How important is the transport when using a DAC?

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.

Gumby - yes, di/dt is the change in current over time. It is the dynamics changing load and resultant current. If the load changes and the regulator cannot respond quickly enough, you get distortion, lack of focus.

This is by no means microscopic. It is a function of the power supply AND the power decoupling at the load and all of the wires and traces bewteen the two.

LI batteries, particularly combined with ultracaps can outperform most regulator designs except the very best.

Its the very best discrete regulator designs that I use. They are faster than the best LI battery supply and very low noise. Critically damped, so no overshoot when responding to transient load changes. These are designs by Paul Hynes that have been optimized by me for digital.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio