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RE: Question for Gstew

Hi Jolida,

Like you, I’m also in the process of providing the Julia (digital part) with a better power quality. I’ve red that the digital part only needs 3.3 V.
As suggested by other inmates I de-soldered the stock regulator and ordered a Tentlab shunt regulator..
http://www.tentlabs.com/Components/cdupgrade/shunt/index.html
http://www.tentlabs.com/Components/cdupgrade/shunt/assets/ShuntAppNoteAN04V02.pdf
Van on filtering, demping, ect

Van on filtering, demping, ect

Unfortunately I didn’t study the specs of this regulator very good before i bought it. After hooking up the Tentlab shunt regulator too the 12V P4 output of my Pico PSU, the Tentlab shunt only came up with 2.2 Volts.
I first thought I had somehow made a mistake with the grounding arrangement or so. But no matter what I tried, not in any situation it produced more than 2.2 Volts. :-( . After reading the specs more carefully, I realized that I probably bought the wrong regulator. The specs show that the Tentlabs shuts regulator only can deliver a max of 100m Amps at 3,3 Volts.
As I could not find anywhere, how much current the ESI Juli@ digital actually needs, I decided too slide in my Thurlby Thandar: TTi PL330TP triple linear PSU and diretly feed the digital part with 3.3 volts.
This was a very time consuming operation as I have too take my cMP setup out of a very small wall mounted cabinet which is hanging at the wall just beneath the Flat Screen TV.
Van on filtering, demping, ect

On the display I could read that the Juli@ digital part consumes 113 mA at 3.3 Volts.

But I am glad I ‘unmounted’ the cMP setup from the insides of the hanging cabinet, because I was struck by the sound quality improvement. The sound stage now is HUGHE ! For the first time I use this cMP setup the music is now completely free from the speakers (3D like). Also the level of micro details exploded. For the first time lots of audible information about the venue or stage where the music is recorded can be clearly heard (echo in the venue, breathing of the artist, coughing audience, plectrums touching guitar strings, screeching music stools, ect, etc.)
Of course, I also tried filtering these power supply lines with ferrites and caps. And yes, again also this time, the sound quality improved. Despite the fact that the power is coming from a linear PSU filtering still gives a worthwhile SQ improvement. Tomorrow I will also try too ad some extra filtering through adding ferrite based coils (40 mH) onto the power lines coming from the TTi.

I think I will settle on a simple small 3.3 Volt linear bench PSU or so. There is just enough space left inside the cabinet too fit an extra small linear bench PSU. It will also cost around 50 euro’s. However a shunt regulator is much smaller and will not require any space outside your HTPC case.

About the feeding the P4.
I boot my cMP setup with a bus speed of 110 mHz, core speed of 660 mHz and cpu volted at 0,95 Volt. When my cMP setup boots I can see shorts spikes of around 1,3 amps. When starting up XP these spikes reduce too 0,35 amps. When at rest XP in my cMP setup consumes 0,19 amps on the P4. When playing music (through LAN) this rises too 0,22 – 0,23 amps at the P4. (GA G41-ES2L MoBo (Intel G41/Inch7), Core 2 duo E7300) The new I3 core mobo’s will probably use 20% less energy and also sound better.

Because I can hide an extra linear PSU in the same cabinet as my cMP setup is in (so looks, outside design and aesthetics play no part, I think I will settle on an extra small linear bench PSU instead of buying another small regulator

This is my experience so far in powering the digital part of the ESI Juli@. I'm sure Gstew will/can provide you with much more detailed information as he is very skilled in building his own PSU’s

Mark

NB On some forums inmates say: if improving the power on the P24 or the P4 improves sound quality, than there must be something wrong in other parts of the setup.
In their view improving the quality of power supply too a MoBo is futile, because also on the MoBo itself are lots of switching power supplies installed and also the logic on the MoBo is heavily spoiling the power and ground.
This statement could be true. But I can’t see how in my situation the power supply situation too my MoBo can influence my DAC, pre-amp and active speakers. Both setups are completely separated
There is a glas toslink between cMP and DAC. And on the 230 AC Volt side things are also separated as much as possible in any way. Not only both groups are on a separated spur, both groups are also on a different 230 AC Fase. In a home environment one can do no more too isolate two 230 AC groups of equipment from one and another.
See this drawing for information how my setup is layedout ((inter-)connected, powered, wired, etc)
Van on filtering, demping, ect





Edits: 08/23/11

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