[Uncle Monty]

Would be interested to hear Rob's view - I am interested in a PSU like the Paul Hynes Design but don't want to risk damaging the Chord - I appreciate Rob wouldn't want to recommend anything that might void the warranty but, presumably, a 12v battery pack is okay so why not a 12v PSU?

 

[miketlse]

I’m not sure there is any disadvantage due to the lower voltage. The designer of the HMS (Rob) is best placed to confirm or otherwise.

I personally am just not prepared to put up with the faff of using batteries at home so I look to other solutions. With the PowerAdd battery my HMS used about 10% of charge per hour. My system is often on for 12 hours per day so that means two batteries needed and one always on charge. Too much faff I’m afraid.

I don't have mscaler, but try and use battery power with Mojo and Hugo2 as much as possible.
Most of the time, I don't detect any difference with mains power, but there is that small percentage of time, when listening via battery I experience that 'stop in your tracks' moment, and just think 'that was well recorded drumming or guitar'. Those moments are just examples of the 'little extra' that chord provides. Those moments make battery worthwile.

 

[STR-1]

it is hard to see how it can. The digital signal and processing is still the same no matter what the voltage. I doubt that Rob would use a battery at 12v on his travels if 15v was better.

Poweradd Pilot Pro 2 doesn’t do 15V. The jump is from 12V to 16V, in common with most battery packs I’ve seen.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

I am interested in a PSU like the Paul Hynes Design but don't want to risk damaging the Chord

Chord rules about PSUs are something like "don`t dry your cat in the microwave". They would never encourage you to use aftermarket PSU. And it is common practice, because nobody knows how dumb might be enduser and nobody wants to take responsibility for this.

AliExpress is full of low quality PSUs, which could be dangerous not only for your gear, and I even remember one user in Qutest topic, who was going to use unregulated PSU (which is totally ridiculous thing). Stock PSUs are switchers, which are ok and safe to use. If you buy cheap noname LPSU, you could end up with a PSU which is bad and not safe. If you buy PSU from a trusted manufacturer like Keces, Farad and many others, you will get a better PSU which is also safe to use.

 

[racebit]

PCM to PCM upsampling is far less burdensome to compute than PCM to DSD modulation.

Yes, HQPlayer developer states that:
" such conversion (PCM 44.1K to PCM 705K) is very light weight so can be done even on a less powerful computer."
Although we must note that that is at least partialy because his point is that most of the processing done by mscaler is not required, so he is not doing it.

 

[nomad777]

I personally use the mains myself...

 

[onlychild]

In my system, there was a reduction in sibilance and upper frequency hardness when moving from stock smps to pilot pro battery on the Mscaler. It wasn’t a night and day difference, but it was noticeable and easily heard in the first 10 seconds of listening.

what really cemented the pilot pro was when I switched back to the stock smps after a few weeks on the battery and I couldn’t stand the sibilance. Before hearing the pilot pro, I didn’t really notice much sibilance and it didn’t bother me that much, but after I heard it without the sibilance, I couldn’t go back. Funny how your mind gets use to things and adapts.

Few months ago I got a LPS for my Mscaler made by Sean Jacobs (guy who makes the LPS for all Innuos Servers) and I immediately noticed how much More dynamic the sound became with zero sibilance or harshness. All the other aspects of a good LPS were also heard.

now I’m not certain if I lost dynamics when switching from stock SMPS to pilot pro because my mind was focused on the reduction I heard in sibilance and frankly, nothing else mattered at that point because I am very sensitive to glare/sibilance/harshness.

In the end, you just have to try what works in your system “for you”. Each person has different priorities on what they want as the major strengths in their system. Mine is utmost transparency with zero upper glare or sibilance.

 

[Uncle Monty]

What voltage do you use?

 

[gnomen]

@GreenBow

Only way to be sure is home demo for me. Although I can see issue with that. We only get a limited time for home demo.

In my experience, if you have a problem with RFI in your set up it will be apparent within the first few minutes of listening. When it happens, it's not subtle.

I honestly wish Rob could have implemented USB for transfer from M-Scaler to DAC

Or an optical link such as the proprietary (?) one DMance uses in the Opto-DX. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1552/8145/files/WhitePaper_OPTO_DX_November.pdf?168

 

[onlychild]

What voltage do you use?

16v on the Pilot Pro when I used it (which was almost 6 months). Found 12 and lower to lack in dynamics.

The Sean Jacobs LPS is set at 15v

 

[ZappaMan]

mtt2 sound great, especially things like vocals, live vocals, non polished stuff. I'm currently running off mains, i do have wave cables, but i'm sure i'd be enjoying it just as much without. so dont worry anyone has hasn't yet tweaked or dont want too. its just audiophile obsession getting the last wee bit out it, even if that bits just in our heads

the main thing should be the source material.

but i've really enjoyed the thread this weekend, i think its been a good discussion.


(image of neil young live a massey hall 1971)

 

[Uncle Monty]

16v on the Pilot Pro when I used it (which was almost 6 months). Found 12 and lower to lack in dynamics.

The Sean Jacobs LPS is set at 15v

I notice Sean Jacobs and Paul Hynes keep coming up when discussions turn to PSUs. As well as producing 3 grades of unit (SR4, 5, 7 & DC1, 2, 3) are their products basically the same, has anyone experience of both?

 

[onlychild]

Sean Jacobs makes all the PS's for the Innuos servers but you can also buy other custom models from him to power anything you have from Router/Network Switch/Mscaler/TT2/etc etc.

I don't have any experience of the Paul Hynes ones, but his SR7 is reviewed as the top dog, but I think there is over a year wait time. His SR4 is readily available.

Since I have a Innuos Statement already, I went with Sean's PS cause he's using the same parts found in the Statement in my Mscaler supply , I think its the DC3 version.

You honestly can't go wrong with either one. I'm just trying to use the same LPS for all my stuff so stuck with Sean.

 

[Progisus]

@racebit
IMO, the latest HQPlayer 4.2.0 'poly-sinc-long-lp' enters the realm where it is indistinguishable(*) from WTA1. It's now available (on HQPlayer website) for any HMS owner to download and test using USB for A/B comparison (A: set PCM Mode, DAC bits=24, filter=poly-sinc-long-lp, dither=none, rate=768k (HMS does pass-through) or B: set filter=none so HMS does the upsampling ). If you run the test on a x64 CPU then Jussi uses 80-bit extended precision floating point. The SQ is unlike anything else.

I tried this filter although not against the mscaler yet. I will do that soon. I used it as follows,becuase it was ocnvenient:

NUC(Roon)=>MBPro/HQPlayer4/poly-sinc-long-lp=>ethernet=>pi4/DietPi/NAA=>usb=>MOJO 768k max=>Tia Fourte

I must say the sound was exceptional and I had to drag myself away to reply. I am going to find a way to get NAA onto my NUC endpoint so I can usb into the H2 and do some A/B'ing with the mscaler. I am not trying to diss the mscaler but I do find it interesting how close these two philosophies come.

 

[Vyyy]

I tried this filter although not against the mscaler yet. I will do that soon. I used it as follows,becuase it was ocnvenient:

NUC(Roon)=>MBPro/HQPlayer4/poly-sinc-long-lp=>ethernet=>pi4/DietPi/NAA=>usb=>MOJO 768k max=>Tia Fourte

I must say the sound was exceptional and I had to drag myself away to reply. I am going to find a way to get NAA onto my NUC endpoint so I can usb into the H2 and do some A/B'ing with the mscaler. I am not trying to diss the mscaler but I do find it interesting how close these two philosophies come.

Just tried this HQ player poly sync long lp filter to upscale redbook to 768k.
nothing like hms to my ears. no background reverb (no chapel feeling) not evident bass presence as gives hms and harshness still is there. Not the harshness but there is no easy flow as HMS gives. i cant put volume same as with hms.
Thats my oppinion.