Best linear power supply for Nucleus now?

So are you saying that there isn’t a single thing inside the machine that runs on 19v? Say it isn’t so?!

Well, your ears is definitely the most important instrument :joy:

I once added Uptone Audio LPS1.2 to a Squeezebox Touch. The changes was crazy.

Power supplies can be measured. SQ can’t. Even your hearing can be measured, but the results has probably nothing to do with SQ.

It’s wildly reported over at Audiophilestyle.com that different power supplies matters.

Good designed DAC’s as an example that spends a lot in sever power supplies, and don’t mix powering digital and analogue circuits. They do for a reason.

You should google a bit in order to find the answer.

What equipment do you have that we can test a power supply on ?

Let me also add, I never add an audiophile PS to a PC, as I believe it’s an good idea to stay away from PC in audio. However I of cause have a Roon server, that may or may not benefit from a better PS.

But if so, I would need my SonicTransporter i5 to move closer to my audio gear.
I don’t think that PS matter at all when it’s remote placed. Hence why it’s remote.
(So is the Tidal source :grinning:)

And if I move it closer, I would probably separate the network by an opticalModule (I have one), which I would give a good PS. (Also have).

Since I already have the opticalRendu as well as the etherRegen with an external clock, the difference I would here in my case, may not exist at all.

So point here is things may be very system dependent. Even with good measurements…

What we’re doing isn’t an exact science. But there is some things that most people can agree upon. Like MP3 sounds different from hires. And where is that measurement ?

As it is accepted that low noise power supplies is best. And you can actually measure them.

Finally, it’s possible to build fantastic endpoints by using a PC with the correct parts. And that is definitely not standard SMPS.

You get what you pay for. Quite often.

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I have. I have yet to find any evidence that adding a linear power supply to a PC (which is what the Nucleus is) makes a difference. If you know of such evidence, I’d like to know about it.

I mean, think about it. What a Nucleus does is perform computation on data. To improve SQ, you’d need to somehow make the computation in the PC better – and different. How would that happen? Would the LPS somehow reduce the number of floating-point errors? What?

Well, I can believe that you pay for what you get. Quite often. But the other way around… I have a device I can sell you to keep dragons from attacking you. Quite cheap at $1000. And comes with a money-back guarantee that no dragon will ever attack you (Komodo dragons not included).

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Well it can run from 12-19vdc so that should tell you something, but it’s supplied with a 19V SMPS including the Intel NUC units of the same generation

I’d be curious to know why. There are quite a few of us with empirical experience that he’s wrong, and who are getting more pleasure out of Roon because we ignored that kind of advice and experimented for ourselves.

It may not apply to all systems and may not apply to some of the cheaper 3rd party power supplies and you may argue it’s disproportionate value for money, but waste of money? No.

You’re doing your user base a disservice.

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Why think when you can listen? :slight_smile:

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I totally understand Danny’s position. There is clearly two camps on this debate, and if I were running a business, I would certainly wouldn’t want to alienate any of the two sides. Business is business. It often means being diplomatic and keeping ALL potential customers happy. It’s a wise business decision which I warmly applaud. I would have done the same if I were in his shoes

An interesting position to take @Jim_F, but you offer no explanation… can you elaborate?

In the past Danny said nothing either way on SQ and was explicit that this was a policy decision, even insisting that the SSDs he recommended were for other reasons, and that was entirely understandable for precisely the reasons you raise, which is why that particular recent post was in my opinion unwise.

Here is my unmasked thought on this debate:

Group #1: People who think a good power supply makes a difference on Nucleus. Typically by trying for themselves

Group #2: People who don’t think a good power supply would make a difference on a Nucleus, therefore they don’t need to try one for themselves

For group #1, they would try one for themselves, regardless of Roon’s position, as we all know Roon is in the habit of never making any claims on SQ, no matter what.

So why would one lose business from alienating group #2?

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Don’t forget Group 3. Those who have tried it and found it made no difference for them.

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Sure. Which LPS did you try, and in what configuration? Do you have a Nucleus? I thought you had a NUC instead? And yes, I know the difference between a NUC (you helped me build one a couple of years ago, to which I am thankful), and a Nucleus (I own a Nucleus + now)

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Pity, I was interested in the rationale… but if you can’t or don’t wish to share … I’ll move on.

I don’t have a Nucleus, so for me it’s all theoretical… it can’t do any harm but I suspect any gains would be very dependent on the accompanying devices in the system and how they are connected.

This is absolutely correct

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Some would agree that well designed SMPSs sound as good as well designed LPSs and vice versa, and it is not my intention to start another debate on what defines “sound good” :sweat_smile: What I believe, not that I have measured, is poorly designed SMPSs not only inject noise on the DC side, but potentially inject noise back to AC main where other equipments are connected. And I am definitely not implying that no LPSs would do the same noise injection back to AC. I can say, at least, choose good quality PSs.

This is my main concern. Not necessarily that the voltage coming out isn’t “clean” enough.

I’ve been using the Blue Horizon Noise Analyzer and was adding and removing SMPS with quite interesting (and noisy) results.

This also why as an example I like to keep Roon computer in another room on a different circuit than my audio. Unless I moved it and added a Paul Hynes or similar power.

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Define evidence :grinning:
(Does Allah or God exist)

For me what is widely reported is a good evidence. Then I can purchase and verify again my gear and ears.

You can have some fun and transfer that into how religion (I could add political belief) is spread and proven :joy:

At least the two subjects can united into Power to the People.

Oooh! You get a number, from 0 to 999! Three digits, how specific!

Critics may protest that it remains unclear what exactly the analyzer measures and whether the measured noise really has a detrimental effect on our hifi sound.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear such protests. :slight_smile:

Repeatable measurements of actual audio noise caused by using a switching power supply on an audio server, and eliminated by switching to a linear power supply. Not anecdotes about “improvements” determined only with that most unreliable of instruments, and unsuited to the task, the human hearing system.

Really? For me, what’s widely reported is evidence of a marketing campaign.

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Saw the use of the measuring device in a number of places. I am glad that you did some measurements and confirm the potential. I wanted to get one for myself when I saw it, but when I looked at the price tag :rofl:

I borrowed one from the HiFi dealer. You need probably one selling Isotek products.

There exist much cheaper options on the net.

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