

 

The Stellar Power Plant 3 was the next generation following the Power Plant 3 and incorporated PS Audio's updated patented regenerator technology. That patent, awarded to PS Audio on October 15, 2007, was the work of their Chief Engineer, Robert Stadtherr who invented a new type of regeneration circuit that improved the efficiency of the internal regenerator by a whopping 70% (from 50% to 85%). While others have tried increasing the efficiency of AC regeneration by means of a class D switching amplifier, PS Audio's patented technology is pure DSD analogue all the way.

Building a 300-watt analogue regenerator (with peak capabilities up to 900 watts) in a Stellar chassis was a serious design challenge. There was the issue of heat as well as getting enough energy storage to meet the long-term and peak demands of a regenerator of this power. It is not uncommon for the equipment powered by a Stellar 3 to require peak current in excess of 50 amps for distortion-free performance.

A careful look inside the Stellar Power Plant 3 chassis will show the efforts we’ve gone to for heat dissipation. Note the use of an impressive chunk of machined aluminium for a heat sink and the massive toroidal power transformer supplying all the necessary energy for Stellar.

Each and every Stellar Power Plant 3 is assembled from the ground up in PS Audio's Boulder, Colorado facility by highly skilled artisans that care about every piece that leaves their dock. With over 7,000 Power Plants operating high-end systems all over the world, they have a commitment to excellence to uphold.

 

Specification

• Location: Indoor use only
• Duty Cycle: Suitable for continuous operation
• Moisture Sensitivity: Not sealed against moisture
• Operating Humidity: <80%rh
• Storage Temperature: -40C to +40C
• Operating Temperature: 0C to 40C
• Electrical Supply Nominal Rating: 230V 10A 50/60Hz
• Nominal Input Voltage: 200 - 270 VAC
• Maximum Continous Load: 300VA
• Maximum Peak Load: 1000VA
• Voltage Regulation: <0.2%
• Typical Output THD: <0.3%
• Output Impedance: <0.008 Ohm
• Efficiency @ 300VA: >85%
• Input Frequency: 45 - 65 Hz
• Energy Dissipation: 850J
• Peak Current Surge: 60,000A
• Max Surge Voltage: 6,000V
• Clamp Level: 800V
• DC Trigger: None

 

About PS Audio

PS Audio is a renowned high-fidelity audio components and equipment provider catering to audiophiles and the sound recording industry. With a rich history dating back to 1973, PS Audio has been at the forefront of audio innovation, delivering exceptional products that elevate the listening experience to new heights. Founded by audio designers Paul McGowan and Stan Warren, PS Audio shipped its first products in 1974. The company's name was derived from the initials of its visionary founders, reflecting their commitment to crafting audio equipment that pushes the boundaries of sonic performance. From the very beginning, PS Audio has been dedicated to delivering uncompromising sound quality and engineering excellence.

PS Audio's product lineup encompasses a wide range of audio components designed to meet the needs of discerning audiophiles. From preamplifiers to mains regenerators, DACs to streamers, PS Audio offers a comprehensive selection of equipment that captures the essence of every musical detail.

PS Audio's unwavering dedication to excellence has earned the company numerous accolades and awards worldwide. From Editors' Choice awards by prestigious publications like Stereophile and The Absolute Sound magazines to consistently earning spots on Stereophile's Recommended Component lists, PS Audio has cemented its reputation as a leader in the audio industry. Experience the power of PS Audio's cutting-edge audio components and elevate your listening experience to new heights. Explore their range of preamplifiers, mains regenerators, DACs, amplifiers, power cables, and power conditioners, and unlock the true potential of your audio system. With PS Audio, immerse yourself in the captivating world of high-fidelity sound reproduction.