Ps Audio

PS Audio Sprout100 Integrated Amplifier

Name: PS Audio Sprout100 Integrated Amplifier
Brand: Ps Audio
Price: 1495.0 AUD
Availability: InStock

$1,495.00 AUD

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Sprout100

As PS Audio's newest, first-tier integrated amplifier, Sprout100 represents our vision of a simple, elegant means of playing music at home.

Sprout represents our vision of a simple, elegant means of playing music at home. We created it for those of us who want quality sound without the hassles that sometimes come with it. Sprout features a phono preamplifier for vinyl, a Bluetooth receiver for music streamed from smartphones, a high-quality hi-res DAC to handle anything stored on a computer, enough power for any speaker, and a headphone amp that drives even the toughest loads. Roughly the size of a large novel, Sprout100 is a source of music for those who want quality sound without the hassles that come with it.

Design

Designed to be compact and elegantly versatile, Sprout100 brings the content of yesterday to the technology of today. Sprout100 offers a maximum-resolution DAC, a variable subwoofer mono output, full RCA analog in/out connectors, a world-class RIAA phono-stage, a z-feedback low impedance headphone amplifier, and a universal internal power supply that allows you to take your new integrated amplifier abroad for maximum flexibility. Adorned with real walnut and machined aluminum knobs, each and every Sprout100 is unique.

Application

Sprout100's ease of use makes it appealing and accessible to those who would find most audio gear intimidating. Sonically notable for its lucid spatial detail, acute tonal retrieval, and commanding noise immunity, Sprout100 is equipped to drive your loudspeakers and headphones better than ever. For those seeking a better, simpler way to play music in their home, Sprout100 will fill your living room, bedroom, or any room with enormous, live sound. Sprout100 provides quality without complication.

Technology

Overview

Sprout is a simple, elegant source of music for those who want quality sound without the hassles that come with it. Sprout was designed by PS Audio's Scott McGowan as an answer to the complexity and cost of Audiophile systems. Appealing to the eye and ear, solid and reassuring to the touch, Sprout’s ease of use makes it appealing and accessible to music lovers around the world. It features a phono preamplifier for vinyl, a Bluetooth receiver for music streamed from smartphones, a high-quality hi-res DAC to handle anything stored on a computer, enough power for any speaker, and a headphone amp that drives even the toughest loads.

Inputs

To ensure the best possible vinyl reproduction, we engineered a brand-new hybrid circuit design that incorporates a JFET input stage, to lower noise and increase headroom, and a passive high-frequency RIAA circuit, for extended and nuanced high-frequency response. Optimized to the cutting edge of digital playback, Sprout100 also employs an ultra high-resolution ESS Sabre DAC (9016) with USB-B input that accepts resolutions up to PCM 384/24 and DSD128: bit-perfect playback for your high-rez computer audio, video, and gamin applications. An optical (toslink) input allows you to incorporate a TV or other modern digital device with your new system. Bluetooth offers versatility, convenience, and one-touch access to a world of content.

Power

Equiped with bleeding-edge ICEpower amplifier technology, the Sprout100 offers 100 watts per channel, with peaks of up to 135 watts per channel. The Sprout100 also features a built-in subwoofer output (mono RCA, variable), allowing you all the rumble you want with the powered subwoofer of your choosing. With one of the finest headphone amplifiers made, the Sprout100 honors and respects the music with a low-impendance z-feedback circuit that is capable of driving virtually any pair of headphones you can throw at it with perfect transient impulse response. Slewing at an unheard of 1,300-volts/microsecond, the Sprout100's headphone amp produces lucid spatial detail and acute tonal retrieval.

Features

Full featured integrated amp
100 watts per channel power amp
Drives any sized loud speaker
Aluminum remote control
RCA analog inputs
DAC supports 384/24 or double rate dsd
Passive EQ moving magnet phono preamp
Low output headphone amp
Toslink digital input
USB input
Built-in bluetooth receiver
Manual input selector
32ω: 500mw headphone output
300ω: 125mw headphone output
Optional bass boost
Signal to noise ratio 100db at 4ω
Thd <0.01% (1w, 1khz into 4 ohms)
Indicator light
6Ft Regional Power Cord
4x Banana adapters
2x sprout decals
Owner's manual
Dimensions: 6.2″W x 8.2″L x 1.9″H

Specifications

Physical
Unit Weight	2.9 lbs [1.3 kg]
Unit Dimensions	Width 6.2″, Height 1.9″, Depth 8.2″ (chassis only, not including knobs) or 9.2” (including connectors and knobs)
Shipping Weight	5lbs [2.2 kg]
Shipping Dimensions	Width 10.5″, Height 5″, Depth 14″
Power requirements
Voltage Options	100-240 VAC, 50-60Hz, Auto-Detect
Power Consumption	280W Maximum
Mains Power Input	IEC C14
Phono Audio Input
Connector	1 Stereo Pair, Phono RCA
Cartridge type	Moving Magnet
Cartridge Output	3mV-10mV (5mV recommended)
Cartridge Loading	47KΩ (100pF)
EQ Type	RIAA
Gain	+40dB
S/N ratio	>84dB A-weighted (analog output)
Analog Audio Inputs
Connector	1 Stereo Pair, Line Level RCA
Maximum Input level	2.1VRMS (+6.44dBV)
Input impedance	10KΩ
Analog Audio Output
Connector	1 Stereo Pair, Line Level RCA
Output level, maximum	3.0VRMS (+9.5dBV)
Output Max Gain (using Analog Inputs)	8.45dB
S/N ratio	>105dB (3VRMS ref)
THD (Analog)	<0.01% (1VRMS, 1KHz)
S/PDIF Digital Input
Connector	Optical (Toslink)
Format	PCM (96KHz max), 24 bits
USB Input
Connector	USB “B” Type
Format	PCM (384KHz max), 24 bits, DSD64 (DoP), DSD128 (DoP)
Transfer mode	Asynchronous
Bluetooth
Antenna	Built in
DAC	Uses Sprout’s built in asynchronous DAC over S/PDIF (ESS Sabre 9016 DAC)
Stereo Power Amplifier Output
8Ω loudspeakers connected	50 watts per channel, both channels driven
4Ω loudspeakers connected	100 watts per channel, both channels driven
THD (Speaker Output)	<0.01% (1W, 1KHz into 4Ω)
Frequency Response	+/- 1dB (1VRMS out, 20Hz – 20Khz into 4-8Ω)
Signal to Noise	>100dB at max power into 4Ω
Headphone Output
32Ω headphones connected	500mW
300Ω headphones connected	125mW
THD	<0.01% (1KHz, 50mW into 32 Ω)
Signal to Noise	>105dB at max power into 300Ω

Reviews

INDUSTRY

With the release of its next-generation Sprout100, PS Audio has succeeded in making the tired terms “new and improved” actually mean something by addressing many real-world audio needs. There are upgraded features outside and updated technologies inside. Sonically, you get more headroom, heft, and body, plus greater substance and resolution. Revisiting my review of the original Sprout, I can say that my conclusion still rings true: “The Sprout offers plenty of quality without complication. Just connect the little guy and use the knobs on the front. For simplicity, versatility, portability,...

...the Sprout100 / ELAC Debut 2.0 system is in every respect a winner. While you won’t get everything, where would you put it (thanks, Steven Wright), what you will get is a hifi capable of mating you to your music in meaningful ways. I also find the Sprout to be one heck of a nice looking piece of kit, better looking in fact than the endless parade of black metal box w/silver faceplate clones. Sprout has character, and wood! What more can you ask?
Based on my experience, if you decide to buy the PS Audio Sprout100 and the ELAC Debut 2.0 speakers, I can safely extrapolate from that...

It could welcome new folks to hi-fi and greet them with enough quality to keep them in the freakin' game. The Sprout100 is certainly hi-fi, and as far as New Record Day is concerned, it's one of the most thorough examples of what hi-fi should and can be.
It's a no-brainer. It's a no-brainer!!

The Sprout100 is quite a few steps beyond what you’d get with a $1,000 AVR. It’s just better…. You’re going to be …experiencing sound in a way that’s just going to blow you away. You’re going to be absolutely stunned by how good this thing sounds.

So, there you have it. Whereas I found the original Sprout to be important, but not necessarily a complete success, I think PS Audio got things very right with the updated Sprout100. Great sound, great ergonomics, a well thought out feature set that does everything that is important in this price range and does it quite well. And it does it all at a lower price than the original. There's a reason I gave it a Writer's Choice award. Very highly recommended.

It’s obvious a lot of thought, passion, and heart went into the design of the Sprout100. It has been beautifully voiced by some hardcore music lovers. At only $599 (which is cheaper than my USB cable) I consider the Sprout100 to be one of the best-kept secrets in audio. One of those rare times you could steal your cake and eat it too.

The Sprout100 seems born to stream music and play vinyl via a low-cost MM cartridge. Its best trait was that it made recordings sound tuneful and attractive. Its worst trait was that it made recordings sound tuneful and attractive. It did not do such audiophile tricks as strong, tight bass, precise imaging, transparency, or airy highs. It just played music enjoyably.

Who says really sexy audiophile gear needs to be expensive? This $599 integrated amp is the perfect gateway into our hobby, with modern connectivity and simple operation. You have to start somewhere and $599 isn't too bad for a component this nice and this well-connected.

The brushed aluminum-clad remote control that comes with the Sprout100 is a definite upgrade over the credit-card types you get with some gear. It has a substantial feel when seated in the hand, and its power, mute, and volume up/down control buttons click audibly when pressed. I was happy to see a printed owner’s manual—an endangered species in the A/V world—when I opened the box, especially an informative, clearly written one.

I think I have a Sprout100 in my future.

Like many in our generation, I fulfilled my audio needs with receivers....But now, having tried the Sprout100, I’m reconsidering. The Sprout100 isn’t a receiver, but an integrated amplifier in a small size that packs quite a punch. 10.5 inches across, 5 inches high and 14 inches deep, it weighs in at under 3 pounds. But in the aluminum box with a wood veneer top is up to 100 watts of speaker output per channel, more than enough to drive my big floor speakers to room-shaking loudness (I cranked it up when the Mrs. was out on an errand). I’m not an...

The detail and depth are just striking. It’s still the channel separation and imaging that is grabbing me hardest...I’ve never had this disc startle me. I turned around because one of the voices came from behind me. This is two channel that I’m listening to. The Sprout has opened up the soundstage so wide that it played a ventriloquist act. I’ve never had a piece of gear do that in this room. The second track sounds like a drum circle in the room.

I had some reservations about the original Sprout due to its always-on loudness curve and lower-than-I-usually-need power output capabilities. The new Sprout100 eliminates both of those concerns. Not only does it sound amazingly good, but it has enough of the right inputs and outputs to put together a first-rate, borderline drop-dead kick-ass desktop or even room-based audio system.

A Sprout, you say? Indeed, I’m speaking of PS Audio’s gateway drug into high-end audio, the venerable Sprout integrated amplifier/DAC/phono preamp. It seems that receipt of a Sprout has become something of a coming of age moment in my family. My daughter got the first generation sample I reviewed when she was a junior in college, having moved out of the dorms and into a place of her own with a bunch of other collegiate ladies.

…Ultimately, as with the original Sprout, I had to conclude that one of the best attributes of the Sprout 100 is that it serves to bring generations of people...

I pulled out about $6,000 worth of amp and preamp and stuck the $599 Sprout between a pair of Legacy Classic speakers on the output side and about $12,000 worth of MC cartridge, tonearm, turntable, phono cable and phono stage on the input side of the Sprout using the analog input. Not a fair test at all. I was setting up the Sprout to fail. It was surprising easy to listen to. Very non-fatiguing. Not grainy or crappy at all. This $600 unit held its own.

This is the new vintage integrated amp. And with Bluetooth and all those other features this could be the entry level integrated that you...

The Sprout100 ticks all the boxes and then some. It poses a headscratcher of a question itself: What does it not do for $599? And as you can see from the specs listed below, "not much" is the answer. How one judges PS Audio’s latest incarnation is a matter of perspective, so I’m going to look at it as the core of 3 systems: starter, office, and travel. Normally, specifications find themselves at the end of a piece, but the Sprout100 is nothing short of extraordinary for the price.

I began this review by stating that PS Audio was once considered the poor man’s budget audiophile gear, and the PS Audio Sprout100 continues that tradition without reservation. Providing a large soundstage with excellent dynamics, a great tonal balance and musicality sufficient to tame the occasionally edgy SABRE DAC chip, while able to drive anything from the most sensitive of IEMs to reference quality planar magnetics, the Sprout100 has earned a place as one of my three favorite DAC/Headphone Amplifiers under $1,000, and is only bested by the Modwright/Oppo DAC, as an ESS based DAC.

The...

...to see how the Sprout100 can handle these very serious speakers that cost $15K per pair, with a frequency response down to 29 Hz. We jumped right to it and played Bela Fleck’s classic cut Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. The Sprout100 drove them well, displaying more depth, more bass, more presence and shaking my couch. Of course they did not yield the sound quality that the Celesta shows off with when paired with my 700 W per channel reference mono blocks, and peripheral reference equipment—but confirming that a $599 Sprout100 can drive these speakers was a revelation.

At the mere price of...

I watched a few episodes of Handmaid's Tale Season 2 on Hulu with the Sprout 100 and the LS50s, and the sound was so good I didn't miss a center channel speaker (in part because I was sitting equidistant from the left and right speakers). Stereo imaging was broad and sharply focused in ways you'll never hear from a sound bar.

So yes, the PS Audio Sprout 100 is an overachiever, just pair it with a good set of speakers and you'll be good to go...

PS Audio knows the importance of maintaining tonal integrity and placing musicality above all else. No matter how smartly engineered, elegant, or expensive a piece of gear is…it’s fruitless if it ignores these key ingredients. These qualities are what makes something captivating and keeps you in your seat.

It’s obvious a lot of thought, passion, and heart went into the design of the Sprout100. It has been beautifully voiced by some hardcore music lovers. At only $599 (which is cheaper than my USB cable) I consider the Sprout100 to be one of the best-kept secrets in audio. One of those rare...

The Sprout 100 is a musical integrated amp that gives you so much for your money. The Headphone Amp/DAC alone is worth what they charge for this thing, but then when you factor in the power amp that drives speakers down to 4 ohms, the Bluetooth streaming, phono pre-amp, etc. you can see this product is an excellent value.

This integrated would be a perfect product for young guys putting together their first hi-fi setup, or someone who wants a quality amp and doesn’t have a lot of room to spare. It would also make a great anchor for an excellent desktop setup.

All in all, though the Sprout...

AWARDS

2019 Recommended Component Award from Stereophile

2019 Sprout100 Golden Ear Award from The Absolute Sound

2019 Sprout100 Exceptional Value Award from Tone Audio

2018 Sprout100 Product of 2018 from Audio Bacon

Sprout100 Writers’ Choice Award from Positive Feedback

Sprout100 Brutus Award 2018 From Positive Feedback

Sprout100 Best of 2018 Award from Home Theater Review

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PS Audio Sprout100 Integrated Amplifier