PSU upgrade for DAC Magic Plus

[E30NA]

Hi everybody

I am considerring to upgrade or swap the 12v DC Wall Wart PSU that comes with the Cambrigde DAC Magic Plus. There are some options for an upgrade PSU out there, but i was thinking that maybee it was possible to build a 12v DC PSU that where better than the rather pricy options out there like this one: Dacmagic PLUS Linear low noise PSU by Fidelity Audio | eBay
Has anybody some sugestions on what the best sollution for me would be?

Thanks

 

[dddac]

Good timing... I just posted my new designs here. You can try my 12 Volt supply for your DAC if you like. This worked out very well (sonically) to both my DACs. it does up to 1A. you can download the circuit from my Website.

 

[qusp]

better than that 250GBP PSU in a 5GBP hammond case using a third party regulator thats overpriced at 63GBP...

 

[E30NA]

Good timing... I just posted my new designs here. You can try my 12 Volt supply for your DAC if you like. This worked out very well (sonically) to both my DACs. it does up to 1A. you can download the circuit from my Website.

It looks very interresting. On the wall wart PSU it reads: 220V 0,5A in, and 12V 2A out. Will your PSU be able to deliver enough current for the DACmagic Plus, when it can deliver 1A?

 

[dddac]

It looks very interresting. On the wall wart PSU it reads: 220V 0,5A in, and 12V 2A out. Will your PSU be able to deliver enough current for the DACmagic Plus, when it can deliver 1A?

What the adapter says is not so relevant, more important is what you need.
What current does the DAC Consume? is that 2A? I Doubt it.

 

[E30NA]

I dont know what the DACmagic exactly uses, but on the power inlet plug on the chassis it reads: 12V 2A
Is there any way to make your PSU deliver 2A?

 

[dddac]

the design is very flexible. you can easily go up to 2A. You need to increase the transformer VA rating accordingly and you need to increase the heats ink for the TIP122. that is all.

but..... Before doing this, I would measure the current usage or ask the manufacturer.... that seems easier to me?

 

[E30NA]

I will dip into how much current there is needed, and get back.

I am thinking about if there could be some possitive side efects of having a beefy PSU, like there is on a power amplifier? If that is the case, then i would choose to build the PSU more powerfull, even though the Price would go up.

Have you tried other caps than than the Nihichon, and would it be possible to change the "sound" of the PSU by trying out other caps?

 

[E30NA]

I ended up buing a PSU from Squeeze-upgrade, the SB-Booster and the best of two Worlds kit. Squeeze-upgrade | High-end lineaire voeding met SBooster upgrade - Squeeze-upgrade | Sbooster | Audiophile power supply upgrades
This was a great upgrade. The highs and mid where most affected, where it took a lot of the harshness, and the imaging also got better. The bass also got more detailed, but a litle bit less puncy. Not a lot less, but just noticable. I would recomend this upgrade to someone who doesent know how to put a PSU together.

I have just had the DAC Magic upgraded at New Class D here in the DK, wich also is a great succes. Lars changed a regulator to his UWB type, which regulates the voltage to the DAC´s, and the opamps where changed to OPA 1612´s, and the dc protection caps where changed to roederstein tantalums.
I contacted Lars, to hear if he could make the DAC Magic Plus sound more analoge like, wich he deffinately mannaged to do. The last upgrade he recomended me to do have done was to bypass the onboard switch mode suply for the opamps to a separate linear PSU, wich i have not had done yet.
The sound from my Dacmagic Plus is a lot better now. I have had it back for two days now, so i will give it a couple of weeks before i make a final assessment of the sound, but now i can hear that the imaging is a lot better, and the sound is crisp, open and fast, without any harsh tendensys. And there is a ton of details.