What is the best Regulator ?

[diy_everest]

Hello,

I want upgrading my DAC MSB by substitute the classical 7805 and 7812 with a new regulator, and I don't know what is the best solution ! In a first time I thinking use a LT317 with some résistor for the good voltage but I'm not sûre it 's the solution...

Please some one can help me ?

Thanks.😉

 

[jan.didden]

I think almost anything will be better than standard 780x.😉

It depends also on the layout of your DAC. The LM317 series are good but require extra components. If that means you will have 15cm wires from the reg to the circuit, that's not good.

One simple and good solution would be replacement little pcb boards with the same pinout as the 780x but with a MUCH better regulator. Tentlabs is one of the people that makes them.

Jan Didden

 

[Ryssen]

Anyone have any experience with TL780-12/05?

 

[dddac]

I think almost anything will be better than standard 780x.😉

Anything is somewhat undefined 😉 and is most likely not true.

However, my experience is so far, that is alo depends heavily for what you use the power source........

To feed digital circuits with low power, I have had good results with 78xx followed by simple emitter follower an passive filtering

For analog, best findings comes with large Capacitors with low ECR close to the "user"

I use both 78xx and lm317 depending on outputvoltage needed. Best results come from filtering

doede

 

[diy_everest]

Hello Jan,

Thanks for your answer, if I use a LT-317 I make a small PCB to keep the same place of the actual régulator !

I know about Tenlab and over, but I prefere buld my self...

Thanks,
Karim 😉

 

[tubenut]

I replaced the 78/7918 in my Electrocompaniet phono pre amp recently. Built LM317/337 on veroboard with about 4 cm lead outs going to the original holes.
I used zener diode and diode in series from adjust lefg to ground as per the acoustica suggestion. The subjective improvement is big. Deeper bass, better detail, more micro dynamics deeper wider soundstage. Stuff people would pay good money for if it were an equipment upgrade/change.
I know the "super regs" like Walt Jungs would be better but thy are far more complex and harder to put together on veroboard etc for low cost.

http://www.acoustica.org.uk/t/3pin_reg_notes1.html

 

[Ryssen]

To feed digital circuits with low power, I have had good results with 78xx followed by simple emitter follower an passive filtering

'Have you tested if there´s any difference between emitterfollower and a shunt?

 

[dddac]

yes, tried tl431 shunt circuits. goes very well also. still the regulator, emittorfollower-filter solution scores better. Differences re not immense of course, but these were just somewhat better. always the same result: more open en detailed soundstage.

on analogue circuits things are somewhat different. Shunts work very good here, sometimes better, sometimes not. seems to depend what circuit is behind it. It is also no always doable to shunt when current is high (power losses etc). again, what always works is good filtering with high class components

doede

 

[peranders]

Besides the Tent regulator you have two more alternatives.

http://www.hypex.nl/docs/hxr.pdf

http://newclassd.com/index.php?page=70

 

[MaxS]

Hello, Bonjour,

If my brain don't fail, Linear sell some LT108x with fixed output voltage ( 3,3 ; 5 ; 12 V ).
National sold them as LM108x.
I can't give you some advices about its audio-grade because I don't know it.

 

[AMV8]

Peranders

The ultra wide band regulator that you mention on your post is interesting. Do you have any mor information on the circuit that it uses.

Don

 

[Bernhard]

What about precision voltage reference like AD588 followed by something ?

 

[TerryC]

I know the "super regs" like Walt Jungs would be better but thy are far more complex and harder to put together on veroboard etc for low cost.

http://www.acoustica.org.uk/t/3pin_reg_notes1.html

I like the super regulator for this type of solution. I've built two of Per-Anders boards to date, and am more impressed every time I come back to it. The cost of the board is well worth the quality received. The flexibility of components that can be used allows for low and high project budgets. Also, the flexibility of the output voltage and current capabilities far surpasses any of the expensive drop-in replacements that I have seen.

 

[nilsomat]

Hello! Could one of the experts comment on the new Hypex regulators??
www.hypex.nl

Thanks a lot...
Nils

 

[nilsomat]

Hello, it is me again asking about the new regulators from Hypex. They offer a pdf with a very detailed explanation of the function. However, it seems to be a bit too complicated for me to understand, and i would kindly request some comments about it from the regulator-gurus. Perhaps peranders or janneman could give me some insight?
Thanks a lot!
Nils

edit: Here is the text:
Theory of operation
The HxR12 series pass regulators are externally compensated transconductance amplifiers. The load
decoupling capacitor thereby doubles as compensation capacitor.
In a traditional emitter-output regulator, a constant-gain amplifier is placed around an emitter follower
whose output impedance is low and scales inversely with load current. The dominant pole is
set inside the voltage amplifier with any load capacitance adding an unwanted pole, reducing phase
margin. As output impedance becomes highly current-dependent, so does phase margin.
This contrasts with a transconductance regulator where the error voltage controls the output current.
Dominant-pole compensation is effected by the decoupling capacitor across the load. Stability requires
a minimum load capacitance and increasing it improves phase margin further. Output impedance
works out as the inverse of transconductance which in turn is given by the transconductance
of the difference amplifier and the hfe of the pass device, all of which are nearly constant with
load. The advantage of linear output impedance plays out most directly in power supply sensitive
audio applications, where a non-linear response from the power supply adds distortion.

 

[Eric Juaneda]

Hello Tubenut

...I used zener diode and diode in series from adjust lefg to ground as per the acoustica suggestion. The subjective improvement is big...

You can improve more by changing R1 (240 Ohm) resistor by 120 Ohm. Use BZX85C zener diode for this 10ma current polarization.

I wrote article on how LM317 sounds. You can totally changes sound by adjusting components around regulator.

LM317, understanding and listening

Eric

 

[QSerraTico_Tico]

Totally disagree

Hello Tubenut


You can improve more by changing R1 (240 Ohm) resistor by 120 Ohm. Use BZX85C zener diode for this 10ma current polarization.

I wrote article on how LM317 sounds. You can totally changes sound by adjusting components around regulator.

LM317, understanding and listening

Eric

Sorry Eric, I totally disagree!
I am using stinking normal caps at Adjust and output pin. 220µf both.
Tantalum sounds bad as well as Oscon so I stay away from polyprop and other film caps. 120 or 240 Ohm no difference to me.
YMMV though..........

 

[QSerraTico_Tico]

What about precision voltage reference like AD588 followed by something ?

Try 5V!

 

[Bernhard]

Why 5V ?

 

[ezkcdude]

Hello Tubenut


You can improve more by changing R1 (240 Ohm) resistor by 120 Ohm. Use BZX85C zener diode for this 10ma current polarization.

I wrote article on how LM317 sounds. You can totally changes sound by adjusting components around regulator.

LM317, understanding and listening

Eric

Why should Cout be as small as possible? I saw an LM317 implementation somewhere that used 10mF (milli!) on the adj and out pins. The noise was reduced some 10-fold over using the 10uF caps suggested by the data sheet. I just built another LM317/337 psu for my DAC, and decided to go with 100uF lytics, as opposed to the 10uF tants that I had used previously. Does it sound better? It's hard for me to tell, but it doesn't sound noticeably worse.