Power Supply for Phono and DAC
05/02/12 17:28 Filed in: Tweaks
WARNING: unless you are an experienced electrical professional - consult a technician
Both the DAC and the Phono Stage originally came with Wal-Wart 12V AC power supplies which had very small gauge leads that restricted their full audio potential.
I started with a prototype, using a 12V lighting transformer, but when I heard the improvements, I decided that using better quality components might improve the performance even more. Little did I realize just how much better both these units could perform when unleashed with the right power supply!
The power supply for the Phono Stage and DAC utilizes two 120v-12v high quality step-down toroid transformers.
The larger transformer used for the DAC has a capacity of 5 amps and the smaller transformer used for the Phono Stage has a capacity of 2 amps
This provided the headroom that each unit was thirsting for!
The low voltage 12v power cables are constructed from Kimber loudspeaker cable - the braided construction rejects RF interference and the high quality copper in the cable is very adept at handling extremely fast transient voltage and current demands.
Using gold plated copper XLR connectors for the low voltage 12v power cables provided a very high quality junction point for the transfer of power.
The audio performance of both the DAC and the Phono Stage was very noticeably improved as follows...
An unexpected benefit of this upgrade is that both units now operate at a much lower temperatures
The power cable connecting the power supply to the mains is the Furutech FP-314Ag screened power cable with rhodium plated connectors.
ADDENDUM: - the fuses have since been replaced by pushbutton breakers which improved the resolution of both units
UPDATE: alas, the Cambridge Audio DacMagic is no longer part of my system and the 640p has been replaced with the 651p, which still utilizes this power supply
Both the DAC and the Phono Stage originally came with Wal-Wart 12V AC power supplies which had very small gauge leads that restricted their full audio potential.
I started with a prototype, using a 12V lighting transformer, but when I heard the improvements, I decided that using better quality components might improve the performance even more. Little did I realize just how much better both these units could perform when unleashed with the right power supply!
The power supply for the Phono Stage and DAC utilizes two 120v-12v high quality step-down toroid transformers.
The larger transformer used for the DAC has a capacity of 5 amps and the smaller transformer used for the Phono Stage has a capacity of 2 amps
This provided the headroom that each unit was thirsting for!
The low voltage 12v power cables are constructed from Kimber loudspeaker cable - the braided construction rejects RF interference and the high quality copper in the cable is very adept at handling extremely fast transient voltage and current demands.
Using gold plated copper XLR connectors for the low voltage 12v power cables provided a very high quality junction point for the transfer of power.
The audio performance of both the DAC and the Phono Stage was very noticeably improved as follows...
- dramatic improvement in details
- improved isolation of both artist and instruments and much more noticeable venue acoustics
- greatly improved 3D image moving outwards and backwards beyond the position of the speakers
- greatly improved dynamics
- a deepening and better control of low frequencies
An unexpected benefit of this upgrade is that both units now operate at a much lower temperatures
The power cable connecting the power supply to the mains is the Furutech FP-314Ag screened power cable with rhodium plated connectors.
ADDENDUM: - the fuses have since been replaced by pushbutton breakers which improved the resolution of both units
UPDATE: alas, the Cambridge Audio DacMagic is no longer part of my system and the 640p has been replaced with the 651p, which still utilizes this power supply