PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 vs HiFi Rose RS520 Detailed Comparison

PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 vs HiFi Rose RS520

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PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2

Integrated Amplifier | 100 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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HiFi Rose RS520

Integrated Amplifier | 250 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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PS Audio Stellar Str...

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HiFi Rose RS520

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PS Audio Stellar Str...

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HiFi Rose RS520

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PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 vs HiFi Rose RS520 Integrated Amplifier Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Stellar Strata MK2 and RS520, two Integrated Amplifiers from PS Audio and HiFi Rose. Let's have a brief look at the main features of PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 and HiFi Rose RS520 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2	HiFi Rose RS520
Power	MM phono input, two I2S inputs, Class A headphone amplifier.	250 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 250 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms
Amplifier class	Class D	Class AD
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
Phono input	MM	No
Headphone output	Yes	No
Bluetooth	No	Yes
App control	—	Yes
Weight	9.50kg / 20.9lbs	8.10kg / 17.8lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	2.80" x 17.00" x 13.50" 71 x 431.8 x 343 mm	5" x 13-5/8" x 12-7/8" 127.0mm x 346.0mm x 328.0mm

What size room are the PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 and HiFi Rose RS520 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	HiFi Rose RS520
Near-field	Poor	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Average	Bad
Mid-size Room	Good	Poor
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	Good

The sections below take each area in turn: power output, inputs and outputs, features and physical size.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 over HiFi Rose RS520

MSRP Price(*)	3,499USD vs 3,695USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
Headphone Output	Yes vs No	Connect your headphone to the amplifier
Height	71mm vs 127mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose HiFi Rose RS520 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
Watts into 8-ohms	250 watts vs 100 watts	Delivers higher power into 8-ohms speakers
Watts into 4-ohms	250 watts vs 150 watts	Delivers higher power into 4-ohms speakers
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)	0.007% vs 0.02% at 1kHz, 10W into 4 ohms	Less Harmonic Distortion
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Stream music via Bluetooth devices
USB Input	Yes vs	Connect Sources via USB
Base Surface Area	1134.0cm²/ 175.8inch² vs 1481.1cm²/ 229.6inch²	takes less space in your room

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 HiFi Rose RS520 differs from each other.

PS Audio Stellar Strata MK2 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 1
XLR Input Port

HiFi Rose RS520 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 1
1 Optical Digital Input
1 Coaxial Digital Input
USB Input:
- USB-B (connects to computer for music playback)
- 3 x USB-A(connecting the included Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dongles
- External DAC
- mass storage or HiFI Rose CD player)
Ethernet Port

Outputs

Yes Headphone Output

Outputs

Stereo RCA Preamp Outputs

HiFi Rose RS520 Back View (Click the image for the larger version)