Audiophile Wall Wart

[JML]

The Radio Shack AC-DC adapter, #273-1667 is one awesome piece of work, and I think it might be an "audiophile's wall wart."

User selectable 3 to 12 V, 800 mA, and one of the only high-output adapters available that is both *regulated and filtered*. The Radio Shack website info doesn't mention the filter, and the catalog buries the info about it meeting both requirements in a chart (the product listing says only that it's regulated!). It's also very hard to find in the store because the box is not made for a display hanger, and so it usually gets shoved onto a shelf under the wall wart display; in two stores they didn't even know they had it or where to find it.

I just bought it this afternoon to use with a D-25S and WM-D6C, and avoid ground loop hum from another unit on the same circuit. It is a brick; very heavy and fairly large, so I wouldn't carry it around (instead, buy the even more powerful International adapters that are tiny and regulated).

It costs $14.99 and you get one free adaptaplug. (That's only $1 more than the filtered but unregulated equivalent.)

I'm going to listen to it tonight.

 

[Audio-Me]

Do a comparison!

 

[slindeman]

I've been using this one with a DIY amp for a long time, it works quite well but I wish it went higher than 12V. It is quite inexpensive for what you get, and like you said the only downside is the huge size and weight. I'm upgrading my DIY amp with a beefier internal power supply soon (just ordered the parts) so I'll see if I notice any difference.

 

[JML]

I've been using the wall wart tonight, powering my D-25S and using the ATH-W100 and my desktop Monsoon MM-700.

I had a problem with ground hum or transformer noise leakage before with the Monsoons if they were running off of a source using AC in any way. The hum is now gone. The background is totally silent with either cans or Monsoons; in fact, the Monsoons are quieter with the adapter in the circuit than without anything connected at all, or with the source unit running on battery power.

The Sony requires only 650 mA, and this wall wart has 800 mA available. My tiny 9 V Radio Shack international regulated adapter can put out 1500 mA. I haven't yet heard any difference between the two, but I've only listened to four or five CDs. The bass seems to be a smidgen deeper and tighter with the 1500 mA converter, but that very well could be my imagination about what I might expect from an upgraded power reserve, and not something that I can be sure about. Only more listening will tell. But if there's something there, it isn't much.

The regulation works perfectly. 9.05 V without load. All the other voltages available were within .1 V of the chosen voltage. It also runs very cool.

It is large, but only somewhat bigger than the filtered 9V 800 mA wall wart, which is not puny.

What's great is that I can use this one wall wart to power both of my Sony sources (9V or 6V, same"M" plug and tip negative polarity). The front panel switch for changing the output voltage is black and thereby clearly visible against the matte beige background, and it looks very sturdy and cleanly built. I'm going to just leave it on my desk, plugged into a 14G power strip that matches the wall wart and has an on-off-switch.

Great buy -- and as far as I can tell, it's the only regulated and filtered adapter going over 300 mV at almost any voltage, let alone one with switchable output voltages. A rare commodity, and one they ought to push more in the catalog and site. This one adapter can take care of just about anything, and the chance of noise, or damage from too-high voltage, is virtually banished.

 

[Audio-Me]

Ok, should I get that, or the standard (1757) 4.5V 700mA filtered & regulated adapter, which looks to be smaller than the 1667. I'll get the international one later on, when I need a smaller smaller adapter to cary around.

 

[JML]

Just go to the store and compare the size & weight! The best buy in the long run has to be the switchable voltage model, just for versatility. Not too many things need 4.5 V, right? But they're both only $15.

The international is so small and neat that it's irresistable. It's at least 1/3 the size and weight of the others. $22 isn't much, either.

 

[Audio-Me]

Ahhh, can't make up my mind, rofl. I'll have to go down there and compare all three. Since I'll be getting the international one anyway, I'll probably just get that. Thanks for your help JML, appreciate it pal.