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Audiophile PSU for Chromecast Audio.

Sonci

Sonci

pfm Member
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Sorry, no iFi here but I did buy one of these . . .

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB...e-for-Cellphone-iphone-DEC14/32570883261.html

and four of these . . .

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-p...y-3-7V-3400mAh-for-Panasonic/32611589032.html

Total cost was less than £17 and a 4/5 week wait, the power banks output is adjustable between 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 Amps and it can be charged with a 2.5 amp iPad charger or a similar device.

Unfortunately the battery prices have changed since I bought mine for £12.80 inc.a few weeks ago.
 
You are aware that the USB power banks contain a switch mode regulator, as the output from the batteries isn't stable enough to be used without regulation?
 
Ah the folly of upgrading external PSU's.... (not in all cases) I wrote a long series of posts covering this in great detail over on AOS so I'll not repeat the detail but generally it is the quality of and correct utilisation of the internal voltage regulator(s) and their respective grounding schemes that matter and not the external PSU. It's yet another of those hi fi myths that have become accepted wisdom in spite of generally being wrong...

Obviously in the case of equipment that has no internal voltage regulation (and is often very crude) then the external PSU will make a big difference but this sort of equipment is not common outside of small 5WPC or so class D amps powered from wallwarts etc.
 
Maybe it sounds better because it doesn't share the ground with other 50 electrical devices in the house..
Unfortunately it's not practical to use these rechargeable power banks. I'd be happy to invest on a linear supply, if I was sure of the result.
 
Unfortunately that includes a good many small smps, that have a sneaky 'Y' cap of a couple of nF for emissions purposes; ready enough to push CM noise upstream. CM noise nightmare if a system already cross-connects to other such sources like a TV, streamer, skybox etc. :/

My setup doesn't so - since I had a spare 'stupid diy overkill' psu to hand, once turned down to 5.0v - I've used it to power my CCA for the year or so I've been using it.

TBH - and inline with Arkless' well-made point in post #5 - the difference made =~0, it still sounds like a chromecast. Better than the (outstanding) FM tuner it has supplanted; but the psu influence on this unit is, tbh, damn-near-negligible - the supplied 5v plugtop supply mine came with is really pretty good; and also very efficient.
 
Sonci said:
It seems like a "huge" difference, better highs, timing etc.
Click to expand...

Yep same here. I've now moved on from a Chrome to a Yamaha WXAD-10 (as I'm using tha Musiccast system for streaming now), and have not even bothered with using its wall wart - went straight to using the Anker pack.
 
martin clark said:
TBH - and inline with Arkless' well-made point in post #5 - the difference made =~0,
Click to expand...
I hate to make bold claims, but this thing transforms with batteries, maybe my house electrical line is dirty, or whatever.
I tried some other 5v supply, but it's better on the Anker, even though the voltage from the power pack is less than 5 v..
 
Julf said:
You are aware that the USB power banks contain a switch mode regulator, as the output from the batteries isn't stable enough to be used without regulation?
Click to expand...

Not just a regulator but a boost converter to increase the voltage from 3.7V to 5V.
 
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