PS Audio Stella Strata

IF you are exploring to purchase the PS AUDIO STRATA, I share my experience with you on this product:

I have owned the Stella Strata for about two months and to be blunt, it's been nothing short of a nightmare.

Basically the unit's streaming software does not work.

The unit repeatedly locks-up despite a few half hearted firmware updates released in May 2020:

Version 1.2.29
Date May 30, 2020
File image.bin
Description
Initial release.
 Fixes for logo led blinking and unit lockup
 Fixes for audio playing at zero volume
 Fixes for factory reset menu
 Fixes for no audio when playing SACDs via DMP hooked to Strata
 Fix for buttons not showing on pop-ups
 Fix for wifi enable
 Space char added to password character set.

This issue was well documented amongst the beta testers. I naively trusted PS Audio had fixed the issue when released it mid-2020.

As of Dec. 2021, even PS Audio customer support no longer responds as they have no clue on how to resolve this issue.

Despite a decent SQ, I strongly advise avoiding the PS Audio Strata.

It's clearly not ready for primetime and is cynically released to the public.

*As a follow-up - I ended up purchasing a $400 iFi streamer to bypass the software of a $3000 machine.

Just a complete waste of time and money. If you're an international customer, good luck with after-sales support

Thanks for the detailed information. Obviously I will be looking at other options.

This guy above same name as product has vengeance. He post 10 time all over about same amp. He hold his bat out for ps audio. Go bat. Maybe he have point but maybe loose cannon or wife go with ps audio warehouse employee you don’t know less you call ps ask report back. This guy hurt everyone else that own amp and maybe poor communication crazy guy. Maybe he better communicate clinton and he amp blue dress who know?