The ultimate Power Supply Units for music servers (and other devices for cleaner power source)

[Ralf11]

Isolate the music server from the DAC and don't worry about a PS for the music server.

 

For the DAC, you first want to buy a high quality one with a top notch analog stage - it may have multiple power supplies inside it.  A battery would be the ultimate PS for a DAC.

[Ralf11]

29 minutes ago, Chopin75 said:

isolate the music server is one way but isolation may have its draw back. I chucked away my ifi Igalvanic as it tends to "color" the sound.  Currently I just use an optical USB cable from Corning that does the galvanic isolation without reclocking, seems to work better.

I think getting rid of the source of the problem is more effective. Besides, isolating the music server would not solve the dirty  current and noise already inside the music server. If there is less noise feeding into the server in the first place, that would be better than trying to filter out the noise downstream

Hence we should work from upstream, starting with hospital grade receptacle at the wall. ( I have not bothered doing that yet since I am renting right now)

 

 

 

optical good

 

hospital grade receptacle not important - I have one but it was free

 

dirty  current and noise already the music server is inconsequential if it is isolated from the DAC

 

are you saying that such isolation is more expensive than buying a low noise music server?  I'd likely disagree as a general purpose computer works fine

[Ralf11]

57 minutes ago, Chopin75 said:

 Servers as  it is doing the important software process of decoding the music files

 

can you explain this further?

 

not sure what you mean by a server - if it is acting like a DAC

[Ralf11]

[Ralf11]

Nothing is a panacea, but 140 dB down is inaudible; -120 is likely inaudible.

 

Audiophiles have an odd princess and pea problem (I have a thread on that, posted months ago).  It is much worse than other hobbies (photography).

 

Address the biggest problems first.

[Ralf11]

18 minutes ago, George Hincapie said:

 

How? They have to connect via ethernet in my case; how to isolate?

 

use an opto-isolator - some DACs have them built in too

 

^ assumes you need more isolation that the transformers in Ethernet already give you...

[Ralf11]

5 hours ago, George Hincapie said:

 

Don't the same people read this thread?

 

Will give it a try, thanks.

 

That thread is a controlled or censored thread.  No one there has done a proper (i.e. blinded) listening test, that I have seen.  The claims made there are merely anecdotal and untested.

 

Upgrading the stock SMPS to an expensive LPS in a computer source cannot affect the SQ by any known mechanism as long as your source is isolated from the DAC.

 

Claims to the contrary are often made by people who do not understand digital signal transmission, and are too lazy to a proper listening test to remove confirmation bias.

 

There are three modes of transmission by which noise could reach the DAC from a source (computer).

 

1. The most important (if you use USB cables) is the cable itself.

 

Some DACs are isolated internally by the manf.  For others, you can use optical or WiFi to connect them to your source.  USB is notorious for carrying noise along with the stream of bits, whereas the other two will not.  Ethernet has transformers which will at least partially isolate the DAC from the music source - maybe, just maybe, they do not isolate enough.  There are various addons to isolate ethernet too.

 

2. One other possibility exists for noise transmission to the DAC: and that is via the AC line that powers all the devices.  Noise would have to get past at least two power transformers to affect the DAC.  This is possible but likely to be less of an issue than say USB.  And there are numerous ways 

 

3. It is conceivable that HF noise could be radiated from one component (computer) to the DAC.  An easy way to attenuate this noise transmission mode is to put them in different rooms or different places in a room.  That often puts them on different AC lines ("mains") too.

 

4.  I will just include a fourth mechanism in case I forgot any conceivable transmission mode.  Magik.  

 

Be sure you can return anything you buy after doing a listening test.

 

For a listening test, try to use the highest quality source material that is most susceptible to noise effects - maybe symphonic or electronica.

 

Do important things first (speakers, listening room acoustics, then high quality analog items like the amp and pre-amp).

 

Proceed in an organized fashion, and avoid wasting money on things that do not, and cannot, work.  You will gain more esthetic satisfaction by donating to charity than by buying a Bubinga wood Tice clock for the Ethernet cables.

[Ralf11]

On 7/30/2019 at 3:59 PM, sandyk said:

 

 That's absolute BS, as is much of the remainder of your reply, and exactly the reason your antiquated and disruptive views are not welcome in the main thread where they would be removed by the OP, and shouted down by many participants in the thread who use their EARS for listening, and almost all use Linear PSUs wherever possible.

 

 

you missed one

[Ralf11]

Thanks.  I hope anyone who has either listening tests or a valid electronic explanation will report it or publish their study. 

 

We need to get past the phenomenological

[Ralf11]

20 minutes ago, jabbr said:

 

Are you interested & willing to conduct such a study? 

 

 

Yes

[Ralf11]

Indeed.  And that is a great thread title too.

[Ralf11]

47 minutes ago, jabbr said:

 

Audio appreciation is ultimately phenomenological 

 

Of course.  The pronoun I used in the post you replied to referred to noise injection, not appreciation.

 

 

[Ralf11]

12 hours ago, sandyk said:

... I am able to prove this is a fact . ...

 

ok, prove it

 

 

or do you only post to disrupt?

[Ralf11]

10 minutes ago, sandyk said:

 

 I have DIRECTLY offered you proof on several occasions, even via a PM but you have shown that you are not interested.

 

 

 

No you haven't.  You offered some BS, but if you think that is proof you are seriously unhinged.

 

Now please obey the request of the OP and cease polluting this thread with posts that you know are not wanted here.

[Ralf11]

4 hours ago, Soothsayerman said:

By using a power conditioner or battery backup to provide juice to a supply a lot power supply noise can be eliminated.

 

 

That's true - you'd have to use battery operable DACs however.

[Ralf11]

oh, I see

 

but that chain is used pretty frequently by posters on here; one common item is the Topaz

[Ralf11]

just search on 'Topaz' for a big, big thread

 

I posted a tentative summary somewhere in the middle...

[Ralf11]

not really - I've heard of it is all

 

I was interested in a Topaz until I had noise measurements made of my AC at the meter, then decided to buy a new amp instead

 

I expect to buy a new DAC to upgrade the two I have before revisiting the AC line noise issue.  I -do- keep LEDs turned off while doing critical listening.

 

And I am waiting for some new products from some of the usual suspects...

[Ralf11]

43 minutes ago, sandyk said:

 

I see that Ralf11 has taken comfort in your reply, but we both know that I wasn't talking about LED Lighting

 

you often talk about things no one else has mentioned