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Building A Linear Power Supplies for HQPlayer Server


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Nicely done @elan120. Congratulations!!!

 

You may want to try to connect the last small Mundorf bypass capacitor directly to the output rather than having one lead going back to the star ground. It may help a little with the high frequency filtering. Or if you have space, move it to your computer chassis and connect it across the DC connector pins there (if you are using a connector). 

I have one more comment, but I will send you a PM.

 

Enjoy. 

Industry disclosure:
https://chicagohifi.com

Dealer for: Taiko Audio, Conrad Johnson, Audio Mirror, and Sean Jacobs

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29 minutes ago, Nenon said:

You may want to try to connect the last small Mundorf bypass capacitor directly to the output rather than having one lead going back to the star ground. It may help a little with the high frequency filtering. Or if you have space, move it to your computer chassis and connect it across the DC connector pins there (if you are using a connector).

That sounds interesting and I will give it a try this weekend along with other things.  Time to move in to the "tweak" mode.

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  • 4 weeks later...
32 minutes ago, elan120 said:

In this step, it is essential to stress the importance of connecting IEC power input ground to power supply chassis as a safety precaution.  This is a simple step to add in the build, but often seen omitted in commercial power supplies

 

 For the less experienced members, do not forget that when earthing the metalwork to the IEC mains socket, that you should also scrape away any anodising around the hole(s) to make good electrical contact. It is also worthwhile to run another wire to the front panel as well as other screw fitted panels. Use your DMM to make sure that you have a very low resistance reading between panels of less than 1 ohm.

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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  • 1 month later...

Hi @elan120,

 

Do you have some first listening impressions? Particularly I'm interested with the first project with only 2 big Mundorf capacitors, which I personally would be afraid to install. Did you check, as a bypass capacitor Miflex ones? Duelund are the best, but Miflex adds speed and its on the lower budget side.

 

Here is sound comparison of different caps http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html

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5 hours ago, Tatomek7 said:

Do you have some first listening impressions?

Yes, the initial listening impression after about a month of burn-in is very positive.  At this time, the initial burn-in for the EPS power supply is either done or very close being done as the improvement started to become difficult to detect.  Overall, without going into too much details, this power supply is a very significant step up in SQ compare to the different setups mentioned in my first post that I have tried.  The details, background noise level, sound stage, dynamic, impact, all took a very positive step forward, and the music presentation is so much more enjoyable with this power supply.

 

 

5 hours ago, Tatomek7 said:

Did you check, as a bypass capacitor Miflex ones? Duelund are the best, but Miflex adds speed and its on the lower budget side

I only have tried a limited number of tweaks thus far, and I do have few more I plan to experiment once everything is settled a bit more, and different bypass cap being one of tweaks I plan to explore.

 

 

5 hours ago, Tatomek7 said:

Particularly I'm interested with the first project with only 2 big Mundorf capacitors, which I personally would be afraid to install.

Just curious, what reason(s) preventing you from considering these caps?

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34 minutes ago, elan120 said:

what reason(s) preventing you from considering these caps?

Some apprehension it will slow down the sound. I just would go for smaller caps :) as more secure choice, but it’s  only feeling, not knowledge. This is why I was curious listening impressions.

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Hey Elan 
really enjoyed the article and the photos were very good indeed. I will personally never be able to build such a thing but I really enjoyed watching you build it. The article exudes confidence and skill. I can tell you, my expectation bias is off the scale. So no pressure, but looking forward to hearing how it all sounds. Problem for you is, that little beauty is going to take an age to run-in. Some very heavy duty stuff in it that we know I can take months rather than weeks or days. But once it’s all run in I have a feeling it may surprise even you. Quality power supplies do seem to have an especially powerful influence on improving sound quality in digital systems. And this unit you’ve built exudes quality

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@Blackmorec, Thank you for the comment.

 

I think you are right on regarding the lengthy burn-in needed for these components used in both power supplies.  After a month of burn-in on the first one (EPS), although the improvement is slowing down, but I can still sense the change from time to time, and it is so much more fun and enjoyment having them in the system now.  I will have more detailed impression updates later, but even at this point, I am very impressed with the result, and having inputs from Sean Jacobs on various questions really helps.

 

 

16 minutes ago, Blackmorec said:

Quality power supplies do seem to have an especially powerful influence on improving sound quality in digital systems.

Fully agreed!

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26 minutes ago, k27R said:

Why the 0.01uF MLCC bypass capacitor to the output connector for the JCAT Net Card?

The main purpose for 0.1uF MLCC cap is for HF filtering.

 

 

27 minutes ago, k27R said:

Why just for that output and not the others?

They were installed on the ATX cable connector side but not on the power supply output connector due to physical space constraints.  It should work better with caps on the receiving end in general, so it was decided to place them there.

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  • 2 weeks later...

@elan120 congratulations and nice work. I have various SJ power supplies and just so I can get your ATX supply in context with them, is what you have built essentially a DC3 build but with an enhanced spec transformer (now used I think in the SJ DC4 builds) ?

 

I have been curious about just how much difference using the Toroidy Supreme Audio Grade transformers will make as opposed to sticking with the Toroidy Audio Grade transformers. I have two identical SJ power supplies built to power a Chord Dave (5v, +15v, -15v), one with and Audio Grade and the other with the Supreme Audio Grade and I'm doubtful that I can hear any difference. There is of course quite a difference in cost.

Owner Wave High Fidelity digital cables :

Antipodes Oladra (WAVE Storm BNC spdif RF noise filtering cable to Mscaler)

Dave (with Sean Jacobs ARC6 and SJ Cap Board) + WAVE Storm dual BNC RF noise filtering cables

ATC150 active speakers.

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14 hours ago, Fourlegs said:

I have been curious about just how much difference using the Toroidy Supreme Audio Grade transformers will make as opposed to sticking with the Toroidy Audio Grade transformers. I have two identical SJ power supplies built to power a Chord Dave (5v, +15v, -15v), one with and Audio Grade and the other with the Supreme Audio Grade and I'm doubtful that I can hear any difference.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to provide more information on this, as I only used the Supreme Audio Grade transformers.

 

As for the difference, the Supreme transformer is made using slightly higher grade steel, that is the main functional difference.  Shielding is the same on both models, as is size of core.  The Supreme has the steel can that should help with noise reduction, and be quieter.  The cost of the Supreme is about 50% more, but the total cost compare to all other components, I thought is fairly insignificant.

 

 

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9 hours ago, elan120 said:

Unfortunately, I won't be able to provide more information on this, as I only used the Supreme Audio Grade transformers.

 

As for the difference, the Supreme transformer is made using slightly higher grade steel, that is the main functional difference.  Shielding is the same on both models, as is size of core.  The Supreme has the steel can that should help with noise reduction, and be quieter.  The cost of the Supreme is about 50% more, but the total cost compare to all other components, I thought is fairly insignificant.

 

 

 

Thanks. I will try to find time to do some more listening comparisons between the two supplies that are identical apart from the two types of transformers. It might be possible to involve Sean Jacobs in this as he had been booked in to come to me for a day to listen to as many versions of his power supplies that we could out together between us but it was postponed due to lockdown just the day before we were due to get together. Maybe we can reconvene soon.

Owner Wave High Fidelity digital cables :

Antipodes Oladra (WAVE Storm BNC spdif RF noise filtering cable to Mscaler)

Dave (with Sean Jacobs ARC6 and SJ Cap Board) + WAVE Storm dual BNC RF noise filtering cables

ATC150 active speakers.

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11 hours ago, Fourlegs said:

 

Thanks. I will try to find time to do some more listening comparisons between the two supplies that are identical apart from the two types of transformers. It might be possible to involve Sean Jacobs in this as he had been booked in to come to me for a day to listen to as many versions of his power supplies that we could out together between us but it was postponed due to lockdown just the day before we were due to get together. Maybe we can reconvene soon.

That will be an excellent data point.  Looking forward to your listening impressions and hopefully Sean's as well when this pandemic is behind us.

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