I am upgrading my entire scheme for streaming and playing digital files - from a computer-to-USB-DAC scenario to a Roon-to-AirLens-to-DAC setup. I figured it makes sense, if I’m gambling on that change being as significant as possible, that I should also upgrade my power and ethernet cables, use a NAS drive, quality ethernet switch, etc. And the “etc.” is power supplies. All down the line from the incoming fiber modem to the ethernet switch, I am using iFi power supplies to minimize any noise getting into the system, but I was wondering if since I’m also getting a PowerPlant 3, whether I could just plug the generic power supply for the NAS drive into the PP3 as well? I mean, come on, isn’t part of the idea of the AirLens to eliminate the possibility of any noise getting through to the DAC anyway? So I could hardly imagine if the PowerPlant wouldn’t SEND any noise to the NAS that there would be any more noise than the NAS generates on his own to deal with? Is there any possibility the noise generated by the NAS or its power supply would get back through to the PowerPlant and “corrupt” other devices? Yeah, I know, plug it in and listen, but a lot of this upgrade is based on science anyway, so if there’s no scientific reason to fork over another $80 for an iFi device… Thanks.
I can’t speak to the P15, but in an experiment with my system, I moved all of the out-of-the-box wall warts (router, switch) and the streamer + DAC (both on linear power supplies) to one electrical circuit, and kept my amps, pre-amp, and CD player, on a separate dedicated circuit with an AQ Niagra. I waited for the magical wow moment, largely because I’d read about the merits of separating the power to purely digital components + wall warts from the rest of the system, but what I heard was absolutely no difference in noise or sound quality— that said, I don’t have a perceivable noise issue in either arrangement. I kept the new arrangement in part because it just makes me happy and in part because it forced some needed cord management. I’m curious how your system reacts to having the cheap power supply plugged into the P15. My first guess is you’ll notice an improvement you can hear because the P15 is well built with, I think, isolated ports, and as a result you won’t hear any perceivable noise. Please let us know.
Thanks for the reply. I think your handle - jazzophile - tells all! When you said you’d stick with the arrangement, whether or not you heard any difference - that’s the way I do things too. We jazzers improvise, then after it comes out of our horns, we move on. Seriously, I suspect you’re right. I’m still fairly new to this hobby (very OLD to the jazz hobby), so I’m never certain whether I can or can’t hear these differences. But I’ve also noticed that over time my ears are getting better at hearing things, so I shrug and say, “I’ll take the chance.” I am pretty darn certain there either won’t be any noise added, but if there is, the AirLens will weed it out. And for sure, I’ll report back.