PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 vs Hegel H150 Detailed Comparison

PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 vs Hegel H150

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PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2

Integrated Amplifier | 100 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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Hegel H150

Integrated Amplifier | 75 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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PS Audio Stellar Str...

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Hegel H150

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PS Audio Stellar Str...

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Hegel H150

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PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 vs Hegel H150 Integrated Amplifier Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Stellar Strata MK2 and H150, two Integrated Amplifiers from PS Audio and Hegel. Let's have a brief look at the main features of PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 and Hegel H150 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2	Hegel H150
Brand	PS Audio United States · founded 1973	Hegel Norway · founded 1988
Power	MM phono input, two I2S inputs, Class A headphone amplifier.	75 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms, rated at 1 kHz and 1% THD
Amplifier class	Class D	Class A/B
Damping factor	—	2000
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
Phono input	MM	Yes
Headphone output	Yes	No
Bluetooth	No	No
App control	—	Yes
Weight	9.50kg / 20.9lbs	9.71kg / 21.4lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	2.80" x 17.00" x 13.50" 71 x 431.8 x 343 mm	3-15/16" x 16-15/16" x 13-3/4" 100 x 430 x 350 mm

What size room are the PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 and Hegel H150 Amplifiers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these amplifiers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their max power parameters:

Listening Environment	PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2	Hegel H150
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Average	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	Average
Very Large Room	Poor	Poor

The rest of this page covers where each one wins, how they compare in size, their inputs and outputs, the full specifications and a verdict.

Reasons to choose PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 over Hegel H150

MSRP Price(*)	3,499USD vs 3,600USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
Watts into 8-ohms	100 watts vs 75 watts	Delivers higher power into 8-ohms speakers
Headphone Output	Yes vs No	Connect your headphone to the amplifier
Base Surface Area	1481.1cm²/ 229.6inch² vs 1505.0cm²/ 233.3inch²	takes less space in your room
Height	71mm vs 100mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Hegel H150 over PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2

Full-color Display	Yes vs No	Displays Album and device Info
App-Based Control	Yes vs None	Control the amplifier via an app
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)	0.01% vs 0.02% at 1kHz, 10W into 4 ohms	Less Harmonic Distortion
Total Analog Inputs	3 vs 1	More options for connecting Analog sources
PhonoInput	Yes vs No	Connect a turntable directly to your amp
USB Input	Yes vs	Connect Sources via USB
Radio Tuner	Internet radio vs Not stated	Built-in radio, so no extra box for broadcast listening

Size, drawn to scale

Both amplifiers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.

One scale for both, aligned at the back panels the way they would sit against a wall, so the deeper one visibly stands further out.

Near-identical footprints. Hegel H150 is 29mm taller.

Inputs and Outputs

The input and output selections that are offered is an important factor when comparing two amplifiers. Here you can find how the I/O selections of the PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 and Hegel H150 differs from each other.

PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 1
RCA Line Input
XLR Input Port

Hegel H150 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 3
RCA Line Input
Phono Input
2 Optical Digital Input
1 Coaxial Digital Input
USB Input:
- USB-B audio input plus USB-A 2.0 for playback from a drive (up to 10
- 000 songs)
Ethernet Port
XLR Input Port

Outputs

Yes Headphone Output

Outputs

One unbalanced variable RCA line out Preamp Outputs

Balanced connections

Both have balanced XLR connections. A balanced cable carries the signal twice, on two conductors of opposite polarity. Interference picked up along the way lands on both equally and cancels when the two are recombined at the far end, so the longer the cable run and the noisier the surroundings, the more it is worth. Whether it also yields more power depends on how the amplifier is built inside - some are balanced end to end, others convert to single-ended internally and deliver the same either way.

PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 vs Hegel H150 full specifications

Every spec we hold for both, side by side

Specification	PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2	Hegel H150
Overview
Brand	PS Audio	Hegel
Type	Streaming Integrated Amplifier	Streaming Integrated Amplifier
Category	–	Streaming Amplifier
Channels	2	2
Amplifier class	Class D	Class A/B
Output devices	Solid State	Solid State
Released	2023	October 2025
List price	$3,499	$3,600
Series	Stellar	H
Power and performance
Power into 8 ohms	100 W RMS	75 W RMS
Power into 4 ohms	150 W RMS	–
Power, as rated	MM phono input, two I2S inputs, Class A headphone amplifier.	75 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms, rated at 1 kHz and 1% THD
Minimum impedance	–	2 ohms
Damping factor	–	2000
Signal-to-noise ratio	–	100 dB
THD	0.02% at 1kHz, 10W into 4 ohms	0.01%
Frequency bandwidth	–	5 Hz-100 kHz
Digital and DAC
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
DAC chip	–	Hegel in-house DAC, 24-bit/192kHz over coaxial, USB and network
Max bit depth	–	24-bit
Max sample rate	–	192 kHz
Network and streaming
Wi-Fi	Yes	No
Ethernet	–	Yes
Bluetooth	No	No
Chromecast	–	Yes
Roon	–	Ready
Streaming services	–	Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz
Inputs
Analogue inputs	1	3
RCA inputs	Yes	Yes
XLR inputs	Yes	Yes
Phono input	MM	Yes
Phono type	–	MM
Optical digital	–	2
Coaxial digital	–	1
USB input	–	Yes
USB type	–	USB-B audio input plus USB-A 2.0 for playback from a drive (up to 10,000 songs)
HDMI input	No	No
Outputs
Preamp outputs	–	One unbalanced variable RCA line out
Headphone output	Yes	No
Speaker terminals	Binding posts	Binding posts
Features and control
Display	–	Yes
CD player	No	No
Radio tuner	–	Internet radio
Handheld remote	Yes	Yes
App control	–	Yes
RS232 port	–	No
Physical
Dimensions (H x W x D)	71 x 431.8 x 343 mm	100 x 430 x 350 mm
Dimensions, inches	2.80 x 17.00 x 13.50 inch	3-15/16 x 16-15/16 x 13-3/4 inch
Weight	9.50 kg (20.94 lbs)	9.71 kg (21.40 lbs)
Finishes	Black, Silver	Black
Removable power cord	IEC	–
Parts warranty	3 Years	–
Labour warranty	3 Years	–

A dash means the manufacturer does not publish that figure, or it does not apply. 53 specifications compared.

Verdict

No single best amplifier here. What decides it is what you have to drive, what you need to plug in, and how much of the system you want in one box.

Area	Better	Why
Power	A	PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 has more power - 100W against 75W into 8 ohms. That is about 1.2dB, which is a small step in loudness but real headroom on peaks.
Built-in DAC	evenly matched	Both have a DAC on board with much the same capability.
Analogue inputs	B	Hegel H150 takes more analogue sources - 3 against 1.
Headphones	depends	Only PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 has a headphone output. Worth something if you listen late, nothing if you never do.
Amplifier class	depends	PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 is Class D and Hegel H150 is Class A/B. Class D runs cool and draws almost nothing at idle; Class A/B runs warm and is the long-established mainstream choice. Modern examples of both measure well - judge by the rest of the page.
Price	evenly matched	Priced within a few per cent of each other.
Watts per dollar	A	PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 is the cheaper watt - about $35 per watt against $48. A blunt measure, and it says nothing about how either sounds, but it is the honest one for raw output.

A PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 B Hegel H150
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both amplifiers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 has the edge on paper, though not by much. The rows marked "depends" are more likely to decide this than the score is.

What a spec sheet cannot show: how either sounds with your speakers, how the controls feel day to day, and what the app is like to live with - which is where most all-in-one amplifiers are actually won or lost. Power figures are the manufacturers' own and are not measured to a common standard, so treat small differences as noise. If you can hear both, that will tell you more than any row above.