firedog;332152 Wrote: > > Like all consumer components, the units are produced to hit a price > point, and compromises are made. So I don't buy your point at all. In > fact, the PS would be an obvious place to compromise, b/c it is not a > "marketable" type of component and one consumers don't pay attention > to. Not following what I am trying to get across with the SB3 and Duet, not that it cant be done with a lot of effort and modification, but that it cant be done Just by adding a linear power supply. Yes the quickest way to improve an audio device is to put more money into the internal power supply parts. Which can't be easily done with a Duet or SB3! The issue is that one is not replacing the "different" voltage sources that need to be addressed. We all know the Duet and SB were built to a price point. Which is one reason they have the PS they do. It is also the reason that replacing them will have little to no effect on what one hears at their speakers!
The main issue, again, is that the OEM PS feeds other switchers inside the unit itself. So putting a nice linear PS feeding the same 5VDC that the OEM PS does, is not that much of a change. Each required DC voltage inside the unit should be feed with its own regulated linear supply when trying to make enough improvement for one to "hear" results. The main exception to this is if one hears PS noise from the wall wart, then one has to decide if several hundred dollars is worth it to be rid of the PS noise or if it is easier to move system components around to solve the issue. And again if a linear power supply were really going to have a huge overall impact on the unit, Slim Devices would probably have included one by raising the price point slightly and using the economy of scale to produce one at an acceptable price. Would it be a pretty one off like the Channel Islands, no but it would get the job done at a price point. The main reason they probably didn't even think about this is because there are switchers inside the units. I have built a multiple voltage supply for an SB3 as well as an all battery multiple voltage supply for the same unit. The only noticeable item that stood out after all that effort was that on "some" music the bass had a slightly perceived increased depth and tightness. The majority of the music showed no benefit. Putting a linear power supply on the SB3 doesn't cause the DAC to suddenly open the sound stage, increase the depth, add air to the highs, or improve the midrange for that matter. The internals are fairly well matched to the OEM power that is available to them. If I had to render a personal opinion as to what might be the reason for the perceived change, I would put my money on the total available current these two power supplies made available to the SB3 (basically unlimited as far as the SB3 is concerned). And again this was with all the effort to disable/bypass the internal switchers/regulators. The OEM power supply is not all that lacking considering it is used to feed internal switchers. If somebody just has to upgrade their SB3 or Duet power supply, I recommend that one buy another switcher of the correct DC output voltage that has a minimum of 3 amps of available current that sell for around $30. firedog;332152 Wrote: > I'm really only interested in the Slim Devices units as digital > transporters for computer audio. So really my question is, is the > digital output of the SB3/Duet the same quality as the TP? If not, will > mods such as PS mod make a difference? > > Thanks for your time and attention. As a digital transport, I still believe that the Transporter has the edge even if somebody believes that "Digital is Digital". It is the quality of how the data information is handled and processed before being passed to the digital outs. There is also the fact that the Transporter handles additional digital formats over the Duet and SB3. And again, replacing the wall wart with a linear power supply "IS NOT" going to make a Duet or SB3 "equal" a Transporter even as a digital transport only! -- iPhone *iPhone* 'Last.FM' (http://www.last.fm/user/mephone) Media Room: Transporter, VTL TL-6.5 Signature Pre-Amp, Ayre MX-R Mono Blocks, Vandersteen Quatro, VeraStarr 6.4SE 6-channel Amp, VCC-5 Reference Center, four VSM-1 Signatures, Runco RS 900 CineWide AutoScope 2.35:1 Living Room: Duet, ADCOM GTP-870HD, Cinepro 3K6SE III Gold, Vandersteen Model 3A Signature, Two 2Wq subs, VCC-2, Two VSM-1 Bedroom: SB3, NAD C370, Thiel 2.3 Home Office: SB3, Parasound Vamp v.3, VSM-1 Sigs Mobile: SB3, Audioengine A5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ iPhone's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=13622 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=51079
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