Anybody know what a Sean Jacobs DC3 LPS would give me over say a Farad 3 on an EE8 switch? Just trying to understand if the DC3 is worth the extra cost?
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@Geko
I compared.
Dc3 is the best I had on ee8 - overall it brings much togetherness and organic andā¦ all the best.
It was my clear winner over lhy25 and also farad - but gap to farad was smaller.
As in PN there is dc3 inside I decided to test PN which was best of all in my system.
If you decide for ee8 plus psu - dc3 is the way to go
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Cheers Drago, I thought as much. I will still try the shops PN but in an attempt to reel in some cash the DC3 seems a better option as I already have a switch - especially as you can get SJ to modify them!
If the gap between DC3 and Farad (Super3) on the EE8 is āsmallerā then surely their relative costs and relative VFM must be considered before blindly picking the ābestā.
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For me the dc3 was worth the extra cost.
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Iāve been speaking to Farad about placing an order for one of their linear power supplies for my EE8 switch and I was interested to learn that they are about to offer a modification to the fuse. Apparently this will be replaced by a new type thermal circuit breaker that they think is really good and sounds better than a QSA silver fuse, which I think is about $5k? They will be offering a retro-fit option for those that already have the supply. Iāll let you know what I think when mine arrives in about ten days time with the new device fitted.
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Please post your results if you do the update. Iām thinking about their newest updated cable
The ābestā according to Chord is the supplied SMPS. In fact they state that it is integral to the design of the EE8 and contains appropriate and necessary input and output filters. Iāve spoken to them about this and they told me that theyāve tried a number of different PSUās on the EE8 in their dem room but āhavenāt found anything to shout aboutā. Their words.
I have not tried anything else. A LPS was a disaster on my BT SH2. So Iām sticking with the supplied SMPSās on my EE8 and Qutest DAC.
I remain open-minded and Iām always fascinated to read of other peopleās experiences with PSUās.
I wonder if anyone has tried the Russ Andrews The Supplier DC? This is actually a SMPS which they claim to be more musical than any LPS they have tried. Itās Ā£500 and looks to be very well made.
Itās a huge generalisation and my personal experience is very limited but it seems to me that LPSās may add warmth, sweetness, smoothness and an āorganicā quality at the expense of the speed, dynamics and immediacy that SMPSās can bring. As such which will preferred is down to personal taste and your specific system. So really not much different to any other componentā¦
But the possibility of causing your device to deviate from spec by using an inappropriate and un-matched PSU is enough to prevent me from wanting to experiment further anyway.
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Two months ago I would have completely agreed with you regarding the SMPS on the EE8 using my Catsnake as the final leg. However, I was fortunate to borrow a mates Sigma ethernet cable to try. Initially, I thought the Sigma was only slightly better than Catsnake but I happened to have a cheapish LPS close enough to things to be able to quickly plug in. The result was a real āwowā moment. What I think Iāve come to realise is that all ethernet cables have different levels of transparency. The Catsnake on SMPS vs LPS favoured the SMPS as you couldnāt really hear the benefits of the LPS. However, the Sigma on the SMPS vs LPS and you clearly hear the shortcoming of the SMPS vs the LPS. Iām now in the process or reappraising all the LPSās I tried earlier.
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Thatās interesting. As I say I remain totally open-minded to any and all possibilities. The position Iāve adopted in remaining with stock PSUās is really dictated by the fact that things sound really great as they are and I really donāt want to spend any more time and money exploring further. Plus the fact that any third party PSU could potentially put your device out of spec with regards to RF emissions. Chord Electronics strongly advise against using anything other than the supplied PSU, and in fact doing so will invlidate your warranty. The Chord Co. maintain that the PSU supplied with the EE8 is part of the design and essential for it to function as intended.
I know itās not fashionable to pay any heed to manufacturerās recommendations on things like this and one is regarded as a fool in some quarters for doing so. But iāve never had any interest in fashion or in being one of the herd. I plough my own furrow, for better or worse.
But never say never. If something came along that was indisputably better and had the manufacturerās blessing then I would probably want it!
Please give feedback on your re-apparaisals of various LPSās if you donāt mind. This should make for interesting reading. Thanks.
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A few years ago I purchased one of the first āaudiophileā network switches, the AQVox SE. It came with a note to say that the SMPS included with the switch was custom designed for the switch and could not be bettered, even by their much more expensive LPS. So I took them at their word and the switch made sufficient difference to the sound quality to warranty its continued installation.
Next I installed a USB retimer, with its optional, very expensive SMPS. It immediately robbed my system of its magic. I gave it 400 hours to bed in but the magic never returned. The dealer took the unit back and sent me a second system with its regular SMPS. I again gave it time to break in but again the magic was gone.
I disconnected the USB cable from the retimer and plugged it directly into my serverā¦.The magic was still missing. Howe could that be? So I unplugged the SMPS and hey presto, hello magic. Simply plugging the SMPS into the mains robbed the system of its musicality and overwhelming listener engagement. Without the SMPS I was swept away by the musicā¦.with it I found myself easily distractedā¦.which got me thinkingā¦.what about the switch with its specially designed SMPS? So I ordered a Sean Jacobs DC2 to try. Jaw dropping moment #1. The addition of the power supply to the switch literally transformed the music. I was in fact so happy I returned the DC2 and ordered a DC3 with Mundorf capacitor option. Jaw dropping moment #2
I continued to develop my network and make improvements to the power supplies and each time achieved fundamental improvements that made the music sound more lifelike and less āhi-fiā. I upgraded the DC3s to DC4 then to ARC6-DC4s and each time was rewarded with massive improvements that revealed more about the composerās musical message, the performerās interpretation and the venue in which the event was performed.
So are LPSās the answer? Well put it like this. The network fed my server, which used the exact same SJ ARC6 power supplies, and the server fed my amplifiers, which used highly sophisticated SMPSs to power the class A/D amplifiers. What it comes down to isnāt LPS vs SMPS but rather the quality and capabilities of bothā¦.a good SMPS will outperform a bad LPS and vice versa.
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When I purchased my ex Etheregen switch, the designer was writing in the site that they donāt think an lps would perform better vs their SMPS.
With entry level lps I agree, have compared. But with a top MCRU, Uptone JS1 or Farad 3 lps, the upgrade is even bigger than the switch itself.
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Yes I agree completely. And also itās a question of specific application with regard to the powerd device. One cannot simply drop in a notionally better PS and expect an improvement. It just doesnāt work like that.
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Agreed, I donāt understand some of the severe dislike of SMPSs you often read, often without trying one.
Iāve tried iFi SMPSS; iPower2, iPowerX and iPowerX Elite on my EE8 Switch, also tried Farad Super3 LPS as well. To me, the stock SMPS sounded better, more engagement with the music.
As you have stated, there are good and bad versions of SMPSs and LPSs.
Linn have proved that a well designed and engineered SMPS works well. You only have to read all the glowing positive reviews of their Utopik power supply
DGā¦
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OK thought I would try this. Got a linear psu from AliExpress for my 2.5GB switch in the living room.
Router, Cable modem, main switch in the garage just connected to the living room via cat6 cable.
Disconnected the old SMPS wall wart. Magic my NS333 continues to play for a couple on minutes. Any way changed PSU no real difference in sound.
But my streamer had clearly buffered what I was listening to. All of this talk about high quality clocks etc to clock in the data for better SQ. Why?? Snake Oil??
Discuss.
Andy 
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What is sure is that your lps from Aliexpress is not snake oil, no.
But crap oil, yes.
As discussed above, better keep the SMPS in that case.
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A bad LPS is worse than a good SMPS.
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OK, explain away the buffering.
More questions than answers;
- What switch
- What SMSP
- What LPS
Once youāve clarified them, we may be able to discuss
DGā¦