I'm retired and sold a lot of PS Audio gear over the years in a shop here in Vienna, Austria. I worked over 30 years in the business (an still do a little bit for may personal pleasure), and over all I have to tell, that for me PS Audio was/is the nicest company, I had the pleasure to deal with. The products (as You have said) sound really great, You get very good value for money and the people working there are all kind and helpful. There is a spirit in that company, that is "old fashioned" in the very best sense. Their products produced many of happy customers. ...and Paul is really a loveable guy! Thank You for the music and the joy You gave (and still) give me.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@stephenfleschler9682

6 ай бұрын

I've dealt with PS Audio and can certify they are very nice and easy to work with. However, I dislike their products I've tried.

@systemera2902

6 ай бұрын

Yes, PS offer excellent quality products and service. I also like how they deal direct with the customer. Not sure I agree with the power switch comment. I like how the power switch and placement is standardized across all of the products.

@r423sdex

6 ай бұрын

Audio science likes them too.

@renebrunner1529

4 ай бұрын

Other friends in AT sell ps audio with 35% down same as sg akustik bad value

So for those of us who live in the "used" high end audio world PS Audio offers us excellent value.

This is the best series of videos by a dealer I've ever seen!

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@aceofspades6667

7 ай бұрын

Agreed

@JingoLoBa57

6 ай бұрын

And he’s obviously enjoying talking so honestly too🏌️‍♂️

@esthernastia

4 ай бұрын

​@@TizQualso, what's he suppose to do, maintain radio silence ? Maybe a wise one like you can contribute meaningfully ?

@jonnyo2121

Ай бұрын

Good you should buy some of his 500 speaker cables.

I’ve purchased multiple PSA products from their web site, and have always been very happy. Every purchase made was during one of their sales. For me, one bad would be their support process. I had a warranty claim once and it took me a few weeks to get an email response. But when I called, they were able to help me. It was also clear the staff were not communicating with each other to assist me the best way they could.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

That's great, thanks for sharing

Nice editing on this video! I'm glad the color profile was resolved.

Thanks again Adrien, keep up the good work. I own a full Stellar stack (P3, GC, M1200, Phono). Love the system, but you're right, the occasional sales make me hesitant to jump onto new PS products. However, the fact that it's made in the US (global materials), supporting staff that work with decent wages and working conditions is what helps push the product into my heart.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Congrats! Good for you

Finally…someone in audio provides useful information. Vs the magazines where everything is amazing (just nonsense). Please do a good bad ugly for Naim Audio!

@drewyoung2102

6 ай бұрын

What HiFI is a shameless shill for British brands. So true.

Unbelievably incredible series....bar none, of any dealer or reviewer....THANK YOU !

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Very kind, thanks

I love these comprehensive manufacturer discussions, Adrian. They appear to be very fair and honest as compared with my own knowledge of some of them myself. Your site has become a very habit-forming pleasure. Well done.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Appreciate the honesty. Looking forward to more. Every product has positives and negatives. It's about finding the product that works for you.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks

Love this series; I have owned, or currently own, PS Audio, McIntosh, and Magnepan. You did a wonderful job of presenting the positives and negatives of each brand. Thank you!

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

Your brutally honest discussions are so respectful and mindful. I hope you have a discussion on the Good, Bad, and Ugly about music recordings some day. I noticed that high end speakers can sometimes be amazing on some music tracks but sound terrible on some tracks. Yet middle of the road speakers sound consistently decent. I mentioned this because Paul over at PS Audio is very dedicated to producing high quality music recordings. Great guy and he even wrote a healthy diet book.

I appreciate that you have the integrity to comment on products that you carry and believe in. It seems that everyone has an opinion about everything, even if not familiar with it. I recently found out about the Sprout 100. Been looking for a hi-fi solution for bedroom application that doesn’t take up a ton of space. So far I have found this unit to be the most desirable option given a more limited range of options. I too will die my research as to how it fares amongst the competition.

These videos are SUPERB! It's not always possible to hear Good, Bad, and Ugly about a company which will affect a prospective purchase decision as the buyer will ultimately have to deal with the "Company" for warranty at some point and their commitment status is very important. Also I own some PS gear and would love for you to review the Air Lens as I don't stream anything on my main system and am considering it. Thank you again for your commitment to your customer base!

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!!

I love these videos!!! Keep em coming.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks

Love this series! Rarely someone in the retail industry being publicly honest about the good and the bad. This channel has my respect.

@jonpatrick66

6 ай бұрын

Mine too 👍

Im going to striven to watch more of your videos. Thanks for the video!

As a very happy BHK / DirectStream DAC owner, you NAILED it with you observations. Spot on! Hopefully manufacturers will listen and learn from your comments.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thank you

Thanks for this. I’ve been considering PS Audio and your honest perspectives are very helpful.

I bought an used Power Plant Premier that didn’t work two days after. I’m in Denmark and contacted PS Audio. No problem and i only payed the shipping. Very good service and i has been perfect since👍👍

Love you new reviews.. keep it up.. Thank you

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure

Great video, really loving this series. One thing you mention as a negative (resale value) is a massive positive for me as I generally buy used gear. At the prices PS audio gear goes for in the used market the value is out of this world.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Agree, missed that one!

I own a PS audio preamp and two mono blocks, and I can say Adrian nailed it on every point. The good and the bad. I am in Canada, so I bought it from a dealer network (Audio Excellence) and I was very happy to have them take care of me when I had a problem only a few weeks out of warranty.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!!!

Hello from Europe. I start to like these type of videos you guys make. And I’m sure you will go through all of your products that you sell. I am looking forward for Hegel. Thank you and good luck

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Many thanks

I enjoy my PS Audio units. You are spot on with your observations. I had a minor cosmetic issue with one of my units. It took some effort to get resolved. Level 1 technical and warranty support was terrible. Some emails were ignored. I contacted Paul directly. He lights fires when customers are not happy. Things get resolved quickly. Much respect for him. I would not hesitate to buy more PS products. When paired with the right speakers, sound is excellent. Some have commented my PS Audio / Dali room is the best system they have ever heard.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Good for you!! Congrats

Adrian these videos are outstanding. Very impressed with your willingness to be forthright. I think we’d all like an episode covering some or all of these topics: 1) Greatest-selling line divided by price. Meaning what equipment moves people to maximize their audio budget. 2) Best company to deal with as a dealer. 3) Company with least amount of returns for repair or infant mortality issues.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Good ideas!

Well done. Honest and to the point. I have never owned any PS Audio gear mainly because I live in Vietnam and there are no dealers here. I have followed Paul for many years and appreciate his insight. I’m told a new phono stage is coming to the Perfect Wave series. I may have to go to Hong Kong to review it.

I watched your entire video and I must say you made PS Audio sound like an awesome company. They should be very happy with your video. As far as putting things on sale, I agree with you, everything should be marketed at list price and the "store" should be able to make a "deal" with the customer. Appreciate your honestly in the video, it really came though as honest.

I’ve owned many PSA electronic products, none at the eye-watering price levels (most of them bought used) and have found all of them to be capable units. Their customer service and communication is the best I’ve ever experienced. I have had some QC issues with my new units which were semi-major issues but they handled them well. I think the prices are inflated but I would assume that they’re covering the costs of their return and trade-in policy. I have picked up a couple of new pieces during substantial sales. Right now I only have the Stellar Phono Preamp which I absolutely love, even though I have issues with a small hum if I turn it up loud. When Darren was still there we had a phone session where he tried to help me get rid of hum (never did) and PSA went so far as to replace most of the internals, so probably the problem is on my side. The forums are monitored by PS members and Paul himself will chime in when he sees an opportunity to clarify or explain. The resale value is well known and can be a turnoff when the new prices seem high ($7000 for a SACD transport?). Still, there’s a lot of love for Paul, Scott, and the whole crew there.

Terrifically blunt and honest. Love it, Adrain. Great series. Smart sales word of mouth tactic. Very clever.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks

I just bought and installed a pair of Stellar 1200 monoblock amps from PS Audio. I am completely impressed. The sound is great, especially the separation/soundstage. If you ever feel you want to get more music with less volume, this could be your answer. Great value for the money.

I've owned a few PS Audio products and I've always been satisfied. I currently (no pun) use PS Audio's older Duet and Quintet power centers. I also enjoyed the Digital Link III DAC which I found to be tremendous value with amazing ability to upgrade any streaming/CD transport setup. Their pricing is a bit high for my recent budget so I tend to buy used, usually through CAM.

Once again an excellent honest assessment. I especially liked that you mentioned resale values and how they are negatively affected by special deals through dealers. So many private sellers expect top Dollar for components that can be had through dealers with warranty and support for less.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Wonderful video about the PS Audio Products and I couldn't agree with you more 💯🎶👌💖

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Many thanks

The resale value was a positive for me, I purchased an older generation used SACD transport so I could stream DSD from my SACD's to my dac via I2S. Picked one up online for about $2k.

@dap777754

7 ай бұрын

From PS Audio?

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Yes, you're right!

@robgallos4669

6 ай бұрын

​@@dap777754 Purchased from TMR audio.

@nbk1943

2 ай бұрын

@@dap777754there is a pre-owned project in psaudio

Great series. Would you mind doing one for Legacy Audio?

Please do a video on the Airlens and DirectStream MK2. I'm on the fence trying to decide between that and the MSB Discrete. Thanks for your videos, love em.

Thanks for this honest review. I’m a PS Audio owner. I have the BHK Preamp, the Direct Stream DAC (MkI) and the Perfectwave CD/SACD Transport. I’ve has the setup for about six years and I’m not planning on making any changes, when supported by my Ayre VX-5 Twenty and fronted by Revel Ultima Salon 2 speakers, I’m not in s hurry to change. Having heard lots of setups that I liked and of which I have no criticisms, I’m still a very happy PS Audio fan. I completely agree about the buttons - cheap and not particularly satisfying.

I 98% agree with you on your PS Audio comments. My system is 90% PS Audio equipment and I love it. I own a pair od Stellar M1200 Class D monoblocks and I suggest you relisten to them. In my opinion they beat out amplifiers that cost 4 or 5 times more than them. I previously owned a BHK250, and a lot more expensive stuff in the past, and I truly believe the M1200's sound better. In regards to the Airlens, I recommend that you do evaluate the one your friend has or get oen for the store. BTW, I love your videos. Please keep them coming!

@darkstang96

28 күн бұрын

Airlens is an amazing piece as long as you have a DAC that supports i2S and you run Roon :) I love mine

Wow Love the honesty, I don’t stream only vinyl and CD but I get the impression most Dac’s or streamers don’t hold their value because of constant improvements. Wonder if the amplifiers and other gear loose that much value. For me that’s the most important factor, resale value, McIntosh has always been the leader. Don’t know anyone who doesn’t upgrade at some point. Gear that holds its value is money in the bank. 😎

What an honor it is to be any of the brands you carry! Fantastic video series. 👍👍

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Many thanks

Very enjoyable series of videos. In my opinion, we’ll more useful than debates on vanity

Just started to watch this, first thing I notice is your room is extremely live!

Since making my initial comments, the analogue output board for the right-hand channel of the Mk 2 DAC has been replaced and the FPGA firmware has been updated to Mt Massive and I couldn't be happier. I played a couple of fusion jazz CDs recently and the sound quality was superlative: spacious and realistic with a massive soundstage and wonderfully precise imaging as well.That was in addition to some marvellous music, superbly played.

What about PS Audio speakers? What are your thoughts on them; are you planning on bringing them in? There are not many dealers in Canada that carry them, thus hard to hear them.

I love my PS Audio Directstream DAC MKI and Stellar phono, bought used. Just wish I could afford the BHK products!

Wonderful insight into the audio world!

Great value! Some excellent products.

Very neat video about a brand I've not owned, but have followed their channel along time. A little surprised to hear about the depreciation of value due to regular sales, but I suppose it makes sense if they need to make space, or if have a newer version coming out. Would wonder about how well other DAC's are holding value, since used the Mk1 as the example. I would assume PS amps or speakers hold their value better. That Stellar Strata is on a very short list of contenders I'm looking at when finally move house.

You guy are the kind of honest ,kind people that I would enjoy doing business with. Good people.💯 I do enjoy your videos Thank you fellas. And when you have estate sales from customers that have come to the end of life it's nice the family has you to help get fair deals and at the same time you pass it on to new customers that use some help into this great hobby of great instruments of great music. One more time, It's great! Peace friends.

Just learned of your store today. Was looking at Stella M700 amps. I have JBL 4425 restored speakers powered by Prima Luna Dialog Premium HP amp & preamp. Manley Chinook is the phono stage for VPI HRX turntable. Speakers are meticulously positioned in listening space for holographic sound stage. Exceptionally musical system. Love your channel.

Great video, thank you. I have the Stellar Strata integrated, the PerfectWave transport, their Strata Phono and just got today the streamer for review soon, really love PS Audio 👍🏻

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Congrats!!

I will add that PS Audio customer service is excellent, I had a pre-amp failure out of warrantee, and they replaced the unit after a factory repair failed. Could not ask for more. I have the Stellar Preamp and Amp and love the sound. Bass grip is outstanding.

@lloyd.8272

7 ай бұрын

I had a stellar gain cell pre amp, that had a problem out of warranty. PS audio still fixed it free of charge.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Good for you!

This is very helpful...thank you for doing this

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Glad you are enjoying them

Are you going to carry the Stellar Gold Series? I know they have a preamp and DAC in this series in beta.

Great video thanks. I own PS Audio gear and totally agree with your assessment. Thanks again.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

my pleasure

Have to agree on the fit & finish, I own the a BHK pre & power amp ( brilliant) but I also own the mk1 DSD & the gloss black top bows very pronounced I had the cover replaced but still the problem persists, but will be trading in soon anyhow for the new Eversolo DMP-A8, gutted to hear I won’t be getting much for it though 😬

is it possible for you to do a full review of the stellar strata?

Added to my watch list, cause this is going to be a hot one 😅

Another great video. Thanks!

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thank you

I was waiting for this

I'd love your brutally honest opinion about Marantz SA-KI (pearl) sacd/CD players! And happy New Year!

Excellent overview of the negatives of PS audio. The negative seem more substantial than those in the sonus faber review. While the resale value is a problem for buyers of new products, I might have a field day looking for their products on the used market!

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

yes buying used can be a great way to get into PS Audio

I'm a loyal PS Audio customer. But, honestly I am unable to justify spending the prices they ask. Luckily PS Audio equipment has a robust used market. Had it not been for that fact I would not have let myself upgrade to a PS Audio stack. Very glad I did. A used MKII DAC can be had for a cool 1200.00 or so. That my friends is an absolute steal. Was so thrilled at my find that I decided to also look for a used S-300 Amp. Another grand shipped was all it cost me. Both in perfect condition. The MKII also had all firmware upgrades (3) to date. Once I knew I had the electronics right...I found a local pair of AR Classic 30's. Used $600.00 pick-up only as shipping weight is 200lbs. Another steal...Less than 3k and everyone that hears my system can't believe how little I have invested. Nor can I.

This is an excellent series. Keep it up.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Happy you like them

Oh yeah, I’ve been waiting for this! I’m interested in PS Audio! Thank you for another wonderful episode on this series! What are your thoughts on the PS Audio Aspen FR30 speakers? ☮️🖖🏽

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure

Paul & PS Audio certainly have earned the accolades they've received over the years - I still have one of Paul's prized pre-amps kicking around somewhere in my house, it once held down what was for me and my budget at that time, a system that certainly could be described as reference - somehow McGowan and company still remain on the cutting edge of sound per dollar value - - it is worth noting and nothing short of amazing that the FR30's, the very first PS Audio speaker to make it fully to market is completely heralded in every circle I know of - that is a spectacular feat and deserves recognition. I can't think of a any other single company that primarily produces electronics or even just manufactures speakers that has ever matched that achievement. Even the early maggies didn't receive the immediate accolades handed to PS Audio's 1st real shot at the speaker market. Historical imo.

What do you think of Musical Fidelity? I just purchased their A1 Class A reissue. Pretty stunning piece for under 2k American $$$.

PS AUDIO is not an emotional or "sexy" brand like McIntosh. That can hurt resale. I love these videos....thanks.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoy them

Well said my friend, I agree on all of your points. I’ve gotten many many PS Audio products over the years and I’ve been very happy. I also love how Paul is engaged in the Audio community.

What do you think of their speakers?

I do feel PS audio is one of the better Manufacturers out there, I've met Paul and Chris Brunhaver at shows and I've had a good experience with them. Nice People. If I have a criticism at all, its that Paul will not miss a chance to self promote (as is his right of course) and I've seen this rub people up the wrong way. But generally I feel the heart of the company is in the right place and the products are good. Right now I have the DSD Mk2 on my shortlist and just waiting for a demo unit to be arranged (I'm in UK before you ask).

@khoi83

7 ай бұрын

It,s a business man after all. But a Nice one.

Great video. 'Brutally Honest' is a great concept. I'll look at this company's product line when I'm ready to upgrade. Liked.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Thanks

What is your review on PS Audio Speakers especially on FR10, FR20 & FR30?

I love my PS Audio equipment. I also appreciate this video. When I'm researching gear I look for the criticisms first and foremost. I guess I figure if the criticism doesn't scare me away I'll start looking for the good reviews. This review is absolutely fair and doesn't scare me away from PS Audio one bit. Love your videos!

Are you talking about the PS Audio Stellar or the Sprout Series? It sound like you talking about the Strata Series I'm not aware of that as being one of PS Audio's Series?

@milani01

7 ай бұрын

Strata Integrated Amplifier is part of the Stellar Series of products.

I have Direct Stream DAC MK1, The Memory Player, The BHK Preamp and the Power Regenerator. My list of bad include their poor User Interface implementation in the display. I guess they realized that and took the UI away with newer models. The Remote UI design is also not well thought through. The Regenerator time to time gets locked up display I need to reboot. There is this lack of polish (paper cuts) kind of issues that tend to annoy me these days. the resale value is indeed a big issue. I am not planning on upgrading to newer units.

I have a top of the line PSAudio system. Good review, I totally agree. A few related points: (1) Local stereo stores typically mark up equipment 100% from the price they pay from the factory. That's a good reason to buy from factory-direct companies like PS Audio -- you are probably getting much better value than equipment sold in local or chain stores. (2) The criticism of resale value of the DS DAC 1st Gen is pretty accurate. However, a lot of that devaluation happened because there is a new DS DAC 2nd Gen. There are going to be a lot of original DS DAC owners who want to upgrade to the new model and the market is going to be "flooded" with the original DS DACs. The good news for the general public is that the original DS DAC is a wonderful product and is a huge bargain purchased now. HUGE bargain..! (3) What other manufacturer invites the general public to drop in for a tour of their facility? Without an appointment. I have done it. I got a tour from the owner's son Scott, who even spent 30 minutes with us listening to their top of the line system. (4) The best sounding music on my system is anything recorded at Octave Records. It is phenomenal stuff. Blue Coast Music is also great.

@adrianlow2114

7 ай бұрын

Agree

Big fan, waiting on my beta test Stellar Gold pre and dac, trading in BHK Preamp for what i paid for it, getting away from tubes. I have owned GCPH, M1200'S, M700'S, still own P12 and Stellar phono

What in your opinion is the best integrated amp audio only for 3,too dollar range.thx

Purchased a powerplant 15 for my system and the noise and gremlins disappeared. Extremely happy with this significant (to me) expensive solution. Had a 90 day try it or return it policy (which heavily weighed in my decision) to make the purchase. Noise in my system from ac is gone!!!

I agree regarding the lack of a dealer program here in the US. If I want to try or listen to a PS Audio product I have to actually purchase it direct then return it if I’m not satisfied. I guess if I time the purchase with a credit card billing cycle it’s no real money out of pocket, but still being able to hear components at a dealer would be far superior in my opinion.

I enjoy Paul's videos a great deal (in fact it was Paul that got me into hifi), the forums at PSA site are EXCELLENT (although a lot of "HI enders" on there) and yes, Paul himself will respond. Good products, I own a few, I would say on par with competition....but a lil too pricey perhaps.

Thank you Adrian....I really enjoy your channel. Over the years I enjoyed a number os PS Audio products in my racks and really enjoyed them as you describe in this video. I live 30 minutes from their factory,, and enjoyed buying local. Paul and his entire team are super nice and helpful. Since then, I sold everything! And promised my wife a "one-box, two-speaker" solution in an effort to proapre for retirement and downsizing our home. I went with the new DD MxV Integrated (still waiting for...and borrowing from my dealer their Progression Integrated in the mean time) connected to the brand new YG Acoustics Hailey 3's.....also made 30 minutes from my home, and I am good friends with the new owner of YG.....thus far, my wife and I could not be happier......we use the streaming DAC for Roon/Qobuz. So.....I would LOVE to see an episode of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of D'Agostino products. Also, a review of the new MxV Integrated from your perspective would be much appreciated. Continued success....Jim

The PS audio DAC is what gets me started in my Hi-Fi journey.

Own a Sprout which broke down in a year or so. Good thing they fixed it rather quickly. Bought several DSDs from Octave. Luv the recording but higher DSDs aren't perfect... lots of back and forth with their team to get the files working without glitch

@georgedome3175

7 ай бұрын

I own the Perfect Wave MK2 dac & cd transport as well as the m700 amps powering Magnapan 1.7i, these amps realy make those speakers sing, great products! no problems so far.

@markhomchick4848

7 ай бұрын

Looking to replace a NAD D3020 V2 with a Sprout 100. Any comments?

What are your thoughts on their speakers?

I completely agree that solely as an audio product, PSA is very high quality. They tend to be very reliable and well priced relative to performance. Their customer service is exceptional, providing in-house 30-day demos, at least in US. The resale value is an issue but is that unique in the industry? I know of no high end audio product who’s value doesn’t plummet in short order. I do agree the fit & finish does need improving, partite speakers. The FR30 is spectacular sounding speaker, particularly within its price range. It’s very easy to drive and extremely versatile. The finish however of cheap looking plastic is reminiscent of horrific 90’s lucite or something I’d see at Ikea 🤦‍♂️. At the very least, why not offer a real wood furniture grade veneer finish, even if there’s a reasonable upcharge. I’d be embarrassed to have those cheap looking plastic boxes in my living room

What do you think about their FR speakers?

would love to hear your review of PS Audio speakers

cool vid, thanks!

have you tried the nad m23?

Like everyone here I'm loving this series. Hoping you'll do Audio Note. Maybe compare them to similar priced Synthesis Roma

Suggestion: also think about what it is like selling/dealing these companies. Long lead times, high shipping fees etc etc

PS Audio soundstage is certainly a good point for them but IMO it's just that. I find their products lacking in dynamics. Also they have noise issues, both from the speakers and the unit themselves. I have noise coming from my P15, BHK250, you can hear them pretty easily at night. Resell value sucks largely because of the trade in program, you can basically assume the MSRP price is listed minus trade in.

Is there any DAC that has a decent resale value after a few years?

I think the Stellar phono amp is a great value as well. Certainly punched above its weight compared to the competition when I bought it a few years ago. Prices have gone way up, though, so I’m not sure that is still true.

Interesting, hopefully PS Audio will take on board the positive from the negative.

Love the Good, Bad & Ugly series.. Also watch many of the PS Audio vids. These vids are more informative (for me) though..

I've owned PS Audio gear for about 5 years and have been very happy with the sound of the gear. I justtook advantage of their trade in deal to get the mk2 dac by turning in my mk1, it was a substantial savngs and the mk2 in my opinion is better than the mk1 was. I bought a used pair of m700 amps in 2019 for a good price but decided against the BHK preamp because I did not like it's control setup, I don't like multifunction knobs. I picked up a Rogue RP5 that was a year old and am very happy with the RP5 - M700 sound. did have to send the RP5 back last fall because the digital volume was acting up. The repair was quick and reasonably priced (225 plus shipping). One niggle I have with the PS Audio mk and mk2 dacs is their remote sensor does not work if your over 45 degrees off axis - the RP5 is fine with that.