I recently got the P20 and watched the top review on Youtube.
The reviewer highly recommends to replace the stock PSU with the 15Volt Ifi ipower X to improve sound.
I certainly intent to play around with different tubes. But wonder if I should invest 100€ for the PSU. I am leaning towards YES.
Your honest opinions?
Nagatoro unrelated… or is she?
Depending on the power brick and what you spent on the P20, maybe?
I have a linear bench PSU that cost me less than 100€.
This here to be exact.
My 2c, take them for what they are worth, I wouldn’t spend $100 on a PSU for an amp that cost $100.
You’d be better off just spending the $200 on a better amp.
A clean linear power supply has made a difference on everything I’ve tried, but YMMV. On these iFi supplies they’re switched PS but well designed, with the active noise cancelling I’ve never tried one but from what I’ve heard they’re good but still an intermediate step to a good LPS.
I agree with @Polygonhell, it will be a sonic improvement yes but imo you might as well just get a higher preforming amp for how much you would spend on a nicer psu, tbh the p20 imo really isn’t that great to begin with
I had a P20 for a bit. It did benefit from an upgraded power supply but you don’t need a pricey one. I went with a simple 12V 3A model that was something like $9 or $11 on Amazon. It did make a noticeable improvement. The problem is the stock power supply is insufficient. You mostly just need a little more current. I don’t recommend buying a fancy power supply for the P20.
A decent variable output LPS is something that is nice to have if you’re in the hobby simply because they can bet used for 100 different things as well as for clean power. You don’t need one especially like it’s already been mentioned to power a entry level amp.
But know that everyone that just responded that you don’t need it and you should just get a better amp, probably has one or three or five of them. lol
synergy in components is great but you also want synergy in budget.
That’s fair, perhaps I should clarify, I see people overspend to improve amps of marginal quality, the Dark Voice is another example where people, spend more than the cost of the amp on tubes and mods.
For messing around with tubes that’s fine, but for pure quality of sound in most cases they would be better off just saving and buying something better.
PSU’s make a difference.
What I question here is investing $100 in a PSU for a $100 amp. Adding a PSU isn’t going to be transformational, I can certainly see spending $20 on a PSU for it, if the stock one is marginal.
What do you think of this one?
and these tubes?
Will just work. Just make sure you get center positive with those barrel-inserts.
(Can check by holding a multimeter to it. Red lead to the middle, black on the outside should not show a minus before the value)
I have used this PSU in some projects. No idea how good output ripple is (and currently don’t have an option to check).
MeanWell also makes some good ones, like this here for half of what you picked there.
If you feel like experimenting, try a Palmer Purifier between the wall adapter and the P20. This Thomann branded also works nicely.
Edit: When I write “works”, I mean as a PSU. I don’t have a P20 to check with.
