Have you compared the ifi to the Swagman Lab in listening tests?
Yes i have, I got it on Tuesday and plugged into the system right away. Right off the bat I noticed a difference in casual listening. Today I took the cover off for pictures and put it back in the system. I usually leave everything on 24/7. As in the Rendu, power supply, Schiit DAC and amplifier. I turn the preamp off as it seems to have a short warm up. I have to say i’m shocked at the difference. I’m a creative, a right brain thinker, so understanding how a power supply makes that much difference is hard for me. I spent about 4 hours today reading about LPS’s , different types of capacitors, transformers and power supply designs. Now i understand how to reduce the ripple effect in a power supply and the benefit of a high-temperature high-quality capacitor but for God’s sake it’s a power supply for an end point, not for my computer or my DAC. I had a look online at all the different power supplies in high end audio gear like the Schiits Yaggi for example and they really don’t look very special. So I cant tell you why a power supply for an end point ( Ultra Rendu) makes so much difference. The stereo separation is significantly better. A bit on the bass definition, but a much more refined tone of the instruments. Most of the Chinese power supplies use a toroidal transformer because thats less expensive for them (it’s a labour intensive) while the Americans seem to use a R core, as its lighter and less expensive and the newest ones are as good as a toroidal. At least so the internet tells me. There are a ton of really good links in audio forms on transformers FYI if you have half a day to read it all.
Bottom line is Jesus is absolutely correct. Quality power supplies for the Rendu products are a must. My whole point of this thread was to say I think I found an affordable one. I cant compare it to anything else other than the Ifi for $50. I had a Moon mind 180 before as an end point and bought the same brand of power supply and it made nowhere near as much difference. I’m going to honestly say this is the least amount I’ve ever spend for as much a difference is the sound quality. Its got me thinking what it would be like to buy the Uptone audio ultra cap. I would still use this LPS plugged into the uptone. That power supply is like a buffer between the LPS and the Rendu if i understand it correctly. I think Darko did a review on it which I have to look up now.
A note to Jesus, ok I understand the cost spending on a power supply now. If you had no choice and the only product offered cost the same as or more than the Rendu itself, it would still be a good value, they do improve the sound remarkably. As mine burns in I’m almost in disbelief at how good this is. Yikes.
Thanks for your observations.In terms of the uptone LPS 1 and newer 1.2 model you don’t need another LPS to charge them according to the designer John Swenson. Check his page at CA for more info on this.
I purchased the UpTone Ultracap for the UltraRendu, using a Mac Pro and Netgear NAS playing through a Lyngdorf TDAI 2170 and Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M speakers. I haven’t A-B’ed other power supplies but the sonic experience seems to be limited only by the quality of the recording, and on really good recordings not meaningfully different from what I hear live, FWIW.
Just FYI - I sent an email to those HK folks, a couple of days ago, and have yet to hear back from them.
Just a simple question: can you make a linear power supply for ultraRendu
I had the same experience… I sent a message via an eBay store and they gave me the email directly.
swagmanlab_hk@hotmail.com
took forever to reply. I has bought before so I wasn’t concerned about sending him $$$
Good news was shipping was 4 days. (to Canada) Not sure how that worked.
He said the Rendu units were made to order and sent me a bill. I paid and he shipped about 4/5 days later then I got it very quick as I said.
Want did you think of the pictures?
Hi,
Sorry for the late update!
The package was sent on 15 May by HK POST.
Tracking no: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ( my edit) for your reference.
Hope everything fine and you will satisfy with our PSU.
Best Regards
_ _
K. F. Leung
This is what I got every time, sorry for late reply. etc, i’m happy in the end.
Very nice pictures. Thank you for sharing
Here is a simple test you can perform to compare this power supply to an iFi power supply with its negative output grounded.
FYI a spade connector will snap on to the outer shell of the DC connector.
I have the Swagman Labs Signature Edition for my Ultra Rendu. It cost a little more but larger and quieter transformer, better caps and components. You just need to email K. F. Leung at swagmanlab_hk@hotmail.com for the Signature Series Power Supplies. Works great, looks great!!
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33676902_10216275493220834_684468171796643840_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9f1df86d6439c29ae1b6b408609269cb&oe=5B811A38
Swagman Labs Signature Series PS Ultra Rendu
Thanks Scott. I didn’t realize there was a SE. Would have done that, Question, on the right, what’s the box on top being powered?
SONIC TRANSPORTER I5 from Small Green Computer. By far the largest sound difference I have ever heard by getting rid of PC doing all the ROON and music from NAS. [Sonic Transporter i5]
It feeds the Ultra Rendu. (https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/collections/audio-server/products/sonictransporter-i5?variant=20893269700)
Are you using the SE to power the sonic transporter?
Comparing this with the ifi SMPS is apples to oranges. Any linear power supply will do better than a SMPS.
The question is how does compare with other linear power supplies. Most importantly with UpTone and sBooster ones.
Maybe Uptone and Sbooster are not the competition. Maybe this is about being in that first slot where it will be a perceived improvement over an SMPS without having to spend large.
Are you using the SE to power the sonic transporter?
Hi not yet, I was thinking about it though, but not sure if it will do much to transport like it did with the MicroRendu. I was the first to get the build for the Micro Rendu from H.F… I sent him the specs and he made it for me. So you can have his PSU’s made to order. The other PSU SE is for the Rega TT that you see. It was easier to stack them the way that I have it. The MicroRendu is underneath and behind the PS Audio DAC.
Henry
thats totally it, I didn’t understand the effect of noise of DC power on the Rendu. The difference is remarkable.
Im sure it gets better with top line transformer and cap parts. Factory direct from Hong Kong adds great value, build quality is very good. If doing it again I would have spent more money the first time. After hearing the difference possible I spent a few hours looking at the insides of several LPS available and then self teaching about transformer technology. The only guys with a very different design are Uptone Audio. Buying a USA made piece doubles the price, and buying thru a middle man double the price. I’m pretty certain I got a lot of the improvement with this piece. Next time I’ll do Uptown or a SE piece from Swagman.
Cool, were you a PC or Mac prior?
Is your music in the I5 on optional SSD or an attached NAS or USB drive?
My music is on a DS214play Synology NAS. I have read where music is better “networked” than on a USB drive. I had thought about getting internal drives for the i5 SonicTransporter (I bought the bundle package with MicroRendo), but then I would lose my RAID 1 drive setup. I also have no speed issues with CAT6 cables and a good Netgear switch on delivering music. Also I can use the network to listen in my office off of some SCHIIT gear I have. So, after thinking through this I saw no benefit in my case of adding the drives internally (i5) or on a connected USB device. I had made a Windows 10 - Intel NUC i5 PC before, and when I switched to i5 transport after reading an article on the differences on a forum, I tried it and I am SO GLAD I did. I also read in magazine where they did a test of some expensive new “audiophile” switches and patch cables and found ZERO difference between those and decent ones that cost 10%-20% of the “audiophile” switches and cables.
Also interesting articles on how with networking music you don’t have the introduction of jitter from USB external storage or drives.
I had a NUC about identical to the one in this article that I ended up giving to my wife to use on for facebook and the internet and I got the Small Green Computer i5 SonicTransporter. Tale of 2 computers
It is a good read anyway, if you get a chance.