0912201035 by drjlo2, on Flickr
Some concentrated comparisons took place.
Audio server.
HDPLEX LPS vs. 12V Li Battery.
With stock DC cable and power cord, HDPLEX sounds less resolving and coarser than battery. However, after DIY’ing a DC cable until it sounded better, which meant starting wtih pure silver but later adding OCC copper to the concoction, and finding a specific sound signature with a particular power cord, the LPS now sounds in general ballpark of battery sound signature. Battery still sound a smidge purer, but LPS does have its own charm of tiny more vocal texture, close enough for me to use the LPS for the music server.
SOtM USB card and DXIO USB-spdif converter.
18650 Li battery vs. various LPS and SMPS in house.
Here, the 18650 battery was found to be irreplaceable in preserving the sparkling purity of sound. I’m not sure if it’s the 18650 battery type itself that’s the difference or the fact only two 18650 need to be used, resulting in a simple architecture. It could also be that SOtM and DXIO, for whatever reason, benefit more from battery power, being very small, pure-digital devices.
Chord Qutest DAC
AA NiMH battery vs. Allo Shanti LPS
This was the most crucial comparison, since changing 8 batteries every few hours would have been a real bummer. Perhaps this thought acted as a bias, but with stock DC cable and power cord, Allo Shanti had a significantly different sound signature than battery. Shanti was darker, smoother but less resolving than battery. After DIY’ing a better DC cable and also DIY’ing a particular power cord design that pushed the sound signature to a direction I wanted, the Shanti now moved towards the battery sound signature more, i.e. purer, sunnier, more resolving. Images now projected forward easier with more presence. Battery still sounds bit more “fresh” and pure, but Shanti actually seems to have a smidge more low bass kick, so I could settle down with Shanti.
Further Thoughts.
When everything was powered by battery, it was akin to having every light in the living room turned on. Everything was visible and plain as day with ample light bubbling up in every corner. After awhile, though, perhaps things were a bit too present and lit. It was certainly an awesome experience, but with time, the fully-tweaked LPS’s introduced just enough shadow and texture to appeal to the emotional side. For my setup and tastes, keeping 18650 batteries and the two LPS’s hit the balance I wanted, but obviously YMMV and I may change my mind at any time. 