What is everyone using as a backup server/streamer when you send your unit in for upgrade?
I would be interested to read what John S said if you can provide a reference to it. It seems what your understanding is that it ‘can’ dump noise on the ground plane, which to me means not always. Perhaps there are ways to design the ground plane so it doesn’t pollute the rest of the circuit. I understand that if this is the case and has not been dealt with well a server motherboard ‘can’ be impacted by noise. I am curious where the noise comes from, where it goes if the power is quick enough, and why the ground plane is a bad place for it to be dumped. No need to answer though.
It you are referring to Taiko, its website still talks a lot about LPSs, does not recommend SMPSs and is developing a battery supply. It also says (to my surprise):
Is there a reason why, if one gets the distributor, then the DAC cable is vastly preferred?
With DAC, the connections are direct, not via transformers. This way, a DAC cable directly interconnects the Switch and Router grounds.
While testing a variety of power supply designs and various filters, the switch and router in fact performed better being powered by a single power supply instead of dual power supplies, simply because a 2nd power supply, even a very low noise linear design, produces more (interacted) noise than the switch and router combined. Additionally, when you connect the switch and router with the lowest noise-producing option, being a DAC cable, there’s a direct/common ground between the 2 devices, which is unfavorable if being “modulated” by 2 different power supplies. Simply put, one shared ground is better from a noise perspective, taking into account the very low current draw of both devices.
Taiko’s DC Power Distributor apparently deals with isolating and filtering its multiple outputs.
I found this quite interesting reading … https://taikoaudio.com/taiko-2020/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Extreme-DC-Power-Distributor_v009.x61923.pdf
Can you provide an example of this?
Antipodes changed over to SMPS because they sounded better, in our opinion of course, but since we make these things, we went for it.
Believing that linear is best is erroneous.
A properly designed and implemented SMPS can have lower noise in high-current applications and not waste approx a third of its power output in heat.
I’ll highlight this bit… A properly designed and implemented SMPS … which we believe we have achieved.
As you may be aware, Antipodes was among the first, if not the first to use linear supplies in a music server, we then moved to Hybrid Switched Liner and now to fully Switched.
Managing the power for our servers has been one of the hallmarks of Antipodes R&D and indeed the OLADRA project.
Again, we believe the sound to improve with the use of these in our devices, everyone is, of course, different and may have a counter opinion we are happy for people to have their opinions, but we certainly won’t be rolling the clock back and investing any further R&D in linear.
4 Likes
Who’s John Swenson?
The only one I could find was a music critic
I am not advocating for either SMPS or LPS. At a basic level they are just different ways of achieving something. Antipodes is using its SMPS design in favour or its LPS designs because in combination with its other hardware that gives the best result. I am not doubting this. it is horses for courses. If you like the recipe, don’t change it. My curiosity is about if or to what extent ‘speed’ (aka impedance?) contributes.
It reminds me of analog v digital, PCM v DSD, bit perfect v upsampling, Class D v Class whatever. Different v different!
It is quite likely that using a mix of both SMPS and LPSs in a system can help ‘tune’ it to the desired end result. But alas Antipodes does not seem to be replacing S60 with a SMPS version which might be used with past models and other devices (like network).
Here’s something Emile wrote:
“So interestingly, low frequency noise like that generated by linear power supplies is very hard to attenuate on the AC side, SMPS noise is much easier to filter. However we do seem to be less offended by linear power supply generated noise then by SMPS generated noise.”
Here’s a more detailed post from him. I’ll quote the part that’s relevant to what Antipodes is likely doing:
“So anyway, there are definitely merits in exploring Switch Mode Power Supplies for audiophile applications, the benefits over Linear Power Supplies are obvious, if implemented correctly, it can be much lower noise then a Linear Power Supply for higher current applications, have a much smaller footprint and no massive heatsinking requirements, BUT they should be designed to not have any switching “noise” anywhere near the audio frequency range, or even better yet no measurable residual whatsoever.”
He more recently said this:
“Antipodes would be my first pick having put in serious effort in designing an audiophile grade switching power supply for example and being optimized/voiced around that.“
His battery supply is in a different class altogether as the aim there is to get Taiko components completely off the grid. It’s likely going to be far more expensive than what we’ve been kicking around in this thread.
2 Likes
See his EtherRegen white paper as he introduces the concept of receiver jitter. This results from ground plane noise effectin when the thresholds are crossed that represent zero and one. Also search Audiophile Style for ‘ground plane’ with author set to JohnSwenson. He’s talked about it a lot.
If you would have read further on I wrote: “There is constant activity and the power supply is constantly asked to fulfill demands the instant it’s needed.”
He designed products for both Uptone and Sonore and he has shared many insights on Audiophile Style. More here: John Swenson's Tech Corner – UpTone Audio
@kennyb123 That is good stuff and validates the Antipodes philosophy and use of smps. Although in reality one only needs to hear an Oladra or other Antipodes device to know that they are on the right track. Hence why I bought an Oladra and have booked in for the mk2 upgrade.
Just on Emilie and his comments on smps where you quote him as saying, “. . . . . BUT they should be designed to not have any switching “noise” anywhere near the audio frequency range”, my own experience is that even small amounts of high frequency out of audio band noise can be very influential on sound quality, even when the noise is way outside normal audio frequencies.
1 Like
I still have the Small Green Computer i5 CDR unit I had been using prior to purchasing my K50. It has the majority of my purchased music still on the hard drive, and is one of my stored music backups. I doubt I will activate it as Roon core during the period my K50 is away for upgrade, but intend to use the Lumin App to play music for my X1 via MinimServer installed on SGC i5 CDR. It is detectable through MyAntipodes or SonicOrbiter for accessing to manage. I already pulled it out and connected to power and ethernet cable in anticipation of notification to ship my K50. As anticipated, MinimServer option for it shows on my Lumin App. I also have a microRendu I had previously used with my SGC that could be available if I wanted/needed to use USB to my other primary DAC and utilize Squeeze.
1 Like
Nice. I also have an old SGC i7 server and using an old squeezebox touch as streamer. I sent my K50 to Antipodes New Zealand yesterday but don’t anticipate getting in back for three weeks since it takes a week just to get there. The SGC/Squeezebox replacement actually sounds pretty good to me
What!? Splutter! You mean K50s are ahead of Oladras in the upgrade queue? I signed up with my UK dealer the day after the upgrades were announced!
Actually, no problem, I hope you enjoy your upgrade. 
1 Like
I self-marinated on upgrading for a bit before deciding to upgrade and sending prepayment to get on list. I have yet to receive notification to ship mine. I saw Mark’s post that they had experienced some level of delay on parts and would be notifying via this forum when that is resolved. I will be looking forward to your feedback when you get yours back and as it settles in with the upgrades.
I have had my SGC for some time–believe I purchased about 7 years ago and was 1st generation i5 CDR. It served me well before the K50.
I hope folks are able to find a satisfactory backup to enjoy while awaiting return of their upgraded device. I’ve never had luck enjoying downgraded capabilities so I usually switch to a different activity. Like some TV binge-watching or maybe more time with my portable rig.
1 Like
While my K30 is away I will load roon etc on my EX to mscaler. Hqplayer will revert to a desktop version for pggb playback. Storage will use the backup on my synology.
As has been alluded by @Lxgreen we have begun shipping in K Series for upgrades in order of payment received at Antipodes.
OLADRA upgrades and sales of new OLADRA’s are delayed, now pushing out to early September due to manufacturing delays, sadly out of our control.
As it stands now how far are you booked out if a payment went in today for an upgrade of a K50 mark 2 ? Over a couple of months?
@ELI1333 at this point approx 4 weeks for a K50 
Did you manage to tame the upgrade form?
On these upgrades, Antipodes will be replacing good perfectly working components, by new ones.
Could you share with us what is your plan for the “old” components?
Can they be re-utilized / recycled (by Antipodes or other firms), in order to reduce the environmental impact of this upgrade operation? Is there any task force/process in place for this problem?
Thank you…
I raised a similar proposition back at post 87 …
At the simple end of the spectrum, discarded G3 PSUs could be installed into seperate case and used to power CX, EX and perhaps Core and Edge.
I presume Antipodes have other more pressing things demanding attention and this is low down the list.