Best affordable Linear Power Stage

I am considering purchasing the Singxer SU-6, digital to digital converter (DDC).

It looks like it comes with a "courtesy" external power supply (brick).

I was searching for a quality, linear, external power supply, and got overwhelmed with products that all sound like they are the holy grail of clean power.  So that led me to check this forum, and I found this thread.

I have a revealing stereo, and want to get the most our of my soon-to-be-purchased DDC.  So I want a high-quality, linear power supply, and the comments in this thread were helpful, and also somewhat inconclusive.

The DDC accepts between 7.5v and 9v (I have not seen any power supplies that deliver 7.5v, but have seen lots of power supplies that deliver 9v).

@hdm recommended the brand / seller Sengterbelle, with an R-Core.  But I read a review where the customer wrote that his gets so hot, he is concerned about it starting a fire.

Is his experience unique -- possibly got a lemon?

Also, Sengterbelle has many 9v models, at varying prices.  They all list basically the same "this is the best" type bullet points.  So how can I make an informed decision?

I am hoping that someone in this forum can give me guidance.

And if anyone knows of reputable reviews on these linear power supplies, please let me know.

Thanks...

@seymour-krelborn    Welcome to Audiogon!

Here’s a link to previous LPS discussions.   This current one also has good information.   

I have several LPS’s.  The only one that got ’ very hot’ was a low wattage unit that was paired with my Netgear Nighthawk router.  A household router is a very taxed component - especially when gaming or streaming movies.  To the touch, it was so hot that it did become a safety concern.

I replaced it with another unit that had: (1) a heatsink and (2) more wattage (VA).   This replacement LPS to the router runs fairly warm - but not hot.   The LPS (100 watts) paired with my DDC is slightly warm - just above room temperature to the touch.  And it’s been powered on 24/7 non-stop for over 7 years.  I don’t think I’ve ever turned it off.  The reason is to keep the clock circuitry in the DDC constantly warmed-up.*

Good luck in your search!  

- - -

*The manufacturers of both my DAC and streamer recommend that the chip be kept warm for better SQ.  So, I assumed the same for my DDC.    I have taller after-market footers under all of my LPS’s for better airflow to dissipate any heat.

@steakster Thanks.  I will look over the discussions in the link you provided.

I have read about oven heated design in DDCs, and that makes sense.  I do not recall the ideal temperature, but none of them were "burn down the house" temperatures.  That specific DDC must have had a design or assembly fault.

I want a temperature controlled DDC, and the SU-6 has that feature.  But the "courtesy" power cord / brick that is comes with is a mass produced piece.

I will look over the comments in the link that you provided, for recommendations on a quality power supply.

I am not ready to break the bank on one, but I will spend a few hundred, because quality power supplies, for any audio component, are key to its sound quality.

And if I can find one with a 30-day money-back guarantee, then I can compare it to the one that is packaged with the DDC.

Yes seymour-krelborn welcome to Audiogon!  

I lost track of this thread.  My Sengterbelle R-Core power supply did arrive and works very well with a Bluesound Node Nano in my office system.  With it I am using an upgraded silver-plated DC connecting cable and an upgraded AC power cable I built plugged into a power conditioner.  I do not notice the R-Core supply getting super hot.  

I have used several other LPS from MCRU, Swagman Labs and Teddy Pardo, the last is a dual supply powering both my server and DAC in my main system and I can vouch it works well in digital application, but it costs several multiples of the Sengterbelle supply.

kn