Change your power supply

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buybeach

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I was pretty happy with my brand-new Wiim Pro, until I tried playing a high-definition download of a record with a lot of bass content. Sounded like my speakers we destroyed. I redirected the digital output to another DAC I own: content played fine. I was somewhat bothered about this but the next morning a light bulb went off in my head. I rerouted the USB cable from the 2.4 amp (POS) power supply that came with the Wiiim Pro to a 30 amp USB supply. Voila, that track and all other since have been decoded without any weird behaviors. I am sure that this gadget doesn't draw anything like 30 amps of course, but a robust power supply makes a big difference.
 
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buybeach said:
I was pretty happy with my brand-new Wiim Pro, until I tried playing a high-definition download of a record with a lot of bass content. Sounded like my speakers we destroyed. I redirected the digital output to another DAC I own: content played fine. I was somewhat bothered about this but the next morning a light bulb went off in my head. I rerouted the USB cable from the 2.4 amp (POS) power supply that came with the Wiiim Pro to a 30 amp USB supply. Voila, that track and all other since have been decoded without any weird behaviors. I am sure that this gadget doesn't draw anything like 30 amps of course, but a robust power supply makes a big difference.
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try the same thing which caused a problem but with the original usb charger...but another usb cable than the one provided by wiim....
there is a big oddity on this cable (at least the one with my plus)..to be removed...
 
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canard said:
try the same thing which caused a problem but with the original usb charger...but another usb cable than the one provided by wiim....
there is a big oddity on this cable (at least the one with my plus)..to be removed...
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I can’t speak to this, I never used the original cable, it was too short to reach the device.
 
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i'm thinking of upgrading to a new better quality low-noise SMPS for my WiiM pro, but i think i'm gonna upgrade my active speaker power supply first :unsure:

any suggestions?
 
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harkpabst said:
Asking for suggestions is a pretty low level of experimentation, to start with. ;)
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well, i've been on the lookout for some low-noise SMPS for a while now, so...

if you're looking for a 24V + 2.5A one (like me) there are very few reputable products on offer. namely, the ifi iPower X, (Sbooster BOTW, Allo Nirvana unfortunately don't come in that high of a wattage). there are a couple of LPS available too.

if you're not meant to exchange ideas on a forum, then what's this place for? :ROFLMAO:
 
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bowsandarrows said:
well, i've been on the lookout for some low-noise SMPS for a while now, so...

if you're looking for a 24V + 2.5A one (like me) there are very few reputable products on offer. namely, the ifi iPower X, (Sbooster BOTW, Allo Nirvana unfortunately don't come in that high of a wattage). there are a couple of LPS available too.

if you're not meant to exchange ideas on a forum, then what's this place for? :ROFLMAO:
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Exchanging ideas is perfectly fine with me. Choosing gear just because it sounds better to you is perfectly fine with me. But believing that any power supply directly "injects" noise into the Pro's signal path is just not correct.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that a noisy power supply doesn't matter at all. But if you think that a power supply's noise floor would simply add to that of the device itself, then I have to disagree. Go ahead, try out whatever you want. But don't expect miracles. And don't expect your results to be repeatable.

BTW: Why are you looking for a 24 V power supply? The WiiM Pro will call for 5 V, if the supply can provide it, or break (if the 24 V supply cannot provide 5 V). The ifi iPower X can supply either 5, 9, 12 or 15 Volts.
 
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i want an upgraded 24V SMPS for my active speakers. (or a cheap LPS - but the 24V seem to START at like EUR300 - same as ipower elite) :eek:

i already have an LPS on the way now for the WiiM pro. (topping p50 - because it has two outputs). nobody seemed willing to share ideas on here so i just went with what i had researched myself... i'll try it out in my system and then see if it's worth it or not.

(in case anyone's wondering - technically the p50 is providing a lower wattage than WiiM officially recommends - min. 5V/1.5A. but unofficial tests show a max power draw for the WiiM at approx 2.5-3W - so max 600mA or so is required) aka this shit might void your warranty 🤷‍♂️

btw i never said anything about my expectations with making the switch... 🤔 to put it briefly some of us have our opinions about commond mode interference (which is blocked to varying degrees in most SMPS) and its effect on SQ. what i'm trying to achieve is this - reduction in commond mode interference in the whole chain of my system. if that results in a change in the audible performance of my system, then i might be inclined to experiment further.

this video posted just today might shed some light (although a bit off-topic)
 
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bowsandarrows said:
i want an upgraded 24V SMPS for my active speakers. (or a cheap LPS - but the 24V seem to START at like EUR300 - same as ipower elite) :eek:

i already have an LPS on the way now for the WiiM pro. (topping p50 - because it has two outputs). nobody seemed willing to share ideas on here so i just went with what i had researched myself... i'll try it out in my system and then see if it's worth it or not.

(in case anyone's wondering - technically the p50 is providing a lower wattage than WiiM officially recommends - min. 5V/1.5A. but unofficial tests show a max power draw for the WiiM at approx 2.5-3W - so max 600mA or so is required) aka this shit might void your warranty 🤷‍♂️

btw i never said anything about my expectations with making the switch... 🤔 to put it briefly some of us have our opinions about commond mode interference (which is blocked to varying degrees in most SMPS) and its effect on SQ. what i'm trying to achieve is this - reduction in commond mode interference in the whole chain of my system. if that results in a change in the audible performance of my system, then i might be inclined to experiment further.

this video posted just today might shed some light (although a bit off-topic)
Click to expand...
This guy on the vid is a joke
 
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Electricity is noisy folks, be it out of the panel, outlet, switch, ethernet, USB, etc. It also vibrates, most folks do not know that. Over time, the connections at outlets and switches, even at the breakers in the panel, will loosen in time. That is the reason there are torque specs for these screw down connections. Yes, outlets, switches and breakers have specific torque specs for the tightness of the connections for this very reason.

So, if electricity is noisy and creates movement in its transmission, it is only commonsense that some of that "noise" would be transferred to the electronic equipment being used. A good power supply that addresses these issues, or a filtering network switch, is only commonsense in my book.

The place to start is at the panel where the power comes into the dwelling. Run a line from the panel to the audio and video equipment. Eliminate plugs and switches between the panel and the gear. That alone will do wonders. Then work on other solutions, like filtering switches and power supplies. Every little bit helps.
 
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Common sense is sometimes lacking where audio is concerned. But common sense hardly ever is enough to develop anything, be it software, analog or digital hardware. Don't know how.nuchbit will tell about crimping connections instead of screwing.

I'd like to know though, if there can ever be too much filtering, sucking all life out of the music, making it dull and boring, lacking any sparkle.

I'll just sit back and read.
 
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harkpabst said:
Common sense is sometimes lacking where audio is concerned. But common sense hardly ever is enough to develop anything, be it software, analog or digital hardware. Don't know how.nuchbit will tell about crimping connections instead of screwing.

I'd like to know though, if there can ever be too much filtering, sucking all life out of the music, making it dull and boring, lacking any sparkle.

I'll just sit back and read.
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Yes, it is possible to suck the life out of the music with filtering. Best to start at the panel, drop a home run to the gear and go from there. Many times that is going to make an audible and visual improvement with the gear. Most folks stop right there. I went a step further with linear power supplies and added fiber to my network along with a good inexpensive filtering switch. I am very happy with the results.
 
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