power for Topping D50s: ifi iPower X or Topping P50?

[AudioArchitech]

Many report that iFi iPower works great, especially on streamers. Listen to all the reviewers, they can't all be wrong, it's science : )

FYI, ifi iPower and BRZHiFi are not the same product, not even close !

 

[eyes-on-you]

Many report that iFi iPower works great, especially on streamers. Listen to all the reviewers, they can't all be wrong, it's science : )

FYI, ifi iPower and BRZHiFi are not the same product, not even close !

Is subjective review science?

 

[AudioArchitech]

Show me Amir’s review of the iPower. I’m pretty sure he just reviewed the ifi iPurifi SPDIF, not the same as iPower. ifi iPower and BRZHiFi are not the same either.

 

[eyes-on-you]

Show me Amir’s review of the iPower. I’m pretty sure he just reviewed the ifi iPurifi SPDIF, not the same as iPower. ifi iPower and BRZHiFi are not the same either.

Search on forum. You may find some ipower review.

 

[Berwhale]

Conclusions
It is clear that whether you use the USB power, or the supplied switching power supply, there is absolutely no audible improvement in the output of the DAC with linear power supplies. One can help himself believe otherwise by looking at the noise spectrum alone as I have shown in the last graph. But again, we don't listen to power supply wires. Those waveforms go through filtering stages even in cheapest DACs.

Do you need linear power supply for DACs?

Probably the most asked about question about DACs on audio forums is whether an external, usually linear, power supply improves performance. It just makes sense that it would do that. Doesn't it? Well, let's see if we can figure this out. I have been kindly loaned a Wyrd4Sound PS-1 power...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I own a P50 to go with my D50s/A50s. I bought it because I liked the look of the stack and it simplified the power connections under and through my desk, not because it makes any difference to the sound.

 

[Firefly00]

Many report that iFi iPower works great, especially on streamers. Listen to all the reviewers, they can't all be wrong, it's science : )

FYI, ifi iPower and BRZHiFi are not the same product, not even close !

But do they provide measurements to back up their claims? Blind testing? If they don’t, then that’s very much not science…

 

[DantonIzzo]

I think it tells you that you have a ground loop via the USB ground connection which can be fixed with a cheap USB Isolator. I use this one: Nobsound USB to USB Isolator Module Audio Noise: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Note that the iFi Defender isolator I bought at the same time as the Nobsound did not fix my ground loop issue and it went back to Amazon.

I run both my D50s and A50s from a P50 for aesthetic reasons and to simplify my cabling. It doesn't improve the sound from either device. In fact, it reduces the amount of power delivered by my A50s over that available from the stock PSU (which is not an issue with my current cans).

Quick question, I actually want to run the D50/A50 III stack off the P50 for the reasons you stated, but I also want to add add tge WiiM mini as well, which would reduce all upturn to .8 amp. Will this impact sonic quality? Like you, I also don’t need much power for my headphones. Thanks!

 

[Berwhale]

Quick question, I actually want to run the D50/A50 III stack off the P50 for the reasons you stated, but I also want to add add tge WiiM mini as well, which would reduce all upturn to .8 amp. Will this impact sonic quality? Like you, I also don’t need much power for my headphones. Thanks!

I would not run the WiiM mini from the P50. The P50 got quite when I tried to power my D50s, A50s and a ChromeCast Audio from it. It remained quite warm even when the D50s and A50s were turned off. I suspect this is because of the inefficiency of the linear PSU and perhaps that the ChromeCast Audio is designed to run from a switching PSU.

 

[DantonIzzo]

I would not run the WiiM mini from the P50. The P50 got quite when I tried to power my D50s, A50s and a ChromeCast Audio from it. It remained quite warm even when the D50s and A50s were turned off. I suspect this is because of the inefficiency of the linear PSU and perhaps that the ChromeCast Audio is designed to run from a switching PSU.

Thanks! I’ll keep it separate.