[flargosa]

  +1
 
I'm also quite interested in getting a power supply for my 2Qute. I was looking into Teddy Pardo and a couple others. 

I thought I read somewhere Rob designed both the power supply and DAC to work together.  He may have also said there will not be much improvement upgrading the stock power supply.  You guys might want to try a ABX blind test to see if you are really hearing audible improvements.  

 

[digitallc]

I have been running my 2Qute with a SBooster 12-13V, along with a SBooster Ultra for the last year. It has really taken the sound up a notch.

 

[dmance]

I thought I read somewhere Rob designed both the power supply and DAC to work together.  He may have also said there will not be much improvement upgrading the stock power supply.  You guys might want to try a ABX blind test to see if you are really hearing audible improvements.  

I have the ultimate highest respect for Rob Watts and his team - the 2Qute may not have the budget of DAVE but he says they engineered it with all the same design principles. And I appreciate Rob says he used both objective signal testing as well as listening tests to get max quality.
To my ears (and brain), the difference is obvious. No, I did not do a blind test - just two back to back ...over a two day period. And then with family members who also noticed. And then ongoing ...just to further convince myself.
It's strange though, I'm sure the differences cannot be measured in any sense, nor rationalized by known physics - yet the sound is plainly 'better' and much more enjoyable.

Dan

 

[boomtube]

I have the ultimate highest respect for Rob Watts and his team - the 2Qute may not have the budget of DAVE but he says they engineered it with all the same design principles. And I appreciate Rob says he used both objective signal testing as well as listening tests to get max quality.
To my ears (and brain), the difference is obvious. No, I did not do a blind test - just two back to back ...over a two day period. And then with family members who also noticed. And then ongoing ...just to further convince myself.
It's strange though, I'm sure the differences cannot be measured in any sense, nor rationalized by known physics - yet the sound is plainly 'better' and much more enjoyable.

Dan

I feel the same way about cables.

 

[kydu]

I thought I read somewhere Rob designed both the power supply and DAC to work together.  He may have also said there will not be much improvement upgrading the stock power supply.  You guys might want to try a ABX blind test to see if you are really hearing audible improvements.  

For $49 the ifi ipower 12v power supply is well worth it

 

[Toolman]

My 2Qute should be arriving in a couple of weeks time...not see the 2Qute's power supply so I cannot comment but the looked similar to those from Hugo. So my question is can I use my Hugo power adapter with my 2Qute? The Hugo power supply are made in China fwiw

 

[boomtube]

For $49 the ifi ipower 12v power supply is well worth it

Have you compared the iFi iPower to any LPS's?

 

[angelsblood]

Do you guys leave the 2qute connected to the computer (usb) after use? My 2qute frequency light (red) is still on even when I shut my computer off!

 

[kydu]

Have you compared the iFi iPower to any LPS's?

Refuse to drop over $300 on teddy pardo or sbooster when the ifi ipower, for $49, does everything right. It's even stereophile recommended. Reported to have a lower noise floor than lps as well. I use the ifi ipower with my wyred remedy and recovery too.

 

[Starcruncher]

Do you guys leave the 2qute connected to the computer (usb) after use? My 2qute frequency light (red) is still on even when I shut my computer off!

I think the light stays on the last sample rate that went into 2Qute

 

[angelsblood]

I think the light stays on the last sample rate that went into 2Qute

 
I see! So is it ok to stay connected to the computer permanently?

 

[Starcruncher]

   
I see! So is it ok to stay connected to the computer permanently?

 
I have had no problems. But that light can be a bit bright at night :/

 

[manifesto31]

Would anyone care to comment on whether it is better for 2qute to be always connected to power or plugged off when not in use regarding products life expectancy? Thank you!

 

[kydu]

Is anyone else using the wyred4sound USB recovery with their chord 2qute?

 

[flargosa]

I found this by Rob Watts. Interesting read, I'm sure there is a difference with better power sources, but it has to be cleaner than battery power.  

 

The initial 2 Qute listening tests revealed the mains powered 2 Qute sounded very similar to a battery powered Hugo.
 
Battery power has enormous advantages over mains operation, principally very low noise, both in band and more importantly RF noise - much lower than SMPS or linear PSU. RF noise is a hobby horse of mine, as it creates noise floor modulation when random RF noise inter-modulates with the audio signal in the analog electronics. The brain is extremely sensitive to noise floor modulation, as it interferes with it's ability to separate sounds out into individual entities with placement data.
 
I knew that Qute was sensitive to the power, as too many audiophiles had reported improvements when using better PSU's. This was in spite of Qute's extensive RF filtering and regulation. Part of Hugo's musicality was down to the battery, so I was determined that 2 Qute would have no SQ losses due to mains powering. This was not a simple design challenge, and involved a radical restructuring of the internal PSU arrangements.
 
So I was very pleased that the SQ tests had given me Hugo performance but with a mains powered 2 Qute. This was not the easy challenge that at first sight may appear.
 
But was it completely insensitive to the mains? Simply hooking up a linear PSU would not be a good enough test, as it needs RF isolation too. So I decided the ultimate PSU from an impedance, in-band noise, and RF noise isolation POV was a 300A car battery (I used a jump starter type - they are low cost and can be re-charged) and yesterday did the listening tests with 2 Qute using the car battery against the standard Chord mains unit.
 
I spent much of the afternoon doing my standard listening tests, and could not consistently find a preference - I was struggling to reliably hear a difference. When you are struggling to hear a difference, its usually because that there is no difference! There was no consistent difference in sound-stage, instrument separation and tonal balance. So as a sanity check, I thought I would test it against the original Qute - and immediately I could easily hear the difference - sound-stage was much deeper, instrument separation was better, and it was much smoother with the battery. All SQ hallmarks of reduced RF noise.
 
So don't bother connecting up "better" PSU's with 2 Qute, as at best it will sound the same, at worst you will damage 2 Qute - some of these units have too high an OP voltage, destroying the protection circuits of the DAC.
 
Rob