My Jeff Rowland 625 S2 uses SMPS and it's the best, most natural sounding amplifier that I've ever owned.
Can SMPS based preamps/amps sound organic ?
Lately I have been reading about some well known companies who make amps and preamps based on switch mode (digital) power supply. Nagra, David Berning, Linn, Crayon Audio comes to mind. I have heard a couple of their products but I always seem to hear some kind of switching noise which comes through as "digital" sounding. The organic quality is somewhat robbed and replaced with some hash. I wonder if there are any designs using SMPS that can actually sound natural and organic ?
To me it seems mostly a matter of convenience to use SMPS but I would love to discuss.
To me it seems mostly a matter of convenience to use SMPS but I would love to discuss.
- ...
- 44 posts total
Jeff Rowland uses SMPS for low noise. That’s why he uses them in applications where efficiency is non-issue, like Capri preamp. SMPS got bad rap from crude computer applications but when is done right is extremely quiet. Most of linear power supplies are in reality primitive switchers that switch at 120Hz at the peak of the voltage causing transition noise that propagates thru the amplifier. In addition 120Hz ripple is difficult to filter out thus requiring big electrolytic caps. These cap, in series with the signal path (circuit closes thru them), are inductive and slow down response. Power transformer has to be huge at this low frequency. Modern SMPS switches at zero voltage/ zero current at frequency that is inaudible and easy to filter out (Rowland’s 625 SMPS switches at 1MHz). It has fast response time and is line and load regulated while linear supply in power amps is not. Huge transformer is replaced by small ferrite one that can carry the same power at very high frequency. Benchmark replaced linear supply in their newer DACs with switcher while their new 132dB S/N ABH2 amplifier also has SMPS. SMPS can be quiet not only electrically but also acoustically being free of buzz and with AC/DC operation, often in wide range. http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/kb/questions.php?questionid=145 |
I was always a skeptic with SMPS all they way until I heard Soulution. Never heard the Rowlands but they are supposed to be real good. Raidho used them at a lot of demo's. Then they came out with the Aavik which they now use. Now Aavik just came out with a class A amp and pre but I don't know if they are using a SMPS. |
- 44 posts total