Hey Everyone,
Yesterday I received a new Topping D 50 DAC and ifi iPower 5V 2.5 A power supply.
The power supply cost about $50 and promotes itself as a very clean and quiet source.
However, there seems to be controversy related to the ifi power source as noted here.
I emailed ifi concerning the above issue and their response was “The iPower is ungrounded, so when one measures they should ground the setup”. I use a grounded power strip for all electrical inputs. I have an AudioQuest Jitterbug USB filter in my PC port that connects to the D50. Again, output is quiet and I don’t hear any noise.
I REALLY like the new D50 DAC and it sounds great to my ears powered by the ifi power source.
I don’t have the knowledge or equipment to make measurements myself. Has anyone got any general information about the ifi power source to alleviate my concerns?
Since I wasn’t there when the measurements were taken, I can’t tell you if that’s really an issue with the iFi Power, or the way the measurements were done.
Not withstanding that it looks like that’s a comparison of apples to motorcycles. The comparison, at least from that graph (I’ve no interest in visiting the site its from) is between an iFi DAC fed directly from USB and from a Sonore microRendu fed from an iFi Power Supply?
If so, then unless there’s another comparison of the microRendu with the iFi Power Supply and with some other power supply, that only shows that noise with the iFi supply, then how do you know the noise isn’t being generated form the microRendu?
There’s no ground on the iFi iPower unit as I recall. Which means it is always un-grounded no matter what sort of power strip you plug it into. If the other devices in your chain aren’t grounded (clearly the DAC isn’t if it is being powered from the iFi iPower … and I don’t know what amp you’re using). One way to do this, usually, is to connect an unused RCA output (usually a left-channel), or other appropriate connection (depends on the devices in question) to ground … iFi even have a product that’ll do it (though it is really intended for sorting out ground loops).
If you can’t hear anything untoward I really wouldn’t worry. If it isn’t causing any issues I would just enjoy your lovely new Dac. It’s a nice bit of kit for the money. Though it really should come with its own power adapter. Enjoy.
@Torq and @prfallon69,
Thanks guys.
I have settled down a bit. The Ifi power supply remains in the system. I don’t have any measurements except for my “Ears Testing Method”. Based on ETM, I do not discern any audio noise or jittering effects. As the Doobie Brothers would say, I am going to just listen to the music.
It’s really easy to worry over the myriad of articles and measurements from all sorts of sources. I have done this myself when getting new gear or even when I’ve had it a while. I can be perfectly happy with something and the somebody will say it has a problem here or a problem there and that it measures real bad. If it sounds good to my ears then I don’t care how it measures to be honest. It isn’t that important to me. My enjoyment is.
What I have come to realise is that with a lot of the measurements is that they aren’t even audible. Well at least to my 50 year old tin ears. .
I am not bashing measurements in any way because they can be very useful. I know that a big part of this hobby for some includes measuring and tinkering. Each to their own I say.
As long as you are happy in the end my friend then that is all that matters.
.