2. amps-preamps
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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.
pani
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,861 posts
 
Ralph,  
I am familiar with the very high sound quality of your products, are you suggesting that they'd sound even better if you could use SMPS rather than LPS?
Charles,
I think its very possible. SMPSs have the advantage of better regulation over traditional supplies.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Ralph, 
I appreciate your candor. 
Thanks, 
Charles, 
coli
291 posts
 
Of course. SMPS actually has a lot of advantage, SMPS is basically a power regenerator. Go listen to the JBL LSR305/8, it’s an all digital design. SMPS, class D, digital crossover, DSP. It’s the greatest bargain in audio right now. The 3 series 5x305+310s simply destroys $1000 to $10,000+ audiophile setups.

There are also bad SMPS designs too, eg: Benchmark.
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,958 posts
 
SMPS is basically a power regenerator.

I'm sorry this is not a correct statement.

You take in the AC & convert it to a high(ish) ripple DC & then feed that into a SMPS & you get a tightly regulated DC power supply.

For a linear power supply you do exactly the same - You take in the AC & convert it to a high(ish) ripple DC & then feed that into a LPS & you get a tightly regulated DC power supply.

So, if SMPS is a power regenerator then so is the LPS.

A SMPS is a DC-DC converter (& so is the LPS).

When you speak of a power regenerator then you take in the AC from the wall outlet, convert it to DC & convert it back to AC (say, like the PS Audio P300/P600/P1200  power regenerators).

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