PS for SPDF output card of PINK FAUN

[Zappadaddy]

Can you guys share what power supply are you using with these cards? Sbooster, Farad, IFI etc? And what results are you getting when you add PS to your output? I am using Aes/ebu Ocxo ULTRA

 

[flkin]

What a coincidence, I was thinking of one day writing up my experience of supplying good power to my Pink Faun USB v1/ultraOCXO card. I don't have experience with the AES/EBU card, just the USB card. Seems to takes the same 5V external power source.

Around a year ago, I finished my Paul Hynes DC supply build - he doesn't make commercial supplies anymore and although his single regulator completed supplies can be found for resale occasionally, it's difficult to get his double regulated DR modules. With some luck, I managed to get a hold of a 5V DR7 turbo module, had it modified with z-foil resistors, swapped the rectifiers and mosfets to better ones and swapped out the input caps with Mundorf and Audio Note versions. Short of changing the board to teflon, it's as good as it can be.

What a change it made to the sound! More than a traditional major hardware upgrade, like moving up a few grades in equipment. Far more natural sounding, wider, more details, dynamics. My conclusion was that I discovered a bottle neck for improving sound that has far more effect than network issues.

Since then, I've been working on improving that one point - improving the external power to the last device prior to the DAC. I have since made the following changes:

- Added a Topaz isolation transformer to the Paul Hynes: Good uptick in sound
- Added a QSAL Gamma Revelation GR PC (power chord) from the Topaz to the PH: Great uptick in sound
- Added a QSAL GR DC (DC extension cable) to the USB card: Great uptick in sound especially after I added one more elsewhere in the system
- Added a Schaffner AC line cleaner inside the PH: Amazing uptick in sound.

This last one is strange and was only an experiment. I wanted to see if I could retire the large external Topaz block with the smaller Schaffner internally to reduce the number of connections and wires but I couldn't. Turns out the sound was best with both the Topaz and Schaffner in place. Both devices are doing similar things, removing the high frequency EMI line noise. But the effect of both is nothing short of stunning. Makes the PH sound so refined and next level. As good as I thought the PH is, it can be improved with better line noise management.

So next step is to try to manage line noise for my entire system, not only the PH. I came across a device by Onfilter - their CleanSweep device which is an industrial EMI line cleaner. Not much info online about this nor use in hifi. But the developer Vladimir Kraz claims it provides higher attenuation of EMI at real world AC impedances than other line filters similar to the Schaffner and not only at 50ohms commonly used to obtain the CE label but in a broadband way. I just picked up a 20A medical version with low current leakage.


Given the good result I obtained adding the Schaffner (green curve), I think trying this might be a good next step.

Apologies for the long ramble which is not totally relevant to your question. Bottom line, I believe good power to the last output from server is critical for good sound and I like what my Paul Hynes is doing even though further benefits can be found with line EMI management.

 

[Zappadaddy]

Wow what an extensive work to improve the sound. I wish to have your device when it is done. thanks so much for sharing this

 

[flkin]

When are we ever done ?! haha

 

[Zappadaddy]

I need 5v, PH PS has 12V. How aout Farad Super3?

 

[Golum]

I need 5v, PH PS has 12V. How aout Farad Super3?

Check Edisoncreation Firebird LPS

 

[Zappadaddy]

Pink Faun suggested Farad. Anyone compared Farad with some other brands?

 

[Zappadaddy]

Check Edisoncreation Firebird LPS

hard to get hold of, no eshop on site

 

[HChow]

Pink Faun suggested Farad. Anyone compared Farad with some other brands?

I currently own a farad super3, ferrum hypsos, and keces p8.
Farad outshined the rest and cheaper, winner winner. Im using it to power my txusb ultra and before getting the farad the ferrum was doing the job. The second the super3 was hooked up, the sound opened up, roomy airy and clearer!

 

[Zappadaddy]

I wonder if it is worthy to actualy use external power supply since Pink Faun is already so good and their internal PS looks very very good already. Will I hear some subtiantial improvment in sound when I implement some dedicated external PS device? Any thoughts on this subject?

 

[flkin]

As I indicated earlier, my PF 2.16x streamer moves a step up with the PH external supply to the usb card.
As good as the PF streamer is, adding a high end external supply still helps. Not sure if this applies to the Ultra though. Thats another step up.

 

[Zappadaddy]

Lower model can have 2X 12V for SOTM and 5V for my pink Faun. i think I will go first this route and in the future I will try Firebird with 3x 5v eventhough I need only 1x 5V for Pink Faun

 

[HChow]

Pink Faun suggested Farad. Anyone compared Farad with some other brands?

I did, in my system it beat the Ferrum and Keces P8

 

[Elberoth]

On my Pink Faun Ultra OCXO USB have I have tried several commercially available PSUs, including iFi iPower X, SBooster and Farad3.

Farad3 wins hands down.

Interestingly, MojoAudio molex inline regulator, followed by a bank of UltraCapacitors from Ian Canada was as good as Farad3 and could be fitted inside the server, which greatly reduces the number of boxes and cables.

 

[Zappadaddy]

I think I will try Ediscreation which was recommended to me by member of this society. It has 2x 12V for router and SOTM and 1x 5V for my Pink Faun, perfect to start with. If a result will be positive, I will purchase 2x the top model, one with 3x 12v, and one with 3x5v. Anayone tried this brand and compared with Farad 3 or higher version?

 

[Zappadaddy]

On my Pink Faun Ultra OCXO USB have I have tried several commercially available PSUs, including iFi iPower X, SBooster and Farad3.

Farad3 wins hands down.

Interestingly, MojoAudio molex inline regulator, followed by a bank of UltraCapacitors from Ian Canada was as good as Farad3 and could be fitted inside the server, which greatly reduces the number of boxes and cables.

Thanks for the suggestion but I am not skilled technician so I need a product ready to use. Some of you guys are very creative, I admire that feature. (y)

 

[flkin]

I think I will try Ediscreation which was recommended to me by member of this society. It has 2x 12V for router and SOTM and 1x 5V for my Pink Faun, perfect to start with. If a result will be positive, I will purchase 2x the top model, one with 3x 12v, and one with 3x5v. Anayone tried this brand and compared with Farad 3 or higher version?

Ediscreation uses discrete regulators, not commercial chips for this function. It shares this similarity with Paul Hynes which I think is good and rare these days. On their website they mention thought spent on transformers, input caps, EMI management etc. so all sounds good.

Here’s a comparison thread of their top Firebird double regulated unit with the Paul Hynes SR7 single regulated unit (dual rail). The conclusion was an even match which is a good result.

The Firebird noise is rated in the micro volts level which is great. A top Paul Hynes supply, like their double regulated DR units, plays on a different level at the nano volts level but is also more expensive and at this time impossible to get hold off.

Another supply which has some traction on AS site is the Sean Jacobs DC4. His designs use commercial chip regulators but uses audiophile parts and looks pretty inside. Worth a look too.