Ok, i started to use the battery supply now, for the clocks only at the moment.
My impression:
I get a more warm, soft image.
On the one handside its nice to have more musical flow. More analog some would say.
On the other hand it sounds a bit veiled, less dynamic, less clear.
So, not a 100 percent result, more like a typical trade off.
I would like to improve this…any suggestions welcome. I believe some people used battery supplies and gave them a cap at the output nevertheless ? What would be the minimum to make sense ? If we talk several hundred uF, i could go MKP….
My impression:
I get a more warm, soft image.
On the one handside its nice to have more musical flow. More analog some would say.
On the other hand it sounds a bit veiled, less dynamic, less clear.
So, not a 100 percent result, more like a typical trade off.
I would like to improve this…any suggestions welcome. I believe some people used battery supplies and gave them a cap at the output nevertheless ? What would be the minimum to make sense ? If we talk several hundred uF, i could go MKP….
I have a similar experience. I prefer a power supply with Sparkos labs regulator and mosfet rectifier above the batteries.
For the clocks I am using A123 batteries with a 67F 20V Ultracap Bank from EATON in parallel. That was for me personally the Sweetspot. Smooth but very detailed and deep stage. I run them without charger connected, so totally floating isolated from mains and earth. The moment I connect (by relays ) the charger the smoothness gets a bit sharper and the holographic image gets a bit smaller. it is mostly the 5,6 and 6 MHz clocks which show this. Not because they are bad, but because they are so good. The 11,12,22,24 MHz clocks are also very good, but lack a bit the magical music touch. Here the effect of the mains supply is still audible but less significant
H Swak, i am using a “ Ali express “ psu board with CV CC trimmed at 18 volt closing voltage. As said, both mains and secondary are switched off from the clocks with double relays .
it plays for roughly 10 hours. If I need more, I will switch back to charger mode… still great music of course. this is also the normal condition the clocks are in. The batteries are always full and when I start listening I flip a switch. An Arduino controller controls everything and forces charging when the batteries are below 15 volt.
i am not using an ultracap on the DAC ( no more space ….)
it plays for roughly 10 hours. If I need more, I will switch back to charger mode… still great music of course. this is also the normal condition the clocks are in. The batteries are always full and when I start listening I flip a switch. An Arduino controller controls everything and forces charging when the batteries are below 15 volt.
i am not using an ultracap on the DAC ( no more space ….)
yes, the little board on the bottom left in the picture, with the red BG non polars is a power supply with two ps lines for the clocks.
Hi Supersurfer,
How would you subscribe the advantages from the Saligny. Less heat, better SQ,...... Have you experienced with this component in (pre-) amplifiers or tube-amplifiers. Would you recommend it?
Supersurfer,
a few more questions: are you using supercaps with the clock or is it Vref on your DAC? Have you tried Andrea's TWRPS-pp/ugl? If so, what were your impressions on them and generally on supercaps wherever you have applied them?
I would really like to try batteries + supercap like DDDAC (thanks for your reply by the way!), but it seems complicated and quite more expensive Reading his blog it seems the benefits are there, but marginal. I also have a HTPS7000 which could help a little with the non-battery solution.
a few more questions: are you using supercaps with the clock or is it Vref on your DAC? Have you tried Andrea's TWRPS-pp/ugl? If so, what were your impressions on them and generally on supercaps wherever you have applied them?
I would really like to try batteries + supercap like DDDAC (thanks for your reply by the way!), but it seems complicated and quite more expensive Reading his blog it seems the benefits are there, but marginal. I also have a HTPS7000 which could help a little with the non-battery solution.
Hi Doede,
can you provide some links for the charger you used and the source for the eatons ?
on Amazon I see some banks with using 500F im swries to come to 83F in total at 16v...for 40 Euro ?!? I guess eaton is a different quality ? the bank i you use i saw for more like 190 Euro ? I think you used both...so how is the earon cpmared to the initial cheap one you ised ?
can you provide some links for the charger you used and the source for the eatons ?
on Amazon I see some banks with using 500F im swries to come to 83F in total at 16v...for 40 Euro ?!? I guess eaton is a different quality ? the bank i you use i saw for more like 190 Euro ? I think you used both...so how is the earon cpmared to the initial cheap one you ised ?
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Hello,
I am using the same Eaton as Doede and i got mine at Mouser. Also using the same circuitboard to take care of switching and charging.
I would not trust the supercaps that come from sources without a reputation to loose.
I use a rather simple charger that can take the big Eaton without any problem. After it is charged the charger is turned off and then the supply changes to the one used for the DDDAC with a higher output voltage.
Greetings, eduard
I am using the same Eaton as Doede and i got mine at Mouser. Also using the same circuitboard to take care of switching and charging.
I would not trust the supercaps that come from sources without a reputation to loose.
I use a rather simple charger that can take the big Eaton without any problem. After it is charged the charger is turned off and then the supply changes to the one used for the DDDAC with a higher output voltage.
Greetings, eduard
There seem to be good brands available if bought on a per item basis (not bank) and much less expensive.
If building a bank, I read balancing increases the lifetime of the caps, specially if actively balanced (and efficiency too). There are balancers on ebay for several cap counts. Has someone used inexpensive active balancers? Or is passive balancing enough?
For the clocks and for Vref, what would be the minimum capacitance to shoot at for each?
If building a bank, I read balancing increases the lifetime of the caps, specially if actively balanced (and efficiency too). There are balancers on ebay for several cap counts. Has someone used inexpensive active balancers? Or is passive balancing enough?
For the clocks and for Vref, what would be the minimum capacitance to shoot at for each?
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Eduard/Doede:
If I got it right...you use in normal operation a battery supply (a123) and next the Supercap-Bank suggested, after that the clocks.
The whole 10A charging cicuit etc is only needed because you switch your PSU off, right ? Amd therefor the bank gets empty...
I mean...maybe I did not get it right, but ...
...if I never switch my PSU off (like Andreas Battery supply: It switched to linear regs while charging the batteries, so the clocks are constantly powered)...well...than the supercaps gets constantly recharged by the small amount the clocks draw from it...no ? Either by the regs or the batteries.
The initial charging when they get delivered could be done by a cv cc lab supply, no ? But its a one time effort...once charged and the PSU constantly replaces the current drawn...no 10A charginging mechanismn needed...
If I got it right...you use in normal operation a battery supply (a123) and next the Supercap-Bank suggested, after that the clocks.
The whole 10A charging cicuit etc is only needed because you switch your PSU off, right ? Amd therefor the bank gets empty...
I mean...maybe I did not get it right, but ...
...if I never switch my PSU off (like Andreas Battery supply: It switched to linear regs while charging the batteries, so the clocks are constantly powered)...well...than the supercaps gets constantly recharged by the small amount the clocks draw from it...no ? Either by the regs or the batteries.
The initial charging when they get delivered could be done by a cv cc lab supply, no ? But its a one time effort...once charged and the PSU constantly replaces the current drawn...no 10A charginging mechanismn needed...