Charging Uptone UltraCap LPS 1.2 with linear power supply

[kbuech]

Hello all! I am new to the Uptone Audio world, having just purchased and installed an Uptone ISO REGEN, which I’m currently powering via an iFi iPower SMPS. I’ve been using this SMPS to power an iFi Zen Blue, but, in general, I have a strong aversion to any SMPS spitting noise back into my mains, and attempt to avoid them wherever possible. 

 

I just purchased an Uptone UltraCap LPS-1.2 from another member of this forum, it’s on the way to me, and I plan to charge it with a linear power supply made by a third-party. I wonder if any of you have tried charging the LPS-1.2 via an LPS, and what have been your results? Thank you!

 

This is my first topic that I’ve selected and posted, so I hope I did it correctly ;-)

[kbuech]

5 hours ago, CheapSplurge said:

Sorry, I'm new and also would like to know this too. So following, 

How do you enjoy the regen, is it significantly different from the USB out of your pc? In sound? 

I love the ISO REGEN so far. Even though my Chord Hugo M-Scaler has galvanic isolation at the usb input, I’m getting great results from adding the REGEN. Individual instruments and vocalists have a more defined space in the soundstage now, bass quality and pace are improved, and the background is DARK. I am able to hear musicians in jazz sets egging each other on, and interplay between musicians seems to make more sense. I’m a BIG jazz fan, and the REGEN has already greatly improved my enjoyment of the genre. Big-time. 

[kbuech]

5 hours ago, CheapSplurge said:

 

[kbuech]

UltraCap LPS-1.2 arrives tomorrow. Pumped! 

[kbuech]

7 hours ago, RikkiPoo said:

100 % agree.  My experience with SMPS's is the awful effect they can have.  While LPS's inject less noise part of their benefit is removing a SMPS.  It is quite amazing how awful it is when you hear the noise and such a blessing when its gone.

 

Its not just SMPS's injecting noise.   Digital equipment like music servers, network switches, roon cores, DAC's, DDC's and power regerators make a lot of noise.  I have found using seperate dedicated power lines for digital and analog is important.  However I do power the LPS's for digital equipment on the analog line, it sounds better that way in my system.

 

 

 

 

My experience as well. Adding a PS Audio P10 Power regenerator (10 outlets, everything in plugged into it) has really improved the sound of my system. And my system continues to improve as I reduce one by one the switch mode power supplies that are connected to my hi-fi equipment. I’m down to only 1 now, but that will be replaced with an LPS soon. 
 

Also, like the Uptone UltraCap LPS-1.2, my Hugo TT2 DAC (also a brilliant piece of kit!) is transformerless, and uses supercaps charged by a smps that comes included with the unit. And Chord, just like UpTone, says that it doesn’t matter that it’s a SMPS, and that changing to a LPS to charge the unit won’t make a difference. Well, my experience with my Hugo TT2, and the experience of many others, is that it does. My TT2 has improved markedly with my changing to a LPS to charge it. And I suspect my UltraCap LPS-1.2 to improve with the ejection of its SMPS as well. 
 

SMPS are a cheap and dirty replacement for more complex, less efficient, and expensive linear power supplies, and they have transformed our lives. They are literally in, and connected-to, everything it seems. They don’t worsen the experience in most applications, but they certainly do in audio and video reproduction. 

[kbuech]

On 1/14/2021 at 9:50 AM, charlesphoto said:

A quick and easy and fairly inexpensive way to clean up some noise is the iFi AC iPurifiers. I have all of my network gear (Cisco switch, opticalModules, modem, Roon NUC, etc) in a closet separate from the hifi, some running from LPS, others from Uptone SMPS or their own internal supply (the Cisco), all plugged into a Supra power strip with two AC iPurifiers also into the strip. Made a significant difference in lowering the noise. 

 

Thanks for that, @charlesphoto. I have just placed 3 iFi DC iPurifier2 units into my system. One is at the DC input of my Uptone USB ISO REGEN, one at the DC input of my Chord Hugo M-Scaler, and one at the DC input of my Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. 

 

All 3 DC iPurifier2 units are still under the 30-day iFi trial period. But I really like what I’m hearing so far. To my ears, I have the blackest background, the most dynamic musical presentation, and seemingly the best signal to noise ratio ever in any of my hifi setups over the last 40 years. Studio recordings sound more like live performances than ever. I’m a a happy camper. 😎

[kbuech]

8 hours ago, RikkiPoo said:

I have a PS P10 also.  I just this Wednesday took the Uptone JS-2 and Farad Super3 off the P10.  I also moved the P10 to its own dedicated line, it was sharing it with a Shunyata Denali.  Only digital is on the P10 now, a Streamer, DAC, DDC and Digital power supply for an Antipodes Core and a TV.  Taking the power supplies off the P10 lowered the noise floor a lot!    I had no idea how much noise I was listening to.  I also have 5 PS Noise harvesters in the unused plugs on the P10, they seem to help a bit.  I think the digital gear was polluting the LPS's and the Denali.

 

I put the LPS's on the Denali with my pre amp.  Just so much better.  I have an ifi AC Purifier in the Denali, I have never taken the time to listen with and without it.

 

I will say when I plugged 2 ifi SMPS's into the P10 it was immediately awful.  I had to put them on a different AC line.  The ifi's replaced the wall warts for REL Longbow wireless to a pair of REL S5 SHO subs.  The SMPS's were polluting the P10 and the ifi's were way noisier than the cheap wall warts included for the Longbow.  I cant say I hear any difference with the ifi's but I am using them.

 

I used to power my ISO REGENs with an LPS-1 and LPS-1.2.  I use the LPS 1.2 to power an EtherRegen now.  I used to use 2 ISO REGENs back to back and it was definitely better in my system.  I don't need a USB  regenerator any more.  I have 2 unused ISO REGENS and an unused LPS-1 if you are interested.  I will list them in the classified tomorrow night.

Thank you for sharing your experience, @RikkiPoo

 

I have been charging my LPS-1.2 (which I purchased used last week) with its original SMPS, routing its DC output through an iFi DC iPurifier2 into my ISO REGEN. The 7V LPS I had custom-built to replace this UpTone SMPS should arrive by mid-week. Given my experience, and yours, I expect this step of getting the last remaining SMPS out of my system will improve my listening experience big time.