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Linear power supply vs switching power supply headphone amps
- Thread starter max1236
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solderdude
Grand Contributor
It appears as though you are pondering buying the separate linear power supply for the A50s.
From a technical p.o.v. it is a waste of money.
When you don't buy it I am convinced there will always be a little voice nagging in the back of your mind you are missing out. That's what reviews will tell you anyway.
Subjectively, when you are convinced it will improve bass impact/slam or whatever one likes to call it, I am sure it will deliver in spades.
Just don't do any head-to-head blind tests between these power supplies when you bought one unless you can return it.
From a technical p.o.v. it is a waste of money.
When you don't buy it I am convinced there will always be a little voice nagging in the back of your mind you are missing out. That's what reviews will tell you anyway.
Subjectively, when you are convinced it will improve bass impact/slam or whatever one likes to call it, I am sure it will deliver in spades.
Just don't do any head-to-head blind tests between these power supplies when you bought one unless you can return it.
archerious
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What did you end up buying, OP?
It makes nearest to no difference with headphone amps or DACs. With speaker amps it can improve momentary power output because they can supply a lot of current over a short term.
What they lack is efficiency and less than stellar designs make for more noise.
What they lack is efficiency and less than stellar designs make for more noise.
archerious
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Hmm interesting most seemed to say switching was worse than linear always, but what you're saying makes more sense.
Earlier on switchers were worse. The switching rate was low enough that it could bleed into the audible spectrum, and ripple suppression was... bad, really bad. But designs have improved immensely since then. Either way, a good design is a good design and it's agnostic of topology.
Alice of Old Vincennes
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Short term current is audible. Most of the "noise" is not.
At least it will look and feel nice, A50s power adpter does feel very cheap, but not rough or badly made though.
It really only matters in speaker amps where they need to supply lots of current. Matters not at all with headphones and especially not with DACs. The noise however can, if the design is bad.
I’ve also heard it mentioned that there’s a secret pill that turns water into gasoline.
FWIW, the quietest and lowest impedance supply I have ever had on my bench was a tiny, inexpensive switcher.
Since a headphone amp is low powered, and since switchmode supplies are more complex than linear ones are, I don't know what the advantage of a switchmode supply would be in that setting. Get a 7815 and a 7915 or whatever, a few 'lytics & a walnut of a transformer and be done with it. In a large amplifier, the switchmode approach looks attractive due to its efficiency and compactness.
JP
Major Contributor
In low power supplies for preamps & such, the monolithic linear regulator would work just fine, and complexity is low, with zero HF switching noise. Switchmode does well and is advantageous in high power applications due to efficiency and light weight, and can be a fine performer, as Jan's work shows.
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