12v linear power supply

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.

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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.

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)

Yes, I know how switching power supplies work.  They use very small capacitors and a small transformer.  Then use a circuit that injects DC charges onto the post transformer caps thousands or tens of thousands of times per second.  This is different  than linear power supply which charges the main power caps about 60 times per second (or 120 depending on how you look at it).

I have done work with both switching power supplies and linear power supplies.  The switching power supplies suffer from weak bass because of the small caps and transformer.  The only way to get a switching power supply to really "act" like a linear power supply is to place a very large amount of capacitance after the transformer/charging circuit.  Let your ears be the judge.  The lab measurement devices don't tell the whole story.