Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power supply - first impressions
When I first got my SB3, I was not impressed with the noise floor or sonic characteristics of its analog output. I assembled a 5VDC/5AMP linear supply, and that improved the situation noticeably, but not enough in my view. The noise floor was still not as good as my inexpensive NAD CD player. The solution for me was to get an external DAC. After that the linear PSU was unnecessary. When using the SB3's optical digital out, the linear supply adds nothing. In my view the linear supply does not make an improvement worth its trouble. Upgrading to an external DAC (or upgrading to a Transporter) is worth the trouble. -Ron -- Ron F. *Squeezebox setup:* wireless SB3 - CI Audio VDA.2 DAC + VAC.1 PSU *Main rig:* NAD 7600 + NAD 2600A - Phase Tech PC-6.5 speakers *Headphone rig:* Headroom Max - Sennheiser 650s *Other stuff:* NAD C542 CDP, NAD 6300 Tape, Monster 5100 Power conditioner, Outlaw Audio cables Ron F.'s Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=5616 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35518 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power supply - first impressions
What was all the debate about I thought - would a regulated, linear supply really improve on the stock wall wart ? So after searching around for a suitable supply I came a cross an Acopian 5v, 5A (bit of overkill there perhaps) unit. This is fully boxed although AC input is by tag strip on the front so should be kept away from prying fingers etc. Anyway, from the first few seconds it was clear that something had changed - I was hearing new things from my FLAC recordings. There did not seem to be much change, if any, to frequency extension, dynamics or sound level. The best way I can describe it is that another veil has been lifted, lowering an already low noise floor to vanishingly low levels. I'm assuming that this has allowed more ambient musical information to come through unimpeded. Images seem a little more three dimensional, stage width now easily exceeds the outside edge of the loudspeakers, pianos seem to have taken on a new breadth. Whether this is a result of the power feed to the SB3, or a reduction in switch mode artefacts not reaching the digital processing sections of my Lyngdorf (TACT) amp I couldn't say. But there has, for me, been a worthwhile improvement, made all the better considering the great price I got the Acopian for ! System: FLAC / QNAP TS201 NAS / SB3 wireless, digital out / Lyngdorf TDA2200+ (inc DAC) / Martin Logan Prodigies -- liffy99 liffy99's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7832 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35518 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power supply - first impressions
Glad to know the linear PS worked out for you. 5A is not overkill. My Super Squeezebox's PS is rated at a whooping 12A!!! -- crooner Customized dual chassis Super Squeezebox EAD DSP-7000 Series III DAC with HDCD and mods. VPI Scout with Benz Micro Glider M2 Audio Research PH3, SP16L and VS110 Vandersteen 2Ce signatures, 2W subwoofer. crooner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3379 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35518 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power supply - first impressions
liffy99;203943 Wrote: Whether this is a result of the power feed to the SB3, or a reduction in switch mode artefacts not reaching the digital processing sections of my Lyngdorf (TACT) amp I couldn't say. But there has, for me, been a worthwhile improvement, made all the better considering the great price I got the Acopian for ! Maybe it's the power of expectation... TD -- tyler_durden tyler_durden's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2701 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35518 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power supply - first impressions
liffy99;203943 Wrote: Anyway, from the first few seconds it was clear that something had changed - I was hearing new things from my FLAC recordings. There did not seem to be much change, if any, to frequency extension, dynamics or sound level. The best way I can describe it is that another veil has been lifted, lowering an already low noise floor to vanishingly low levels. I'm assuming that this has allowed more ambient musical information to come through unimpeded. Images seem a little more three dimensional, stage width now easily exceeds the outside edge of the loudspeakers, pianos seem to have taken on a new breadth. If the improvement is in the noise floor, you can hear it much better without music playing. Either mute the SB or play a completely silent track (there are many ways to make one if you can't find one to download somewhere) and just listen to your speakers with your ear close to the tweater, and with the amp/SB volumes maxed or high. I've been able to hear a (very slight) difference between different RCA interconnects that way, but replacing the SB supply with a linear had no effect at all. Given that those are absolutely ideal conditions for hearing a difference, I concluded that the linear supply made no change in the noise floor of my system. I'd be curious to know if the same is true for you (and if you try it, unplug the wallwart from the wall while testing the linear to be sure there's no RFI contributing). -- opaqueice opaqueice's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4234 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35518 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
