The true experimental tweak thread

[Cornan]

10 hours ago, mourip said:

Thanks to all for bringing the  LT3045 board to light. Mine came today and I installed it in my Mutec 3+ USB which was already running off of a HDPlex LPS from it's 9v variable output. I had it set to 6.3. Switching from the SMPS to the LPS made a nice change. Today I raised the output to 6.8v and installed the 6v version of the LT3045 board. I also retained the modest sized electrolytic that I had been using for local bypassing of the DC input inside the chassis.I was hoping to at least break even for my effort but found that the improvement was really good. The noise floor must have dropped quite a bit because more details were brought out. I also found an improvement of perceived tonal "correctness".

 

Nice tweak!

 

 

Great to hear Monge! Thanks for sharing! ?

[tapatrick]

9 hours ago, sandyk said:

 

A very good power supply will always do that, even with digital devices.

However, you will still find that the types and values of the capacitors used in the very low noise PSUs will affect the final sound balance .

 It's a case of getting the mix of capacitor values and types right. This is where actual listening is more important than  just "superb" technical measurements.

I'm continuing to experiment with different combinations of input caps on the LT3045s. These boards in series feeding my Bluewave USB to SPDIF without doubt have brought stardust to my system. As I only have some time on weekends its a slow steady process testing but totally agree with @sandyk that the proof is in the listening. This process of fine tuning the sound is very rewarding and I'll share my observations soon.

 

 BTW as this is really all about the music

last night I had a truly magical, cross genre, culture transcending musical experience at the Barbican in London and found it interesting how all the critical listening in perfecting our systems makes live music so much more rewarding.

 

Saw Zakir Hussain on tabla, Dave Holland on bass, Chris Potter on sax, Louiz Banks on keyboards, Sanjay Divecha on guitar, Gino Banks on drums, Ganesh Rajagopalan on violin & vocals.

This is a mainly US tour and last night was the only show in Europe so for all the US folks catch it if you can!

http://www.zakirhussain.com/tour/

 

[mourip]

12 hours ago, mourip said:

Thanks to all for bringing the  LT3045 board to light. Mine came today and I installed it in my Mutec 3+ USB which was already running off of a HDPlex LPS from it's 9v variable output. I had it set to 6.3. Switching from the SMPS to the LPS made a nice change. Today I raised the output to 6.8v and installed the 6v version of the LT3045 board. I also retained the modest sized electrolytic that I had been using for local bypassing of the DC input inside the chassis.I was hoping to at least break even for my effort but found that the improvement was really good. The noise floor must have dropped quite a bit because more details were brought out. I also found an improvement of perceived tonal "correctness".

 

Nice tweak!

 

 

2 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

Great to hear Monge! Thanks for sharing! ?

 

That would be another poster but on my fathers side we are from Denmark also :-)

[Cornan]

43 minutes ago, mourip said:

 

 

That would be another poster but on my fathers side we are from Denmark also :-)

 

Sorry, mourip! I don't know what happened there? ?

[Monge]

18 hours ago, TubeMan said:

strongly,

strongly,
very good for the price,

 

it even very good ad DC Cable

I have one last question before ordering.

Are the Supra also good as RCA-RCA cable as well

https://www.av-connection.com/?PGr=855

I have some new Neutrik XLR connectors lying around

https://www.av-connection.com/?PGr=856

or are Supra SWIFT XLR better

https://www.av-connection.com/?PGr=757

Thanks In advance.

Regards Monge

 

 

 

[Solid-State]

Only XLR if you have genuine / fully balanced equipment,
otherwise it does not make any difference, only costs extra money on the cables and plugs,

it can even sounds worse

[Solid-State]

But XLR plugs is very good for DC power,

if you make them by youre self, with some good cable
I have used it for many years with very good result,

 

have never understand the use of these small 2,5/5,5 dc connectors

[mozes]

4 hours ago, TubeMan said:

what you experience is completely in order,
What you should think about is,
that a computer requires significantly more than 2Ah,

12v CPU and Mb about 2Ah

5V at least 4Ah !!
It is the most important to MB

3.3v  2Ah

so using the LT3045 to feed is completely wrong when it is not intended or abel to feed so much power,
so there will not be enough  with 4 in parrallell either,

Because you are using battery, the regulators are not "equal" important,
You already have a relative "clean" stream,

this is good information howe to feed  PC with battery

Thanks for your feedback. I am enjoying my tinkering with the LT3045 and will be posting what I find here. 

[mozes]

4 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

Thanks for sharing Moussa! ?

Possibly the server needs more headroom than the LT3045s can offer. There is also a possibility that you are creating additional leakage paths. This is what I experienced in the beginning with the LT3045s in series. I tracked it down to the DC- output grounding of the Gopherts powering ISO Regen and Aries Mini. When I removed those DC- output groundings completely the SQ jumped sky high. It seems that the LT3045s in blocking leakage to a certain degree. This means that the leakage choose other paths instead. If that path is into your DAC your in trouble.

If you have any non-ethernet devices DC- output grounded try to remove those and see how it turns out. You might be surprised! ?

 

A tip where to start is to check which DC paths that still do not have inline LT3045s. That would possibly be a great path for leakage. 

I didn’t change anything. I was using a battery for the server and the battery is still there. I think that there is no leakage current to start with. 

I strongly believe that there is not enough headroom with the LT3045. I will remove them later today and see if they were really a step down or not.

[mozes]

Quick update, I removed the LT3045 boards and the magic is back. Music is much more open with lots of air around instruments. In comparison, it was flat and dull.

 

The 18AH LifePo4 battery is an amazing performer and one of the best investments I have done. I don't know the specs of how much continuous current it supports, but It can give me a playback time of around 18-20 hrs, which is plenty especially that I hardly listen more than an hr in one session.

 

Don't let your experience with normal lithium batteries make you underestimate what a good LifePo4 battery can do. I know what good PSUs can do having owned JS-2, Vini Rossi Mini, Nikola, LPS-1, HDPlex. I can't say it beats them, but it competes with the very best of these PSUs. It is mainly designed for eBikes which need a lot of current, but I find that it is great for audio as well. It is not cheap at $150, but for what it does, it is a bargain.

 

I will have to figure out a better place for the 12V LT3045s.

[Cornan]

3 minutes ago, mozes said:

Quick update, I removed the LT3045 boards and the magic is back. Music is much more open with lots of air around instruments. In comparison, it was flat and dull.

 

The 18AH LifePo4 battery is an amazing performer and one of the best investments I have done. I don't know the specs of how much continuous current it supports, but It can give me a playback time of around 18-20 hrs, which is plenty especially that I hardly listen more than an hr in one session.

 

Don't let your experience with normal lithium batteries make you underestimate what a good LifePo4 battery can do. I know what good PSUs can do having owned JS-2, Vini Rossi Mini, Nikola, LPS-1, HDPlex. I can't say it beats them, but it competes with the very best of these PSUs. It is mainly designed for eBikes which need a lot of current, but I find that it is great for audio as well. It is not cheap at $150, but for what it does, it is a bargain.

 

I will have to figure out a better place for the 12V LT3045s.

 

Thanks for sharing! Interesting! Do you have a link to that perticular LifePO4 battery? Might be something to try for my Brooklyn DAC. ?

[mozes]

3 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

Thanks for sharing! Interesting! Do you have a link to that perticular LifePO4 battery? Might be something to try for my Brooklyn DAC. ?

This is the same one I have, but mine is 18AH

 

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/12V-20AH-LiFePO4-Batteries-5A-Charger-BMS-Rechargeable-Electric-Solar-Energy-Sea/132335080347?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20170831090034%26meid%3Df78a9732d2324d7fbf1e828786c3c60a%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D172950282619&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

[sandyk]

8 hours ago, TubeMan said:

But XLR plugs is very good for DC power,

if you make them by youre self, with some good cable
I have used it for many years with very good result,

 

have never understand the use of these small 2,5/5,5 dc connectors

I use them for low voltage AC power from external transformers to Preamp, as well as DC from larger PSUs

Alex

[BigGuy]

Couple of things...

 

Contacted the Ebay vendor for the LT3045 inquiring as to possibility of having him build a board capable of 1.5-2.0A @ 9V.

Been a couple of weeks but no reply?!

 

Having you all as resources, anyone know where I can get an AC-DC LPS regulator board that does 1.5-2.0A @ 9V?

All kinds of 500mA and 1.0A supplies but higher amperage rare as hens teeth.

 

Thanks.

[Cornan]

46 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

Couple of things...

 

Contacted the Ebay vendor for the LT3045 inquiring as to possibility of having him build a board capable of 1.5-2.0A @ 9V.

Been a couple of weeks but no reply?!

 

Having you all as resources, anyone know where I can get an AC-DC LPS regulator board that does 1.5-2.0A @ 9V?

All kinds of 500mA and 1.0A supplies but higher amperage rare as hens teeth.

 

Thanks.

 

Is the eBay vendor Alexey Ivanov? He have always anwered me promptly when I have sent pm to him through eBay. 

 

A tip is to search for "Ultra-low noise <40 uV voltage regulator module, based on LT1963" on eBay.

 

I am currently on the iPhone and have difficulties to find the link.

 

Found it now! 

 

Look at this on eBay
Ultra-low Noise <40μV Adjustable Voltage Regulator Module, Based on LT1963.

 

Skickat från min iPhone

[BigGuy]

10 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

Is the eBay vendor Alexey Ivanov? He have always anwered me promptly when I have sent pm to him through eBay. 

 

A tip is to search for "Ultra-low noise <40 uV voltage regulator module, based on LT1963" on eBay.

 

I am currently on the iPhone and have difficulties to find the link.

 

Found it now! 

 

Look at this on eBay
Ultra-low Noise <40μV Adjustable Voltage Regulator Module, Based on LT1963.

 

Skickat från min iPhone

 

11 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

Is the eBay vendor Alexey Ivanov? He have always anwered me promptly when I have sent pm to him through eBay. 

 

A tip is to search for "Ultra-low noise <40 uV voltage regulator module, based on LT1963" on eBay.

 

I am currently on the iPhone and have difficulties to find the link.

 

Found it now! 

 

Look at this on eBay
Ultra-low Noise <40μV Adjustable Voltage Regulator Module, Based on LT1963.

 

Skickat från min iPhone

Thanks as always, Cornan.  That was quick and looks like a nice replacement for what I have.

 

       Question from the rookie...  My existing regulator board  <https://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-Input-TPS7A4700-Ultra-Low-Noise-Adjustable-1-4V-20-5V-1A-Power-Supply-/391736075888?hash=item5b354a2670>

has a Noise spec of 4uM vs the <40uV of the LT1963 based board.

       This is the existing xformer used with the "4700" board...

< http://www.newark.com/multicomp/mcta050-12/toroidal-transformer/dp/38K4881?ost=mcta050%2F12&iscrfnonsku=false&ddkey=http%3Aen-US%2FElement14_US%2Fsearch>

       In the greater scheme of things, what is generally considered "ultra low noise" and how much of a difference does a 10x factor really make?

[Cornan]

16 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

 

Thanks as always, Cornan.  That was quick and looks like a nice replacement for what I have.

 

       Question from the rookie...  My existing regulator board  <https://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-Input-TPS7A4700-Ultra-Low-Noise-Adjustable-1-4V-20-5V-1A-Power-Supply-/391736075888?hash=item5b354a2670>

has a Noise spec of 4uM vs the <40uV of the LT1963 based board.

       This is the existing xformer used with the "4700" board...

< http://www.newark.com/multicomp/mcta050-12/toroidal-transformer/dp/38K4881?ost=mcta050%2F12&iscrfnonsku=false&ddkey=http%3Aen-US%2FElement14_US%2Fsearch>

       In the greater scheme of things, what is generally considered "ultra low noise" and how much of a difference does a 10x factor really make?

 

Your welcome BigGuy! ?

 

I think this question is something that @sandyk, @TubeMan or @tapatrick could answer much better than me. I am a bit of a rookie as well when it comes to voltage regulators. I have just started to explore this little audiophile corner. It does seem that low noise is very important though. My guess so far is that they actually block leakage and that might be a strong reason why they do make a difference for the better in the DC path pre a regulated device. 

Next mission will be to try out shunt regulators. These are commonly used in high quality LPS like Paul Hynes etc which makes them interesting to try. They would however not work for 1,5A load AFAIK.

 

 

[sandyk]

On ‎13‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 5:57 AM, mozes said:

The 18AH LifePo4 battery is an amazing performer and one of the best investments I have done. I don't know the specs of how much continuous current it supports, but It can give me a playback time of around 18-20 hrs, which is plenty especially that I hardly listen more than an hr in one session.

 

 

Li Ion batteries of the same capacity, perhaps not always in the voltage you require though , are likely to be WAY more affordable.

 A 15,000mAH 12V Li Ion battery with a JLH PSU add-on at it's output so far sounds way better than any voltage regulator and JLH combo that I have tried.

 The 40uV ebay regulator is a fair performer, but still sounds markedly better with the JLH PSU add-on after it . It will also improve the performance of a PC's SSD when powered from the 12V rail and regulated down to +5V. That is assuming that you have room inside your computer  to use it. 

 

Alex

 

[mozes]

30 minutes ago, sandyk said:

 

 

Li Ion batteries of the same capacity, perhaps not always in the voltage you require though , are likely to be WAY more affordable.

 A 15,000mAH 12V Li Ion battery with a JLH PSU add-on at it's output so far sounds way better than any voltage regulator and JLH combo that I have tried.

 The 40uV ebay regulator is a fair performer, but still sounds markedly better with the JLH PSU add-on after it . It will also improve the performance of a PC's SSD when powered from the 12V rail and regulated down to +5V. That is assuming that you have room inside your computer  to use it. 

 

Alex

 

Hi Alex

can you pls share more info or a link about the JLH PSU?

thanks

Moussa

[sandyk]

2 minutes ago, mozes said:

Hi Alex

can you pls share more info or a link about the JLH PSU?

thanks

Moussa

 

 Hi Moussa

 Unfortunately, the JLH PSU -add-on is only DIY. Neither are there any PCBs currently available.

 However, there is full information available for anybody who wishes to construct one, but they would also need to be able to etch the PCB from the supplied artwork.

 

Regards

Alex

[lmitche]

4 hours ago, BigGuy said:

 

Thanks as always, Cornan.  That was quick and looks like a nice replacement for what I have.

 

       Question from the rookie...  My existing regulator board  <https://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-Input-TPS7A4700-Ultra-Low-Noise-Adjustable-1-4V-20-5V-1A-Power-Supply-/391736075888?hash=item5b354a2670>

has a Noise spec of 4uM vs the <40uV of the LT1963 based board.

       This is the existing xformer used with the "4700" board...

< http://www.newark.com/multicomp/mcta050-12/toroidal-transformer/dp/38K4881?ost=mcta050%2F12&iscrfnonsku=false&ddkey=http%3Aen-US%2FElement14_US%2Fsearch>

       In the greater scheme of things, what is generally considered "ultra low noise" and how much of a difference does a 10x factor really make?

Hey BigGuy, what happened to the tps7a4700 board? Sounds like a great board.  Why wouldn't you want another?

 

I have a spare 1963 board in a metal box. We should talk.

 

Larry

[mozes]

1 hour ago, sandyk said:

 

 Hi Moussa

 Unfortunately, the JLH PSU -add-on is only DIY. Neither are there any PCBs currently available.

 However, there is full information available for anybody who wishes to construct one, but they would also need to be able to etch the PCB from the supplied artwork.

 

Regards

Alex

Ok I see, thanks for the info.

[sandyk]

17 minutes ago, lmitche said:

Question from the rookie...  My existing regulator board  <https://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-Input-TPS7A4700-Ultra-Low-Noise-Adjustable-1-4V-20-5V-1A-Power-Supply-/391736075888?hash=item5b354a2670>

has a Noise spec of 4uM vs the <40uV of the LT1963 based board.

 

The published specifications are very good indeed, but the PSU shown in the photo has a heatsink that would only be capable of adequately dissipating heat at loads no more than a couple of 100mA continuously , and that would also depend on the difference between the Input and output voltages too.

 

Alex

[John769]

5 hours ago, sandyk said:

 The 40uV ebay regulator is a fair performer, but still sounds markedly better with the JLH PSU add-on after it . It will also improve the performance of a PC's SSD when powered from the 12V rail and regulated down to +5V.

 

Hiya. 

Would a 40uV ebay 1963 regulator beat a LT3045 (or two) on a SSD?   (from an external PSU or PC 12V rail, and without a JLH PSU -add-on)

 

Quote

Quote

 Unfortunately, the is only DIY. Neither are there any PCBs currently available.

 

 

[sandyk]

39 minutes ago, John769 said:

Hiya. 

Would a 40uV ebay 1963 regulator beat a LT3045 (or two) on a SSD?   (from an external PSU or PC 12V rail, and without a JLH PSU -add-on)

 

 The LT3045 1A PCB would be dropping too much voltage (7v at 1A = 7W of heat to dissipate) when used on it's own to provide +5V from an internal +12V supply rail, so would not be suitable for use internally.

Even the more typical current draw of around 500mA from an SSD would see it dissipating 3.5W of heat.

The ebay 40uV regulator has a decent sized heatsink,  so it is suitable for use from a PC's internal +12V rail.

Using an external PSU is not always a good idea, as it gives the possibility of an earth loop being created, whereas using the ebay 40uV regulator sees it using the same 0 V ("earth") reference point in the PC itself.

Incidentally, several C.A. members have used the 40uV ebay PSU that I previously told them about, and reported back favourably.

You can also use the rectifier diodes in this PCB to drop a little more voltage, and thus run a little cooler, as well as gain a small amount of additional filtering. When used this way, it may also be a further advantage to connect something like a 100uF electrolytic capacitor across the A.C. input terminals. Make sure you get the polarity of the capacitor correct though.

I will see if I can dig up the 40uV's  schematic to illustrate this point.

Regards

Alex