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Power Supplies For Turntables — Attn Electronics Experts


James

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Hello all,

 

 

So I have been getting back in to my music — well, more my hifi.

 

My new Rega turntable comes with a standard 24 volt power wall power adapter. One of the big "upgrades" is a special power supply that costs £200.

 

Apparently it makes a big difference and I am willing to believe what I have read about it. It also does things like speed switching, which is something you have to take the platter off and move a belt as standard. I'm not at all bothered by that as everything I have is 33 1/3.

 

My question is — how precise can a power supply get? And surely there must be a cheaper option than buying the fancy pants version.

 

Simply put, I'm looking for a cheaper version! There must be one out there.

 

 

James

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James, my recollection of dabbling with HiFi many years ago is that people spend money, and naturally say how wonderful the new bit of stuff is.

 

I was actually informed that I should be using MK plugs on the power leads as "they sound better". That was an expert, yet at the same time I was working with a proper, dayjob chappie who ran a proper recording studio. He had a much more sensible approach....

 

Think about what the power supply does. I take it just supplies the motor. So it controls the speed of the turntable.

Chuck a voltmeter on the existing supply, see how much it varies. But I really cannot see it being an issue. Case of emperors new cloths I reckon.

 

(I had a rega 30 years ago, just too much faff in the end, and the tiny reduction in quality when I changed to a more user friendly TT so I could spend more time talking with friends and "entertaining" close friends was well worth it!)

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That looks like a beautiful turntable!

looking at Rega's website, it seems that the motor is actually a 24v AC motor and somewhere along the line it converts the 24 v DC to a precision AC source. Somewhat more complicated than just creating a clean 24v DC supply.

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Clive > I have heard the model that has the PSU and it sounds better — with everything else practically the same. It is one thing that I believe makes a difference, a lot have reported it as being a difference above a lot of the other rubbish you can "upgrade" it with. Hifi is a lot of snake oil and I know to avoid those. I cannot believe people think a power cable makes a difference. I don't understand the faff though? It's as simple as any other turntable to use?

 

70herald > the input to the turntable is most certainly DC.

 

vitesse203 > I'm not a DJ. There's a big difference between one of those decks and hifi.

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James,

 

I bought my Rega Planar 3 (well) used in about 1987. I fitted the later RB300 arm in the early 90s and have changed the belt once or twice. It has also had a selection of cartridges on over the years. Still sounds great. Not familiar with this latest incarnation but basically you have a fairly low torque fixed speed motor turning a relatively large mass (turntable - is it still glass?) via a rubber belt so high frequency motor induced speed variations shouldn't really happen.

 

If it really is DC to the motor (not quite convinced - these are mostly AC sychronous motors) then a couple of 12v batteries connected across the supply would serve to stiffen the supply enormously. If not DC then it becomes alot more complex.

 

I'd question the value of the special power supply though. The law of diminishing returns applies real steeply in the HiFi world as I'm sure you already know. FWIW best mod I ever did on my Rega was to make up a light but rigid wall-mount frame and place it on that.

 

Haven't bought any hifi for years now - perhaps I'm cured....... CD player is getting on a bit though (actually I have a collection of Aiwa XC-750 machines that are gradually getting robbed to keep one working - I like the sound and the motorised volume pot)

 

Cheers

 

Nick

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Hi James

 

I read somewhere (probably HERE) the the rega motor is the same as the Linn LP2 so this DIY PSU would fit the bill;

 

http://www.cherrynor...uk/nt/APKit.htm

 

Ahhh - here's the place...

 

http://www.diyaudio....ications-3.html

 

Awesome site this. I've go a few things on the go to fire up my Linn Axis...

 

Nigel

Edited by Millstone10
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Nick— this is mine— currently they are sending me a new cartridge as it's not working properly (hence it's being used as a laptop stand)

 

I've only just bought the Rega amp and DAC — replacing my thirteen year old cheap NAD system. Don't think I'll be upgrading again anything soon. I don't mind thirteen year cycles if that's what it's going to be.

 

The DAC really makes a big difference to anything digital I play through it — it makes it feel a lot more analogue. I need to get my CD player out of storage so I can use it as a transport.

 

I've ordered a turntable sized piece of 20mm thick clear acrylic to sit the turntable on — drill and thread a few holes and add some spikes. Cheap isolation stand. Making a wall mount is a bit out of the question right now.

 

 

8733106458_01d1d92820_b_d.jpg

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Hi James

 

I read somewhere (probably HERE) the the rega motor is the same as the Linn LP2 so this DIY PSU would fit the bill;

 

http://www.cherrynor...uk/nt/APKit.htm

 

Ahhh - here's the place...

 

http://www.diyaudio....ications-3.html

 

Awesome site this. I've go a few things on the go to fire up my Linn Axis...

 

Nigel

 

Thanks Nigel — I will investigate.

 

I am pretty sure the power adapter is DC output!

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Hi James

 

Does your Rega amp have a Phone pre amp in?

 

My amp doesn't so i'm intending to build one of THESE VSPS 300i phono amps from an ordered PCB.

 

One day....... Ive got all the parts now, just other projects to finish first :)

 

Nigel

Edited by Millstone10
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James, you remember that bloke you met with a beard (when you got your springs).

He looks a bit like Gandalf.

 

He is the world's leading authority on digital audio.

You should have asked him. (hint!)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi James. I would be surprised if it is a dc motor as the speed on a dc motor is a lot harder to keep constant as any variation in voltage will change the speed. An ac motor will alway run at the correct speed as it is set by the frequency of the ax power most commonly 50hz if the motor is ac then the posh psu that can change the speed will in fact be a inverter. It will take the incoming 50hz power convertit to dc and then convert it back to ac at a preset frequency depending on the speed.

 

If it is a dc motor you could try running it off a couple of car batteries to see if the sound is any better. You won't get a cleaner dc power than from a big battery.

 

Paulsprint

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James just had a look at the psu. If it is the tt-psu. Then it's quite a clever bit of kit. And not really any cheaper was of doing it. The motor is a 24 v ac motor and the psu puts out a 24v ac to controll the motor. It will change the frequency to change the speed but will be very very clean. As oppose to what comes out the mains which is full of noise and spikes. It also has a smoothed dc. Supply that I can only assume is it power a per amp type unit.

Clean dc is easy to get by using big capacitors etc. clean ac is a lot harder.

Now what I don't know is if your ears will actually tell the differance , I doubt mine would after years of load engines and angle grinders

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I was wrong about it being DC :) Worked that out quite quickly after posting.

 

It does make some sense that a high end AC supply can be more precise electrically with better timing — who knows if your ears hear it though.

 

I sent my lovely new turntable back as they supplied several dodgy cartridges and I was fed up.

 

Gladly didn't sell my old turntable!

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  • 1 month later...

Today I purchased a new turntable — the model up with the fancy power supply was on special offer — or rather "B-grade" — there aren't any flaws in the thing that I can see.

 

9325557583_6c81d5ac71_c.jpg

 

Incredible that I am using the exact same cartridge from my old ProJect turntable and it sounds so much better — but then I guess the thing costs four times as much when full price.

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