How important is the transport when using a DAC?

Steve, the best digital I have heard (by a mile) is the MSB series IV. A lot of people that have listened to every 5 figure DAC under the sun concurr. It uses a linear powersupply.

May be a better mousetrap using your switcher/series regulators is just around the corner. Who knows. Technology moves on.

For now, all I can say that if the best sounding DAC money can buy uses a linear powersupply, it is premature to write it off as technology unsuiteable for digital applications.

Did I just read (again) that a power supply is better than a chemical battery to provide DC to a component?

This sounds like the Naim dealer who insisted two car batteries would not run a preamp. The 24 volts would not be "clean enough" and the performance would suffer.

Sorry to sound sarcastic...and I am not claiming to be the end all guru here, but a battery is perfect DC, is it not?
Especially for a preamp or DAC/CD player application which is essentially a stable load.

Yup, I agree the best is MSB and it is linear go figure.

Gummy - this is about di/dt. Batteries have non-zero internal impedance and even with ultracaps they cannot compete with fast low-impedance regulators. The issue is having the same impedance at all frequencies of current.

I have designed and sold both SLA and LI/ultracap supplies in the past.

Steve N.
Emnpirical Audio

But isn't the variance caused by the dynamic nature of the power demand?

I get the transients and "current derivative" or what some in slang call "load backlash," but this is microscopic, no? ...and from what I know, the down-line component would almost have to be "designed" to place the onus on the supply, would it not?

This is the hairy edge of my knowledge and I intend to learn more about it. Answers to the above will help if you have the time.

Coming from a "battery is purity" background...this will be a learning experience.