Soundsmith Straingauge cartridge taken to the next level

Peter, I don’t know what to tell you.
Ive had 2 updates on Straingauge energiser/stylus. On each occasion, the SQ has been taken up by replacing the stock wall warts, first w the Red Wine batt psu, and dramatically further w Peter Downs’ bespoke psu.
It’s night and day.
Please do not take my thread as a criticism of your product, the SG is very fine indeed. But it’s maximised by the new psu.

Dear Spirit of music;

Please don’t misunderstand what I have written - in over 45 yeas of designing and manufacturing audio, I NEVER tell anyone what they can, or cannot hear. I am speaking strictly from a TECHNICAL standpoint. I am NOT disputing your claims. I am strictly saying that analog supplies are far cleaner than switching supplies, by a long shot. I totally dislike switching supplies, save for their ease of use. What I am saying is that a simple analog supply, filtered by lots of capacitance, then regulated, then filtered some more, coupled with power supply rejection circuitry commonly found in IC’s, results in excellent performance from an IC. That is NOT to say that a more sophisticated PS is a fools errand. On the contrary, there have been many articles written on the noise generated by IC regulators themselves, which an external supply has minimal effect upon.

I did conduct a blind listening test between a laboratory grade dual DC supply against the wall analog supplies we ship, by a group of listeners years ago. At that time, we could not hear the difference. I am well aware that a battery supply (or the technical equivalent) can easily outperform high grade lab supplies, and similar. So I am by no means dismissing your claim - I am in fact, supporting it. I have had many report to us that the phono preamps we design and manufacture sound much better with battery supplies than the DC wall supply that comes with them. I will never dispute that claim - it is a low cost upgrade.

Bear in mind that the "entry level" Strain Gauge series I produce are expensive to build, and I must do everything I can to keep the costs as low as possible to be able to market these to our world-wide distribution channels. We DO make a Signature Series line of products, including Power Amplifiers and Strain Gauges designs which feature a higher end SG and circuit design, the SG-400,410,600,610 and 810, all of which feature an outboard unit that serves as a high performance dual power supply, designed and produced by Soundsmith. Far from dismissing your claims, I support them with this PSU we make, but always taking cost effective measures where I can, and must. It would be of interest to compare by blind test the WWE filter I designed and our analog supplies with your new supply to see if the WWE is a cost effective alternative. I say this, not knowing the cost of what has been custom built for you.

I am glad that the Strain Gauge and the modifications to the power supplies is increasing your enjoyment of recorded music. That, first and foremost, is my primary goal.

Peter Ledermann/Soundsmith

Peter, apologies if I mislabelled your factory wall warts psus as SMPS.
This bespoke psu to the Straingauge also isn’t SMPS.
At least we’re on the same page here LOL.
Let me tip my hat to you, and say that after 20 years of incessant upgrading, including running Lyra Skala and Parnassus, Transfiguration Temper Supreme and Orpheus, and even the Zu Denon 103R, I have zero desire to look at anything past the SG. Esp w the help of this bespoke psu.

Hi Ron.
I did acquire both psus at the same time.
Due to both of them needing 60-80 hrs burn in to fully open up, I did spend some occasions going back to stock psu for tt motor whilst sticking w the psu on the SG.
I can assure you it is dead simple to gauge the impvts wrought by both psus, and solely to the SG.
As I’ve now exceeded 80 hrs, the changes are profound and ongoing.
What I’m particularly getting as an impvt over stock wall warts and RWA batt psu, is amazing imaging, stage depth and airiness. A result of massively reduced noise. Truly adds to the whole listening experience, and is making the SG a wholly compelling transducer.
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Re the RWA batt psu, it sounded very good (not as good as Peter’s psu, but still excellent) when it worked. But it often didn’t work, and once tripped the energiser necessitating return to the factory.
The issue seems to be that even though the SG is nominal 24V, I believe there is some variance +/- on this figure on R and L channels, and get this incorrect, and the energiser trips leading to potential irreversible failure.
You can quiz Vinnie at RWA about this. On two occasions I had to send both energiser and his batt pack to him. He had to configure a twin battery system and needed the energiser to measure both channels. Unfortunately even despite this switching the system on and off left tripping things a major risk. A shame, Vinnie’s efforts were much appreciated.
However I now have the dream psu to the SG, multiple power down/up during the burn in period not once risked tripping, and the SQ is significantly in advance of the RWA twin batt psu.