My wall-wart heaven (contains DV p75 III content)

What is a wall- wart? 

..a Wall Wart is usually the little power supply device that plugs straight into a mains outlet with a little run cord carrying power to its intended feed.

They don't have good reputations with audiophiles due to mass produced mini transformers or switched mode transformers that pump so called hash or mess into the mains supply by high frequency job jobs.

Hi, 

iFi who make the iCan and are part of AMR have a new wall wart with some sort of new improved magic in it . Said to be very good and I think available in many options for other products . Might also be worth an investigation . And  congratulations on a V.F.M upgrade always good news

Martin   

wenger2015 posted:

What is a wall- wart? 

Something that a Dynavector p75 phonostage and some Rega phonostages won't work without.

C.

TOBYJUG posted:

..a Wall Wart is usually the little power supply device that plugs straight into a mains outlet with a little run cord carrying power to its intended feed.

They don't have good reputations with audiophiles due to mass produced mini transformers or switched mode transformers that pump so called hash or mess into the mains supply by high frequency job jobs.

Tobyjug, thanks for the info...

Christopher_M posted:

wenger2015 posted:

What is a wall- wart? 

Something that a Dynavector p75 phonostage and some Rega phonostages won't work without.

C.

Christopher M, thanks for the info.....

Congratulations Chris, glad to hear that there was so much bang for your wart buck/quid!

Let me ply you with questions, please:

- I currently run a 10x5 (Akito 2b / Kore / Lingo 2) into a Rega Fono MM, and suspect the latter of being a bottleneck.  I'm very tempted by the P75 Mk3 as it will work with my current H.O. cartridge, as well as my target L.O. carts (20x2 or Krystal).  I'm trying to establish whether Rega>DV p75 would be a significant upgrade.  Have you had a chance to compare the Rega and the DV on your journey?

- Have you considered a linear power supply instead of a wall wart?  I recently mentioned my P75 interest to a Naim dealer, who turned his nose up at the world of wall warts, stated that it's not much of an upgrade, and suggested I first my 5si to my target SN2 first - and then power a Stageline or Prefix from it.  

Any thoughts and experiences much appreciated!

All the best,

Mark

Thanks Mark, it's pretty astounding. I feel like I'm hearing my MC for the first time. (And I've been wanting one since 1978)

We are in different places with our Linns. You need my cart and phonostage. I need your subchassis and power supply. So please temper my thoughts with that.

To deal with your second question first, no, I haven't considered a linear power supply. This is because:  a) I don't know what they are   b)  DV stipulate 12V DC 500mA, two pin adaptor centre positive which is what my £10 jobbie is   and c) if it sounds this good at the moment why would I be ars*d given that I need to get the spec of my Linn closer to yours?!

I'm not too surprised at your dealer's response to the p75. He's got to shift bigger units to make bigger margin, right.

To answer your first Q:  I would say that the synergy between DV LOMC cartridges and the p75 is fantastic. So if you are thinking of a DV LOMC at some point in your audio future, it makes sense now. I have to assume its good with a 10x5 though I don't know. I ran my own 10x5 happily with a Stageline N.

I like the Rega Fono but not heard it with the 10x5. It sounds very good to my ears with Rega MMs.

My very general view is that we can't consider cartridges in isolation, we need to look for synergistic phonostages. Given my appreciative comment about the DV p75 and LOMC DVs we have to consider that those running a Krystal are almost certainly not using a P75 III. However it's quite possible that it exhibits good synergy with the Krystal in phono-enhanced mode.

Alternatively, It also seems possible that you might want to go to an Ekos or Aro etc., and a more top flight DV LOMC than mine, and still be very happy with the DV p75 III

All Best, Chris

i also have a 10X5 and swapped in a P75 mk1 for my Stageline N recently -- i thought it was a very positive change. more impactful and vibrant, for sure. 

Mark -- P75 stages don't seem to come up s/h all that often (i know 'cause i tried to find one!), but they generally trade for about the same price as the Fono, so i don't think that making the switch would put you off-track for an SN2.

as for the Stageline N, i'm now using it with a Hicap on the end of my new LP12/Armageddon/Kore/Aro/Rega Exact. (the 10X5 is on my Rega deck, which i kept for 45rpm duties.) the higher output of the Rega cartridge seems to be a good thing for the Stageline, which might be a bit dull with a lower-output cart.

Hi Chris 

a definite thumbs up for linn Krystal into p75 mk111 mine sounds soooooperb !!

regards

tony 

Hi Tony,

That's good to hear.

Best, Chris

Christopher_M posted:

Today, for the princely sum of £10, a new wall-wart has been bought on the high street.

Bloody glorious. Not wanting to change anyone's audio life, just share the pleasure. It's going to be a long night here at Chateau Christophe.

If this has left you with a touch of wall wart upgraditis,  consider the ultra low noiseiFi iPower - 12v model is needed for the DV P75 -   I have one on my ethernet switch, as have a few peeps that lurk around the streaming forum.  They are extremely low noise, claiming to be lower even than a linear supply & thousand times quieter than yer high street wall warts.    Now, the question is what this will do for your SQ,  only a try it & see will tell I guess.  They are available from MCRU for £40.

Thanks Mike, do you think I'm loaded or something!

Best, Chris

Christopher_M posted:

Thanks Mike, do you think I'm loaded or something!

Mike-B posted:

Christopher_M posted:

Today, for the princely sum of £10, a new wall-wart has been bought on the high street.

Bloody glorious. Not wanting to change anyone's audio life, just share the pleasure. It's going to be a long night here at Chateau Christophe.

If this has left you with a touch of wall wart upgraditis,  consider the ultra low noiseiFi iPower - 12v model is needed for the DV P75 -   I have one on my ethernet switch, as have a few peeps that lurk around the streaming forum.  They are extremely low noise, claiming to be lower even than a linear supply & thousand times quieter than yer high street wall warts.    Now, the question is what this will do for your SQ,  only a try it & see will tell I guess.  They are available from MCRU for £40.

Might give it a try. At £40 would be one of the cheapest upgrades ever if it actually works.

Cheers

I use an iPower on my switch; it is jolly good and certainly helped to clear up the sound. 

Christopher_M posted:

Thanks Mark, it's pretty astounding. I feel like I'm hearing my MC for the first time. (And I've been wanting one since 1978)

We are in different places with our Linns. You need my cart and phonostage. I need your subchassis and power supply. So please temper my thoughts with that.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your thoughts - sorting through various LP12 configurations is always fun.

To deal with your second question first, no, I haven't considered a linear power supply. This is because:  a) I don't know what they are   b)  DV stipulate 12V DC 500mA, two pin adaptor centre positive which is what my £10 jobbie is   and c) if it sounds this good at the moment why would I be ars*d given that I need to get the spec of my Linn closer to yours?!

Hoping I do not trigger a chronic case of wall wart upgraditis in you ! (Kidding)

I'm not too surprised at your dealer's response to the p75. He's got to shift bigger units to make bigger margin, right.

To answer your first Q:  I would say that the synergy between DV LOMC cartridges and the p75 is fantastic. So if you are thinking of a DV LOMC at some point in your audio future, it makes sense now. I have to assume its good with a 10x5 though I don't know. I ran my own 10x5 happily with a Stageline N.

I like the Rega Fono but not heard it with the 10x5. It sounds very good to my ears with Rega MMs.

My very general view is that we can't consider cartridges in isolation, we need to look for synergistic phonostages. Given my appreciative comment about the DV p75 and LOMC DVs we have to consider that those running a Krystal are almost certainly not using a P75 III. However it's quite possible that it exhibits good synergy with the Krystal in phono-enhanced mode. Alternatively, It also seems possible that you might want to go to an Ekos or Aro etc., and a more top flight DV LOMC than mine, and still be very happy with the DV p75 III

Your experience sounds like a big P75 thumbs up to me, especially given our mutual cart brand of choice: I couldn't agree more about synergies - pre-amp as extension of source and all.  Hence, I feel as though the P75 is a future proof solution for me; a step beyond the Rega, would likely sound great with my 10x5, a natural with the 20x2 (my likely 10x5 replacement), and probably would not be shamed by a Krystal (if I'm in full Donald Trump mode at upgrade time).

This scenario is pretty much what I'm looking for - but was somewhat thrown by the dealer's dismissal of wall warts in favor of going SN2 (already in my mid-term plans) + Stageline, and eventually Stageline + HCDR.  

I'm more tempted by the modest outlay for a P75, then upgrade 5si -> SN2 (over the next year or so), while saving for the next big upgrade, a Radikal... which then opens the door to Urika (which will take a while yet).  It strikes me that in this scenario, I keep all my post-P75 pre-amp options open at minimal cost.

All Best, Chris

Cheers, Mark

joe9407 posted:

i also have a 10X5 and swapped in a P75 mk1 for my Stageline N recently -- i thought it was a very positive change. more impactful and vibrant, for sure. 

Thanks Joe, this is good to know.  While mileage surely varies, P75 being more fun than Stageline seems a familiar refrain around these parts.

Mark -- P75 stages don't seem to come up s/h all that often (i know 'cause i tried to find one!), but they generally trade for about the same price as the Fono, so i don't think that making the switch would put you off-track for an SN2.

Tell me about it!  I've only seen one s/h in Canada over the last year.

as for the Stageline N, i'm now using it with a Hicap on the end of my new LP12/Armageddon/Kore/Aro/Rega Exact. (the 10X5 is on my Rega deck, which i kept for 45rpm duties.) the higher output of the Rega cartridge seems to be a good thing for the Stageline, which might be a bit dull with a lower-output cart.

Nice decks! 

Mike-B posted:

Christopher_M posted:

Today, for the princely sum of £10, a new wall-wart has been bought on the high street.

Bloody glorious. Not wanting to change anyone's audio life, just share the pleasure. It's going to be a long night here at Chateau Christophe.

If this has left you with a touch of wall wart upgraditis,  consider the ultra low noiseiFi iPower - 12v model is needed for the DV P75 -   I have one on my ethernet switch, as have a few peeps that lurk around the streaming forum.  They are extremely low noise, claiming to be lower even than a linear supply & thousand times quieter than yer high street wall warts.    Now, the question is what this will do for your SQ,  only a try it & see will tell I guess.  They are available from MCRU for £40.

Ooh, I got it bad, but I'm waiting for the iPower 552 myself.

I wish I knew someone with one of those DV P75s so I can see how low noise they really are.. If its a SMPS I suspect it will be emitting its switching harmonics - I have a few very low noise SMPS - certainly not cheap - designed for delicate electronics and I can still see the emitted harmonics on a bandscope. No such harmonics are detectable on any of my linear power supplies. Ok I am not saying all SMPS are necessarily bad but am wary of marketing hyperbole.

Simon

Hi Simon

I use a P75 Mk II with a Dynavector XX-2 cartridge.  There is a definite synergy between the DV moving coil cartridges and the DV P75 in "enhanced mode", unsurprisingly really, as the P75 was specifically designed for the DV MC cartridges.  To significantly improve on it in my system has required phono stages of £2-3,000.  The Aurorasound Vida is the current favourite though the final decision has yet to be reached. 

The nearest Rega equivalent to the P75 is the Rega Aria at £800-900 or so.  It's a fabulous phono stage in a Rega system with an Alpheta cartridge - again no surprise.

So, if you want measure a P75 and its wall wart supply, by all means let me know as we are not far away from eachother.  I live near Cambridge (UK).

Best regards, FT

More credence to the previous comments regarding selecting your cart / phonostage in tandem. I had a 10X5 years ago, and it was very good into my Rega Brio (2000 model) integrated. Various dems and upgrades later, I had an Exact 2 into Naim Stageline N powered off a Uniti. This was okay, but once I moved on to the Aria, things really took off. Now I have an Apheta 2 and again, into the Aria, marvelous. 

Stupendously expensive cartridges and phonostages may work well in a mixed-mash scenario, but if a buyer is looking for VFM at more reasonable prices, I think the cart/phonostage pairings is one of the more critical things to get right in all of Audio. 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

I wish I knew someone with one of those DV P75s so I can see how low noise they really are..   ........

For a man who doesn't list a record player in his profile, this is truly above and beyond!

C.

iPower picked up this morning and plugged into my DV 75Mk3. I'd say first impressions are that yes it does give a slight improvement in clarity and separation between instruments. Not a  night and day change but definitely worth £40. Further listening will no doubt provide other insights but I doubt I'll be bothered doing A/B dems against the old 12V supply. Good tip MIKE-B. Cheers.

Martin Rose, Mike-B and MarksNaim, Thank you all for this iPower help. I think I will have to investigate.

Cheers, C.