Ethernet cable for music streaming

So, before jumping in and buying an LPS for this Pulse Mini, I’d like to rely, once more, on the expertise of those of you who have offered such helpful advice. The specs for the Taiwanese switching power supply that came with the streamer are: DC output 12V, 5.0A. The 12V output is easy to match with the iFi and Small Green Computer LPS’s, but what about the amperage? SGC is a bit elliptical about this on their website, though they do seem to indicate that their 12V LPS would deliver 8A max (if I'm reading it right), which would be plenty for the streamer. iFi, however, rates theirs at 12V, 4A and I’m not sure if this would be a problem. Similarly, does the output voltage have to match exactly, or would a higher voltage output still work? Sorry, I’m not very knowledgeable about this stuff, so I’d be very grateful for your help. Many thanks!

The Small Green Computer 12V / 100W Linear Power Supply delivers 8 Amps (Amps = Watts/Volts)

@cooper52

Innuos website recommends 12v 5A. The Pulse Mini accepts a wide range of LPS voltages though. I’m not sure the amperage required if the LPS has a voltage other than 12v. Innuos would probably be keen to advise you on this.

If you get a 12v LPS with a higher amperage, it will not damage your streamer. The streamer will take what it needs, so to speak.

When you do purchase your power supply, I’m a fuse believer. Something like a HiFi Tuning Supreme would work well. Also a decent DC cable, if not already supplied. Ghent Audio has some reasonably priced cables.

I was curious what network switch you have? If it’s just a standard computer switch, it’s possible it is draining life out of your system.

You could perhaps try DXE Iso Plus at each end of your long run of ethernet cable. Again reasonably priced, but effective.

Some people like the iFi power supplies, but I’ve read lots saying there is little to no improvement in their system.

Thanks, jerrybj, for this helpful info. I've ordered the Small Green Computer 12v LPS, and we'll see how that goes when it arrives. Meanwhile, I discovered that my previous network switch was probably a bottleneck in the stream, as it was a bit old and topped out at 100 Mbps. I bought a new Negear one that boasts 1 Gps, and it has (I think) helped a bit. Next, I'm going to replace the old CAT5 cable that runs from the router to the switch with CAT6a. I can actually run that as a dedicated line straight to the streamer, and a separate one to the Netgear switch that connects to the TV and the Roku box which seem to work just fine as it is. All of this accomplished, it SHOULD improve things with the streamer, but I'll post the results when it's all done and we see what we've got.

Update:

Well, this all took a while to accomplish, but I upgraded the power supply to the one from Small Green Computer, and it did make some difference. However, there was still some way to go before all the issues were solved. 3 days ago I changed the old CAT5 that ran from the router to the network switch with a 45 ft. run of Blue Jeans Cable CAT6a now going directly to the streamer. (The Netgear network switch is now consigned specifically to the TV and Roku box via a separate run of Blue Jeans Cable CAT6.) This has resulted in a significant improvement over the streamer’s previous performance, (Innuos PulseMini, just to remind you) though I STILL think there’s room for improvement. Perhaps I’ll look into replacing the fuse in the LPS as suggested by jerrybj.

All that said, I have reached a point where I’m actually enjoying listening to the streamer but I have a nagging suspicion that further improvement may only be accomplished by upgrading to a much more expensive one which, for now, just isn’t in the budget.