External Power Supply For My Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport

@invalid Let me offer this - all power supplies are SMPS (they switch and the power is delivered in narrow current spikes with width dependent on the load). Some operate at 120Hz others at 100kHz and the best (like Rowland) at 1MHz. In linear supplies rectifier diodes get reverse polarized at the peak of 120Hz wave. For a moment they conduct in opposite direction creating big current spike. Faster diodes like Schottkys won’t help much since fast recovery (dv/dt) is even more dangerous. Narrow spike (fast snap back) contains pretty much all frequencies and will couple to any, even smallest inductance (like piece of trace). Some rectifiers like HEXFREDS offer slower snap back (softness of the diode). I don’t want to bother you with technical nonsense - just want to say that things are not as simple as they appear to be. Ears are the best guide.

So, you want to ensure that every piece of gear, wire, and cable is properly shielded. Aside from that, I also dislike the heat generated by LPS. I had a 5V/1A LPS before, and the heat it produced was unbelievable—worse than my Class A/B amp. Btw, the toroidal transformer inside may hum.

A properly designed SMPS may have lower noise than a linear supply, but how much noise do they radiate to other equipment?

+1 for upgrading to a better transport instead. To make up your mind just compare the internal components of 6000 CDT to, for example Teac VRDS 701T or Jays Audio transports. 

@kijanki  Benchmark reduced noise by 10dB by switching from linear power supply in DAC1 to SMPS in DAC2 and DAC3.  SMPS ... can be wonderful if done right.  My Benchmark AHB2 has SMPS and is very quiet.

PS Audio gear is switching to SMPS as well, according to Mr. Paul McGowan. Both the iFi iPower X and iPower 2 are SMPS with 1 microvolt (µV) ripple noise, while audiophile grade LPS typically has noise levels in a range of 25-100 µV. Technology advances, folks, just like class D.

I'd just like to take a moment and remind everybody that the prevalence of SMPS in digital applications is because they make absolutely no performance difference in the digital domain. And the low-voltage/multi Gigahertz requirements there are not insubstantial, far greater than the low bandwidth requirements of audio.

@audphile1   I believe there are fantastic power supplies in either technology, but SMPS are way more complex to design (and perhaps harder to repair).  Rowland's SMPS operate at extremely high switching frequency (incredible 1MHz) that is much easier to filter out than 120Hz in linear supplies.  Small ferrite couple of inch transformer operating at high frequency can deliver as much power as 50 lbs iron transformer operating at 60Hz.   

@kijanki good points. I have Chord Hugo TT2 that uses SMPS and sounds fine. It’s all in the quality of the SMPS and implementation. However, I do prefer a good quality and properly implemented linear power supply as in my experience the transients and dynamics are typically better with components utilizing linear supply with good filtering. 

In case of Audiolab, I wouldn’t screw around with the power supply there. But I would deaden the case - there are plenty of real estate there to apply some noise and vibration isolating Dynamat. Check out this video:

https://youtu.be/VoxC3st7WQw

I wouldn't pay too much attention to architecture of power supply.  There are extremely quiet resonant mode SMPS that switch at zero voltage / zero current, while Linear Power Supplies are in reality primitive switchers that operate at 120Hz producing a lot of high frequency noise (switching at max voltage) and the only "Linear" part of it is that they are line and load unregulated (at least in power amps).  Benchmark reduced noise by 10dB by switching from linear power supply in DAC1 to SMPS in DAC2 and DAC3.  SMPS got Really bad rap from noisy computer applications, but can be wonderful if done right.  My Benchmark AHB2 has SMPS and is very quiet.   All current Rowland products contain SMPS (even preamps). Why then well designed SMPS are not that popular?  Perhaps because of demand - people believe it has to be heavy to deliver a lot of power while "switching" has to be noisy.  After all class D is controlled SMPS.  If it is quiet enough for an amp it should be good enough just for power supply.

@mitch4t 

I also have the 6000CDT and will be curious to hear your progress. I also bought the TP power supply for my BS Node and it definitely made an improvement.

interesting. Ok. Considering the 6000CDT already has linear power supply and Teddy Pardo are mostly for units that utilize SMPS, not sure how that’s going to work. It would probably have to be an upgrade to the caps and transformer inside the 6000CDT. Which could be a worthwhile investment if you plan to keep the unit and not sell it - you will never recoup your investment with a modded component. 

I would just upgrade to a better transport instead, like Jay’s Audio.

rick_n :  THANK YOU!

audphile :  I would ask the guys at Teddy Pardo to make me a power supply and implement it.

OP asked, "How do bigger external power supplies improve source components?"

By reducing "noise" . Lowering the noise floor makes for a darker background allowing things to sound clearer.  External power supplies are always linear and will transform AC to the needed DC voltage for the component.  Lower level components (like your Node) will use an internal Switch Mode Power supply which are inexpensive but inherently noisy.  Better components will go the more costly route and have an internal Liner Power Supply that reduces the noise floor.  The best flagship components will separate the LPS into another chassis to get the noise floor as low as possible.  This is why you see many flagship components in the multi box configuration.  They have separated their LPS section.

6000CDT has linear power supply. See picture below.
What external power supply would you use and how would you implement it?

I had/have a 6000 for some 3 years. I replaced it a couple weeks ago with a Shanling ET3. I can't imagine an upgraded PS would come near how much better the ET3 is (MSRP $729)

HTH