Last Friday I too have ordered the Sonore microRendu. I've been on their mailing list for months but finally it was ready for release and mailing list subscribers got a 24 hour headstart in ordering, so I went for it. Except for the Paypal confirmation/receipt I haven't had any confirmation or tracking info yet but I'm no exception here. It's a small company so I guess I'll just have to be patient. I'm sure it'll ship sometime this week as Jesus R of Sonore has communicated on the Computer Audiophile forum.
The microRendu needs a "really really really good" (see:
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f26-so...post519432) power supply to really shine. It should be great with any but to get the most out of it they've advised to get the best PSU one can afford. So over the past few days I have been 'researching' this subject. Starting point has been the list of recommended power supplies on the Sonore website (
http://www.microrendu.sonore.us/):
Quote:RECOMMENDED POWER SUPPLIES
iFi iPower power supply - 9VDC
CIAudio linear power supply - 9VDC
Teddy Pardo linear power supply - 7VDC or 9VDC
SOtM linear power supply - 6VDC, 7VDC, or 9VDC
Empirical Audio Dynamo - ask for microRendu edition
Uptone Audio mystery power supply - coming soon
Uptone Audio JS-2 linear power supply - 7VDC or 9VDC
Vinnie Rossi - LIO with microRendu output stage
Sonore Signature Series linear power supply - 7VDC
From this I compiled a short list and added my own preference (Paul Hynes) which John Swenson (the designer of the microRendu) has also said would be a very good choice (see:
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f26-so...post534304).
- upcoming Uptone Audio 'mystery PSU' (needs to be fed 12V/1,5A, 9V/2A or 7.5V/2.5A PSU)
- Paul Hynes
- Teddy Pardo
- upcoming Sonore Signature Series LPSU
Since both the Uptone Audio and Sonore PSU's haven't been released yet I though it would be wise to just start out with some nice but affordable LPSU or perhaps even the iFi 9V SMPS to wait for these new products to come to market and to learn from the experience/experiments of others. Since I already own multiple LPSU's I of course checked if I could re-use one of them but the microRendu needs 6-9V and I don't have one yet except for a very cheap $35 Chinese EBay one I use to power a fiber ethernet converter. Using that would probably defeat the purpose of the microRendu.
I also don't like SMPS supplies because of the noise they put out into the device you feed with it and the noise they throw back into the AC lines. And although the output of the iFi's is quite clean for a SMPS (I've seen comparing measurements) but unknown to me is what they throw back into the AC lines so that one's of the list as well. Having a LPSU's is in no way a guarantee to not have similar noise BTW. Cheaper designs can also be noisy or uneffective in sufficiently blocking outside noise. I did look at the cheaper Chinese/Asian LPSU stuff though, looked at many and have been close to ordering a Teradak DC-30W. Together with a iFi DC iPurifier (
http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/acce...ipurifier/) this could be a nice, temporary or not, cheap solution. I even though about using my JCAT battery PSU which has a dial which can set it at 6V output.
Currently these devices in my system use an external PSU:
1. 19V DIY PC music server
2. 12V DSpeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core
3. 9V fiber to ethernet converter (FMC)
The HDPlex (I own the older version with just the 12 and 19V outputs) is used to power 1 and 2. The cheap 35$ 9V LPSU powers 3.
While I could use the HDPlex 12V output to power the upcoming Uptone Audio 'mystery PSU' I would need to split the 12V output to the Anti-Mode as well (don't like the idea of that). Also I'd actually like to get rid of the DIY music server this close to my system/the same room and thus also the HDPlex PSU. One of the reasons I bought the microRendu is to accomplish just that (I'll have to wait and see if it can do that but I am confident it can). Although I did optimize my music server it and use a LPSU it of course still is and will always remain a computer and thus an electrically noisy device.
So putting all this together how nice would it be to get one great power supply to power it all!? Enter the Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4!!
The SR7 is Paul's top of the line power supply and his line of PSU's belong to the best after market audiophile PSU's available. 'EHD' is his 'extra heavy duty' version and MR4 is his four rail multi rail version. All four rails are galvanically isolated from each other and have totally floating outputs so there will be no issues with ground return inter-modulation from common ground loops. They do share a single high quality custom 500VA mains transformer. I stumbled on a post of him on a forum in which he was clearing out some surplus inventory including this SR7 which he offered to modify to meet my needs. It's not cheap but he actually called it a bargain and I fully agree. I am currently in contact with Paul to finalize the details but it looks like it'll all work out so I can later power the microRendu and Anti-Mode with it but also the Mutec which I of course need to modify (it has an internal SMPS, but the modification is very easy and can also easily be undone). I'll then even have one rail available for a fourth device. Could be almost anything (for example the FMC if I decide to keep this) since this rail will become a 5-12V rail.
To be continued!
