Does anyone have any experience in comparing the following external linear power supplies: SBooster (most expensive) Small Green Computet iFi Power Supplies (least expensive) ?
I am interested in effectiveness, and bang for the buck.
I would use one of these to Power a Chord Qutest, a SugarCube SC-2 and a Massdrop THX AAA Headphone amp.
You would need a separate power supply for each of these because they have different DC voltage requirements and different connections.
The iFi power supply might be better than some stock power supplies, but it’s still a wal-wart switching power supply. I would avoid it if you can afford the better ones.
If you’re on a budget, I have had good results with the China Teradak linear power supplies. Here is one with a 5V micro-USB cord for the Chord Qutest.
kingbarbuda Go with the Small Green Computer 200W unit. It offers 4 variable outputs. Andrew is great with support.
"Independent 19VDC, 12VDC, and 2 x variable Outputs can power four devices simultaneously"
The variable Outputs range from 3.3v to 15V.
I use the 100W unit (no longer made) and it is quality unit. The included cables are a great starting point, however, you will get additional performance gains by going with custom DC cables. I use Ghent.
If you believe in a separate power supply for each unit you need to power, then go the SBooster route. There are other options as well.
I don't know if this will help but I've powered my Qute EX DAC with an iFi Power and a Teddy Pardo. The Teddy Pardo was the better of the two. I heard no difference between the stock Chord power supply and the iFi Power.
I've also powered my microRendu with an iFi Power and a Small Green Computer 7V. I won't look further than the Small Green Computer power supply. Great bang for the buck.
I've not used an SBooster but they are well-reviewed.
@elizabeth - that sounds right as the iFi is basically a switching power supply. I'm sure that's a big reason why melvinjames did not get an improvement with it.
That Massdrop THX AAA unit looks to require a 24V DC power supply, so you are likely going to have to have to have at least two external power supplies because this is a higher than normal voltage for these linear DC power supplies. Most small devices range 5-15V DC. Even the 200W Small Green Computer only has a 19V output (unless you can get them to custom build a power supply).
So, either a single SBooster or Teradak for that 24V Massdrop. Then you could try to find a dual-output power supply for the 12V SugarCube and the 5V Chord Qutest (with special micro-USB connector).
I suggest that you compare used lab grade supplies (e.g. HP / Agilant) with 'audiophile' stuff, spec by spec. Bet that used lab equipment gets you far more quality for far less money.
I don't completely know about that. I suspect that Lab grade units use switching power supplies because everything is controlled from a digital/computer circuit. I could be wrong, maybe there is a lab unit with linear power supply.
I use the Illuminati v3 power supply from Mojo-Audio. They are second to none. When I first plugged it into to my SoTM gear I was stunned. Highly recommended.
I have a small green computer 12v linear power supply and its does the job nicely, haven’t compared with S-booster but it is quite a bit better than the old switching power supply I started with, (using with SMS-200Ultra+
Auxinput, you have a point. I like the old stuff, and kind of assume that's all there is. If my supplies from the 70's are switchers, they sure do act like linear!
I'm wondering if it's worth putting a LPS on my Nighthawk Netgear router which is a 12v 3.5amp device per the wall wart. What changes in sound might I expect? I ethernet cable the router direct to my Lumin T2. Thanks for any insight.
@kingbarbuda For my modem and router, I purchased two of these LPS’s – with heatsinks.
As mentioned earlier, the LPS’s for the modem and router can get hot - especially, if someone else in the house is a gamer or watching a movie online. In my home, the modem & router are sitting unattended on top of a wooden cabinet. So, fire safety is a concern. I placed fire resistant material underneath as an additional precaution. Safety first & foremost.
For the digital components in my audio rig, I purchased two of these LPS’s – without heatsinks.
When I first turned them on, I was astounded. The SQ was much more bold with the music having body. An acoustic guitar sounded like it was in the room. These particular units utilize a different power regulator than the other LPS’s. Without heatsinks, these units never get warm to the touch - with the low draw digital audio components. But, when I tried one of these units with the modem or router, it got dangerously hot to the touch. I quickly returned it to where it was before.
Generally speaking: Having owned several brands of affordable LPS’s, I find it extremely difficult to determine if one is significantly better than the other. (I haven’t owned any expensive units such as Teddy Pardo or Paul Hynes or Empirical Audio Dynamo.) There are so many variables – type of transformer, quality of capacitors, internal wiring, connectors, etc. With a hi-rez system, a change in power cords will easily yield a different sonic signature. Another substantial improvement would be to replace the cheap manufacturer’s 12vdc umbilical cord with a quality cord from Acoustic BBQ. As long as the LPS meets the necessary specs for driving the component – and is from a reputable company with positive reviews - it will still be far superior than a wall wart.
@steakster Do you ever turn off the LPSs that power your modem and router? I ask because my modem and router always stay on. I'm interested in upgrading my router with an LPS but I'm concerned that it would get too hot even with heatsinks.
Have a look at The Linear Solution's website here. They offer a router, switch, linear power supplies, and a USB card for audio systems. I would appreciate if anyone shares their first hand experience with The Linear Solution's products.
I use many of the iFi low-noise power supplies. In my experience they are well-worth the money. Definitely better than the cheap wall warts that come with the equipment. I haven’t ventured into the linear power supply realm yet, but I have a Teradak linear power supply in the mail as I type this. I plan on using it to power my DAC. If I remember, I will post my impressions in this thread.
Reporting in after receiving my Teradak power supply and using it to power my DAC. I’ve only had one short listening session and what I notice off the bat is a small increase in detail and a reduction of digital glare. (The annoying sibilance in the singer’s voice and with some instruments on certain tracks is diminished which is a good thing.) Does anyone know if power supplies have a break in period?
An update on my previous post after more listening: This upgraded linear power supply is way better than my previous power supply! I’m finding myself listening to the songs on CDs that I don’t normally listen to because this new power supply has given those tracks new life. Impressive. And this is one of the cheaper linear power supplies!
yup, linear power supplies have a break in period just like any other electronics. It would be anywhere from 100-300 hours based on your system and listening preferences.
Don’t know if it was break in or me adjusting to the sound but everything is sounding cleaner and more dynamic now! That’s with a linear power supply on my DAC. Does anyone know if I would get benefit out of a linear power supply on my tube buffer which sits between the DAC and power amp?
Sorry to gate crash but does anybody know of a unit that will provide dual 18volt outputs? Each unit is only 500ma. Or could be two separate 18vdc lps units if a dual unit does not exist.
I must be getting worse on my search terms for eBay as I could only find industrial and lab power supplies. Not that there is anything wrong with those of course.
@uberwaltz Check out the Y-cable by Ghent Audio by clicking here. Use this to connect two components from an LPS with a single output. Their build quality is high and their prices are low.
I recently purchased a full set of cables for the HDPLEX 400W HiFi DC-ATX from Ghent. It helped remove grain from my computer system. I'm sure that their DC cables can provide an improvement as well.
I received this LPS last week to power my modem. The seller was able to install a 2.1mm output jack upon my request because it's much easier to find or make DC cables for this plug type.
The 2.1mm jacks are rated to handle from 3 to 7 amps depending on the make. The modem draws approximately 1.5 amps and the router approximately 3 amps. The 2.1mm jacks should do just fine powering either one of those components.
The first day of listening was tough because the sound was way too dynamic through my computer system streaming via WiFi. The living room setup is connected directly to the router and it sounded much clearer with less edginess. I moved the LPS to power the WiFi router the following day
(Netgear AC1750, 2.1mm plug was used).
The overall sound seems to improve every day. @auxinput was absolutely right about LPSs having a break-in period.
At this point, the LPS now has 150 hours running and my living room system finally sounds the way it should. The Ellam Flex 3W is projecting an improved 3D image forward, there's better separation of instruments, and the tonality is mesmerizing. I don't usually listen to latin jazz but that genre kept me glued to the sofa earlier today.
My computer system sounds dynamic with a wide open sound stage but I need more time to evaluate it. I've been spending most of my time in the living room listening.
Anyone who streams music needs to have an LPS for their router and modem. You may end up compensating elsewhere in your system for the dynamics and transparency that you otherwise would already have if you used LPSs in the first place.In fact, I'm thinking about changing a couple of resistors in the crossovers to attenuate the treble. This now seems necessary to balance out the newfound dynamic range.
I caution anyone who is intending to install an external linear power supply to a laptop. The laptop power supplies are not straight forward. They don't always send current and I believe they have battery charging circuitry built in. Also, some laptop power supplies provide both 12V and 19V DC.
This i can tell you not all LPS are Equal the best under $1k and I have compared them all in our audio group Linear Tube Audio ,it not onky weighs 6 pounds
but after looking under the cover nothing under $1000 is on par ,we have been comparing Anyone wanting solid advise ,email me I can give you a break down
The Chinese ones at small green computer are perfect for the modem,router combo ,and coming out of the dirty end ,Thst being said on the end point you absolutely want the best LPS as well as decent power cord ,and DC cable
Linear tube Audio ,even the DC cable is = to what others charge $100 for I have on my sonore deluxe it sounds great but needs a solid 100 hours runin.
I have a ZeroZone low noise LPS I bought on AliE a couple years ago, powering the TA2024 amplifier that drives my midrange and treble horns.
It's been on 24/7, never got too warm, DC output is extremely stable, never had an issue and more importantly it made this 200$ amp sound like it's a 2000$ amp!
I bought a Zero Zone last week to power my streamer and so far I am hearing a subtle difference in sound. I will wait and report back after 150-200 hours. Is an upgraded DC cable necessary? Daniel
Thanks for the question. Sorry for the delayed reply.
The one review I had found that used a separate power supply for a Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra streamer observed no improvement. I reread that review a long time later, and they used the Project Battery power supply.
The Teddy Pardo MiniTeddy is brilliant. Run it with a Mad Scientist Black Magic Ultra power cable, an SR Orange fuse, with Black Ravioli Pads underneath; I have a ’dead-silent’ system.
It’s good enough I’m now looking at a MiniTeddy for my wifi router.
@jerrybjthanks for your reply. I am using a Swagman Labs SE 18V power supply with my Pro-Ject Tubebox DS phono preamp, and it is excellent. Based on general positive reviews on forums, I just bought a Teddy Pardo Dual 5V/3A supply to power both my Chord Qutest DAC and my Bluesound Node N130. I have not installed the DC connection on the Node yet, but connected to the Qutest and with only 50 hours on it, the Pardo power supply is leaps and bounds better than the stock Chord switching supply. It is not even close, call me impressed. I am using a PC I built from Furutech parts with Pardo supply, fwiw.
The Teddy Pardo supply is also leaps and bounds better than the switching supply built into the Bluesound Node. My digital front end has now been improved across the board by adding the Pardo supply. Tighter bass, more detail across the frequencies, better attack and decay, more organic and natural sounding overall, and sibilance has been banished. I cannot really say enough good things about my experience with the dual 5V supply from Teddy Pardo.
@analoguefan How's the Zero Zone LPS going so far? Does it get hot to the touch? I'm interested in getting one for my streamer as well since the price looks reasonable. Can you link which model you got?
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