Farad supercap DC power supplies

[MarkusBarkus]

I have not used a Paul Hynes PS, although feedback is always very good; however, I do have Farad3s on my Qutest, MScaler and etherReGen. 
 

I find the F3s sound terrific and do not run hot, FYI. Excellent musical detail. 
 

I never ran the stock Qutest PS. I *think* I initially powered the Qutest with a Shanti I had on hand, and adding the Farad3 was significant.
 

Relevant info:

--Fuse upgrade is HIFi Tuning. 
--Furutech AC Inlet

--Level 1 DC Cable (Level 2 on MS and eRG). Copper. 
--PCs are all Analysis Plus Pro Oval

--Cord related PS devices are plugged into a PI Audio hybrid UberBuss/DigiBuss power supply.

 

Mattijs is very helpful and responsive, should you have questions. I quite like the Farad3s in the system here.

[Varadero xl 1000v]

On 7/21/2020 at 10:55 PM, Frojo said:

 

Ηi.  

 

I received a Farad Super 3 20 days to power the Dac Chord Hugo tt2.  I will say one thing: The difference in performance is significant! 

 

I'm in the process of making a Silver / Gold Mundorf power cord with plugs sent to me by Mattjis.

 

 I will keep you informed about the final result ..

[Varadero xl 1000v]

Hi guys.  

 

Today, the DIY Mundorf Gold / Silver cable with Oyaide plug was prepared.  Tomorrow I will connect it to the Farad Super 3 and the Chord Hugo tt2.

 

 I would like to thank Mr.  Mattjis for sending the plugs.

[MarkusBarkus]

Looks good!

Question: did you end up twisting the wire for the cables, or running them parallel? There was some back and forth on that topic, as I recall.

 

What did you do?

 

Happy testing tomorrow...

[RickyV]

1 hour ago, MarkusBarkus said:

Looks good!

Question: did you end up twisting the wire for the cables, or running them parallel? There was some back and forth on that topic, as I recall.

 

What did you do?

 

Happy testing tomorrow...

I say twisted.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_pair

[Fourlegs]

21 hours ago, RickyV said:

I say twisted.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_pair

 

I'm pretty sure that Sean Jacobs runs his parallel in his DC cables but I will go and check my DC4 umbilical cables later  . . . . . .

[HumanMedia]

Make sure to twist them in the right rotation. (Yes there is a correct way and an incorrect way)

[BigAlMc]

Jason Kennedy reviews the Super3

 

https://the-ear.net/review-hardware/farad-super3-linear-power-supply

 

 

[Varadero xl 1000v]

A brief description of how the dc cable is made: mundorf wire silver gold wire was used
https://www.mundorf.com/audio/en/shop/cables/SilverGold,Wire-2x-0,50mm/?card=2817
 one of the best for this application, two per pole, As a dielectric I used a slightly larger duct to take advantage of the air benefits as a dielectric medium Made of red teflon -pvc light,

 The solder I used is Mundorf 9% silver gold
https://www.bukalapak.com/p/komputer/aksesoris-226/kabel-usb/2ysre18-jual-grosiran-50cm-timah-mundorf-supreme-high-end-silver-solder-9-5-silver-  1-gold-half-meter? From = list-product & keyword = meter% 20timah% 20solder% 20silver & funnel = omnisearch & product_owner = normal_seller & pos = 2 & cf = 1 & ssa = 1 & sort_origin = relevansi & search_sort_default = true & promoted = 0

 I preferred this solder cause, probably is the most hard solder more than any other.Also gold is the perfect match for silver gold wires.  Because it has 9% silver,

 I also use furutec oyaide wbt cardas wonder solder.  but for this application I think is the perfect choice

 A single twist I gave in the conductors so as not to increase the resistance.

 Τhe formation of the conductors (wire) and the way of gluing them with the plugs in order to get the maximum sound effect of this construction.

[Superdad]

16 hours ago, HumanMedia said:

Make sure to twist them in the right rotation. (Yes there is a correct way and an incorrect way)

Yes, counter-clockwise (as seen with the wire coming towards you).

[Jeremy Anderson]

13 hours ago, Superdad said:

Yes, counter-clockwise (as seen with the wire coming towards you).

 

But that's only in the Northern Hemisphere, right? 😂

 

(Just kidding..)

[Jeremy Anderson]

On 7/21/2020 at 2:29 PM, MarkusBarkus said:

.. I do have Farad3s on my Qutest, MScaler and etherReGen. 
 

I find the F3s sound terrific and do not run hot, FYI. Excellent musical detail. 
 

I never ran the stock Qutest PS. I *think* I initially powered the Qutest with a Shanti I had on hand, and adding the Farad3 was significant.
 

Relevant info:

--Fuse upgrade is HIFi Tuning. 
--Furutech AC Inlet

--Level 1 DC Cable (Level 2 on MS and eRG). Copper. 
--PCs are all Analysis Plus Pro Oval

--Cord related PS devices are plugged into a PI Audio hybrid UberBuss/DigiBuss power supply.

 

I have a Qutest as well (but no MScaler yet...) being fed by a battery supply (PowerAdd Pilot Pro 5 for the 5V power). The signal side is fed by an Uptone LPS 1.2 + ISO REGEN combo. (The LPS 1.2 is being fed by a separate PowerAdd Pilot Pro 5 battery to maintain galvanic isolation).

 

I recently upgraded my Sonore ultraRendu's power from the DC output of one of the batteries to a 6V Farad Super3 [w/ Furutech + SR Orange fuse] using the standard tin-plated copper output cable (and I used a Nordost Blue Heaven power cable for input) and the results were profound. Seriously impressive, 'component-level' upgrade.

 

I was not expecting this just by powering the ultraRendu differently... in fact, upgrading the uR's supply further was not in near-term cards at all. I'd planned to try a Farad on the Qutest first.. but then this souped-up 6V supply showed up on eBay for a seriously sweet price.

 

Now, I may be getting a double-whammy by achieving proper galvanic isolation along with the seriously improved power stability and delivery the Farad Super3 affords... either way, what a difference! I'm hearing backing vocals coming out of the woodwork and low-level detail retrieval in spades. Voices sound more natural and rich, instruments have greater separation, there's real depth to the sound stage... all, seemingly, from giving the uR a better power base (and, of course, the GI). Crazy.

 

I've got some other upgrades in the works, but at least one more Farad is on the menu. Perhaps as a Christmas gift...

[HeeBroG]

3 hours ago, Jeremy Anderson said:

Now, I may be getting a double-whammy by achieving proper galvanic isolation along with the seriously improved power stability and delivery the Farad Super3 affords... either way, what a difference! I'm hearing backing vocals coming out of the woodwork and low-level detail retrieval in spades. Voices sound more natural and rich, instruments have greater separation, there's real depth to the sound stage... all, seemingly, from giving the uR a better power base (and, of course, the GI). Crazy.

 

Hi Jeremy,

 

Is the galvanic isolation due to the Super Capacitor design much like with the Uptone LPS 1.2?

 

Geoff

[kennyb123]

8 hours ago, HeeBroG said:

 

Is the galvanic isolation due to the Super Capacitor design much like with the Uptone LPS 1.2?

 

Farad hasn’t claimed that their supply isolates in the same way as the LPS-1.2.  Better cords can benefit the Super3 as well, so the quality of power provided to the Super3 appears to matter.

[Blake]

Farad: My findings are that the after market power cords running to the Farad Super3 supplies matter a great deal- they definitely make a difference (I experimented with Sablon, Kimber and WyWires).  The DC umbilical cable also impacts the sound quality (I am using Audio Sensibility Signature Silver DC, but also tried Ghent Gotham and a custom Revelation Audio Labs Passage Cryo Silver). 

 

Uptone LPS 1 or 1.2: The after market power cords running to the energizing supplies for the LPS 1 and LPS 1.2 did not improve the sound when I tried.  However, the DC umbilical cable does matter and makes a difference.

.

 

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

11 hours ago, HeeBroG said:

 

Hi Jeremy,

 

Is the galvanic isolation due to the Super Capacitor design much like with the Uptone LPS 1.2?

 

Geoff

 

The GI I am referring to provided by the Chord Qutest. Qutest's signal input and power input are galvanically isolated, but I was unwittingly defeating that when I had 2 power supplies (batteries) and 3 components. I was running a USB line and a DC line from one battery to power the Qutest and to provide juice for the ultraRendu.

 

In doing so, I was creating a ground connection between the USB input side (since the USB signal comes from the Rendu) and the power input side via the battery powering them both. The other battery was being used to power the Uptone LPS 1.2 at a higher voltage to ensure it had ample current supply.  (edit: It is possible that much of that isolation was being restored by the ISO REGEN + LPS 1.2, but I'm not an electrical engineer.)

 

Buying the Farad enabled me to dedicate one battery for each side of Qutest's internal "moat," while seriously upping the quality of the supplied voltage to the source (the ultraRendu). I can't know how much each change helped since they are a package deal, but I'm willing to give the Farad the loin's share of the credit.

[kennyb123]

4 hours ago, Blake said:

Farad: My findings are that the after market power cords running to the Farad Super3 supplies matter a great deal- they definitely make a difference (I experimented with Sablon, Kimber and WyWires).  The DC umbilical cable also impacts the sound quality (I am using Audio Sensibility Signature Silver DC, but also tried Ghent Gotham and a custom Revelation Audio Labs Passage Cryo Silver). 

 

Uptone LPS 1 or 1.2: The after market power cords running to the energizing supplies for the LPS 1 and LPS 1.2 did not improve the sound when I tried.  However, the DC umbilical cable does matter and makes a difference.

 

 

I absolutely agree with everything you wrote.  

 

I wanted to add to it that I had great success with using one of Shunyata's least expensive power cords on the Super3 powering my HMS.  Their Venom V14 Digital (V14D) cable retails for $250 and contains a special filter aimed at the noise fully-digital components dump back into an AC circuit.  I compared the V14D to their V12 NR, which retails for $399.  The reduction in noise was easy to hear and reminiscent of the impact of a power conditioner.  I was actually taken aback by the difference such an affordable power cord can make in this application.  I will be getting another V14D for the Super3 powering my EtherRegen.  

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

I'm planning to pick up a V14D for my Farad as well.

 

For now I'm using a tried and true Nordost Blue Heaven. The V14D bests it in numerous ways (CCI Noise Filtration, 14ga vs BH's 16ga, KPIP treatment, etc.), while the BH has higher copper purity (99.99% vs 99.9999%, for what that's worth). Nordost also has MMF, which is an older trick, but still a good one. I still suspect the V14D would win on the bench or even in a blind taste test.

 

I hope to get the opportunity to host a shootout between these two, but right now my system is in a bit of an upheaval. I've also been clearing out my Nordost cable stable, though, and selling the Blue Heaven might just net me a V14D, so we'll have to wait and see...

[jamesg11]

Re power cables, John Swenson recently contributed these thoughts in CA, Uptone -

 

“I have some opinions on this but not much in the realm of measurements, primarily because nobody really knows what measurements correlate "better sound".

 

1: geometry of the cable is the most important part. Star quad is by far the best. Unfortunately there are only a couple power cords on the market that use star quad geometry.

 

2: the dielectric actually on the wires, NOT so much the outer jacket. Low dielectric absorption is good. Teflon, polypropylene, some formulations of silicone rubber etc.

 

3: socket. Most of the differences between connections occur in the socket, NOT the plug, The socket determines how much actual surface area is in contact with the plug.

 

4: surface of the socket or plug. For the surface plating of power plugs or sockets my favorite is silver. Gold is the absolute worst for power connections. Gold is usually very thin plating and when the plug goes in, small arcs occur which vaporize the thin gold plating, leaving the electrical contact with a very poor connection of the redeposited vaporized layer under the gold. Usually NOT a good contact. Leave gold for SIGNAL connections not power connections. A good thick silver plating will easily withstand the micro-arcs. Yes they oxidize, but the oxides are conductive, usually get wiped away when connecting and don't suffer the infamous "diode affect" of copper oxides. All in all I think think silver plating is by far the best compromise for power connections.

 

5: the plug actually has little to do with it other than the contact plating.

 

6: gauge of the wire.

 

Note that wire gauge is at the bottom of the list. Of course you have to get it big enough to handle the load of what you are powering. But beyond that getting the higher things on the list done well will make a much bigger improvement than just making wire bigger. What can happen is that frequently when you go to a thicker wire some of the other things also get better so may think that the thicker wire is what "did the trick" when it was really some of the other things. For example for a preamp going from 14 AWG to 12 AWG is not going to do anything for sound, UNLESS the cable with the thicker wire makes improvements in some of the other things. That same change might well make a small change in a 500 watt amp, every thing else being equal.

 

7: wire metal type. For power cords I think this is one of the least important parts. Go with a good grade annealed copper and you are about as good as you can get. There IS a side affect that metal alloy can have: Copper can interact with the dielectric around it causing oxides and "diode affect" which can cause problems. Fortunately the "good" dielectrics mentioned above generally do not have this interaction. So switching to silver wire with cheap dielectric (say PVC) WILL significantly improve sound, but sticking with copper and going with a good dielectric will sound better and cost less.

 

I know I'm dissing a lot of sacred cows with this, but this is what I actually think is the most important.

 

If you REALLY want to do power well go with Neutric Powercons, Build your own "power boxes" with them, make your own polypropylene insulated star quad cables with Powercons and put them in your equipment. That is about as good as it gets.

 

John S.”

[kennyb123]

On 8/10/2020 at 11:08 PM, Jeremy Anderson said:

I'm planning to pick up a V14D for my Farad as well.

 

For now I'm using a tried and true Nordost Blue Heaven. The V14D bests it in numerous ways (CCI Noise Filtration, 14ga vs BH's 16ga, KPIP treatment, etc.), while the BH has higher copper purity (99.99% vs 99.9999%, for what that's worth). Nordost also has MMF, which is an older trick, but still a good one. I still suspect the V14D would win on the bench or even in a blind taste test.

 

This week I swapped a V14D for a Nordost Magus (predecessor to the Blue Heaven) on the Super3 powering my EtherRegen.  Greater naturalness emerged.  Not as big of an upgrade though as going from a generic power cord to the Magus but a welcome improvement nonetheless.

[dminches]

Does anyone know what the fuse value is for a 12V Farad Super3? 

 

[Tommd64]

Best use is 800ma

[kennyb123]

On 8/26/2020 at 2:07 PM, dminches said:

Does anyone know what the fuse value is for a 12V Farad Super3? 

 

 

Per Mattijs:  For 115Vac we recommend 1.6A slow blow, 5x20 mm

[Abyss Man]

To add on to Ken, if it’s 230v then it’s 800 mA though I have used 500mA without issues, but 800mA is a safer bet.

[M_audio]

How long is the burn in time for Farad - 5V?
I have the version with Supreme 3 fuse.