[andrewinukm]

Personally, i take ASR's reviews and measurements with a large grain of salt (make that a packet), though i must admit I bought it partly due to the hype there... and hoping that it would sound all right when it arrives. Those guys there are only concerned about measurements and being "objective" until they are no longer objective anymore. And they don't correlate measurements to listening results, which i find it useless. Might as well buy a lab equipment to admire the perfect graphs instead of being in audio hobby.

wushuliu on AudioCircle has made some comparisons between HifimeDIY's UDA38 vs D50.

Having used the D50 for a while now, I can say a quality external power supply did make a difference in audio quality. A USB - barrel cable comes in the box to allow you to plug the unit into any USB power supply. I used one built into my expensive power outlet. After a week or so, I tried an ifi low-noise power supply I had sitting around which I generally used for my Hugo 2 (this one on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/iPower-Supply-International-Travel-Adapters/dp/B01GNNXP0Y) . I definitely heard a difference, had to A/B test it like 10 times to make sure I wasn't "inventing" quality.

I also had a USB cable issue, but it turned out not to be the cable, but a grounding problem on the USB port of my computer. on a USB cable it doesn't manifest itself as a hum, like in audio cables, but in static. When I moved my mouse around (also plugged into a USB port) I could hear static output from the dac) First step was to use a ground-loop isolator (something like this - https://www.amazon.com/Audio-iDefender3-0-Ground-Loop-Eliminator/dp/B01N3XKOLG, although I use a different brand), which masked it. Over the weekend I plugged in two new USB ports into my motherboard, and hand-soldered a ground wire onto the expansion bracket which fixed the issue. I can take a photo if you don't know what I am talking about :>

Yup, power quality does influence D50. Even a power filter/conditioner before iFi iPower improved the sound. Which one was better for you: iFi or the expensive power outlet?

D50 doesn't need the 5V power from USB cable. Taping the power pins would solve the ground noise, no?

 

[Marlowe]

Personally, i take ASR's reviews and measurements with a large grain of salt ... Those guys there are only concerned about measurements and being "objective" until they are no longer objective anymore. And they don't correlate measurements to listening results, which i find it useless. Might as well buy a lab equipment to admire the perfect graphs instead of being in audio hobby.

Thank you! I feel the same way and, not being technically inclined, find their reviews rather useless. Though I may be prejudiced since I quite enjoy my Mimby which apparently they dislike because it "tests badly." I think plenty of people here, and on the often hard to please site that must not be named (I've had a post deleted for just a brief reference) would agree with me.

 

[Vosya]

Those guys there are only concerned about measurements and being "objective" until they are no longer objective anymore.

Instrumental measurements are very important. However, this resource is reproached for the presence of certain methodological problems when conducting measurements and an extremely painful reaction when they are told this.

 

[Vosya]

Taping the power pins would solve the ground noise, no?

In my case, a positive effect caused by usb cable, which did not have a galvanic connection between the metal shields of plugs.

 

[Beatwolf]

Can anyone say if this would be an upgrade from an Asus Sonar Essence ST? Would be running it with an Asgard 2 amp, and HD 650's.

 

[BrotherKathos]

I'm not sure how much of an upgrade it will be, but I've got all three and they work great together. The Asgard pairs nicely with the D50, and the 650s sound great on just about anything.

 

[Beatwolf]

Ok, but if I can't notice any improvement in sound quality what is the point? Besides that it's nice to have a device on the table besides my Asgard 2

 

[BrotherKathos]

Ok, but if I can't notice any improvement in sound quality what is the point? Besides that it's nice to have a device on the table besides my Asgard 2

There is no point if you hear no difference, but you will have to ultimately be the judge of that. Maybe someone else can help out more with their opinion, but its up to your own ears.

 

[BattousaiX26]

My d50 got delayed but should be arriving anytime soon today, anyone can recommend a cheap power source aside from ifi?

 

[carlmart]

My d50 got delayed but should be arriving anytime soon today, anyone can recommend a cheap power source aside from ifi?

How much do you consider cheap?

 

[BattousaiX26]

How much do you consider cheap?

The cheapest anyone can suggest then I will narrow down to decide.

 

[BattousaiX26]

Finally the d50 arrived! Will test for a few days before I give impression.

 

[carlmart]

The cheapest anyone can suggest then I will narrow down to decide.

This is the power supply I bought for my D50.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323497118424

Even if I will only be back at home next week, tracking showed my D50 was delivered. The power supply might take longer, but not too much.

I already have another linear power supply I can try until the other gets home, even for comparison.

 

[DjBobby]

My d50 got delayed but should be arriving anytime soon today, anyone can recommend a cheap power source aside from ifi?

I have tested many different power sources with the D50 and was surprised with the differences. It is like a chameleon, depending on the power supply connected.
With the linear power supply the sound was most dynamic, had biggest and deepest soundstage but it was on the other side most aggressive with very upfront treble. Big expansive sound but very fatiguing.

With the battery pack the sound was on the opposite side, narrower soundstage but softer and darker. It is overall much more pleasant, probably slightly veiled. The problem with the battery pack or powerbanks is that you have to charge it over and over again and the sound is different when fully charged and when half-empty. Somehow the sound starts to deteriorate when the battery starts loosing the initial charge.

At last I have tried it with different power adapters I had around, until I found the chosen one. It was a 5V / 2.5A switching power adapter which came included with the SMSL M8a. Both my M8 and M8a are powered by SMSL own linear power supply P1, so the switching adapter was lying down unused in the box. It was the best compromise I could get, smaller soundstage than linear but less harsh, and overall more stable and consistent than the battery pack. I have immediately ordered one spare from Aliexpress for $8 incl. shipping. That's the cheapest you can get for a a decent performance. The plug fits perfectly for the D50 and has a ferrite choke on it.
If you want to order it, you can go to Aliexpress, drop a message to the seller that you need a SMSL M8a power switch. Since they don't list it separately, they will point you to order one remote control which costs exactly the same amount. After you put it in the cart, during the check-out before clicking the buy button, just write into the message field that you actually want the power adapter instead and that's it.
So I ordered this:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SMS...557.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.2e694c4d1iRCH1

After that, I got the confirmation message that I am actually getting this:
"Hello, dear friend.
We have arranged for you to send the M8A European power adapter, please rest assured and patiently
SMSL Customer Service Team"

 

[carlmart]

I was considering using this little board to assemble an USB isolator.

https://www.adafruit.com/product/2107

Has anyone tried it or a similar one? It's reasonably priced, certainly cheaper than the iFi.