SMc DNA-1 Power Block Upgrade

Steve has consistently moved his products forward over the past 20 years by taking advantage of new/better parts, better circuit boards, and also through design changes in grounding, introduction of the Gravity Base, vibration control, Panzerholz material, and more.   It is no surprise to me that he has come up with the Power Block upgrade, which improves the sound of his amplifiers by separating the power supply from the components amplifying the signal, as with his outstanding VRE-1 preamplifier and its outboard power supply.

If I were having amplifiers upgraded by SMc, or if I were in the process of purchasing their new amplifiers, I would not hesitate to include the Power Block upgrade.  I wish I could give you direct feedback, but my DNA-1 Ultra G monoblocks were completed in 2019 prior to the Power Block upgrade.  Fortunately, between having the Plitron low-noise toroidal transformers, star grounding, and Gravity Bases, my amplifiers are very quiet. 

Here is an AudioCircle post about an SMc Audio amplifier with the Power Block upgrade.  Just after 11 minutes in this interview, Steve touches on the Power Block outboard power supply.  I hope you receive some responses here from people who have the Power Block upgrade but, if not, I suggest you ask Steve if any of his Power Block upgrade customers might be willing to speak with you.

I’m about to get my upgraded DNA 0.5 amp back and just wanted to share my experience FWIW.  I was just going to go with the basic upgrade, but after speaking with Pat I added the gravity base and purple fuses given the significant performance increases they apparently offer.  Pat was very straightforward and enthusiastic about the advantages and I didn’t feel at all like he was trying to sell me something but just conveying what they found.  Point is, while I generally wait to hear customer feedback or read reviews before making any purchase decisions, I made an exception in this special case, and if someone is interested in the Power Block I’d recommend giving SMcAudio a call because you’ll get the honest straight poop from the guys who make the thing.  Also, I’ve never read anything but glowing reviews of Steve’s upgrades and none of them ever seem to be frivolous, so he seems to add them only when he finds something that truly makes a significant improvement.  Interestingly, I learned that SMcAudio does development work for some megabuck manufacturers, and in the course of working on these cost-no-object projects they discover esoteric improvements they’d never otherwise find, and that is where a lot of their upgrades come from so they’re all proven before they make it to the SMcAudio upgrade package.  I found that interesting.  Anyway, just my $0.02, and again FWIW. 

Hello,

I have a DNA-1 upgrade (it’s now called SMc GT-21 Signature). I went with the power block option (I believe mine was the second or third one they made for a customer).

The amp sounds amazing. It’s quiet, natural sounding, effortless, relaxed (yet detailed). I really can’t say enough good things about it.

I happened to have the opportunity to try out another amp that’s almost double the cost of my SMc. I was impressed to find the SMc is significantly better in every way. Most importantly the SMc amp sounds like actual music rather than a sort of electronic approximation (which is how I’d describe the other amp).

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

JJ