[jabbr]

dear rb2013
I just got the teradak dc30w yesterday and comparing it to the battery powered Pro3z, the dc30w sounds quite edgy, dry and micro detail is minimum compared to the battery. now I haven't got the DC I purifier yet, but I do use an audio grade power cable.
i couldnt find any info. does it need burn in?
also do you have any recommendation to replace DC cable or the stock cable is ok?

No LPS is better than battery power IMHO, certainly not a cheapo LPS

 

[rb2013]

dear rb2013
I just got the teradak dc30w yesterday and comparing it to the battery powered Pro3z, the dc30w sounds quite edgy, dry and micro detail is minimum compared to the battery. now I haven't got the DC I purifier yet, but I do use an audio grade power cable.
i couldnt find any info. does it need burn in?
also do you have any recommendation to replace DC cable or the stock cable is ok?

Yes - the 'lytic caps need at least 200 hours to settle in.  Stock cable is fine - the DC ifi should help as well.
 
Which battery were you using?

 

[rb2013]

  No LPS is better than battery power IMHO, certainly not a cheapo LPS

Well I've had a few Li-ion batteries and always preferred the TeraDak LPS - much better dynamics.  With the DC iPur to reduce noise, as the LDO's in the X1 and DC30W are not the best, a great combination.  But adding the amazing Cerious Tech Graphene Extreme PC a major step up - something not available with a battery.
 
Unless the battery is a very well designed one - it will have noise greater then a 'cheapo' LPS.
 
I do use one as a portable solution - with a Audio Quest Dragonfly Red and a split USB cable, a few adapters and my LG4 phone.  Killer good portable solution.
 
http://www.coreaudiotechnology.com/batteries-vs-linear-power-supply/
 

 

Batteries vs Linear Power Supply​

Batteries are low noise, right? That's why people want to use them in audio systems. The most common assumption is that because they are a pure DC source they must have no AC noise. Unfortunately we live in a world where nothing is pure, so let's look at why batteries are not so great a source of power as some may want you to believe.

 How a battery produces power

Batteries produce power through a chemical reaction. Every type of battery will have a slightly different chemical mixture that is used to generate power.
Batteries have a voltage rating and a current/time rating called Amp-Hours. Amp hours basically say how many hours the battery will last if it's drawing one amp of current. Because many systems draw variable loads, a 10Ah battery will not necessarily last 10 hours. It may last 20 or it may last 2 hours depending on the system it is connected to.
As a battery drains, the amount of chemical compound available to produce electricity drains. That means there's an exponential decay on the amount of power a battery can produce. So a battery at 100% will have far more capability of producing fast transients than a battery at low charge. 

Battery Noise Generation

Batteries have a substantial amount of high frequency ripple. This means there is a large AC component to their DC output voltage.

What causes this ripple?

The battery's chemical reaction will generate different types and frequencies of noise. The chemical reaction changes as the battery drains. That means the spectrum of noise changes as well. The change in load also impacts the way the battery is draining, which will alter the chemical reaction and thus the noise produced. 
As a battery drains so does the output current and the output voltage. As these elements change the voltage will become less stable and the transient response slower.
So ultimately you are creating a non-constant source that has varying spectrums of noise, that is constantly changing, and produces the exact noise we want to get rid of.

Regulating and filtering battery power

The first thought is to regulate and filter the battery power. This can help the battery's performance considerably, but it does not compensate for the variations that occur as the battery drains. Batteries in particular do not have a pump, so as current demands stay the same and their ability to produce that current diminishes the regulators and filters become progressively less effective. 
Here's the catch. Regulators are very sensitive to input impedance. They like a stable input or they must regulate both Line and Load variations. A battery's output impedance changes with drain.

 Different batteries sound different

Every battery will have a different chemical composition and thus different chemical reaction. This translates to different levels of noise and different resulting sounds. 
The noise generated is usually very high frequency noise up into the mhz or ghz ranges. This is not only more difficult to filter, but it's the exact noise that pollutes digital audio the most. The noise generated may be less than the noise filtered out compared to a SMPS, but it is still generating noise that is a challenge to compensate for.

Recharging the Battery

For one, recharging is a hassle. Many companies have circumvented this by having micrcontroller charging circuits to automate the process.
Many chargers only begin trickle charging when a battery is below a certain charge level. Introducing AC noise into the battery's path means the system has to filter out both AC noise and battery noise. You also loose the benefit of being off the grid. If the AC noise is somehow isolated from the battery's DC output using dual batteries with a switching circuit or other method then the charging will still alter the chemical reaction of the battery.
When a battery charges it creates the opposite chemical reaction to return the battery to it's initial chemical components. In this event you have opposite chemical reactions occurring at the same time.
GROUNDING
This could be one of the single biggest issues with battery power. By using a battery you are no longer connected to ground in the same way. That means that shields become a noise "cage" rather than pulling noise away from the system.
In addition, you end up having ground loops along cables and your system must find an alternative path for ground noise.

Enter the Linear Power Supply

Linear power supplies are going to be larger than batteries. But unlike batteries they can be built to a much higher bandwidth that functions consistently. A well-designed linear power supply can be considerably lower noise, faster, and higher bandwidth than any battery. Linear power supplies can filter the incoming AC noise, eliminate ripple to exceptionally high frequencies, and have much higher slew rate and current output. This means their sound will always be consistent and their potential much greater.
Comparing a battery to a SMPS or entry-level power supply will put a battery ahead as the clear winner. It will be much lower noise than a SMPS. But a well-crafted Linear power supply has several advantages and should be the only consideration when looking for the ultimate power solution.
​

 

[jabbr]

 
Well I've had a few Li-ion batteries and always preferred the TeraDak LPS - much better dynamics.  With the DC iPur to reduce noise, as the LDO's in the X1 and DC30W are not the best, a great combination.  But adding the amazing Cerious Tech Graphene Extreme PC a major step up - something not available with a battery.
 
....
 

 
The type of batteries to use are LiFePO. LiFePO keep their potential right up to the end.
 

 
 
Here is someone who has done a lot of DIY using LiFePO batteries to build PSU and they seem to be even better than the (basic model of) Paul Hynes LPS.
http://tirnahifi.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=76790#p76790
 
Cheers

 

[tedzz]

I am using 6 energizer advance batteries. The sound as i said is low in noise and very focused with great micro detail and no hardness at all. When i use normal panasonic. The sound is not as dynamiv and has a drier sound, evidently when playing orchestra with timpani and percussions.

Anyway i cant compare with the teradak as it still is in burn in.
Can i just leave it on without connecting it to any device? Would that be considered as burn in? I cant possibly leave the music on with the ddc for a long time.

 

[kazsud]

So last night I took delivery of my Su-1. Right away I could it was way better on headphones and speakers. Everything thing seems better like I am listening to a better dac!! The background is blacker and more natural sounding and even more glare is gone compared to the nuforce u192.
 
So far I've only have heard coax. My chain is ipad mini 4 - cck - jitterbug - usb cable - su-1 - coax cable - pwd mkii - balanced blue jean cables - ragnarok
 
I couldn't get i2s to work for me. Maybe I should disconnect coax and then connect the i2s. Hopefully I'll get a aes cable by the weekend.

 

[jabbr]

I am using 6 energizer advance batteries. The sound as i said is low in noise and very focused with great micro detail and no hardness at all. When i use normal panasonic. The sound is not as dynamiv and has a drier sound, evidently when playing orchestra with timpani and percussions.

Anyway i cant compare with the teradak as it still is in burn in.
Can i just leave it on without connecting it to any device? Would that be considered as burn in? I cant possibly leave the music on with the ddc for a long time.

Well current has to flow through the DC components, so just leaving it on without having it connected to something that draws current won't do a thing.

 

[rb2013]

I am using 6 energizer advance batteries. The sound as i said is low in noise and very focused with great micro detail and no hardness at all. When i use normal panasonic. The sound is not as dynamiv and has a drier sound, evidently when playing orchestra with timpani and percussions.

Anyway i cant compare with the teradak as it still is in burn in.
Can i just leave it on without connecting it to any device? Would that be considered as burn in? I cant possibly leave the music on with the ddc for a long time.

I hear that these new super capacitors are pretty amazing - but have never tried them. http://audiobyte.net/products/hydra-zpm
 
There should be a current draw during burnin - so the caps get worked.
 
Speaking of - I had good success replacing the stock ones with Nichicon HW's.

 

[rb2013]

   
The type of batteries to use are LiFePO. LiFePO keep their potential right up to the end.
 

 
 
Here is someone who has done a lot of DIY using LiFePO batteries to build PSU and they seem to be even better than the (basic model of) Paul Hynes LPS.
http://tirnahifi.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=76790#p76790
 
Cheers

That's a nice design - for me batteries are a no go, other then portable.

 

[motberg]

  So last night I took delivery of my Su-1. Right away I could it was way better on headphones and speakers. Everything thing seems better like I am listening to a better dac!! The background is blacker and more natural sounding and even more glare is gone compared to the nuforce u192.
 
So far I've only have heard coax. My chain is ipad mini 4 - cck - jitterbug - usb cable - su-1 - coax cable - pwd mkii - balanced blue jean cables - ragnarok
 
I couldn't get i2s to work for me. Maybe I should disconnect coax and then connect the i2s. Hopefully I'll get a aes cable by the weekend.

You may need try a different HDMI cable for the i2S (also check the jumper settings on the SU-1).
I have a different DDC and DAC, but have had success using a Wireworld Starlight 6 HDMI cable from 0.3M to 1M.
Also a Wireworld Ultraviolet 5.2 at 0.3M
Normally for i2S the recommendation is shorter is better, I am currently using 0.3M... but the 1M Wireworld Starlight 6 I had in the system was working OK also and I did not notice any problem with the SQ.
The cables are pretty stiff though, so if possible buy with an ability to return if your equipment position cannot accommodate the connection.

 

[FredA]

Got the i2s installed on the f-1. Not an easy job with the tight case i have. But i succeeded after 3 hours of @!!!@%#.

So far, it is too soon to judge. The rj45 cable and output perhaps need to burn for a little while. But it seems like the sound is more relax and the highs are better. On the other hand, there may be a lack in macro dynamics for now. But i sure like that the bass has diminished. There was too much.

Seems positive but i will know for sure in about 3-4 days.

 

[rb2013]

So last night I took delivery of my Su-1. Right away I could it was way better on headphones and speakers. Everything thing seems better like I am listening to a better dac!! The background is blacker and more natural sounding and even more glare is gone compared to the nuforce u192.

So far I've only have heard coax. My chain is ipad mini 4 - cck - jitterbug - usb cable - su-1 - coax cable - pwd mkii - balanced blue jean cables - ragnarok

I couldn't get i2s to work for me. Maybe I should disconnect coax and then connect the i2s. Hopefully I'll get a aes cable by the weekend.

I agree like getting a new DAC. I'm amazed at how this small part of the audio chain makes such a big difference.

 

[Padawan38]

I agree like getting a new DAC. I'm amazed at how this small part of the audio chain makes such a big difference.

 



Hello,

Interesting reflexion.
What is "strange" is the added value VS DAC usb input.
Is it because most of the time USB input is not correctly implemented on DAC's ?

Thx

 

[Padawan38]

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[Padawan38]

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