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Reasonably-Priced Linear Power Supply for WIMM Pro Plus Streamer

I just received my WIIM Pro Plus streamer for my second system, which is most often played at a low or moderate volume level..  Set up was prompt and simple, using my iPad zero for set-up and operation.  It feeds music to my Rega Brio integrated amplifier and Paradigm Premiere 200b bookshelf speakers.  The sound is excellent,  it I wonder if going from ehat appears to be a phone charger wall wart (USB-C) to a linear power supply would make an improvement in the sound quality and what options there might be, not to exceed the roughly $200 price of the Pro Plus.  BTW, although both the Pro Plus and  the Brio have internal DACs, I am using a Schiit Modi 3+ DAC in the system.  I will do a comparison of the three DACs to see if there is a significant difference in sound quality.  If not, I can simplify things by using one of the internal DACs.  

mike4597

Showing 2 responses by lanx0003

lanx0003
1,235 posts
 

LHY LPS15VA — 5V / 2.5A (max), sufficient for your application. I purchased one from AliExpress. Nice build quality. It stays cool to the touch even after hours of operation and is dead quiet. It has a rated ripple noise of 16 µV rms at no load and 150–200 µV rms at full load, which is much better than other well-known popular LPS units, and it was very affordable at \$69 at the time. You can probably still find it for under $100 today.

That said, I must honestly inform you that, between the Wiim Pro Plus and the Schiit DAC I owned, it paired with the DAC (definitely a noticeable improvement) better than with the Wiim when compared to the iFi iPower2. Here’s the thing worth knowing: the iFi iPower2 has an extremely low ripple noise, down to 1 µV, so why is it outperformed by an equally affordable LPS made in China? The key factor is that an LPS is inherently more effective because the iPower2 is still an SMPS, and SMPS units generate a lot of switching noise.  Okay, time is up bye.

lanx0003
1,235 posts
 

The issue with the Topping LPS is twofold (no offense intended). First, it generates a lot of heat. Second, its maximum output is limited to 1A—seemingly enough for a WiiM or most DACs, but lacking the headroom to handle dynamic peaks. I tried it and returned it. Ideally, one should look for an LPS rated at least 2A.

 

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