12v linear power supply

This got me interested, once again, in the idea of external LPS devices. And in addition @itsjustme made a very helpful post.

 I already have components plugged into a Shunyata Hydra 6, but was wondering whether the DSP I am using would benefit from an external LPS.

So, I emailed the support department for the DSP unit and received a very prompt and helpful reply.  Seems, the company had already done their own research and found that for their particular unit, that an external LPS "may" not offer any benefit. 

Per their response:  "We have not seen any measurable difference between different powers (from laboratory power supplies to cheapest possible inverter supply). However, the improvement gained can also depend on the quality of your local power supply network."

So yes, it might be construed that an LPS could be of benefit assuming the local power supply network isn't of decent quality, but this is something that I would think would be difficult to determine without the appropriate measuring equipment.   At this point I have decided to place the idea of an external LPS on hold.

I have not done any testing for linear power supplies on things such as network music servers or network switches, so I cannot comment on if this makes a difference. However, any digital transport will be improved by a linear power supply, regardless of how well the internal regulation and filtering is. I will say any digital transport because this includes all transport devices both audio and video. If you cannot hear the difference, it is possible that your system is not high enough resolution to reveal this or that your hearing may not be sensitive enough (no insult intended).

On the other hand, for most streamers and bridges that spit out USB to a DAC directly, blocking power noise (most likely on the ground) is the goal.

Finally, lets talk DACs. DACs are largely analog devices and demand very quiet power. Most have internal regulation and filtering to accomplish this. Even if they have a wall wart or a switching supply externally, it feeds internal regulation and filtering. So bear in mind that what you are doing is providing a quieter input, including less ground noise, you hope.

It is much more than just blocking A/C noise. It is how smooth and powerful the current is. One analogy I use is to use air compressors as a comparison to switching/linear power supplies. You can think of a switching power supply as a really small 5 gallon tank air compressor with a small pump motor running at 10,000 RPM. Then use a larger 60 gallon tank with a 5HP motor running at 120 RPM as the analogy for a linear power supply. In the end, what kind of air/power would you get out of the small 5 gallon air compressor?

I cannot overemphasize the importance of power supplies. I started with an Antelope Zodiac Gold, then added a Voltikus power supply. Upgrading to a Zodiac Platinum with an upgraded Volikus power supply brought the next quantum leap. It ll really came together when I replaced the Platinum Voltikus with a Sean Jacobs DC3/4 PSU. In all of this I cannot overemphasize the importance of power cables and DC cables. In digital music any incursion of RMI/EFI or ground level noise has immediately audible nefarious effect. Rather than nuy new streamers or dacs upgrading power supplies is the more beneficial trade.To wit: the power supply cost more than my dac. Same story on the Etherregen: adding a top of the line Zero Zone PSU brought the upstream link up to snuff, again at significant cost.

If interested: 12V 50W LPS for sale

It is much more than just blocking A/C noise. It is how smooth and powerful the current is. One analogy I use is to use air compressors as a comparison to switching/linear power supplies.

Actually, no, its the noise. And i'm not sure what you man by AC noise, the noise is (by definition) AC superimposed on DC and is a product of the way Switching mode power supplies work. ( i wont go into that here, look it up)

Don’t use analogies, define your terms and explain the engineering.

Switch mode power supplies create a lot of high frequency noise - its well known, its a problem too. It can interfere with the digital circuit by making tiny adjustments to the zero crossing (we call that jitter) and it can beat down into the analog region (we call that non harmonically related distortion).

I design this stuff. Its the noise. and its a problem.