Colin made me a linear power supply

uglymusicuglymusic
edited December 8 in Other hi-fi gear
I have a new LPSU built for me by Colin. It has four independent 5V USB-A outlets, each of which I think are rated at 4 amps (Colin will confirm). I'm using three of them. One for the clean side of the Allo Digione Signature, the second for the dirty side.
The third outlet is for my SMSL DAC, which has been using the supplied PSU so far. In fact, when I bought the the DAC, I selected one that could have the supplied power supply replaced by a linear power supply. My reasoning has been that a low-priced DAC with a decent chip and a good quality power supply is likely to better many more expensive DACs with an in-board PSU built down to a price. I've not done any comparisons, but I'm certainly up for some.  
The fourth outlet is not used.
I should mention I discovered I need short, high-quality USB-A to USB-C leads to connect the RPi/Digione Sig, or the voltage appears to drop (the red light on the RPi flickers and the SQ is a bit off). It seems its a thing in the Raspberry Pi world.
What's it sound like?
To my ears, the new power supply has taken a few days to burn in, but it's a substantial improvement on what I had before—it should be, because all three components have a better power supply. Recently I've had the feeling that my system has been getting a little soft around the edges. I've got those edges back. And I like that. There’s more excitement and drive.
The soundstage is properly three-dimensional again - with all its advantages over the Young DAC, the SMSL reduced the front-to-back dimension. It depends on the recording of course, but with the new LPSU the soundstage is definitely better and more believable.
We often talk about there being more detail when we upgrade; things that we haven’t heard before in favourite recordings. This time, it’s more reality. Yes, more detail, for sure, but something else. That feeling of musicians and instruments occupying their own space within a soundstage.
And the presentation feels taut, not in the sense that the experience is exhausting. I’ve been listening to my system for hours at a stretch. There’s no chance of being lulled into a stupor. My system is back on track again, and I feel my faith in great power supplies has again been proved right.
So, Colin knows his power supplies, does Colin. Thanks. my friend.

Comments

  • AntiCrapAntiCrap
    You are welcome, Dave when I get out into the pit I complete a even better one for to try.
    All of the O/P on all the design have Over Voltage Crow Bar protection and CML filters.
    All feedbacks sense signals are sensed on the USB sockets and are independent from each other. A little complex but the best way.
    The circuit are combinations of shunt and series regulations and with control BW over 1MHz..

    All caps are very low ESR type.

    Well back to my sick bed . Bloody Newton bug.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Even BETTER?????!!!!!
    Are you sure you're not in some kind of fever dream? :D
  • AntiCrapAntiCrap
    No Dino,s playing chess so ok 
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    BTW, what is a CML filter?
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    AntiCrap said:
    No Dino,s playing chess so ok 

    That's OK, then. :#
  • AntiCrapAntiCrap
    CML is Common Mode Choke,, it used to stop noise from a common source  i. e. Radio, clocking and mother in law interference as I used on TQ cable and a much better version on EWA cable with it very special plastic.
  • AntiCrapAntiCrap
    L = inductance as in choke/ coils.
  • AntiCrapAntiCrap
    It will help Regulation as the psu will not try to track the noise thus a much lower output impedance.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    AntiCrap said:
    CML is Common Mode Choke,, it used to stop noise from a common source  i. e. Radio, clocking and mother in law interference as I used on TQ cable and a much better version on EWA cable with it very special plastic.

    OK. Thanks.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Do you know, it's over 50 years since I last did this stuff? 
    I was giving myself grief for not knowing L. I'll stop doing that now :)
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    AntiCrap said:
    It will help Regulation as the psu will not try to track the noise thus a much lower output impedance.

    Is that mains noise?
  • AntiCrapAntiCrap
    No Digital waste noise.
  • AntiCrapAntiCrap
    To avoid contamination of digital lies. 
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    AntiCrap said:
    No Digital waste noise.

    From the RPi?
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    AntiCrap said:
    To avoid contamination of digital lies. 

    What are they?
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    I spent yesterday evening in front of the big rig 'cos SWMBO was out on her second Christmas bash (I didn't get one :'( ) and listened to stuff other than mainly well-recorded jazz on ECM and other labels.
    I found strange low-level wisps of electronica on a West African album, low-level backing vocals on a pile of albums and a Hammond organ I never knew was there on another. Please don't ask for too many details of the albums because I wasn't really taking notes.
    There was an Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate album and a couple of REM albums for sure, but as for the rest... Maybe that's the problem with streaming. You don't get the pile of CDs or LPs to go through the next morning.
  • SimplemindSimplemind
    Just awoken my meager stuff after awhile. Spent most of the day so far with Mahavishnu and Billy Cobham. Talking Heads next and if I last that long some Cooder!
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    That was one of the things I listened to last night... Billy Cobham's Spectrum. I read that it was recorded largely live in the studio, in one or two takes.
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