I'm Not Gonna Tell How Great My MicroRendu plus Sonore Signature Power Supply Sounds!

Cooler King

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Jan 4, 2015
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I have the microrendu, LPS-1, and HD-Plex. My DAC is a Schiit Yggdrasil. I just got the LPS-1 and will report back after extensive listening. I'm also considering a Mutec MC-3+ USB, so I can use AES to the Yggy.

How did you find the LPS-1? Be interested in your thoughts...
 

Elberoth

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Dec 15, 2012
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In my system the LPS-1 was superior to iFi iPower and UpTone Audio own $900 JS-2 linear PSU. Big difference and LPS-1 comes highly recommended.

Just do yourself a favor and don't buy the basic $14 Meanwell PSU that UpTone offers as an option - the $49 iFi iPower is much better.
 

Cooler King

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2015
14
1
235
U.K.
In my system the LPS-1 was superior to iFi iPower and UpTone Audio own $900 JS-2 linear PSU. Big difference and LPS-1 comes highly recommended.

Just do yourself a favor and don't buy the basic $14 Meanwell PSU that UpTone offers as an option - the $49 iFi iPower is much better.

I understood that, because the LPS-1 is a virtual battery PSU, the 'charging' power supply doesn't have to be anything special at all!
 

jkeny

Industry Expert, Member Sponsor
Feb 9, 2012
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I understood that, because the LPS-1 is a virtual battery PSU, the 'charging' power supply doesn't have to be anything special at all!

I see you're in the UK - you might be interested in comparing a real battery PSU like the ISO-PS to the LPS-1? 6.6V high current output - perfect for power input to many devices
This is one of the units going on tour as announced on WBF here

Why would a good battery supply be any different? Because the LPS-1 uses a voltage regulator which I & others have found doesn't sound as good as direct battery power - even the latest & best ultra-low voltage regulators.
Why might this be? I believe that the low noise measurements shown in the datasheets do not tell the whole story - I believe it has to do with the dynamic behaviour of the power source & how it handles the noise that is generated on the circuitry being powered. This noise is transported back to the power source via its ground link & how this is handled may well differentiate direct battery power from a voltage regulator. Whatever the technical reason, listening reveals that there is not a subtle difference anytime a voltage regulator is bypassed with direct battery power - even if that regulator is powered by battery.
 
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Elberoth

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Dec 15, 2012
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I understood that, because the LPS-1 is a virtual battery PSU, the 'charging' power supply doesn't have to be anything special at all!

Well, yes and ... no.

If what UpTone guys say is true (and I have no reason to doubt their words), then indeed the PSU quality should not matter.

However, different PSUs still differ in the amount of noise they inject back into the AC power line, which may have an influence on the rest of your gear connected to the same AC line.

Here are the AC noise measurements I have taken using the Trifield EMI Power Line Meter:



As you can see, the Meanwell PSU kicks back as much as 270mV of noise (over the reference level of 23mV). Compare this to just 1mV of noise injected by Teddy Pardo PSU under the same load.

Here all the PSUs that I have tested:



1. Teddy Pardo linear PSU
2. UpTone JS-2 linear PSU
3. SOtM supplied SMPS (PowerTek)
4. Meanwell SMPS
5. Generic linear PSU
6. Ktec SMPS that I got with an external HDD
7. iFi iPower SMPS
8 Co Ming Data SMPS

And here is the test rig:



Audio Power Industries Power Wedge Ultra 215 power conditioner + the Trifield EMI Power Line Meter

Test setup (under load - LPS-1 + SOtM sMS-200):
 

marslo

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May 2, 2014
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Very interesting Adam, thanks for sharing.
 

bonzo75

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Feb 26, 2014
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Wow fantastic analysis Adam
 

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