I just upgraded my audio DC side of things with an HDPLEX 200W supply
With fixed output @ 19V feeding this inside my MOCK Asus i7-7700 in a Streacom FC8 Fanless chassis. This is on the A side ethernet of the ER that is fed optically from my Unifi SW 24 SFP output.
With fixed output @ 12V feeding my Lumin D1 on the ER B side 100Mbps output.
And lastly the variable @ 7.5V feeding my ER
I still have a variable output up to 2A to use for something else but cant think of anything just yet… maybe my SMS-200 to a different DAC
Good clean DC power is better I am sure for everything.
Now honestly I can’t say with out any doubt that its better than it all was. But its definitely no worse AND I saved 2 maybe 3 power points in the process. Plus I had all this waiting to be used too…so while I expended the $ already over a year ago it didn’t cost me anything I hadn’t spent other than my time.
Yes, true, but… This applies to good clean DC (much more important than noise is transient response) right at the pins of the active components in your equipment. That’s where it counts, nowhere else.
There is no such thing as a standard where XLR plugs are meant for. Just because they are widely adapted as audio signal plug doesn’t mean that it is forbidden to use them otherwise. But you are right, they could better use 4 pin xlr’s to avoid confusion. But then on the other hand, the same plug is widely used for analog line level, analog loudspeaker level and digital signal level. They are also used quite a lot for battery chargers for scoot mobiles, dimmable led lightning, dmx signal, video remote control, etc etc. There simply is no standard only a wide adaptation. The widely used banana plugs for your loudspeakes for example are also used in many different aereas and even fit perfectly in the mains outlet over here, just saying.
If your NUC is passing sound via USB there’s some case for a LPS, but not with ethernet. However, if you just want good clean power anyway, consider: Teddy Pardo. Great products, some made specifically for NUCs and Nucleus, and comparatively inexpensive.
If your NUC is passing sound via USB there’s some case for a LPS, but not with ethernet.
Even over USB it depends upon whether the dac has sufficient isolation or not. Which it should. Even my cheap Topping D50 does not let a noticeable level of noise through the USB bus with it plugged straight into my NUC.
On the other hand I previously owned an iFi micro iDSD and that did let noise through, but even then I had to max out the gain on my amp! With the volume set at normal listening levels, and with no music playing it was not possible to hear it.
I have a Teddy Pardo 7V @ 2A for my microRendu and I wouldn’t call it inexpensive by any means, but they have a very good reputation. I purchased as a pair 2nd hand so didnt have the full retail hit.
A NUC is going to want at minimum about 4A at 12-19V and maybe more for newer beefier CPU ones.
The XLR connector is a style of electrical connector, primarily found on professional audio, video, and stage lighting equipment. The connectors are circular in design and have between three and seven pins. They are most commonly associated with balanced audio interconnection, including AES3 digital audio, but are also used for lighting control, low-voltage power supplies, and other applications. XLR connectors are available from a number of manufacturers and are covered by an international standard for dimensions, IEC 61076-2-103.[1] They are superficially similar to the smaller DIN connector range, but are not physically compatible with them.
Compared to HD Plex or TE or Keysight or Mojo Audio. The list goes on depending on the size of your wallet. Teddy seems to be middle ground. My RME ADI-2 DAC Is USB fed but doesn’t need aN LPS — Great engineering eliminates such band aids.
In forums on audio equipment, the technically oriented are over-represented and tend to overestimate marketing promises. Nothing, however, can replace the listening test, not even results of lab measurements with e.g. Rohde & Schwarz or Bruel & Kjaer equipment, to make a choice.
Sensory perceptions are always individually and subjectively different. It is not difficult to convince someone of this as far as taste is concerned. Nevertheless, this also applies to vision and hearing. There is no good relationship between the high cost of so-called high end audio equipment and the reproduction quality insofar as it can be objectively measured with laboratory equipment let alone perceived by the music lover.
Professional musicians in a top symphonic orchestra rarely have high-end equipment in the house and can even listen to music with a very sober installation and still enjoy it. This is because their musical memory and brain activity are much more important.
The marketing of expensive audio equipment is aimed at people who are technically interested and inclined to look at music rather than listen. It is interesting to let the latter group listen blindly with equipment that is very different in price (at least 5-fold) and to set the sound level exactly to 87 dB(A) Leq with a calibrated sonometer. In a recent hearing test with very expensive Swiss equipment (N***a), the 50 listeners did not succeed in distinguishing the expensive from the inexpensive installation and to make matters worse, the preference of the seller of the expensive equipment went to his inexpensive competitor. As a marketeer, he should have known better and not overestimated himself so much.
Hello folks, I just wanted to share w you my findings. I too was looking for a power solution that would clean up my USB out from my NUC8 USB to DAC. I found large amounts of audible noise in my IEMs when I used the NUC rear USB jack to feed my Mytek Brooklyn DAC. I tried an AQ jitterbug, ferrite cores, checking the ground to no avail. What I found was that the switching power supply was adding the noise.
Now mind you, you could only hear the noise with sensitive IEMs and not on my main speakers. Curious, I wanted to try to use my Astron linear power supply, which was already powering clean 13.8v to my Mytek so I tried it on the NUC. Yes I know the NUC power supply is 19v, but if you read the specs, the NUC can run on 12-19v. I was concerned that the lower voltage may mean more amps, so I checked it. Running the NUCi8BEH w/ samsung NVME memory, no SSD or HD and using Roon to upsample to the max, I was only drawing 0.93a at 13.8v, much less than I thought would be required. Best of all the NUC seems to be running fine and I have absolutely NO noise in my IEMs.
I do believe that a good audio chain starts at the source and power if the first thing that needs to be clean to get good audio. The High End powersupplies probably work similarly or maybe better, but you may want to experiment (at your own risk) with a linear supply such as the Astron and you may be pleasantly surprised like I was. Hope you find this helpful.
Thanks for testing and reporting. Have you tried to use the ethernet Roon Bridge like Ropiee running on Rasberry Pi4? That should help to eliminate/reduce the noise also.
Just wanted to share my experience with a power supply from TERADAK. I do urge people never to buy these things because they offer no warranty at all. They promise to do so but just will not do it, Returning it will cost you around 60 dollars, and later you have to pay 50 dollars again for taxes.
Anyways in my case am waiting for 8 months now for replacement parts and this is only because I am handy in soldering. They refuse a refounds as well.
But it did sound a bit better than with a normal PSU. So be warned seeking better SQ from Teradak can make loose considerly much money.
anyways I can recommand LPSU100 Stabilized Power supply. With better after sales and real warrenty if you live in Europe
