Test WIIM pro+ with different power supplies

[slartibartfast]

Oh really? Ok, thanks for this precious information
No really im not going to discuss with you guys you have rock solid certainties and im just full of doubts, so i keep reading your valuable claims (and learning, thank you)

Ooh sarcasm now, wonderful

 

[hgo58]

Oh really? Ok, thanks for this precious information
No really im not going to discuss with you guys you have rock solid certainties and im just full of doubts, so i keep reading your valuable claims (and learning, thank you)

I may have stated the obvious but it is as if people don't really understand and invent their own explanation.

 

[MrA]

From reading this thread I decided to try a (genuine) Apple 5w 2a power supply in place of the one provided with the Pro Plus… it was spare and unused so why not?

I can’t say if it sounds the same, different or ‘better’ but it certainly sounds very good so I’ve left it in place for several weeks & cannot detect any distortion or anomalies when music is playing.

It’s been many years since I settled on enjoying music for what it is rather than critiquing the equipment & I heartily recommend this approach, it’s more relaxing & much easier on the wallet (main system has nearly £80k invested and by that point it was so close to ‘perfection’ that I decided to stop reading audio forums!).

For information, the Pro plus is feeding a Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear Headphone amp and various Sennheiser headphones. This setup is used in the bedroom.

 

[Taiga]

I put my tongue on the plug to my new PSU and heard sounds I’ve never heard before. Just have to figure out how to keep it there.

 

[Burnside]

Forgot to mention that obviously the system must be revealing enough to bring out those "little" differences

If there’s one hi fi related phrase that gets my hackles up it’s the condescending and patronising assertion that “your system isn’t revealing enough”…

 

[jed1]

Enjoy your music and use whatever you can afford

 

[harkpabst]

I'm pretty sure I would see any sign of differences in jtest when jitter correction mechanisms are off, for different PSUs. If statements above are true, of course.

And I absolutely agree.

 

[AlPo]

I'm pretty sure I would see any sign of differences in jtest when jitter correction mechanisms are off, for different PSUs. If statements above are true, of course.

Hi onlyoneme. Could you kindly remind in which thread/test batch you compared power supplies in your (very telling) jitter tests with jitter correction off?

 

[harkpabst]

I second what tgf is saying (yes, thats universally true), the only downside of using a lps with wiim pro is...price suitability

Thanks for clarifying your position (which is not my own), this should be helpful for further discussion.

What makes a linear power supply good or bad then? It cannot be just the price. Can it only be judged by ear? Hopefully not, there should be something that can be measured easily.

As I said before, a power supply is not like a water supply where a bucket of poison added at the beginning would be diluted throughout the various stages but some amount of poison could still make it to the end.

 

[onlyoneme]

Hi onlyoneme. Could you kindly remind in which thread/test batch you compared power supplies in your (very telling) jitter tests with jitter correction off?

It's here

Jitter over digital outputs for different WiiMs

Let's talk about the jitter over digital outputs. I will use the Holo Audio Spring 3 DAC which is a true NOS DAC and has an unique ability to turn off its PLL. This way I can compare a raw performance of the outputs in j-test. Ultra, toslink: Ultra, coaxial: Pro, toslink: Pro...

forum.wiimhome.com

but unfortunately I didn't test different PSUs yet (except the Ultra with built-in SMPS vs the Pro with sbooster LPS).

 

[onlyoneme]

More seriously im not sure if jtest can really tell you how deep is the soundstage or how natural are the voices, etc..

I prefer to look at the "raw" stream on the digital output of the streamer instead of focusing on the listening impressions of the combo the streamer plus the DAC plus the amp plus speakers.

 

[AlPo]

but unfortunately I didn't test different PSUs yet (except the Ultra with built-in SMPS vs the Pro with sbooster LPS).

Ok, thanks. I thought I missed the PSU comparison. Maybe someday, when you have time, this never-ending argument could be put to rest (at least in the case of WiiMs with external PSUs)

 

[amix]

Allo Shanti

I have my Pro Plus on this PSU. Highly recommended over the standard supply. Much better (for me)!

 

[harkpabst]

I have my Pro Plus on this PSU. Highly recommended over the standard supply. Much better (for me)!

Which output? 1 A or 3 A? What's on the other output?

 

[amix]

Which output? 1 A or 3 A? What's on the other output?

3A. I first tried the other, weaker, output, but wasn't satisfied. When I went to the 3A it became better. I feel the WiiM is putting too much stress on the smaller one, which, as I have heard, but not yet measured, 1.5A, despite it being labelled as 1A. Both are 5V, if course.

 

[paranoid]

Here we go again power supply lps vs switching supply. ASR said no difference but users with different hearing said there was difference. Hearing translate by brain vs measurements. Measurements first.

I didn't see where ASR tested with and without the air conditioner turned on or refrigerator plugged into the same outlet.

 

[paranoid]

When an audio designer or speaker for that matter, they all use computer modeling and when produce they measure them. All these measurements devices serve them as their building block. Now, it may have measured well but the question will every ear like super clean, neutral and polite sound? I’m one of them doesn’t like neutral and polite sound and like my sound to be spice on certain frequency to be boost and that’s where eq in wiim I used. Everyone has its own preference and there is no right or wrong to be criticized by others. Everyone knows tube amp has high distortion yet I like how tube sounds. Let your ear be the final judgement.

Tubes measure worse than Transistors on the bench but sound better because the distortion is not in a sensitive range of the human ear. Transistor distortion is in the most sensitive range of human hearing.

 

[canard]

Tubes measure worse than Transistors on the bench but sound better because the distortion is not in a sensitive range of the human ear. Transistor distortion is in the most sensitive range of human hearing.

even if I know what is in counterpoint to your message (even or odd distortion) your message makes no sense technically physically.

 

[canard]

even if I know what is in counterpoint to your message (even or odd distortion) your message makes no sense technically physically.

(not a story of range of sensitivity of the human ear..just that the valorization of even harmonics distortion ( classic in se valve) would be subjectively more pleasant to the "ear"...(it's stupid for the clarinet for example, which is mainly dominated by odd harmonics...yuck the clarinet!!! hihi)
)

 

[MrA]

Tubes measure worse than Transistors on the bench but sound better because the distortion is not in a sensitive range of the human ear. Transistor distortion is in the most sensitive range of human hearing.

I'm always disappointed to hear the word 'better' used in the context of this hobby, all personal preferences should be respected (I have owned and enjoyed a wide variety of various analogue, digital, transistor and valve based systems since the mid 1970's).

'Different' is a less controversial word which reflects individual taste - I also happen to prefer spicy food to plain, music to sport, documentary to drama but that shouldn't imply my choices are superior to someone else's.