The true experimental tweak thread

[Cornan]

Heat report of the SD-HPULN with 1Vf. The heatsinks are indeed hot to the touch after roughly 14 hours use, but not burning hot. Looking good! ?

[Cornan]

Here is something I tried today just to see if it would’nt work as @mansr indicated in another thread. Kemet A750 25v/560uF connected between the USB output of my Marshall Stockwell (Kitchen stereo) powering my ChromeCast Audio.

 

 

Well, it did’nt just work perfectly. It sounds much better as well! ?

 

So now I’ll guess it is time to see  if and how it works between ISO Regen and USPCB. I’ll just add Mundorf gold silver wires to D- and D+ and guve it a go! ?

[Cornan]

Said and done! ? Mundorf gold silver wires as D- and D+.

 

 

Installed it between ISO Regen and USPCB powering USB input of my BluWave board as well.

It maybe does’nt look that nice, but remember that this is just an experiment for evaluation. Boy, it did’nt just work. It made a very nice SQ improvement as well. It’s definately a keeper! ??

 

[Forehaven]

So I'm way behind here guys, been traveling so much last couple mos.  I have in hand, 20 Kimmets...

1.  Is there a pos/neg lead on these?

2.  Seems like install one on both the input and output of LT3045's?

3.  As well as at the beginning and end of each DC cable lead?

 

I'm going to be using this gargantuan Gotham Ultra Pro.  I only have 1 pr of Oyaide 5.5x2.1mm, so unfort will be using mostly screw terminals.  I'll eventually get some Supra ethernet cable for the router runs.

 

Lastly, I nabbed a Cisco 2960 router that I haven't set up yet.

 

Lot's of 'goodies' to look forward too

 

[Cornan]

5 minutes ago, Forehaven said:

So I'm way behind here guys, been traveling so much last couple mos.  I have in hand, 20 Kimmets...

1.  Is there a pos/neg lead on these?

2.  Seems like install one on both the input and output of LT3045's?

3.  As well as at the beginning and end of each DC cable lead?

 

I'm going to be using this gargantuan Gotham Ultra Pro.  I only have 1 pr of Oyaide 5.5x2.1mm, so unfort will be using mostly screw terminals.  I'll eventually get some Supra ethernet cable for the router runs.

 

Lastly, I nabbed a Cisco 2960 router that I haven't set up yet.

 

Lot's of 'goodies' to look forward too

 

 

Great! The Kemet’s have a blue mark on top of the cap body. That’s the negative side. Also the leg of the negative side is shorter (ie. Long leg=positive). It is very important with the polarity!

 

I think you should start to add them at them one at a time to see if you like the change. However, don’t stop on the first negative impact. Keep on adding them elsewhere as well since I beleive it is a key to success. They do not need to be together with LT3045 specificly. They improve in any DC path IME. Beginning and end of DC cables is good spots IMO.

 

Great stuff you’ve got coming there! ?? I have heard great things about Cisco 2960. Be sure to share your impressions! ?

[Forehaven]

Thank you so much Cornan!  Will do!

[Cornan]

After a couple of switches between ISO Regen and Aries Mini I prefer it at the Aries Mini end where it sounds a bit more natural and fiber rich compared to post IR.

 

 

It is very clear in my setup that it is better with Kemet than without in the USB cable path.

 

 

[hurka]

16 hours ago, Cornan said:

After a couple of switches between ISO Regen and Aries Mini I prefer it at the Aries Mini end where it sounds a bit more natural and fiber rich compared to post IR.

 

 

It is very clear in my setup that it is better with Kemet than without in the USB cable path.

 

 

What do you think about aries mod?Remove the chokes(easy),can add 5 rail independent low noise juice.Think more effective than one small capacitor. 

[Cornan]

5 hours ago, hurka said:

What do you think about aries mod?Remove the chokes(easy),can add 5 rail independent low noise juice.Think more effective than one small capacitor. 

 

Well, it’s great but probably very messy to do that mod on my Aries Mini and frankly a bit over my head right now. The cap is just a way to make the USB cable less noisy when 5v and GND is needed by the DAC.

[drjimwillie]

(Sorry  about the giant text, I don't know how to change it)

I received an APC LE1200 voltage regulator.  That has a toggle on the back and you can choose for the normal voltage to be 110V. If the voltage is over by a certain percentage it will drop the voltage by 10%. 

 The first one I received was dead on arrival. 

I get 122.5V from the wall. With the APC set on 110V, I was getting 109V from the APC. 112V from the isolation transformer. 

With 112V supplied to The HD Plex ATX LPS powering my caps pipeline Computer, the pipeline would not power up.  It just made a clicking noise every two seconds.

I Reset the APC to 120V. I measured 122V from APC, The same as my wall  voltage.  The ultra isolation transformer output 126V. 

(Maybe the buzz is slightly louder at the higher voltage?)

I pushed the button and the computer powered right up. 

When I first powered up the computer at the lower voltage I heard a clicking noise, which corresponded with a buzz, out of the speaker every two seconds. I realized that the clicking was coming from the caps pipeline. It was a cycling, possibly trying to power on. 

After I gave it The voltage it was used to, The computer/caps pipeline was stuck in the initiating sequence. 

I feared the worst. 

I powered down the LPS in and the pipeline. The pipeline computer powered on. I have not killed my gear. Music was not dead. 

With the APC footage regulator at the higher voltage in front of the DC blocker with the Mundorf caps and the balanced isolation transformer things sounded great. Drums were more distinct and highs had a little more splash. things seemed slightly cleaned up a bit. 

The next morning I tried plugging the HD Plex 300W ATX LPS directly into the Dedicated quad at the wall that is also powering everything else in the chain. 

Powering up the caps pipeline was still a little glitchy. (It makes me reluctant to try it again at the lower voltage)

Maybe the sound has a little haze over it and the dynamics are not quite as firm. Do you think it could be because one: I am not benefiting from the ultra isolation transformer and two: I'm not plugged into the same simple power strip as suggested by John S. 

Do you think there's an Issue feeding the HD Plex ATX LPS with 112V. Will the LPS compensate and still put out the same voltage and wattage?  I have reached out to Larry to ask him.  

If I feed a lower voltage doesn't mean that my amperage increases and isn't it the amperage that makes things run hotter. I know if you have a voltage drop, then the amperage compensates, so it makes things run hotter. Thoughts on any of this??

[drjimwillie]

 I am running the HD Plex LPS separate Of the  isolation transformer, it is plugged directly into the same dedicated circuit.  

Before I got the isolation transformer I was using a Shunyata Hydra 4.

 I put the hydra 4 back into the circuit as a buffer For the  hd Plex. 

 It is like the floodgates opened up. There is more of everything. 

 And I am able to hear more spatial

 Ambience 

 I'm not sure what's going on?  Maybe in the LPS was dumping noise into the simple powerstrip. The Hydra 4 has always been effective  at quieting things down. 

 

[Cornan]

41 minutes ago, drjimwillie said:

 I am running the HD Plex LPS separate Of the  isolation transformer, it is plugged directly into the same dedicated circuit.  

Before I got the isolation transformer I was using a Shunyata Hydra 4.

 I put the hydra 4 back into the circuit as a buffer For the  hd Plex. 

 It is like the floodgates opened up. There is more of everything. 

 And I am able to hear more spatial

 Ambience 

 I'm not sure what's going on?  Maybe in the LPS was dumping noise into the simple powerstrip. The Hydra 4 has always been effective  at quieting things down. 

 

 

Why do you want to power the HD Plex LPS separately without its own isolation transformer?

If you have the Hydra 4 and it works wonders why not just keep it? If I had the Hydra 4 I would certainly make good use of it! Seems to me that is what you done just now! ?

[drjimwillie]

I don't want to power it separately.  

But when I feed it the 112 V , after the IT, it didn't power on.

It just clicked Every two seconds. 

 I wanted to hear what the reduced voltage would do to the rest of the components so I separated  it. 

I asked Larry if a change of input voltage would change the output of the ATX LPS???

[Cornan]

1 hour ago, drjimwillie said:

I don't want to power it separately.  

But when I feed it the 112 V , after the IT, it didn't power on.

It just clicked Every two seconds. 

 I wanted to hear what the reduced voltage would do to the rest of the components so I separated  it. 

I asked Larry if a change of input voltage would change the output of the ATX LPS???

 

OK. Is the ATX LPS powering your PC? A PC is very noisy. Especially if you have’nt change any of the internal SMPS to LT3045s or low noise LDOs. I have personally moved away from PC and NAS many years ago. If I had a proper PC or NAS I would actually keep it far from my audio devices and on a separate isolation transformer. All controlled with a tablet.

 

I think Larry @lmitche is the right person to ask that question. I’m not confident to give you a firm answer on that one I’m afraid.

I’m on 230v mains myself and are not fully aware of the limitations using 110v/115v/120v. I can use 220v-240v devices without any problems as long as they are 50Hz. Not sure if you can power more than 115v +/- 10v in 60Hz countries? 

Just a thought. Have you checked that your HD Plex are set to the correct voltage at the back of the unit? If it has such a switch that is?

 

[drjimwillie]

 The HD Plex ATX LPS has a separate linear power supply to every single component in my CAPS pipeline computer,  and then a few other taps, to do peripherals like my SOTM USB card for the output.   I have one of the first ones.  Andrew from small green computer made it for me.  I was waiting and waiting for the ultra remdu to come out, to see which way would be better......but I couldn't be patient any longer and ordered this set up. I am very happy with it,  it's built on a server platform.   I made it with all the recommended parts by Chris,  our benefactor . It has been very reliable. 

 I run HQ player with aucorate room correction and audiophile optimizer and roon core. I control it with roon remote on my tablet. 

 I come out of that computer into an iso regen with an LPS-1. 

 I only have one SMPS in my whole system.  It is the meanwell for the LPS-1.  The meanwell is internally grounded by "those who would know best how to do it"?

 My next order of business in the refinement of my stereo is going to be to remove that last SMPS.  It was my intent that after I straighten out everything with the APC that I was going to ask here for help on that. 

 The reason I want to change it out is because when I was testing the ultra isolation transformer initially, I did some tests with the ATX LPS and the Meanwell.  Removing them from the ultra isolation transformer and plugged them directly into the shared quad for the dedicated circuit.  When I pluged the ATXLPS into the quad it was quiet. When I pluged them meanwell that powers the LPS-1, into the quad, I got a loud hum! ( there must be some sort of conflict )

 I thought if I simplify things, and all of my linear power supply taps, basically come from the same source, with the same ground,  I  might not get a hum if I want to separate the LPS from my isolation transformer. 

 What I was going to ask here is, I have a 12 V output from the ATX LPS. I want to use it to power my LPS-1.  I would like you, please, to make a recommendation for how to drop the voltage from 12V to  what the LPS-1 would like.  I am guessing that might be 10V?  I could use two of those voltage regulators that you have been using it step down. 

What do you think? ( boy I talk a lot )

[Cornan]

38 minutes ago, drjimwillie said:

 The HD Plex ATX LPS has a separate linear power supply to every single component in my CAPS pipeline computer,  and then a few other taps, to do peripherals like my SOTM USB card for the output.   I have one of the first ones.  Andrew from small green computer made it for me.  I was waiting and waiting for the ultra remdu to come out, to see which way would be better......but I couldn't be patient any longer and ordered this set up. I am very happy with it,  it's built on a server platform.   I made it with all the recommended parts by Chris,  our benefactor . It has been very reliable. 

 I run HQ player with aucorate room correction and audiophile optimizer and roon core. I control it with roon remote on my tablet. 

 I come out of that computer into an iso regen with an LPS-1. 

 I only have one SMPS in my whole system.  It is the meanwell for the LPS-1.  The meanwell is internally grounded by "those who would know best how to do it"?

 My next order of business in the refinement of my stereo is going to be to remove that last SMPS.  It was my intent that after I straighten out everything with the APC that I was going to ask here for help on that. 

 The reason I want to change it out is because when I was testing the ultra isolation transformer initially, I did some tests with the ATX LPS and the Meanwell.  Removing them from the ultra isolation transformer and plugged them directly into the shared quad for the dedicated circuit.  When I pluged the ATXLPS into the quad it was quiet. When I pluged them meanwell that powers the LPS-1, into the quad, I got a loud hum! ( there must be some sort of conflict )

 I thought if I simplify things, and all of my linear power supply taps, basically come from the same source, with the same ground,  I  might not get a hum if I want to separate the LPS from my isolation transformer. 

 What I was going to ask here is, I have a 12 V output from the ATX LPS. I want to use it to power my LPS-1.  I would like you, please, to make a recommendation for how to drop the voltage from 12V to  what the LPS-1 would like.  I am guessing that might be 10V?  I could use two of those voltage regulators that you have been using it step down. 

What do you think? ( boy I talk a lot )

 

Sounds like you’ve got most things covered! ???

 

I know LPS-1.2 that I use prefer 36watts input. When I use the 3A LT3045 (MS-HPULN) to the LPS-1.2 I use 16v on the feeder supply and 12v into LPS-1.2 (12v x 3A= 36w). The reason I am using a 3v drop is that LT3045 is most effective with that amount of drop when used in singles.

Now, I do not know if LPS-1 have exactly the same watt requirements as LPS-1.2? If it does you cannot use any LDOs after the HD Plex set to 12v. The LDOs also needs to handle atleast 3A. LT3045 needs a minimum Vf (voltage forward drop) of 0,5v.

With that said I did actually run my LPS-1.2 with

7v 3A without any issues and sounding great, but it us not recommended by JS or Alex C as far as I know. I think you better check with them to get a firm answer because I could’nt find any info about the watt requirements on LPS-1 on Uptone Audios website when I checked.

[drjimwillie]

 I have spoken with Alex about using the HD Plex to power my LPS-1.  This was before I had the isolation transformer and before I discovered the hum  when I plugged in the meanwhile for the LPS one separate note the isolation transformer.   

 He said that the LPS one needs between 7 1/2 and 12 V.  If it goes above 12 V it will fry the LPS-1.  He had customers that had bad experiences with the HD Plex, in that it was spiking above 12 and frying the LPS-1s.   He said that if I was using rhe HD PLEX I should have it Output 9 V.   He said there was no advantage sound wise to using the HD Plex to power the LPS one. But if the whole reason we're grounding the SMPS says is for these current leakage, then from what I understand if we use a linear power supply you don't get leakage current and that would alleviate that whole situation.

 I wonder if using the LT 3045 after the linear power supply if that will make the LPS-1 sound better?    Will two of the LT 3045s make LPS-1 sound even better?? 

 It sounds like I need to drop 3 V. Larry from HD Plex said that that circuit put out a maximum of 5A. 

 My Holo spring DAC does not use any power from the iso regen.  I don't know what wattage the IR uses or if that matters? 

[sandyk]

4 hours ago, drjimwillie said:

But if the whole reason we're grounding the SMPS says is for these current leakage, then from what I understand if we use a linear power supply you don't get leakage current and that would alleviate that whole situation.

 

There is always some leakage current, but it's normally far less with a Linear PSU.

There is also some capacitive coupling back to Mains earth between the Primary and Secondary sides of a transformer, with R Core transformers being one of the better types in this respect.

 A battery derived supply usually sounds better but can be costly and difficult to implement due to charging requirements etc.

[Cornan]

5 hours ago, drjimwillie said:

 I have spoken with Alex about using the HD Plex to power my LPS-1.  This was before I had the isolation transformer and before I discovered the hum  when I plugged in the meanwhile for the LPS one separate note the isolation transformer.   

 He said that the LPS one needs between 7 1/2 and 12 V.  If it goes above 12 V it will fry the LPS-1.  He had customers that had bad experiences with the HD Plex, in that it was spiking above 12 and frying the LPS-1s.   He said that if I was using rhe HD PLEX I should have it Output 9 V.   He said there was no advantage sound wise to using the HD Plex to power the LPS one. But if the whole reason we're grounding the SMPS says is for these current leakage, then from what I understand if we use a linear power supply you don't get leakage current and that would alleviate that whole situation.

 I wonder if using the LT 3045 after the linear power supply if that will make the LPS-1 sound better?    Will two of the LT 3045s make LPS-1 sound even better?? 

 It sounds like I need to drop 3 V. Larry from HD Plex said that that circuit put out a maximum of 5A. 

 My Holo spring DAC does not use any power from the iso regen.  I don't know what wattage the IR uses or if that matters? 

 

My own experiences are with LPS-1.2 only, but they should be quite consistant to LPS-1 at the input.

 

I had similar issues with LPS-1.2 in the beginning. It made a humming and clicking noise with the supplied grounded SMPS. That all dissapeared when I changed it to a floating SMPS feeder supply. When I added the MS-HPULN at the input of LPS-1.2 the SQ clearly improved. This is something that several other CA members agree upon even when using grounded LPSU as feeder supply.

Adding two 3A LT3045 at the input is something so crazy that I think it is only me that have actually tried it. It do improve SQ further, but not enough to justify the cost. Therefore I am currently using just one at the input of my LPS-1.2.

When it comes to LPS-1 it should improve SQ with LT3045 LDOs at both input and output since I have read reports that people prefer LT3045 at the output if LPS-1 too. That is not the case with LPS-1.2 though IME.

[sandyk]

1 hour ago, Cornan said:

When it comes to LPS-1 it should improve SQ with LT3045 LDOs at both input and output since I have read reports that people prefer LT3045 at the output if LPS-1 too. That is not the case with LPS-1.2 though IME.

 

 Doesn't the 1.2 already use them ?

[Cornan]

4 minutes ago, sandyk said:

 

 Doesn't the 1.2 already use them ?

 

Yes, at the output. That´s probably one of the reasons why an additional LT3045 does´nt improve SQ. Since IME usually LT3045s improves in series I´ll guess there are other reasons for it not to improve at the output of LPS-1.2 as well.

[drjimwillie]

I found that the LPS-1 is Max 1 amp out. I want to deliver 9 V to the LPS-1. 

 So the device to drop down my 12 V; 5 A, HD Plex ATXLPS will have to be configured 9 V and 9 W?

 Is the LT 3045 the correct device for me to use?    What about those HPLUN devices? I really do not know much about either one.   

 Do I have to worry about heat dissipation??

Is Alexey  The person I want to build/can figure this device for me?  I want to order it with the cables attached so all I have to do is plug it in.   I went up to thread to look for his email address but did not see it. 

[Cornan]

1 hour ago, drjimwillie said:

I found that the LPS-1 is Max 1 amp out. I want to deliver 9 V to the LPS-1. 

 So the device to drop down my 12 V; 5 A, HD Plex ATXLPS will have to be configured 9 V and 9 W?

 Is the LT 3045 the correct device for me to use?    What about those HPLUN devices? I really do not know much about either one.   

 Do I have to worry about heat dissipation??

Is Alexey  The person I want to build/can figure this device for me?  I want to order it with the cables attached so all I have to do is plug it in.   I went up to thread to look for his email address but did not see it. 

 

You are talking about 1A out on the LPS-1, but did’nt you want to use the HD Plex instead of the SMPS that is connected to the INPUT of the LPS-1? That amperage is different to the input and needs to be confirmed before giving any advices.

 

For output Alexeys 1-1,5A LT3045 boards is OK, but if the LPS-1 needs the same watts on the input as LPS-1.2 you’ll need Stammheims MS-HPULN which is 3A. You’ll need to check that carefully before naking any decisions.

 

Heat is not a big issue as long as you do not go past 3 Vf. However, performance wise it is a good idea to keep the LT3045 in a well ventilated spot.

[hurka]

My psu like: power regenerator- 30w R core- Schottky rectifier- 4x lt1963 - 4x lt1963- 4x lt3045- 4x lt3045 sound better than others like sps500 or lps1.2

sigma 11 not arrived yet.....

[Cornan]

16 minutes ago, hurka said:

My psu like: power regenerator- 30w R core- Schottky rectifier- 4x lt1963 - 4x lt1963- 4x lt3045- 4x lt3045 sound better than others like sps500 or lps1.2

sigma 11 not arrived yet.....

 

Thay’s quite an impressive piece. Is it a 4 rail LPSU with LT1963 in series followed by LT3045 in series?

Sigma 11 is great as well. Will the Sigma 11 replace the LT1963 and rectifiers in that LPSU or used elsewhere?