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Upgrading Power Supply for Lumin U2 mini from switching to Linear Power Supply

Recently purchased a Lumin U2 Mini streamer along  with a Chord Qutest Dac. Use Qbuz and am very happy with the sound quality. My speakers are Martin Logan 11A Impressions, with a Rogue Audio preamp and a Conrad Johnson Classic 62 tube power amp with 60 watts per channel.

I spoke with my dealer yesterday who mentioned that he upgraded his personal U2 Mini power supply to the one supplied by Vinshine Audio. I watched the owner of Vinshine actually do the modification on U Tube. It involves cutting wires and in short for someone like me, there is no way I would even attempt this. I know that making this change voids the manufacturers warranty. This risk I am willing to take. By the way, the dealer mentioned that the improvement is not "night and day", but substantial. Better bass, blacker backgrounds, to name a few. The mod uses an adapter that goes inside the unit with the LHY Power supply which is made by Jay's Audio who also sells CD Transports.

Part II-I noticed that Upscale Audio also sells a Linear Power supply for the U2 Mini, which is made by S Booster.  The reviews claims it is easy to install. I am looking for a plug in and play. Am I asking for too much? Has anybody on this site modified the switching power supply to a linear power supply and how involved is this? 

Thank you for your responses. 

 

 

 

128x128kjl1065
jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
850 posts
 

Waste of time and money! Today's switching power supplies have significantly less noise and ripple - even the cheap ones! This can easily be verified by measurements. Any claimed sonic improvement for linear supplies is imaginary.

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
850 posts
 

The Oppo universal players that so many golden ears' here raved about have switching power supplies. 

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,382 posts
 

@kjl1065 

I never worry about warranties.  I've made no claims beyond infant failure.

BTW, it doesn't totally void the warranty.  for the OEM not to honor the warranty thay need to say that what you did caused the problem.  So if a knob breaks, it is in no way caused by the power supply.  However, just about all the electronics are fed by the power supply so they can claim that your power supply did it.  OTOH, good manufacturers might say "I know it wasn't the power supply" and honor a warranty claim anyway.

I've ugraded a lot of power supplies.  I currently have 6 linear power supplies in my system (3 for DAVE, 1 for Upscaler, 1 for ROCK, 1 for newtwork switch). 

if you want to order the parts and send to me I'd be glad to do the upgrade for you.  This isn't an offer for everyone here, I just want to do one and see what I think of it.

Jerry

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,819 posts
 

I'm surprised that for $2400 there isn't an LPS, but perhaps this is a better quality switching power supply. From what I've read, Schiit uses better switching power supplies, so they are out there.

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