LPS vs ifi iPower x

I have a 5v Ifi PowerX on the way to try in place of the stock supply on my switch. It's due to be delivered tomorrow. I'll let you know if it has any effect on the sound for my use.

The iFi quiet power supplies having two pin AC connectors are switch mode and so will introduce low level high frequency leakage currents into your ground system and ultimately your DAC, if it is connected to an upstream component using this supply.

The iFi Elite supplies have an earth terminal (three pin AC) so are a much better choice. These are also switch mode. I have not used one.

I’m not familiar with the ipower x.

I have tested the sBooster linear supply and it is pretty quiet.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a properly designed SMPS or linear supply. There is an audiophile belief that linear power supplies sound better.

small green computer sell a variety of reasonably priced LPS -- worth checking out here:

Linear Power Supplies – Small Green Computer

i have the 7v LPS powering an opticalRendu -- the LPS works fine and the combo sounds terrific, but i have not compared the LPS to anything else.

jmusica said:

Would like to improve power delivery to my network switch and to my Lumin L1.

L1 is 12v (not sure amps), network switch I have to check at some point.

Looking for something reasonably priced, for these I don't feel I need super high end power delivery. Was looking at Uptone LPS (unavailable) and SBoost, as I've long read that linear is the way to go for DC power.

Also took a look at the iPower x and wondering what people's thoughts are on these vs a LPS. Of course the website makes it sound very attractive, and the price is right, but I see it's not actually linear.

I have only the most rudimentary understanding of this stuff so looking for either theoretical or experiential input.

Click to expand...

Hey Jon,
I'm looking for a replacement LPS to power my EtherREGEN, as it looks like my UpTone LPS-1.2 is slowly "biting the dust", so to speak. It will power my Sonore Optical Module at 7V, but not the ER at 9V. It'll charge up the 2nd UltraCap bank, and then as soon as it starts power up the ER, its red light comes on, indicating the output bank of caps is not fully charged, and then it will "oscillate" between trying to fully charge up and then failing again. This is exasperating as this the second UpTone UltraCap LPS that's gone down on me in less than 6 months.

So, I talked to Alex at UpTone today, I think I'll be buying a Teddy Pardo LPS for ER. Or maybe two of them, as I've come to conclusion that the Keces P3 LPS I've been using sounds like...sh*t. I've been using it for 2 years now to power my SOtM SMS-200 UltraNeo network bridge, but when I've also tried using its second output rail to power ER, it sounds like sh*t compared to the LPS-1.2. Which makes me think I haven't actually been hearing how good my SOtM actually can sound. Urg...

jmusica said:

Would like to improve power delivery to my network switch and to my Lumin L1.

L1 is 12v (not sure amps), network switch I have to check at some point.

Looking for something reasonably priced, for these I don't feel I need super high end power delivery. Was looking at Uptone LPS (unavailable) and SBoost, as I've long read that linear is the way to go for DC power.

Also took a look at the iPower x and wondering what people's thoughts are on these vs a LPS. Of course the website makes it sound very attractive, and the price is right, but I see it's not actually linear.

I have only the most rudimentary understanding of this stuff so looking for either theoretical or experiential input.

Click to expand...

Ok, I've been playing around with the ifi PowerX today.
The setup is this - modem to router to optical converter in another room; optical cable is routed into the listening room where I was trying it into my Lumin X1... but I alternately bought a Trendnet switch with an SFP cage this week for the purpose of feeding it with the optical cable and using one of the ethernet ports to go directly to the streamer built into my integrated amp so I could listen and compare my various options (Lumin X1 with fiber, with ethernet, with the new switch and without) and from the new switch fed by the optical cable directly into my Vitus integrated.

As far as the iFi PowerX on the Trendnet switch, it actually had a positive effect on streaming to my integrated amp. I didn't know what to expect or to listen for but this is what I heard - background musical detail became clearer, the soundstage slightly expanded with instruments and vocals sounding more localized and separate from each other as opposed to more mixed up sounding with the stock power supply. This also gave me the impression that music became subtly more saturated and natural sounding. Tone did not change in any dramatic way and I suppose that's what I was paying attention to when I started going back and forth between power supplies. I also tested a shielded and unshielded ethernet cable to the integrated to see if I heard the same differences between power supplies and I did.

Does this mean I need to hear an LPS? Maybe so. I guess I'm convinced that the power supply on the switch can impact the sound.
I'd say the iFi PowerX has some benefit and is worth a shot given the relatively modest price compared to other power supplies.

Thank you; great information.

I bought an ifi iPower x for my son to use with his Chord Qutest DAC and it made a very noticeable difference in clarity and detail. It was like a veil was lifted compared to the stock walwart. I also have a Terdak LPS that we compared it to. The Terdak is just slightly better but not by much.

I broke down and bought the iFi Power Elite since I liked the Power X over the weekend - there's one comparison on a forum between the 2 products and the person comparing wrote the Power Elite is a dramatic improvement over the X. Advertised measurements are the same I think but who knows?

Yeah, I could have bought a couple of LPS offerings at that price range but it seems like the better reviewed ones start at a higher price than the $300 iFi Elite.

In any case I feel like there's got to be a level where using this on a switch doesn't meaningfully add much. The iFi Power X will move to another switch I'm using to convert to fiber in the other room after comparison against the Power Elite on the switch in the listening room.

You can always sell the power X. I am sure it would sell fast. Power supplies though are going to be system dependent.

I had some iFi iPower X, then moved to the iFi Elite version, a little better.
Then I upgraded to Farad Super3 with level 2 silver DC cables, things got a whole lot better.
Finally I have got the Nordost QSource with Premium DC cables, and again it was a huge upgrade.

I have Accuphase separates and for me the iFi products are entry level products, today I use them on other electronics in the house as a digital piano, alarm system etc. The iFi Elite is used on the TV cable box though.

I bought an ifi iPower X for my son to use with his Chord Qutest DAC and it made a nice improvement with more detail than the stock PS. I also have a Chinese Teradak LPS that sounds way better. There is a lot more detail, resolution, musicality and a blacker background.

I just bought a JCat usb card and it sounds much better with the Teradak. The sound stage is huge and there is more separation between instruments, blacker background and more punch. It sounds like a completely new system.