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drjlo2, on Flickr
If you have audio gear that requires 5V or 3.3V power supplies, this is it. You can stop here. Don't waste your money buying various SMPS and entry/mid-level linear power supplies, while jealously eyeing multi-thousand dollar boutique power supplies.
IanCanada UcPure Quad ultracapacitor power supply:
https://iancanada.ca/products/ucpure-quad-ultra-low-esr-pure-ultracapacitor-power-supplyThis discovery came along my journey to find a better power supply for Chord Qutest DAC, which ships with "Chord-tested" SMPS. After trying various other upgrade SMPS as well as linear power supplies including Allos Shanti LPS and HDPlex LPS, I made my way toward regulated Lithium battery packs, just to end up with native NiCad batteries that do not require regulators, which was on another level of sound quality above all. The problem was ergonomics, having to physically charge the batteries after each listening session. Also, depending on how many batteries are paralleled, they can last a long time, hours, but they can still run out of power and stop the music during extra long sessions.
Enter the UcPure. It consists of four 3000 Farad(!) ultracapacitors, and in "pure" mode, all circuits including charging circuit are completely separated from the batteries supplying the gear, which can last for hours just off the batteries. Even during extra long sessions, music never stops because it has "Recharge" mode, which automatically recharges the batteries for a couple of minutes without stopping the music.
How does it sound? In my previous review of IanCanada UcConditioner Pro elsewhere, I wrote how sound became both sweeter and more resolute at the same time.
https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/general/messages/79/796901.htmlUcConditioner is a remarkable product, and I am still using it everywhere where unregulated batteries or the huge UcPure cannot be used. I still highly recommend the UcConditioner, especially if you don't want to source the various parts and build the UcPure yourself. What UcPure offers in addition to "sweeter and more resolute" sound is a sense that power supply is no longer a limiting factor or of concern. I no longer hear the sound signatures unique to various SMPS, linear power supply topologies, regulators, Lithium batteries regulated, NiCad, etc. I no longer hear the power supply, and that is a tremendous accomplishment for any audio product. What I do hear instead is resolution of every minute detail without artificiality, background filled with air that is neither noisy nor overly black, tone and timbre that simply sound genuine, and transients and impact that appear and disappear without any effort.
Similar pre-built products sell for a LOT of money elsewhere, and I highly recommend budget-conscious audiophiles to build one, before UcPure price or parts price go up!
P.S. if you do decide to build one, a couple of pointers.
Chord threatens to void warranty if power supply exceeds 5.25V, and I have seen user reports of ultracapacitor power supply built with 3V ultracapacitors measuring 5.28V. I built mine with 2.7V ultracapacitors and measure the output at 5.18V. So measure the output before use.
Do not buy the ultracapacitors from places like eBay, which can be factory rejects. We are talking about 12,000 Farads(!) of electricity here, so buy them from reputable places like Mouser, Digikey.
Do not cheap out on the enclosure and buy an "ABS plastic" enclosure, which is flammable. Buy polycarbonate enclosure with UL flammability rating.
Bon Voyage!
0821240832 by
drjlo2, on Flickr
