irDAC power supply upgrade

[rchinn]

Has anyone upgraded the power supply on their Arcam irDAC?

If so, what did you go for and to what extent has your sound been improved? I notice alternative power supplies range between £50 and £250 - the later is getting close to the price of the irDAC.

I've got the irDAC connected to an A19 and some mediocre speakers, just wondering if spending a little will give me a boost before upgrading the speakers later in the year.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Hi there, don't get to hung up on p/s upgrade for the ir dac , keep the extra money and put it towards even better speakers first, that's where you'll get the most improvement for the money. As is, the dac is very capable, after speakers I'd be looking at adding a power amp to that a19 and get it biamped, Arcam amps respond quite well to this approach and then maybe look at the power supply, these types of upgrades are minimal and you'll only notice some improvements when the rest of the system is sorted. And by the time you've done that, you'll probably be ready for a dac upgrade. Lol.

 

[rchinn]

Cheers for the tips on the update chain. Speakers is definitely the next step. I've read that you need quite an open and lively speaker for the A19 - so I'll save up and look for something around £600. Tannoy DC6TSE seem like good value for £450 these days. Having just spent money on an amp and dac, its a little frustrating to be held back by old flat speakers.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

The tannoys should work OK, if you got a large ish room, also consider some b&w's,they also go well with arcam gear, the 683 s2 might be just out your price range, but I'm certain they'd be worth it, you might find some cm8's on some second hand sites at a nice price. II've got a pair of cm5's with my arcam a85/p85, even though they're standmounts the bass extension and detail is fantastic, I love em.

 

[rchinn]

I'm sure you're right about the B&Ws. £900 on eBay. I better get saving.

 

[m0reilly]

while i await the irdac in the post, i went ahead and purchased a 12 volt sla battery to use as a replacement power supply. my present rdac responds rather well to running straight off a battery. i assume the irdac will also.

 

[iceman16]

Hi, what speakers are you using? IMO using a power supply wont make a huge difference to your dac. I used to own a rdac many moons ago and I did'nt like it.

 

[m0reilly]

...IMO using a power supply wont make a huge difference to your dac...

it makes a huge difference with the original rdac (straight dc rather than the wallwart), quite striking really.

 

[bigboss]

...IMO using  a power supply wont make a huge difference to your dac...

it makes a huge difference with the original rdac (straight dc rather than the wallwart), quite striking really.

In what way?

 

[bigboss]

...IMO using  a power supply wont make a huge difference to your dac...

it makes a huge difference with the original rdac (straight dc rather than the wallwart), quite striking really.

In what way?

 

[m0reilly]

quiet background, images in soundstage are more stable, the 'air' and percussive sounds more 'natural' in presentation/decay. irdac arrived today, ran unit with wart and sla battery. w/battery, a bit less edgy/etched, darker background, allowing micro detail to be just that: some recordings are mastered to have a triangle gouging your forehead, others just a sweet taste. the irdac+sla allows that sweet taste.

 

[fergi]

Hi I have a Beresford Caiman MK2 dac and it runs superbly on my 12v golf cart battery, one charge lasts 6 months. The sound quality has no comparison to the original supplied mains power suppy. I'm not sure if your irDAC will run from battery but if it does then this is the way forward.

 

[Hugh56]

I used a Maplin power supply costing £17 on my rdac and the differences are cleaner Bass and improved Voices. I would not pay silly money on one of those third party specialised power supplies or conditioners specifically for these dacs. Your better off getting an M-DAC off ebay for around £350.

 

[Andrewjvt]

On power supply for the irdac.
But id really recommend the tannoy dc6 . Owned them and they are great