How do Teddy Pardo PSUs compare to the UpTone Audio JS-2 and to Paul Hynes' SR5 and SR7 PSUs?

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Your opinion, please! Thanks, nbpf

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Hmm ... power supplies are believed to have an impact on sound quality and these are relatively expensive ones. How it comes that nobody has compared these devices?

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18 minutes ago, mwb said:

I replaced my stock Squeezebox Touch PSU with a Teddy Pardo PSU.  I was surprised at how much improvement it provided.  I've never heard any of these other PSUs so I can't say if they'd sound any better than the Teddy, although I've long coveted a JS-2 because of the flexibility (dual-output, user selectable voltages, etc.) and it just seems like a really nice piece of hardware.  Can't comment on SQ though.

Thanks mwb, same situation here. I have two Teddy Pardo PSUs in my system and I was considering replacing them with a single JS-2 because of flexibility. I could achieve similar results by ordering three more Teddy Pardo at about the same price. I am also interested in the technical differences between the PSUs. The Teddy Pardo devices are very light and absolutely quiet. The JS-2 seem to be heavy and to rely on a different technology. Before I commit, I would like to understand the pros and the contras of the two approaches. 

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1 minute ago, sandyk said:

 

 The cases are very small, and if they are very light they may be using SMPS instead of a transformer type PSU ?

 Do they use 3pin mains leads ?

The Teddy Pardo case for a single output at just one voltage is comparable in height and depth with the JS-2. The width is about 170mm instead of about 210mm for the JS-2. Thus, the sizes of the two devices are comparable. The Teddy Pardo PSUs use 3pin leads. The technology is described in their web page, see https://www.teddypardo.com/powersupplies/underthehood.html. According to measurements posted in this forum (which I cannot find at the moment) the Teddy Pardo PSU feed back to the mains slightly less noise than the JS-2 under load. The difference is rather negligible and the amount of noise fed back to the mains only one of the parameters that are relevant when considering the performance of linear PSUs. I understand that both are very good devices but would like to better understand the differences and, if any, their advantages and disadvantages. 

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16 hours ago, LowMidHigh said:

Have you switched to the JS-2 eventually? Your observations? 

I have moved from powering the DigiOne Signature with the ifi iPower 5V/2.5A (dirty side) and with the UpTone Audio LPS-1.2 (clean side, the LPS-1.2 powered through its own wall wart) to powering the same DigiOne Signature with the JS-2 about one month ago.

 

During this month, the JS-2 has been powering both the dirty side of the Signature and the LPS-1.2 that powers the clean side of the Signature. The JS-2 and the LPS-1.2 are connected to the dirty and to the clean sides of the Signature with the UpTone Audio cables that came with the JS-2 and through the Allo barrel to USB C cable adapters.

 

The first impression when replacing the iPower with the JS-2 was that the overall presentation was more natural and smooth but also also a bit less engaging. Basses, resolution and perhaps timing were better with the JS-2, but the iPower had more drive and presence. 

 

In the beginning I also had problems with undervoltage exceptions of the RPi that hosts the Digione Signature. These exceptions also occurred with the iPower and eventually disappeared after I reassembled the Signature. But in the beginning I thought the JS-2 might be the culprit and thus started measuring the voltages of the JS-2, iPower, LPS-1.2, etc. As it turned out, the JS-2 delivers 11.80V and 4.92V when set at 12V and 5V respectively. The iPower delivers 5.12V. Thus, there is a difference of about 4% in the voltage provided by the two power supplies to the dirty side. Whether this can have an impact on the sound quality, I do not know.

 

Last week I received the GhentAudio cables (Canare 4S6) with USB C terminations that I had ordered to get rid of the Allo adapters and directly connect the JS-2 and the LPS-1.2 to the Signature. Replacing the original JS-2 cables and the Allo adapters with the GhentAudio cables had an impact on the sound quality: drive and presence are back, perhaps even more than with the iPower. Bass, resolution and timing are at least as good as with the UpTone Audio cables + Allo adapters.

 

Of course switching cables and power supplies implies rebooting the system and does not allow detailed side-by-side comparisons. Thus, please take my observations with a grain of salt. I freely find it very difficult to draw definite conclusions for this kind of comparisons.

 

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13 minutes ago, dmormerod said:

 

Put this down to my lack of knowledge, but why go JS-2 > LPS 1.2 > Allo Clean side vs JS-2 > Allo Clean? I guess I'm curious what additional benefit/effect the LPS in the middle has? I currently run my DigiOne Signature of batteries but while sounding great is a tad impractical, and so I'm considering what the plugged-in options are.

Because powering the clean side and the dirty side directly from the same power supply (no matter whether this is a JS-2, an iPower or a battery pack) would defeat the galvanic isolation between the two sides. The LPS-1.2 in between makes sure that the two sides are isolated while providing a very clean power to the clean side. 

 

Using the JS-2 to power the dirty side (and the LPS-1.2) is certainly a waste of resources and something that I have only done because I hope that I will be able to take advantage of the flexibility of the JS-2 to power other devices in the future. If you are looking for an alternative to the batteries for the clean side, I can recommend the LPS-1.2. It comes with a wall wart that is perfectly fine. 

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9 minutes ago, diecaster said:

 

That particular supply is different than the lower current supplies such as the 7/2 I have......not many people here, probably none,  are buying the 12/4.

I have a 2014 Teddy 12/4 that I have used to power a fitPC3 for years and, recently, an UpTone Audio LPS-1.2. It uses a SMPS but it is a fine power supply as far as I can say. I have not tried to compare it to the JS-2 or to other PSUs, though. 

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1 minute ago, diecaster said:

Well, most of the supplies people use here are under 2 amps are or less. The LPS 1.2 is only 1.1 amps. When you want 4 amps, design changes are required. I don't need a 4 amp supply so I am not worried about what Teddy Pardo does with his 12/4.

 

When I need to buy a power supply, I look at the requirements and look at the power supplies that meet those requirements. Then I decide what power supply I think will be best based on cost/performance.

I also have a Teddy Pardo 9V/2A, beside the 12V/4.5A. I have not done extensive comparisons but I believe the Teddy Pardo are excellent power supplies and I would not hesitate recommending them. The build quality is very good and they run cool. 

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5 hours ago, jos said:

Interesting to read and thanks for the information! I was planning to replace my two Ifi iPowers, feeding my Chord Qutest DAC & ultraRendu, with the Uptone JS-2, but it seems to be not worthwhile for the money 💰 involved, or did you change your opinion in the meantime?

I haven't changed my setup over the last year, the JS-2 is still powering the LPS-1.2 and the RPi side of the DigiOne Signature and the LPS-1.2 powers its clean side. I have meanwhile compared this setup with an ultraRendu + Mutec MC-3+ Smart Clock USB (with the ultraRendu powered by the JS-2) without being able to say that one sounded obviously better than the other. I do not know if I would be able to confirm the impressions reported in the post you quote today, perhaps I should try. I do not regret having bought the JS-2: it is a very versatile PSU and its build quality and design are great. In hindsight, I could perhaps have avoided buying the LPS-1.2 and instead used the JS-2 to power both the RPi and the clean side of the DigiOne Signature. I do not know how the Qutest and the ultraRendu react to different PSUs. If you can afford the JS-2, I would certainly recommend it. It is an expensive but rewarding device. If you are located in the US or in the UK, you might be able to borrow a unit for a home demo. In this case, please let us know your findings. Best, nbpf