Anyone using the HDPlex 200 watt DC power supply for their NUC, NAS or streamer?

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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I am considering this as an upgrade to the PC laptop style power supply I have for my Bluesound Vault streamer/NAS. The HDPlex has multiple output voltages and looks to be taking high end amplifier principles for a power supply concept. Obviously, for my 12 volt NAS this is overkill (or is it??) but I just wanted to hear from those with experience with this power supply and/or other supply upgrades and what (if any) improvement to the sound it actually made.

Thanks for your input.
 

wisnon

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Dec 12, 2011
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I am considering this as an upgrade to the PC laptop style power supply I have for my Bluesound Vault streamer/NAS. The HDPlex has multiple output voltages and looks to be taking high end amplifier principles for a power supply concept. Obviously, for my 12 volt NAS this is overkill (or is it??) but I just wanted to hear from those with experience with this power supply and/or other supply upgrades and what (if any) improvement to the sound it actually made.

Thanks for your input.

Brad, its a must for the PC and you really need a desktop server as a laptop is very noisy and nasty EMI/RFI cesspool. It's also a major upgrade to the NAS...ask Kuoppis.


Power is 60% to 80% of the battle in digital.
 

morricab

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Brad, its a must for the PC and you really need a desktop server as a laptop is very noisy and nasty EMI/RFI cesspool. It's also a major upgrade to the NAS...ask Kuoppis.


Power is 60% to 80% of the battle in digital.

The Bluesound is an all-in-one NAS with built-in hard drive and it's own Linux based OS. Runs on an ap on my tablet. You can also hook up an external hardddrive to it or USB memory stick. No laptop or PC server involved. It runs currently on a 12V laptop style power supply that of course is based on switch mode technology. I also saw that Teddy Pardo has a pretty nice one for about 100 less (not as powerful though) and I found a couple on a French site Audiophonics that look promising that are around 300 euro. I couple the bluesound to my DAC with Toslink out into a Monarchy Audio DIP and then to the DAC with SPDIF.
 

wisnon

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I dont like Linux sound at all.
Your gear is already high level...dont hamper the setup with an average source.

HDPlex has several outlets that can power your OS drive and your music drive too. You will need the 400w dc-atx board as well for $100 more.

Go big or go home. Lol
 
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morricab

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I dont luke Linux sound at all.
Your gear is already high level...dont hamper the setup with an average source.

HDPlex has several outlets that can power your OS drive and your music drive too. You will need the 400w dc-atx board as well for $100 more.

Go big or go home. Lol

Not sure what the issue with a Linux OS is that you don't like. Since most are using just that (even Lampizator I believe). I can't imagine it being so detrimental to the sound as it is quite minimalist and non-intrusive...or so I would have thouht.

Not sure what you mean by powering my OS drive.

This is for a second system. My main system I have a cd transport + DAC or Analog.
 

morricab

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Carry on then.

You dont need my intervention.

Have you tried replacing a stock power supply though with an outboard, highly regulated, linear PSU? Doesn't matter on what digital device, I just want to know if it is worth the investment sonically.
 

jturbo

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Have you tried replacing a stock power supply though with an outboard, highly regulated, linear PSU? Doesn't matter on what digital device, I just want to know if it is worth the investment sonically.

I dont have personal experience with the HD-plex 400, however, I think that it makes sense to separate all the PC voltages
in the power supply ( like the 400 does) and delivering them via an ATX cord, vs delivering a single voltage to the PC and then using a PICO converter
within the PC.

I owned the HD-plex 200 for a time, and was impressed with its build quality and sound. However, I was using it with an HD-plex Pico PSU, which is not the best
method of powering the MB IMO.
 

Legolas

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Have you tried replacing a stock power supply though with an outboard, highly regulated, linear PSU? Doesn't matter on what digital device, I just want to know if it is worth the investment sonically.

I have the HDPlex 150 model (previous to the 200) and it is great. I use it to power my Mac Mini with 12v DC supply. The power supply in any PC is pretty horrid, tons of noise and also it sends noise down the mains to your other gear, so a real disease going on there.

LPS are supposed to be the best for low noise, and generally that is true, and SMPS are terrible. But Chord have cracked SMPS to such and extent they can surpass even an LPS. It is all in the design. Most power supplies in a PC or even a Mac are cheap parts and poor isolation.

LPS's are inefficient compared to a SMPS, get hotter, and not generally multi voltage on the input, not cheap to make, hence their lower popularity. But for true high end audio, who gives?
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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I have the HDPlex 150 model (previous to the 200) and it is great. I use it to power my Mac Mini with 12v DC supply. The power supply in any PC is pretty horrid, tons of noise and also it sends noise down the mains to your other gear, so a real disease going on there.

LPS are supposed to be the best for low noise, and generally that is true, and SMPS are terrible. But Chord have cracked SMPS to such and extent they can surpass even an LPS. It is all in the design. Most power supplies in a PC or even a Mac are cheap parts and poor isolation.

LPS's are inefficient compared to a SMPS, get hotter, and not generally multi voltage on the input, not cheap to make, hence their lower popularity. But for true high end audio, who gives?

Hi Astro,
I just purchased a 12V battery system to power the Bluesound...let's see how that goes :). With only 17 watts consumption I think the battery will give 20-30 hours between charges of listening. If it doesn't work well, then I have a spare battery power for my laptop!
 

morricab

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Have the battery bank now...initial indications are that it is a substantial step up from the stock switching supply...stay tuned for an update....
 

sbo6

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I use an HDPlex 100 to power an UPtone Audio LPS1.2 and a switch. I haven't compared with and w/o WRT the LPSU but for the swicth it certainly took things up a notch.
 

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