PS Audio Slashes Price of Entry-level Integrated Amp To Cater to Under-40 Audience

Developing the future of the high-res audio industry “is far more important than maintaining standard margins,” said PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan Friday, so the company is slashing the price of its entry-level Sprout integrated amplifier from $799 to $499. PS Audio bowed Sprout last year, aiming to reach under-40 consumers, “but it wasn’t a home run with the target audience,” said McGowan, saying $799 was "just too expensive." McGowan called Sprout a “leap of faith” for PS Audio that required a “major investment that we’ve repaid, paving the way to restructured partner pricing.” The $499 price is a permanent change, not promotional pricing, and took effect Friday. The amp was designed to be a “simple, elegant solution” for playing music from records, CDs and smartphones in “smaller homes,” said the company.