My experience echos the OP's when I did the same upgrade. It was a noticeable improvement which even my significant other noticed despite me not telling here I made any changes.
That's my litmus test.
Comments on NODE 3 Power Supply Upgrade
I added a PD Creative power interface and a Teddy Pardo linear power supply to my NODE 3 N130. I’m not a critical listener and have high frequencies hearing loss. My memory of the “pre-upgrade” sound of my system is lost. Here’s what I think I hear after the upgrade:
1. More treble, so I turned it down 1.5db
2. Better vocals which stand out more, sound more real, more detail and decay
3. More bass, maybe I need to turn down subs to center of the dials
4. More decay overall for a more airy sound.
Im not sure if these are real or imagined. The difference is not a definite “wow”, but any improvement is acceptable. The sound is definitely not worse and sounds good to me. Any comments to help me evaluate this for future upgrades such as a DAC are appreciated.
5 responses Add your response
I’d add the Musician Pegasus DAC (I own it BTW) to your list as it’s priced closer to the Ares ll but performs more like the Pontus ll. Here’s a review fyi… https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/musician-audio-pegasus-r2r-dac-review/ I’d also consider the Gustard R26 if you’re considering the X26 Pro. Here’s a review of that as well… Best of luck. |
ianrmack Good to hear! I’ve had 3 recommended DAC’s that stand out for use with the NODE: Pontus II, NJC and Gustard X26 Pro. I am sure there are others, especially at higher price points. The Aires II, Topping, SMSC and others I’ve had some + and some -. ‘Which upgrade did you add first? How did the SQ improvement of each compare?
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I have a Node "3" with a Teddy Pardo LPS and think it sounds great. Better soundstage, music separation and a more sophisticated presentation overall. And I use an external DAC (Denafrips Pontus II). Same as when a took that sme TD LPS and put it on a Chord Qutest. I think my Node/Tessy system is hard to beat. |
I upgraded the Node N130 with the PD Creative internal PCB, but also bought the PD Creative PSU. I've now sold this all, and changed streamers. I can't say I observed a rise in the treble, but did notice a significant drop in the noise floor. I also noticed a much more relaxed presentation. I was also using an external DAC by the time I upgraded the Node, but the upgrade was still a significant improvement from the vanilla, factory Node as a Streamer only Hope this help, good luck 👍 |