DEVIALET ETHERNET FABULOUS & STABLE

[Leigh Hibbins]

I am in the process of optimising my Roon/Tidal setup, with an 6th Gen Intel NUC running Roon Server and iMac running Roon Bridge and AIR3b. I just could not bring myself buying linear power supply which costs as much as the NUC itself.

Linear power supplies are the biggest improvement you can make to a computer based system. The Keces DC-116 is about US$400, The UpTone Audio JS-2 about US$900. All devices benefit from good power – NAS, computer, external hard drives, ethernet switches, converters, etc. Even the DC cable between power supply and device makes a difference. Mains Cables Are Us in the UK sell made-up DC leads with gold plated Oyaide barrel connectors for this purpose. I've been surprised just how much improvement can be achieved with just a good DC lead - more than upgrading a USB cable. I'm not averse to using accessories costing more than the original device. I once used a $2,500 interconnect with a $700 converter. It might seem like a mismatch but sound quality was significantly improved. Considering the overall cost of your system a good linear power supply is not an extravagant purchase.