Linear power supply vs battery power for DAC

amit11

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Hi Friends,

I got a NOS DAC today and it came with its normal power adapter. I have read that linear power supply to a DAC can result in improvement of the sound.

So my question is, should i try another power adapter (having linear power supply)?

I also have one small RouterUPS, i.e. its a small unit , the size of a laptop charger which has battery inside it and my router is connected to it. So when power goes, the router still works since the RouterUPS has a battery inside it.
Do you think I can connect this RouterUPS with the DAC?

One more thing, the DAC needs 12V 1 Amp, and the RouterUPS is 12V but 2Amp. So will it work or tend to blow away something in DAC?

Thanks in advance.
Amit
 
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A linear power supply should sound better than a battery.
However an LPS is relatively expensive.

If you don't mind the additional expense, go for an LPS.

Regards
 
IMHO: router UPS with battery is the best bet even better than an LPS provided that there is no setup/down switching regulator within the router-UPS.
 
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Hi, the mains power is a perfect sine wave. The LPS will not interfere with that. If the router UPS is a true double conversion UPS which gives a pure sine wave in 220V, it should work fine. Otherwise, it is better to stick to the stock power supply. If you are not happy with it, maybe you can look for a good quality SMPS from a reliable source such as RS Components (Welcome to RS Online) as an LPS may be too expensive.
 
This is a router UPS and not a "regular" UPS. My understanding of a router UPS is that they simply use a 12V battery followed by a linear regulator if a stepdown regulator if they need a lower voltage. If my understanding is indeed right, then a router UPS is equivalent to a battery and will better a LPS.
 
I was in similar situation few months ago, to find if a LPS will make any difference than a normal power adaptor supplied with the DAC. After a lot of research I came across IFI ipower, I ordered it from USA now I can say now it makes a very insignificant difference, most of the time we don't notice it, we might have to listen very keenly to identify the difference.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01L...=T47DG6X84ASG4V3P3WT3&dpPl=1&dpID=41beF2+XPgL

I don't want to discourage you, just wanted to share my experience, you might hear significant difference.

Now I decided to not waste money on insignificant difference and rather spend money on upgrades which makes a huge difference like speakers, Once I have rest of the chain upgraded then I can think about upgrades which has less than 5% improvement in overall SQ.

This is just my thoughts, others might think/experienced otherwise. I'm always happy to stand corrected.


Regards
Bilal
 
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I think if you want to try a LPSU then try and get Sachin/Omishra designed PSU board and a small transformer and as per your required voltage 12V 1A this PSU is capable of providing this voltage/current. Also keep in mind that you also need to invest in a small cabinet to house all these including the cables/IEC socket and some DC output sockets if going for LPSU build.
 
I think if you want to try a LPSU then try and get Sachin/Omishra designed PSU board and a small transformer and as per your required voltage 12V 1A this PSU is capable of providing this voltage/current. Also keep in mind that you also need to invest in a small cabinet to house all these including the cables/IEC socket and some DC output sockets if going for LPSU build.

DIY psu with good parts will have better results than average adapter.
 
I tried with my routerUPS. I can say i "feel" better hearing thru it compared to the adapter came with the dac.

[emoji4] wow wat NOS sound...
150aa370827d626d94d234ac5b0bbec8.jpg
b8cca0638333d452c63b4763b965aabb.jpg


Sent from Note5
 
I tried with my routerUPS. I can say i "feel" better hearing thru it compared to the adapter came with the dac.

[emoji4] wow wat NOS sound...
150aa370827d626d94d234ac5b0bbec8.jpg
b8cca0638333d452c63b4763b965aabb.jpg


Sent from Note5
It would be great if you tell below so that it help others too.

1) what is the NOS DAC you are using? How much did it costed? Source of purchase

2) what was your previous DAC?

It is good to experiment, I see something like schiit dac in the pics, did the NOS sounds better than it.

Few details will add to others knowledge too.

Regards
Bilal
 
Well, i was waiting for my first impressions to get confirmed before writing anything. But anyways...here are the details.

This is the muse mini NOS DAC, based on chip TDA1543. I purchased from amazon and costed rs. 3900 approx. It took one full month to receive however.

First hearing....it sounded very natural... nothing like digital music. I was impressed. Reminded me of my days when i used to hear on cassette.

Previous dac is Schiit modi multibit. Last two days i just didnt feel that i should switch to Schiit and do an AB comparison. Today i did for 10 minutes only and i have now connected the NOS.

I realized after hearing this NOS that all these years which i have been hearing, had some artificialness to it, to some extent.

Another important thing is no fatigue.

It is debatable that this beginner NOS dac is better or schiit brand / modi multibit etc.

My schiit modi multibit upsamples 4X times, so NOS may sound comparatiely grainy. Ultimately its preferring betweern (natural + big grains) OR (smaller grains + bit artficialness)

The decision to go for NOS was the revelation when i recently came to know my schiit multibit upsamples, which i was not aware. I was bit upset about not knowing this all these many months.

This NOS does not have filters. So its Stair Step output. But i am fine with that since i like the naturalness. As of now i really dont have any mood to listen back to my schiit.

My first dac was fiio d03k. To anybody who wants to purchase his first dac , who wants to try a cheap dac first, this is the one. Dont buy fiio.
Having said that, i would not be surprised if this dac can beat expensive dacs. Having listened to schiit, i sort of know their signature sound and the filters tampering the sound. Hence NOS for the natural sound

On you tube, i used to hear some videos of NOS dac playing..and they used to sound natural. I used to try same original song but manytimes i used to feel the nos video sounded better and natural.

I am waiting if my first imprression is just a pass away fascination or a long term one.

Amit.

Sent from Note5
 
Beautiful sound....

Let me share my experiences

A big dilemma and a confusion 'why this is happening', I had in my experiences frequently and was always at the back of my mind. It is finally settled I can say.


a) Many years back I first had a normal two speaker system. I liked it ofcourse. Over the time I used to feel some songs sounded fantastic and some ok-ok. Could not understand why.

b) After few years I got a Bose system. I was fascinated ofcourse. Everything was better. All kind of music I liked on it. After going to a theater and coming back, I used to listen to the same song on it, but I used to feel something missing. Was it the punch missing which i could feel in the movie theater? This happened many times I went to theatre and I came to back home and listened to on Bose.

c) I used to listen to same songs in my car music system. Many songs i liked on Bose and somehow I used to rationalize that my Bose is better than it. One day I felt that one of my songs (the bunch I use to audition), sounded better in my car. That day i stopped rationalizing that my Bose is better for all songs.

d) Then one day I listened to one my songs in my friends car music system. I instantly liked it and that day I realized that my Bose is missing something.

e) I started searching and came to know about amps, floor standing speakers etc. After few months of auditioning I finally purchased the Yamaha amp, Tannoy speakers, schiit dac etc. During these 3 years of upgrading it it was a fantastic experience. Everything sound better than all previous experiences.

f) However I felt that I reduced my listening of the songs which I used to audition. These three years also whenever I went to a movie, came back to home, and listened to those same songs, I used to feel something is missing. Though the sound was hifi, some songs did not sound as they should.

g) Out of a list of hundred songs, I used to avoid 50% and used to listen to the remaining 50%. In short I started listening what was sounding good in my system.

h) Recently I also heard some songs on a sound bar, at my friends house. (The same friend whose car system I hear). Though it was not hifi, I felt it sounded good on few songs. I used to feel that my system is hi-fi and his system is just a sound bar, then why some songs are sounding more pleasant in his system.

i) Whenever I did some upgrades in my system, especially changing the DACs from fiio d03k, then schiit modi and then schiit modi multibit; I observed that my list of songs to which I eventually listen multiple times, that list used to get changed.

j) Then some songs sounded better by connecting my ipads headphone directly to amp instead of the DAC in between. It used to sound more natural than the sound of DAC but due to less details / bloated bass etc, I had to finally switch to my DAC only.

k) I also observed that during Ganpati, a local music system was hired and some people used to connect via laptop headphone out to that system, or would connect android phone out to that music system and it used to sound good. Though the sound was never hifi, but it had some charaterstics and elements which I always felt were missing in my hifi system.


l) After normal schiit Modi, the multibit had arrived. Experience went to another level. After many months I again experienced the same dilemmas which I have been going through. In some songs punch was missing, in some songs the singers was a bit sub-dued; in some songs the instruments were prominent. Please note that I could never concluded why this was happening and even to realize that some kind of this thing is happening / feeling, it takes many months because somewhere in our mind we always believe that our purchased is a hi-fi one and it should be better / best.


After getting this NOS dac, though you might call it a beginners NOS DAC, my above dilemmas have resolved, that is what I feel.I can now feel that the music is just right, AS IT SHOULD BE.

Today after watching a movie, and when I came back and listened to the same songs (via youtube), it sounded the same. This has never happened before.

The songs which I used to avoid listening, are now back in my list. Everything is sounding so natural and open that I simply don't feel the need to avoid any song.

Now I can conclude that upsampling and filters in many dacs might make the sound hi-fi, more detailed, more punchy etc...but we loose the naturalness. However to realized this is not easy.

After hearing to this DAC, and the music memory of what I have heard in the past in my car music system, in my friends car music system, in my friends sound bar, headphone out of apple ipad, headphone out of iPOD, my bose system, my initial small music system etc, I can say this has just the right sound.

This DAC came to me just 3 days back. To be honest, i did't even feel the urge to AB compare it to my schiit modi multibit. I am simply enjoying it. From my perspective, this is the biggest compliment to this NOS DAC i have. I don't even feel any urge to analyze the mids-highs-lows and neither the soundstage nor the imaging. Everything is sounding so natural and open that there is nothing to analyze or even be doubtful. This has never happened before.

Price wise (3900 rs) anybody would feel this is a beginners DAC, but for me it is the best till now.

Now music sounds, as it should! :)


Amit.
 

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Last edited:
Beautiful sound....

Let me share my experiences

A big dilemma and a confusion 'why this is happening', I had in my experiences frequently and was always at the back of my mind. It is finally settled I can say.


a) Many years back I first had a normal two speaker system. I liked it ofcourse. Over the time I used to feel some songs sounded fantastic and some ok-ok. Could not understand why.

b) After few years I got a Bose system. I was fascinated ofcourse. Everything was better. All kind of music I liked on it. After going to a theater and coming back, I used to listen to the same song on it, but I used to feel something missing. Was it the punch missing which i could feel in the movie theater? This happened many times I went to theatre and I came to back home and listened to on Bose.

c) I used to listen to same songs in my car music system. Many songs i liked on Bose and somehow I used to rationalize that my Bose is better than it. One day I felt that one of my songs (the bunch I use to audition), sounded better in my car. That day i stopped rationalizing that my Bose is better for all songs.

d) Then one day I listened to one my songs in my friends car music system. I instantly liked it and that day I realized that my Bose is missing something.

e) I started searching and came to know about amps, floor standing speakers etc. After few months of auditioning I finally purchased the Yamaha amp, Tannoy speakers, schiit dac etc. During these 3 years of upgrading it it was a fantastic experience. Everything sound better than all previous experiences.

f) However I felt that I reduced my listening of the songs which I used to audition. These three years also whenever I went to a movie, came back to home, and listened to those same songs, I used to feel something is missing. Though the sound was hifi, some songs did not sound as they should.

g) Out of a list of hundred songs, I used to avoid 50% and used to listen to the remaining 50%. In short I started listening what was sounding good in my system.

h) Recently I also heard some songs on a sound bar, at my friends house. (The same friend whose car system I hear). Though it was not hifi, I felt it sounded good on few songs. I used to feel that my system is hi-fi and his system is just a sound bar, then why some songs are sounding more pleasant in his system.

i) Whenever I did some upgrades in my system, especially changing the DACs from fiio d03k, then schiit modi and then schiit modi multibit; I observed that my list of songs to which I eventually listen multiple times, that list used to get changed.

j) Then some songs sounded better by connecting my ipads headphone directly to amp instead of the DAC in between. It used to sound more natural than the sound of DAC but due to less details / bloated bass etc, I had to finally switch to my DAC only.

k) I also observed that during Ganpati, a local music system was hired and some people used to connect via laptop headphone out to that system, or would connect android phone out to that music system and it used to sound good. Though the sound was never hifi, but it had some charaterstics and elements which I always felt were missing in my hifi system.


l) After normal schiit Modi, the multibit had arrived. Experience went to another level. After many months I again experienced the same dilemmas which I have been going through. In some songs punch was missing, in some songs the singers was a bit sub-dued; in some songs the instruments were prominent. Please note that I could never concluded why this was happening and even to realize that some kind of this thing is happening / feeling, it takes many months because somewhere in our mind we always believe that our purchased is a hi-fi one and it should be better / best.


After getting this NOS dac, though you might call it a beginners NOS DAC, my above dilemmas have resolved, that is what I feel.I can now feel that the music is just right, AS IT SHOULD BE.

Today after watching a movie, and when I came back and listened to the same songs (via youtube), it sounded the same. This has never happened before.

The songs which I used to avoid listening, are now back in my list. Everything is sounding so natural and open that I simply don't feel the need to avoid any song.

Now I can conclude that upsampling and filters in many dacs might make the sound hi-fi, more detailed, more punchy etc...but we loose the naturalness. However to realized this is not easy.

After hearing to this DAC, and the music memory of what I have heard in the past in my car music system, in my friends car music system, in my friends sound bar, headphone out of apple ipad, headphone out of iPOD, my bose system, my initial small music system etc, I can say this has just the right sound.

This DAC came to me just 3 days back. To be honest, i did't even feel the urge to AB compare it to my schiit modi multibit. I am simply enjoying it. From my perspective, this is the biggest compliment to this NOS DAC i have. I don't even feel any urge to analyze the mids-highs-lows and neither the soundstage nor the imaging. Everything is sounding so natural and open that there is nothing to analyze or even be doubtful. This has never happened before.

Price wise (3900 rs) anybody would feel this is a beginners DAC, but for me it is the best till now.

Now music sounds, as it should! :)


Amit.
Those are quite some observations.
I think, If you're willing to, you should also try a tube preamp with the schiit dac for the natural sound.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
Those are quite some observations.
I think, If you're willing to, you should also try a tube preamp with the schiit dac for the natural sound.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
I dont have a tube pre-amp per se, but i have a tube buffer right after the dac. And yes i like it. No looking back to music without tubes.

Sent from Note5
 
I dont have a tube pre-amp per se, but i have a tube buffer right after the dac. And yes i like it. No looking back to music without tubes.

Sent from Note5
Oh. Yea. Sorry. How did I miss that in the pic.
Anyways do you mind sharing the link to this particular dac from where you bought?
Also would love to know your whole setup. The changes you feel in the dac are very well dependent on the rest of the setup. Would give an insight and would be helpful for everyone.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
Oh. Yea. Sorry. How did I miss that in the pic.
Anyways do you mind sharing the link to this particular dac from where you bought?
Also would love to know your whole setup. The changes you feel in the dac are very well dependent on the rest of the setup. Would give an insight and would be helpful for everyone.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
This is the link.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0095NSFJQ/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And my setup is as below.
(Also available in my signature. Signature mostly visible via browser in the routine posts, not thru the app)

Source: Ipad Mini
Transport: Apple AE (PCM2705 chip)
DAC: NOS Muse Mini TDA1543 (Till recently was Schiit Modi Multibit)
Tube Buffer: Yaqin CD3
Amp: Yamaha AS-500
Spkr: Tannoy Mercury V4i
RCA : Mogami 2803
Spkr Cable: Chord Silver Screen
Total empty space between the speakers
 
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In nut-shell, you got your emotional connect to the music back, what you used to get during cassette days..great..NOS is the way to go...
 
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