UpTone JS-2 Power Supply Listening Impressions

[agladstone]

Reading through this thread (and from my excitement over the improvements from just adding an LPS-1 / ISO Regen combo yesterday to my system), now I'm thinking I should replace the HDPlex 100 powering my Mytek DAC with a JPS-2, any thoughts on if that upgrade / switch will give me further improvements in sound quality? 

[agladstone]

7 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Let's see how I can put this:

While good and isolated power supplies for computers/streamers/NAS, etc. are important--and we certainly have a large number of JS-2 owners using it for such, the truth is that I often feel that application is somewhat "slumming it" for our wonderful design.  Where the JS-2 really shines is in powering actual audio circuit components--things like DACs, DDCs, preamps, headphone amps, etc.

 

The choke-filtered, very carefully balanced for speed JS-2 is better than a lot of the PSUs built into typical gear.  Yet there are not a whole lot of DACs--at price points that can justify a $925 LPS--which accept or run from an external +DC supply.

 

The exaSound, Exogal, Metric Halo, Merging NADAC, and the Mytek DACs being notable exceptions.  So the people you really want to ask about the SQ boost are those who are using the JS-2 for one of those.

 

Frankly I am grateful for the Mytek Brooklyn, as this year we have sold a tremendous number of JS-2s for that model--and every one of those buyers has been thrilled.  I am traveling now and don't have access to the e-mail testimonials I have received from Mytek/JS-2 owners, but I don't think you will need to look far.

 

As for the JS-2 versus others, let's just say that our unit is often not the first LPS for many of our clients.

The words that come back to us--even from the most skeptical and/or jaded--are typically laced with surprise and a general "Oh my!"

 

I so love building and selling John's fine designs--as they really require very little "selling" at all.  Our biggest problem with the JS-2 right now is building enough of them each month.  They take a lot of both my and my assistant's time.  From a labor and net dollar standpoint, the UltraCap LPS-1 and REGENs are far more profitable.  But the 5-7 amp JS-2 is so beautiful and performs so well that we feel obligated to keep making them.  

 

--Alex C.

 

P.S.  I think we are already oversold for the JS-2 for August, both from a time and parts availability standpoint.  But we'll get better about again doing 12-14 unit batches every 3 weeks come September.

Thanks for the informative feedback Alex! 

Can I get put on the cue / make a reservation for a September unit? What do you need me to do? 

[agladstone]

From earlier posts by Alex, seems like. Subs he takes reservations first? That's Not clear to me, perhaps "reservations" means "buy one"

[agladstone]

Alex:

Thanks! And it seems like a rather straightforward process to me! 

I have your email so I'll contact you via email:)

Allen

[agladstone]

4 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Well thank you Henrik--for all your kind words!

I hope you don't mind, but I just cross-posted what you wrote into the Brooklyn power supply thread (https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/28056-linear-power-supply-for-brooklyn-which-one-youve-ever-tried/).

 

Over 50 Brooklyn DAC owners bought JS-2s in 2017, so it is clear there is real synergy.  We love it when the JS-2 is used for a "real" audio component such as a DAC or DDC--that's when it truly shines.  

 

I’m getting ready to join the club very soon! 

[agladstone]

If one is to use an SMPS within their audio system (the meanwell charger for the LPS 1.2 and / or a Sotm SPS-500, etc. ), is it best to plug that SMPS into a completely different AC line than the one being used for the remainder of your system? 

Also, if you have a free AC line available and you use that line for all of your Switching supplies (to keep them separated from your systems dedicated line), does that “SMPS AC Line” become very polluted since it may have like 4/5 different SMPS’s plugged into it? 

Thanks! 

[agladstone]

On 10/22/2018 at 4:03 PM, Superdad said:

 

Well this is the JS-2 thread so I won't go too deep into my oft-expressed options about the misunderstandings regarding the true evil of SMPS units. But it goes a bit like this:

Contrary to popular belief, modern SMPS warts and bricks do not actually kick much back into the wall in the way of high-frequency harmonics (multiples of their switching frequency).  There are strict government regulations about this, so the little that does go back in the wall is extremely high frequency (hundreds of KHz up to hundreds of MHz), spread wide, and very low in level.  

 

Due to other loads in your house (especially lighting circuits) your mains from the wall is far noisier that what the SMPS will kick in. In fact, some decent quality SMPS bricks actually "absorb" noise and quiet the line a bit (see this demo--and keep in mind that the wall outlet I used was from a dedicated line going right back to my house main panel--https://youtu.be/6S73A_fRtqE).

 

[By the way, all conventional linear power supplies (transformer>diodes>caps>regulators) will themselves put harmonics back into the AC mains--at multiples of the 50/60Hz line frequency--because they conduct current during only 50% of the AC wave cycle. The choke-filtered JS-2 is unique because due to the large choke, it is conducting current during over 97% of the AC wave cycle and thus does not put harmonics back into the wall.  As far as we know, it is the only power-factor-corrected linear power supply on the market.]

 

But back to SMPS:  Aside from their DC output not being very quiet (80mV peak-to-peak RMS noise is typical), the true evil of an SMPS is the copious amount of AC leakage current they put out--on their DC cables and hence into every component in your system that shares a common ground via analog or digital cable. (That is blocked by our battery-like UltraCap supplies, hence we can supply them with an SMPS as the the charging brick.)

 

Well I said I was not going to go on, so I'll stop there.  Back to your question: 

a) In the case of a charger for an UltraCap supply (BTW, for the LPS-1.2 it is not a Mean Well but a new 36W unit we spec'd; the MW was with the original LPS-1), since the DC performance of the charger does not affect the performance of the UltraCap's output, you don't need to worry about that side.

b) In the case of other SMPS units you may have, you will need to decide if you hear benefit from plugging it into the same or different mains lines from the rest of you gear, before or after isolation transformers, etc.

c) Possibly the best thing you could do for some of your SMPS units would be to shunt their DC output "grounds" to AC mains ground, thereby shunting away high-source-impedance leakage (though not the normal "touch current" leakage).  This is NOT needed on the UpTone-branded 36W SMPS supplied with the UltraCap LPS-1.2 as it is already shunted internally.

 

 

Thanks Alex! This is a helpful explanation and I think I better understand this now. 

I keep going back and forth between the supplied 36W shunted SMPS and 12V out from

an HDPlex to energize the LPS 1.2. I can’t decide which option is better overall for my system (in regards to sound quality, I don’t think I hear any difference). 

Also, from day one, I’ve been using the LPS 1.2 with a Ghent made Y split DC cable feeding the iso-regen AND an IFi iUsB 3.0 usb reclocker in a chain configuration. 

I’m also thinking if I continue to use both of these devices in a chain, that ideally two LPS 1.2 (one feeding each USB fixer individually), would also probably be better than using the Y DC cable to feed two devices?? (once again , honestly the answer to that question is above and beyond my actual knowledge, I’m just assuming there must be some negatives from using a Y DC cable and sharing one LPS 1.2 between two devices such as some sort of cross talk / leakage and also assuming it must put more stress on the LPS 1.2 since I’m probably doubling its amperage draw?? )

[agladstone]

19 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Sure.  But after this I will move any further UltraCap questions to the appropriate thread.  This is the the JS-2 thread! 

 

 

Well you should not.  That's what we've be saying all along.  

 

 

That's fine, just recognize that you are powering the isolated downstream side of the ISO REGEN, so if it is the last in the chain before your DAC (which it ought to be because the $10 Crystek CCHD-575 in the ISO REGEN is vastly better than the $0.75 Harmony XO used in the iFi iUSB3.0, and the signal integrity from the ISO REGEN is measurably better as well) then you are defeating the ISO REGEN's galvanic isolation (between the iUSB3.0 and the ISO REGEN) by using the same power supply.

 

 

Not so much "crosstalk," and I'd rather you stay away from the term "leakage"--which around here conjures the topic of AC leakage, of course none in this case.  And while the iUSB3.0 sucks about twice the current that our 230mA ISO REGEN does, I would not worry about "stressing" your UltraCap LPS-1.2.  

However, every component has its own pattern of instantaneous current demand spikes and each presents a varying impedance to the PS.  So yes, in an ideal scenario you would power each from their own supply.

 

Cheers,

--Alex C.

Thanks Alex!! Very helpful!! I’ll stop asking this line of questions on the incorrect thread!! Also, if you would like, maybe it’s a good idea to move this string of questions to either the LPS 1.2 or Iso Regen thread since I’ll bet I’m the only person who would find your answers to my questions helpful! 

Thanks again! 

[agladstone]

35 minutes ago, coleb13 said:

I was finally able to purchase a JS-2 power supply for my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ after reading about it here and also  reading how @austinpopconsidered an essential companion piece of equipment. I'd loved the sound of the Brooklyn DAC+ since I first bought it but I remember its designer Michal Jurewicz saying a significantly better power supply could improve the sound but there was no room for him to include one in the small case. I was hoping to satisfy my curiosity and hear a minor improvement in the sound but what I am hearing is much more than that. My wife, who is a casual listener, remarked that "everything seems much more clear now." I'm delighted to have such an improvement for only about one third the cost of the DAC.

@coleb13 I am in the same place as you! 
after a couple of years of reading about the pairing synergy between the Mytek Brooklyn DAC + and the JS2, and then finally being pushed by @austinpop review and praise of the two together, I also recently got a JS2 (about 10 days ago). I was using other external linear power supplies since I got my Brooklyn DAC +, so my revelation probably was not as dramatic as yours, however I really like what I hear so far and I’m impressed with the performance with the two together. 
I also received an EtherRegen this past week and I’ve been really enjoying the combination of these two new upgrades to my system as they burn in, I can hear more and more details and improvements. 
Next up for me is some much shorter and higher level DC cables and audiophile grade Ethernet cables to complete this round of upgrades. 
@Superdad has done it again!! 

[agladstone]

 

1) I just got my LPS 1-2 back from @Superdad from repair to power my ISOREGEN and since I now have the JS2, I decided I may as well power the LPS 1-2 with the unused 2nd rail. (Is this “wasteful use of my 2nd JS2 rail)? 
Because I have the EtherRegen in system and the first JS2 rail is powering my DAC, I have to keep the 2nd JS2 rail on the B side of the ER,  my other option would be to directly power the ISO Regen from JS2 2nd rail and use the LPS 1-2 elsewhere?

2) What is the best Voltage to use out of the JS2 to power LPS 1-2? I currently have it at 7V, but not sure what’s ideal? 

3) last, what’s the difference between powering the ISO Regen out of LPS1-2 with 7V vs 9v ??

 

[agladstone]

1 minute ago, Superdad said:

A little bit of a waste, but that’s okay! 

 

Well you could use the LPS-1.2 to power the EtherREGEN (set to 12V please—for easiest load).

 

It won’t matter for LPS1.2 performance (it’s just the charging side after all), but the JS-2 is most efficient at 12V (and has greatest current capability at that setting) so it will run cooler if you set to 12V if you choose to use the spare rail to charge an LPS-1.2.

 

Excess heat!  Zero reason to power an ISO REGEN with 9V if you have 7V available.

 

Have a great weekend Allen—and all... 

Thanks for the speedy response and answers to all my questions!!! 
Definitely appreciated!!
I have to say that with the JS2, the EtherRegen now with at least 1+ week of 24/7 burn in and the LPS 1-2 and ISORegen back in my system again, this is the best my system has ever sounded ! 
Just wow!!!!  

[agladstone]

2 hours ago, Mat said:

Still got less bass and less dynamic, comparing the JS 2 with chord SMPS.

Any suggestion ? 

I recently bought two JS-2’s and I’m using one exclusively on my DAC, not using the second output at all (on purpose). 
I think gear like DAC’s sound much better on their own dedicated LPSU, even if they’re not using too many Watts, they have dynamic power draw at certain times and need the extra headroom. 
Also, I have found with JS-2 and with several other LPSU with multiple output that the two diff things being powered need to not be part of the same specific “chain” or it hurts the sound quality. My guess has always been something to do with the ground being shared? 
Last, I recently bought new Shunyata NR10 Power cables for each of the JS-2’s - they’re still breaking in, but seem to be helping a lot with the sound. The 10 Gauge AWG helps with dynamic current draw and they have a built in Noise Reduction system and power filter in them! 
They retail for $499 USD, so not too awful. 
Shunyata also has Venom HC v2 that is also 10AWG but no power line filter or noise reduction in them And if you buy a bundle of 3 of them, they’re on sale or 3 for $585, so more like $200 each, definitely an incredible bargain, they would be great on JS-2 also. 

[agladstone]

2 minutes ago, Haimsh said:

I have Js-2. I   power with it  my  IFI PRO  IDSD DAC and SOTM TX-USBultra  with USB  connection between the 2 devices .  

@Superdad,  should I use seperate LPSU  for TX-USBultra?

From my own experience, using 2 different power supplies for anything directly connected via USB gave me much better sound quality.