Help Choosing Power Supply Voltage Regulator Aikido Phono Amp

[JustinJ]

I am needing help deciding on which regulator power supply to choose. I am wanting to buy it from the same place that I'm buying the Aikido Phono Amp.

Here is the different voltage regulator power supplies:

New Low-Voltage and High-Voltage Regulator Kits

I was thinking to the PS-1 Kit

PS-1 High & Low Voltage Regulator Kit

or the Janus Shunt Regulator Kit

Janus Shunt Regulator Kit


I am open to other power supplies on the main page.

New Low-Voltage and High-Voltage Regulator Kits



**Everything that I've read seems to say that the higher quality the power supply the better a phono amp works. I want to do this right but still try to not pay extra if the sound improvement is not there. The PS-1 kit seems to be cheaper and may be more reliable because it does not use a tube. The idea of tube in the Janus Shunt Regulator is intriguing since the phono amp is an all tube amp. Any help would be appreciated.

I have decided on 12AX7 Tung Sol for the Input and the 12AT7 for the Output stage . I do not know if this will make that much difference in the power supply.

[grubyhalo]

Would like to know opinions and experiences on this as well...

[SY]

Everything that I've read seems to say that the higher quality the power supply the better a phono amp works.

Sort of. Depends on how you define "quality" and what the overall system looks like.

In the case of some phono stages (especially cascodes), the power supply rejection of the signal circuits is pitiful, and one needs a superb supply, one that's rock-stable and as noise-free as possible. The Aikido has much better power supply rejection and runs close to constant current, so is less critical. That doesn't mean uncritical, it just means that you hit diminishing returns pretty quickly.

I built an early version of the phono stage using a simple CRC filter on the raw B+ supply and a Maida regulator (cheap!) and it worked fine. Also important is the heater supply, which should also be regulated and filtered for common-mode noise, but that can be accomplished with a couple of three pin regs and a small common-mode choke.

[Stixx]

SY, you don't happen to know a source for "small common-mode chokes"...
or is that something I can wind myself?

[Arnulf]

Originally Posted by Stixx

SY, you don't happen to know a source for "small common-mode chokes"...
or is that something I can wind myself?

You can find it in scrapped computer power supplies, it is usually mounted on the small PCB right after the input socket (not on the main PCB), together with filtering capacitor and some varistors and the like. It looks like a small toroid, you can't miss it.

[piero7]

This here, tube is ECL82, very simple

[azkid]

Originally Posted by JustinJ

**Everything that I've read seems to say that the higher quality the power supply the better a phono amp works. I want to do this right but still try to not pay extra if the sound improvement is not there.

My newb understanding is that the whole point of the Aikido circuits are for significantly increased power supply noise rejection?

Does that then mean that the cleanliness of the PS becomes less important than for other circuits?

Michael

[Stixx]

You can find it in scrapped computer power supplies, it is usually mounted on the small PCB right after the input socket (not on the main PCB), together with filtering capacitor and some varistors and the like. It looks like a small toroid, you can't miss it.

I guess something like this then...


Thank you! ;-)

[SY]

Originally Posted by Stixx

I guess something like this then...

That's the deal!