New HD Plex 200W linear PSU

[octaviars]

HD Plex has a new linear PSU on the webbsite now.

http://www.hd-plex.com/HDPLEX-Fanless-20...evice.html


200W R-core and seperate windings for each DC rail (I think the old 160W had a common groundplane for all DC outputs).

This fits my need for a coming PSU to power the network stuff.

5VDC to FTTH fiber
16VDC to my router
12VDC (not used right now but perhaps a SMS-200)
19VDC to a NUC with Roon or perhaps a custom build computer. Depends om ny future plans with Devialet Roon/HQ Player/AIR or a new amp.....

Perhaps not a Paul Hynes SR7 but it is somewere to start and see if a linear PSU will make a difference.

[Antoine]

It isn't specified for this one but previous HDPLex PSU's (I still have the original 100W myself) use the LT1083 regulators. While these HDPlex supplies are better than most standard SMPS PSU's they won't even come close to the Paul Hynes stuff. Of course there's more than noise specs alone but the previous HDPlex put out 20-30mV (millivolts) of ripple and noise according to his own reports. Hynes is single digit microvolts!

Not saying this as a Hynes fanboy but objectively based on published specs and many recommendations/experiences of others and my own.

Also see this (I coincidentally just read this): http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-mu...post646857

That whole thread is very worthwile to read BTW as it touches many important topics.

[octaviars]

My plan have always been to get a Paul Hynes PSU but I have sent several emails but no answer from them so it is a bit hard to do buisness with them.....

   

[Antoine]

Hi Octaviars, I just wrote this reply to you in my system topic but I think it's good to repeat it here:

OK, that's unfortunate! I recently read that Paul Hynes Audio Ltd has closed so Paul is building everything himself again instead of that subcompany building his designs. See for more information: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthrea...is-closing

Perhaps he is swamped or on vacation at the moment. I always received very elaborate and quick replies to my emails.

[Antoine]

I just read this: "Please welcome our newest member, Paul Hynes". So it looks like he just joined this forum!



If you're reading this Paul, welcome to this forum! I think you can feel welcome here also to reply in any way you like. I believe the only thing that isn't allowed here is is to post ads in the market (besides the regular forum things like disclosing industry affiliations and spamming the forums with purely commercial messages. Of course the moderating team could answer any questions you might have regarding this subject way better than I can.)

[GuillaumeB]

I just read this: "Please welcome our newest member, Paul Hynes". So it looks like he just joined this forum!



If you're reading this Paul, welcome to this forum! I think you can feel welcome here also to reply in any way you like. I believe the only thing that isn't allowed here is is to post ads in the market (besides the regular forum things like disclosing industry affiliations and spamming the forums with purely commercial messages. Of course the moderating team could answer any questions you might have regarding this subject way better than I can.)

I've just activated his registration!   Yes it's him.

Guillaume

[octaviars]

Nice to see that now perhaps we can get some more info from him regarding his products. To me it looked like he was going to introduce more than his SR series.

[Chris Marshall]

Great to see Paul here.

I don't have any of his recent power supplies but I bought my first proper hifi system from him when he used to run a hifi dealers out of his small hotel in St. Annes!

Even back then he was designing gear and made some great amps, which I could never afford!

[octaviars]

It isn't specified for this one but previous HDPLex PSU's (I still have the original 100W myself) use the LT1083 regulators. While these HDPlex supplies are better than most standard SMPS PSU's they won't even come close to the Paul Hynes stuff. Of course there's more than noise specs alone but the previous HDPlex put out 20-30mV (millivolts) of ripple and noise according to his own reports. Hynes is single digit microvolts!

Not saying this as a Hynes fanboy but objectively based on published specs and many recommendations/experiences of others and my own.

Also see this (I coincidentally just read this): http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-mu...post646857

That whole thread is very worthwile to read BTW as it touches many important topics.

I read alot on Computer audiophile and long before such things regarding low impedance between power outlets came up I did that got rid of my Isotek and got a Ansuz D8 that has no components in the way of the power and star grounding, installed a seperate powerline from the meterbox outside of my house and just use XY condensators and varistors to filter out garbage before the power goes in to the D8 powerbar. To me this was a big step in getting better sound and now I want to make it even better with proper PSU and computer/network solutions.

This was my thread of installing the new powersupply to my hifi but intrest was very low......

http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=3175


In one of the Swedish forums we did some tests and measured the connection between high impedance on the powergrid and high distorsion on the powergrid, the higher the impedance was the more distorsion was present. The problems sometimes got even worse with some powerconditioner that uses coils as the impedance was even greater after that so the distorsion got even higher. Sometimes I feel that people use powerconditioning without knowing what problems they perhaps have and a seperate powerline can perhaps be the first thing to do and is low in cost compared to many poerconditiners.

Contrary to all "it makes sense to me" thoughts on the subject the way cut down on leakage loop noise with the DAC and pre/power amps is to have the tightest coupling you can get in the AC domain. Since a leakage loop goes through the AC main the higher the impedance in the mains side the higher the noise voltage generated between the boxes. I know the power conditioner is trying to suppress noise on the mains, but the methods frequently used actually increase the impedance between outlets thus increasing the noise from leakage loops.

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f27-up...post592612

[octaviars]

Some fun reading regarding PSU for computers.

I have my own plans to use a Paul Hynes to power a HDPlex DT-ATX converter but perhaps that is overkill when the DC-ATX converter has so much ripple but low impedance may still be a very good thing.

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forum...ent=642110

So it would seem that moving up to this larger microATX ASRock motherboard will bring with it both good things and bad but hopefully, the positives will outweigh the negatives.
 
The Good:
Two PCIE 3.0 slots that allow the most direct access to the CPU that is possible. These slots have the same low latency access to the CPU as RAM. All the other buses must go through the Platform Controller Hub to access the CPU. One slot will be used for my Intel dual LAN card and the other slot will be used for my SATA to PCIE card where my OS drive and one of my data drives will connect.
 
The Bad:
More noise.
 
I can power the CPU directly with a 12V lead from my SR7. This should be a significant advantage over my Mac Mini and hopefully will help negate some potentially serious disadvantages.
 
My mATX motherboard will require a high current 5V, 3.3V and 5V standby rail in addition to possibly another legacy rail and so Paul Hynes has told me that I will not be able to use my SR7 to directly power these rails without a DC-ATX converter. This means I have placed an order for the HDPlex 300W-HiFi-DC-ATX converter based on the recommendation of many. From my search, I have not found another DC-ATX converter that is convincingly better. With this HDPlex 300W-HiFi-DC-ATX converter in place, I can then use my SR7 to feed it. I have had another SR7 on order since January and Paul has told me it should be finally ready to ship in the next week or two. Upon hearing my dilemma, Paul was kind enough to agree to convert my 12V rail to a 19V rail so that I can feed the HDPlex DC-ATX converter the voltage it requires. He has also agreed to fabricate for me a high performance 24-pin to 24-pin ATX cable so that I can connect the HDPlex DC-ATX converter to my motherboard. I really can't say enough great things about Paul. For those with custom LPSU needs, I can't recommend him more highly.
 
Anyway, now that I'm on this path, I did some digging around and here are some comparative values. They don't guarantee how good something will sound but they do provide perspective.
 
Since only noise floor data is provided by most manufacturers, I've gone ahead and listed what I have found. Noise is listed in mV and the lower the value, the better:
 
Generic switching PSU ~ 60mV
EVGA SuperNova 1.6kW Platinum ATX PSU (100% load) ~ 12.4 - 22.7mV
EVGA SuperNova 1.6kW Platinum ATX PSU (20% load) ~ 4.0 - 13.4mV
Corsair AX1200i 1.2kW Platinum ATX PSU (100% load) ~ 7.3 - 13.7mV
Corsair AX1200i 1.2kW Platinum ATX PSU (20% load) ~ 5.6 - 11.4mV
HDPlex 400W ATX LPSU (100% load) ~ 3-5mV
HDPlex 100W LPSU with LT1083 regulators (100% load) ~ 2-3mV
Paul Hynes SR7 (100% load from 10Hz to 100KHz) <4uV = <0.004mV
 
Compared against either HDPlex LPSUs, the SR7 is in the order of being nearly 1000x quieter and nearly 10,000x quieter than a generic switching PSU.
 
Unfortunately, because I will have to use the HDPlex 300W-HiFi-DC-ATX converter which uses regulators with measured ripple values of 10mV (more than 2000x noisier than the SR7), the ultra low noise floor of the SR7 will be buried by the much higher noise floor of the HDPlex DC-ATX converter. From a noise standpoint, almost any decent switching PSU may possibly sound just as good because this converter will be the limiting factor.
 
This then raises the question of just how noisy the numerous switching regulators buried within the motherboard are. Quite possibly, they may be even noisier than 10mV and so from a noise standpoint, especially with a motherboard's 3.3V rail (which is the noisiest rail on an ATX motherboard), all of this may be moot. Quite depressing.
 
CONCLUSIONS?
1. We really need someone to design an audiophile-class motherboard without noisy switching regulators.
2. In the absence of such a motherboard, because noise is potentially additive, it probably still makes sense to use a low noise PSU but its benefits will be at least partially negated by the noise created by the motherboard (or the DC-ATX converter).
3. It would seem that ATX power supplies designed for high power output (specifically high current output) will generally also have a higher noise floor but in this regard, the HDPlex ATX LPSU stands out as being exceptional.
4. Noise aside, low impedance still matters. To my ears, this may be a more important quality because with the aid of grounding boxes, noise filters and galvanic isolating devices, there are ways to mitigate noise but no way to undo the suffocating impact of a high impedance PSU. It's quite possible the EVGA excels here but there's no way to know except through comparative listening since no measurements are available.