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I still have a bias toward linear power supplies

71.81.118.60

In Reply to: RE: I've never heard the First Watt B1 posted by AbeCollins on November 09, 2024 at 15:20:03

...based largely on my old school stubbornness. But that said, I have a switching supply on my Geshelli J2 DAC, and I'm in no hurry to change it.

Follow Ups:

RE: I still have a bias toward linear power supplies - AbeCollins 18:35:48 11/09/24 (2)
I think it's easier to design a good linear power supply and good proven designs have been around forever. Switchers require a lot more work to get right. And unfortunately most folks equate switchers with cheap wall warts or laptop battery chargers but it doesn't have to be that way.
One of THE quietest measuring preamps is the Benchmark LA4/HPA4. These use Benchmark designed switching supplies internally which goes against the idea that all switchers are noisy. A few of the Chord DACs come with switchers and Chord says not to expect any gain in performance with a LPS. The RME ADI-2 DAC FS comes with a quality outboard switcher which is much larger than the wall warts supplied by Chord. I didn't hear any improvement running the RME DAC from a linear power supply.
IMHO the safe bet is a linear power supply but that doesn't mean all switchers are noisy.

Edits: 11/09/24
- RE: I still have a bias toward linear power supplies - Leo loves music 19:59:17 11/09/24 (1)
  A properly designed SMPS with PFC can be very good.
  - RE: I still have a bias toward linear power supplies - AbeCollins 19:57:07 11/11/24 (0)
    And much better than LPS's in terms of size, weight, conversion efficiency, heat.

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