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Switch-mode power supplies + amp

post #1 of 5
1/28/06 at 6:05am
Thread Starter 
Hi all:

I have a suscpicion that the power supply I am using with my Portaphile V2 is a switcher type. Have been using it temporarily until I can source a 24V one for use in the UK.

I kind of understand that a linear power supply will give me a cleaner power output that eliminates noise and hum, but would like to know if a switch-mode is potentially damaging to the components within an amp. Would also like to find out the differences between these two types of power supplies so as to gain a better understanding about them.

Thanks
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post #2 of 5
1/28/06 at 6:58am
nah u wont damage the amp.

read this article from tangent for a great explanation on power supplies for head amps http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamp-ps.html

but here's his summary...
Quote:
Does power quality matter? Certainly. Should you avoid unregulated power supplies for op-amp audio? Yes, unless you add external regulation. Are batteries and linear power supplies the only suitable power sources, then? Well, no. Modern switching power supplies have ultrasonic switching frequencies, and a good switcher will have low ripple as well. True, this is not technically ideal, but in practice this noise doesn't usually affect sound quality for low-gain amplifiers.
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post #3 of 5
1/28/06 at 7:00am
This site should tell you more than you want to know:

http://www.tangentsoft.net/audio/opamp-ps.html

To answer your first question -- nope, a switching regulated power supply won't damage an amp, but it could damage your appreciation of music .

Edit -- aaaaaaagh, skyskraper beat me to it .
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post #4 of 5
1/28/06 at 7:21am
Thread Starter 
Thanks

Going to read up right now!!
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post #5 of 5
1/28/06 at 7:26am
Quote:
Now, consider the Creek OBH-1 unregulated supply above. Would this be a good supply for a CMoy amp? Sadly, no. Ripple rejection is about 100 dB at 120 Hz with the OPA2132, and the noise level was 383 mV. If our full-scale signal is 0.5 V an the gain is 10, the noise appears at the op-amp's output as -82 dB. That's audible. (In case you're wondering, this supply works okay with the Creek OBH-11 headphone amp because that amp has a linear regulator inside.)
This got me wondering if the OBH-21 has a linear regulator inside too (and if I can just use an unregulated PSU with decent current delivery, without having to worry about PSU noise and ripple)....
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