No switching clock in the audio rail
USB receivers, reclockers, FPGA logic, DAC stages, and analog outputs already depend on careful timing. We avoid adding a high-frequency power-supply clock into that same environment.
Power supply design inside our gear
Our gear uses linear power supplies because the rail is part of the sound. The supplies combine AC mains filtering, tight line and load regulation, very low ripple, and rail choices matched to the digital stage, clocking stage, conversion stage, or analog output.
Linear supply construction
Quiet rails before the circuit starts working.
Our linear supply builds use a substantial transformer, Nichicon reservoir and local electrolytic capacitors, distributed filtering, discrete rectification and regulation stages, low-impedance wiring, physical separation between transformer and sensitive circuitry, and a shielded metal enclosure. Reservoir value is chosen around the product load. Larger storage is used where the circuit benefits from lower ripple and stronger current reserve. Smaller capacitors are distributed around regulator and output stages so filtering works across a wider bandwidth instead of leaning on one large capacitor alone. The transformer gives us AC isolation and energy delivery without SMPS switching noise, while the rectifier, filter, and regulator layout is arranged to control loop area, voltage drop, magnetic coupling, and parasitic behavior.
Transient response
Music does not draw power at one steady level.
The supplies are built to recover quickly when the circuit load changes. Clocks, USB stages, DAC output sections, and amplifier stages all pull current differently during real playback, so we use transformer capacity, Nichicon capacitance, local filtering, regulation behavior, and short low-impedance output paths to keep the rail from overshooting, ringing, or adding hash.
Why it sounds different
We choose the heavier path where it protects playback.
Quieter DC for quieter detail
Low-ripple rails lower the electrical noise floor around space, decay, tone, and image stability.
Less RF inside the chassis
Our linear supplies avoid becoming another radio-frequency source next to clocks, conversion stages, and analog handoff circuitry.
No beat-note clutter from power switching
We avoid SMPS clock noise around USB, AES, FPGA routing, reclocking, and conversion stages.
Precision over convenience
We accept the size and efficiency tradeoff of linear power where lower noise and cleaner recovery are worth it.
Layout is part of the supply
Transformer placement, filtering, wiring path, grounding, chassis behavior, and output routing are treated as part of the audio component.
Digital audio still depends on quiet power.
Our streamers, reclockers, DDCs, and DACs are designed so power-supply noise, ground noise, RF interference, and regulator behavior are handled before they reach clocking and output stages. Linear supplies hold the rails steady as the circuit load changes, reducing stress on the parts of the product that shape playback.
We use linear supplies for the critical audio rails.
The linear supplies inside our gear avoid the high-frequency switching clock, conducted noise, radiated noise, and clock-related artifacts that come with switch-mode supplies. They deliver very low ripple and tight regulation as the AC line and audio-circuit load move.
Each product gets the rails it needs.
We do not use one generic supply recipe across a USB transport, clocked USB reclocker, AES-first DAC, and amplifier stage. Voltage, current capacity, filtering, and regulation behavior are matched to the job: contain compute noise, keep clocks stable, support digital receivers, and keep analog output stages clean.
Transformer and layout
The physical layout matters.
The transformer, rectifier, reservoir capacitance, regulator circuitry, wiring, and output connections are placed around the audio load. Transformer placement and metal enclosure construction reduce magnetic and radiated interference, while heavier wiring and short output paths preserve low impedance during changing current demand.
Reservoir capacitance, local filtering, and discrete regulation are selected around the product being powered. A USB streamer, reclocker, DAC, and amplifier stage do not use the same supply behavior, so the supply is treated as part of the component rather than a generic external box.
AC mains filtering
We filter the mains before regulation.
We use a custom mains EMI/RFI filter before the power transformer and regulation stages. It reduces radio-frequency and switching noise coming from the wall and reduces noise generated inside digital equipment from flowing back into the mains. The regulator starts from a cleaner input instead of spending its effort fighting avoidable upstream noise.
The filter uses common-mode choke stages, safety capacitors, low-impedance copper connections, and proper live, neutral, and protective-earth routing. Normal 50/60 Hz power passes through; high-frequency noise is attenuated before it reaches the transformer, rectifier, regulator, clock, USB, DAC, or analog output sections.
Design priorities
Built to preserve musical signal integrity
Quieter AC input
Our mains filtering lowers RF, switching, and common-mode noise before it reaches the transformer and downstream DC rails.
Tight regulation
Our linear supplies are specified for very tight line and load regulation, with regulation targets down to +/-0.005% where the rail calls for it.
Nichicon capacitance
We use Nichicon reservoir and local capacitors for energy storage and frequency-spread filtering instead of relying on a single bulk capacitor alone.
No switching clock
Linear regulation feeds sensitive digital and analog sections without adding a high-frequency SMPS clock inside the product.
Fast recovery
When the load changes quickly, our supply is designed to recover without overshoot or ringing that can harden timing, texture, and dynamics.
Separated responsibilities
Supply treatment is matched to compute, clocking, digital receiver, conversion, and analog stages.
Ground-aware layout
Ground and chassis behavior are handled carefully so low-level audio stages are not used as a path for unwanted noise.
Product matching
Voltage, current capacity, filtering, and enclosure strategy are matched to each component.
Build path
Every rail is chosen for the product it feeds.
Transformer choice, regulator behavior, reservoir capacitance, local filtering, voltage, current capacity, grounding, and enclosure layout are matched to the product role. A USB Streamer, USB Reclocker, DDC, DAC, and amplifier do not ask the supply to do the same job, so we do not treat power as a generic accessory.