Uptone LPS-1 goes on sale am today - California time.

[baddog]

FWIW - I had a microRendu powered by the Uptone Audio JS-2 linear power supply. Then AIR3 Beta for the Mac was released about a week later. The microRendu is gone, as the sound quality between the two setups was comparable in my system.

Obviously different systems, different ears, different priorities.

[Umetaro]

baddog - do you power your Mac with JS-2? I am curious if there is any difference between Mac with good power supply and the regular Mac.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Borgen]

....
A noteworthy point... AIR3 Beta has proven far more stable for me.  While I slightly prefer the uRendu over AIR3 in my system, it's close and if AIR3 Beta had been released prior to the uRendu (i.e. if AIR had worked!) , I doubt I would have bought the uRendu at all.   What has me on the fence is thinking about how much better my Devialet may sound with a better power supply on the uRendu.

Too many choices, too little information (so far), too little money.  

Quite a lot of us in the same boat I suppose. The AIR3 beta doesn't work reliably for me, but to be honest I was happy with the SQ of AIR2 - if only it worked!  Anyway, won't go there, but since I've gone rendu I like it for a few reasons:
-if I change amplifier I'll still have a good source.
-it's more flexible and allows HQPlayer and connection to Linux server (should I ever venture down either)
-there's much less buffer lag than AIR.

The only real downsides are it's more clutter, cost, and can't be used directly for Mac playback (Qobuz or whatever).

So I might as well see if I can push the SQ a bit more (assuming it's not an urban myth)

Haven't heard a peep out of Paul Hynes since I paid my money - not even a confirmation - so after reading a whole host of stuff over at CA I am getting a bit nervous to be honest. Plus it was more expensive than the LPS-1! I do only have two sockets next to my hifi so it does save me having to use an extension lead which I'd need with the LPS-1 as I'd need the ifi too to power it. That said I did look at a power conditioner today.... Must stop myself or it will never end.....

I was fully committed to microRendu and had my mind set on LPS-1...until a week ago. I'd previously dismissed AIR due to instability and lag, but tried AIR3 on mac mini a week ago and was positively surprised. First, it seems to be stable, 2nd I do not have the same annoinng buffering lag and 3rd, sound quality seems to be very good. I really have not come around to do serious comparison between AIR3 and microRendu (with ifi SMPS), but my initial tests didn't put any of them miles apart from the other.

I'll do some more serious testing when I find time. It might be interesting to compare the mR w/ LPS-1 against AIR3, but as of now I am not sure if I will use money to test that out, given that AIR3 keeps up with the initial impression.

Anyway, just wanted to let Hifi_swlon know that in my setup the buffer lag is not an issue any longer with AIR3

After having done some 10+ hours of listening to AIR3 (on mac mini) and wired ethernet, I have concluded that AIR3 sounds better than microRendu in my system. Looks like I will be selling my microRendu then, quite happy to remove some cables and clutter from the setup.

[Antoine]

Looks like it's a big hit, rave reviews by end users! http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f27-up...ead-30172/

Many of the comments remind me of when I started using my Hynes supply with the microRendu. Nonetheless I'm very curious to the comparison romaz is going to do of his coming Hynes SR7 vs. the LPS-1.

[Hifi_swlon]

The CA crowd - especially UpTone disciples - aren't usually too reserved in the improvements they find with each tweak . But it may well be fantastic and to be honest it's frustrating to read - one of those could be winging it's way to me (or customs at least) instead I'm still waiting on an update as to whether my Paul Hynes is ready to ship - we're already at the longest estimate and still no word.

I'll say one thing for UpTone - after all the waiting, once they had the parts they really nailed getting the thing shipping.

When's yours arriving Antoine?

[Confused]

Looks like it's a big hit, rave reviews by end users! http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f27-up...ead-30172/

Many of the comments remind me of when I started using my Hynes supply with the microRendu. Nonetheless I'm very curious to the comparison romaz is going to do of his coming Hynes SR7 vs. the LPS-1.

Indeed.  I have been reading the comments of the happy people of Computer Audiophile with great interest.  In addition to Romaz's planned Paul Hynes SR-7 vs LPS-1 test, I notice another member is planning a Sonore Signature Power Supply vs LPS-1 comparison.  Taking the SR7 and Sonore Signature as being more or less state of the art products, I find the concept of something like the LPS-1 providing clearly audible benefits a little difficult to comprehend.  I shall be fascinated to see what they report. 

A bit like Hifi_Swlon, I note that one or two of the CA posters do appear just a little bit excitable about the whole thing, but I think it is fair to say that all comments so far have been universally positive.  I shall be following this one closely to see how things develop.

[Hifi_swlon]

Taking the SR7 and Sonore Signature as being more or less state of the art products, I find the concept of something like the LPS-1 providing clearly audible benefits a little difficult to comprehend.  I shall be fascinated to see what they report. 

I guess the PH and Sonore are more or less 'traditional' engineering albeit supposedly at the top of their game.
If the LPS-1 is shown to be ahead, I guess it would confirm that sometimes a bit of a leap and different thinking is required. Not sure about ultra caps, but I guess FPGAs didn't exist when PH started designing PSUs and is probably a different skill set entirely. On the other hand the technology could only deal with lower power requirements (as designed) so is less flexible.

I wish I'd just ordered one to compare - assuming I ever have something to compare to that is.....

[Antoine]

With the release of the microRendu I expected the same raving reviews but overall that didn't really happen. It's mostly the same people responding now and I believe that if the LPS-1 didn't live up to expectations we'd know. It's true people are happy with Uptone Audio but I wouldn't call them disciples. I too think Uptone deserves a lot of praise in the way they handle about every aspect of bringing a product to market and even more so if the products themselves really deliver as well.

I haven't ordered one Hifi_swlon! But you indeed know I'm crazy enough to do so if reviews are good especially when they compare to the current PSU I'm using. I'd even use the PH as a "feeder supply"

All other things being equal; where the LPS-1 differs to more traditional linear PSU's (discrete like the PH or Sonore Signature or using of the shelf three pin voltage regulators) is of course the "never connected to AC" part, killing all possible loops. The FPGA's are merely needed to control the charging/bank switching process and for providing safeguards.

Competition is on its way BTW. Vinnie Rossi (who's been using ultra caps much longer) is also readying standalone ultracap PSU's "PURE-DC-4EVR: the MINI and the MEGA)". These are going to be much more powerful as well. See all the details here: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=145402.0

[Hifi_swlon]

...

I haven't ordered one Hifi_swlon! But you indeed know I'm crazy enough to do so if reviews are good especially when they compare to the current PSU I'm using. I'd even use the PH as a "feeder supply"
...

Figured you'd have pushed the button by now

Anyone know if the Devialet PSUs use FPGA's? Not sure where that thought came from, a YouTube video I saw of a Devialet engineer talking about the PSU maybe....

[Antoine]

Devialet puts multiple microcontrollers inside the Expert which are all programmable incl. the one for the PSU.

From specs:
3 x SHARC 400 MHz DSP's
1 x 16 MHz RISC processor
4 x 40 MHz RISC processors
1 x 64 MHz RISC processor