Super3 - a supercapacitor LPS, by Farad Power Supplies
- Thread starter QuadDiffuser
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I had thought that it was just aiming to better the 3’s current capability but I see now that it may offer quite a bit more. I look forward to reading your impressions.
Any changes that I made around the super 3 was very audible. (fuse, power cord, better power distributor).
So for sure the change to super 10 will be noticeable. I just wonder how big of a difference.
The production is slow, I think they keep them a bit longer to burn them in a before sending them.
It's a more complex PS with more and bigger components, it's gonna take a while to burn in.
I'd expect a couple of months for it to be ok and fully stabilised after 800 hours.
Anyone compared the level 2 copper vs silver cables?
So for sure the change to super 10 will be noticeable. I just wonder how big of a difference.
The production is slow, I think they keep them a bit longer to burn them in a before sending them.
It's a more complex PS with more and bigger components, it's gonna take a while to burn in.
I'd expect a couple of months for it to be ok and fully stabilised after 800 hours.
Anyone compared the level 2 copper vs silver cables?
No, but I can say I compares the level 2 copper to the Audio Sensibility Signature Silver DC cable. This was a significant step up with a Super3 powering a Chord TT2. It took a few weeks to settle in but then it just seemed to vanish and allow more of the music to come through. I didn’t hear the change in tonality some expect from silver after that point.
I don't have that experience with Silver as well, I think it's just more transparent and if there's noise on your system, you're gonna hear it in the highs.
If your power is clean, I think it's a good upgrade. I'll ask to demo their silver cable, I think I would like it.
Their silver Level 2 is definitely a difference.
Higher resolution, deeper soundstage etc.
it’s interesting to see the effects on EtherRegen or Sonore OpticalModule.
Higher resolution, deeper soundstage etc.
it’s interesting to see the effects on EtherRegen or Sonore OpticalModule.
I noticed that while Lumin Molex connector cables are available for the Farad 3, the U2 Mini isn’t specified (although the Lumin D1/D2/T1/T2 models are specifically listed in the instructions).
Does anyone know if the Farad 3 with the Lumin connector will work on the U2 Mini? I assume it will, but wanted to ask before ordering.
Thanks!
Does anyone know if the Farad 3 with the Lumin connector will work on the U2 Mini? I assume it will, but wanted to ask before ordering.
Thanks!
It will. I got the Farad super3 upgrade for the U2 Mini and it’s absolutely great.
Great thread! I had a Teddy Pardo LPS in my cart and was getting ready to order it when I came across this thread.
I just ordered a Farad Super 3 with the SR Purple fuse and Farad L2 Silver DC connector with the Lumin plug. It will be powering a Lumin U2 Mini, which feeds a Lampizat0r Baltic 3 DAC with upgraded KenRad NOS tubes.
Both the Farad and Lumin will be new to my system. I have been serving up Roon through a current model Synology NAS (DS-1621+) as Roon Core, to a NUC being powered with an Sbooster 18-19v LPS. The NUC is loaded with Roon ROCK, and is also my endpoint, connecting directly to the Lampi DAC. Playback has been easy and has thrilled me routinely with new little instruments or voices in the background that have only started to show up in recent months as I got my digital front end sorted out.
I’m very curious to see how the quality of my digital music is affected by the new Lumin and Farad additions. Honestly, I’ve been very happy with the playback through the NUC/ROCK, but there are occasionally harsh cymbals and sibilance on tracks that I know don’t have it. I’ve suspected it’s the NUC, and have wanted to upgrade to a Lumin for a while. So here we go!
I’ll report back here on initial impressions and then once it’s all had a chance to settle in. I’m hoping for at least the same performance at first power up. Anything better than that, as everything breaks in, is a bonus.
I just ordered a Farad Super 3 with the SR Purple fuse and Farad L2 Silver DC connector with the Lumin plug. It will be powering a Lumin U2 Mini, which feeds a Lampizat0r Baltic 3 DAC with upgraded KenRad NOS tubes.
Both the Farad and Lumin will be new to my system. I have been serving up Roon through a current model Synology NAS (DS-1621+) as Roon Core, to a NUC being powered with an Sbooster 18-19v LPS. The NUC is loaded with Roon ROCK, and is also my endpoint, connecting directly to the Lampi DAC. Playback has been easy and has thrilled me routinely with new little instruments or voices in the background that have only started to show up in recent months as I got my digital front end sorted out.
I’m very curious to see how the quality of my digital music is affected by the new Lumin and Farad additions. Honestly, I’ve been very happy with the playback through the NUC/ROCK, but there are occasionally harsh cymbals and sibilance on tracks that I know don’t have it. I’ve suspected it’s the NUC, and have wanted to upgrade to a Lumin for a while. So here we go!
I’ll report back here on initial impressions and then once it’s all had a chance to settle in. I’m hoping for at least the same performance at first power up. Anything better than that, as everything breaks in, is a bonus.
OK, it’s been a little over 50 hrs since I have been able to attach the Farad L2 Silver DC cable to the internal Lumin U2 Mini, attach that to the Farad Super 3 LPS, and power it all up. The Farad was ordered with the SR Purple fuse, so it has roughly 50 hrs on it, too. I know - way fewer hours than everything needs to really open up (I believe the average recommended time is 400-500hrs), but gotta start somewhere.
The Lumin was a demo unit from a local dealer, and I am not sure how many hours it had on it. Might be completely broken in, might not be. Either way, I restarted the perceived burn-in clock when I brought it home.
Per my post earlier, all of this is new gear to me. It is replacing a NUC 10 i7 powered by an Sbooster 18-19v AC LPS which was previously serving as my Roon ROCK Core. Several months ago I loaded Roon Core on my way underutilized Synology DS-1621+, and I’ve been using the NUC ROCK as an endpoint that the Core would stream to. My Lampizat0r Baltic 3 DAC was plugged directly into the NUC (both when serving as the ROCK Core and as the ROCK endpoint).
Sound quality was as good as anything I’d heard in my home to date, and over the course of several months to a year I have noticed regular jumps in sound quality, frequency extension, air, soundstage, etc. as I updated random parts and pieces - a new fuse here, new IC there, new vibration control, new power distribution, etc.
Beginning early summer this year the Synology/NUC/Baltic digital playback was able to regularly best my analog front end (MoFi UltraDeck with Hana ML feeding an ALLNIC H-5500 tube phono pre). So much so that I haven’t had my vinyl equipment connected for months. I haven’t spun vinyl for at least 6-8 months, and I don’t miss it at all.
Having said all of that, I also posted above that if this Lumin/Farad/SR combo turns out to be at least as good as the ROCK/NUC combo I’d be happy. Great for future upgrades, tweaks, etc. and I would know that I had as good a digital front end as I was willing to invest in.
Well… with just 50 hrs under their collective belt, this new Lumin/Farad/SR combo has already trounced the outgoing ROCK/NUC/Sbooster setup. Like, not even close!
The upper frequency extension is the first thing that jumps out at you. Not bright, not edgy or glaring, just incredibly smooth and definitely an octave-ish higher than I’d heard previously. It’s like there was a HF roll off filter that was just turned off.
Not only are the higher frequencies more present, they’re so pure and organic sounding now, too. No cymbal hash, no hard S’s, no odd distortion on upper frequencies (unless included on the tracks), just clean, clear perfect upper notes.
I also noticed that everything sounds less “restrained” now. Hard to describe, but things sound unforced or maybe less compressed now. Lots more air around everything. I can feel the room and reverbations (including low frequency) much better now. Almost like my brain is being fed enough new information and subtleties that I can subconsciously put together an idea of what the recording space was like without trying to be all super critical during playback. It just presents itself the more I listen.
There have been many times today on very familiar recordings (think The Wall, Alt J, Dire Straits, etc) that I heard what sounded similar to a guitarist turning up their volume knob or you can more clearly here when their hand picks up off the strings to start playing. And… I know this sounds completely ridiculous, but I almost feel like I heard a bass guitar player step to the side and unwrap the cord right before their part. More of the room is present now.
The only thing I’ll say from a less than impressed perspective is that I feel like the overall width of the soundstage is slightly reduced versus the previous combo. Nothing show stopping, but I’m not seeing the crazy wide soundstage that I previously did. Might open up over time (again I’m at like 50-60 hrs max).
I will also add that I’ve seen some comments about the Lumin sounding even more natural when played through the Lumin app instead of the Roon app. I didn’t want to hear that difference since the Lumin app is clunky and straight out of 1995, but it’s legit. Both my wife and 15yo immediately picked the Lumin playback over the exact same source file via Roon. Immediately. So I’m learning to navigate the Lumin app right now. It’s worth it for critical listening, but for every day, background, or friends & family get togethers the Roon app still sounds fantastic. No complaints, just a different presentation.
On that note, there have been a couple random songs that do sound fuller and more fleshed out through the Roon app than the Lumin app, but those are pretty few and far between. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything with either app, but for critical listening the Lumin app is clearly superior.
I’ll check back in after the New Year. Should be closer to 250 hrs then, hopefully that soundstage opens up some more. I can’t imagine what else might improve, but man, am I here for it. I’m tickled pink.
Great upgrade!
EDIT:
My system, if it’s relevant to anyone else…
Synology NAS DS-1621+ running Roon Core & MinimServer --> Pangea Premier SE Ethernet Cable --> Lumin U2 Mini w/ Farad Super 3 LPS, L2 Silver DC cable, SR Purple fuse --> Core Power USBe Perfect (dejitter device) --> Final Touch Audio Sinopes USB Cable --> Lampizat0r Baltic 3 (Engine 53) with Volume Control, Tubes: (EML Mesh 5U4G Regulator; NOS KenRad VT-231 (1943 date), matched/cryo treated; Gold Lion ECC82, Kevin's Stash/matched/cryo), SR Purple Fuse --> Morrow Audio MA6 w/ KLEI Pure Harmony Interconnects --> Jolida JD-502B Tube Integrated, Tubes: (NOS Mullard CV4004, Kevin's Stash/matched/cryo; NOS Sylvania 5751 Triple Mica Black Plates, matched; Gold Lion KT88s, quad matched, platinum level, cryo), SR Purple Fuse, recently refreshed components --> A.) Morrow Audio SP6 Speaker Cables --> Living Sounds Audio LSA-10 Statement Monitors / B.) Morrow Audio ULTRA REL Neutrik Cable --> REL S/510 Subwoofer.
I’m also using Core Power's DEEP=CORE 1800 Pre-Conditioner/DC Snubber and EQUI=CORE 1800 Mk III Balanced Power Conditioner, and a combination of Core Power Diamond & Gold power cables, Pangea Power Cables, and Signal Cable Power Cables.
The Lumin was a demo unit from a local dealer, and I am not sure how many hours it had on it. Might be completely broken in, might not be. Either way, I restarted the perceived burn-in clock when I brought it home.
Per my post earlier, all of this is new gear to me. It is replacing a NUC 10 i7 powered by an Sbooster 18-19v AC LPS which was previously serving as my Roon ROCK Core. Several months ago I loaded Roon Core on my way underutilized Synology DS-1621+, and I’ve been using the NUC ROCK as an endpoint that the Core would stream to. My Lampizat0r Baltic 3 DAC was plugged directly into the NUC (both when serving as the ROCK Core and as the ROCK endpoint).
Sound quality was as good as anything I’d heard in my home to date, and over the course of several months to a year I have noticed regular jumps in sound quality, frequency extension, air, soundstage, etc. as I updated random parts and pieces - a new fuse here, new IC there, new vibration control, new power distribution, etc.
Beginning early summer this year the Synology/NUC/Baltic digital playback was able to regularly best my analog front end (MoFi UltraDeck with Hana ML feeding an ALLNIC H-5500 tube phono pre). So much so that I haven’t had my vinyl equipment connected for months. I haven’t spun vinyl for at least 6-8 months, and I don’t miss it at all.
Having said all of that, I also posted above that if this Lumin/Farad/SR combo turns out to be at least as good as the ROCK/NUC combo I’d be happy. Great for future upgrades, tweaks, etc. and I would know that I had as good a digital front end as I was willing to invest in.
Well… with just 50 hrs under their collective belt, this new Lumin/Farad/SR combo has already trounced the outgoing ROCK/NUC/Sbooster setup. Like, not even close!
The upper frequency extension is the first thing that jumps out at you. Not bright, not edgy or glaring, just incredibly smooth and definitely an octave-ish higher than I’d heard previously. It’s like there was a HF roll off filter that was just turned off.
Not only are the higher frequencies more present, they’re so pure and organic sounding now, too. No cymbal hash, no hard S’s, no odd distortion on upper frequencies (unless included on the tracks), just clean, clear perfect upper notes.
I also noticed that everything sounds less “restrained” now. Hard to describe, but things sound unforced or maybe less compressed now. Lots more air around everything. I can feel the room and reverbations (including low frequency) much better now. Almost like my brain is being fed enough new information and subtleties that I can subconsciously put together an idea of what the recording space was like without trying to be all super critical during playback. It just presents itself the more I listen.
There have been many times today on very familiar recordings (think The Wall, Alt J, Dire Straits, etc) that I heard what sounded similar to a guitarist turning up their volume knob or you can more clearly here when their hand picks up off the strings to start playing. And… I know this sounds completely ridiculous, but I almost feel like I heard a bass guitar player step to the side and unwrap the cord right before their part. More of the room is present now.
The only thing I’ll say from a less than impressed perspective is that I feel like the overall width of the soundstage is slightly reduced versus the previous combo. Nothing show stopping, but I’m not seeing the crazy wide soundstage that I previously did. Might open up over time (again I’m at like 50-60 hrs max).
I will also add that I’ve seen some comments about the Lumin sounding even more natural when played through the Lumin app instead of the Roon app. I didn’t want to hear that difference since the Lumin app is clunky and straight out of 1995, but it’s legit. Both my wife and 15yo immediately picked the Lumin playback over the exact same source file via Roon. Immediately. So I’m learning to navigate the Lumin app right now. It’s worth it for critical listening, but for every day, background, or friends & family get togethers the Roon app still sounds fantastic. No complaints, just a different presentation.
On that note, there have been a couple random songs that do sound fuller and more fleshed out through the Roon app than the Lumin app, but those are pretty few and far between. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything with either app, but for critical listening the Lumin app is clearly superior.
I’ll check back in after the New Year. Should be closer to 250 hrs then, hopefully that soundstage opens up some more. I can’t imagine what else might improve, but man, am I here for it. I’m tickled pink.
Great upgrade!
EDIT:
My system, if it’s relevant to anyone else…
Synology NAS DS-1621+ running Roon Core & MinimServer --> Pangea Premier SE Ethernet Cable --> Lumin U2 Mini w/ Farad Super 3 LPS, L2 Silver DC cable, SR Purple fuse --> Core Power USBe Perfect (dejitter device) --> Final Touch Audio Sinopes USB Cable --> Lampizat0r Baltic 3 (Engine 53) with Volume Control, Tubes: (EML Mesh 5U4G Regulator; NOS KenRad VT-231 (1943 date), matched/cryo treated; Gold Lion ECC82, Kevin's Stash/matched/cryo), SR Purple Fuse --> Morrow Audio MA6 w/ KLEI Pure Harmony Interconnects --> Jolida JD-502B Tube Integrated, Tubes: (NOS Mullard CV4004, Kevin's Stash/matched/cryo; NOS Sylvania 5751 Triple Mica Black Plates, matched; Gold Lion KT88s, quad matched, platinum level, cryo), SR Purple Fuse, recently refreshed components --> A.) Morrow Audio SP6 Speaker Cables --> Living Sounds Audio LSA-10 Statement Monitors / B.) Morrow Audio ULTRA REL Neutrik Cable --> REL S/510 Subwoofer.
I’m also using Core Power's DEEP=CORE 1800 Pre-Conditioner/DC Snubber and EQUI=CORE 1800 Mk III Balanced Power Conditioner, and a combination of Core Power Diamond & Gold power cables, Pangea Power Cables, and Signal Cable Power Cables.
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I held back on this LPS because of the poor rating given to it by Audio Bacon in their LPS group testing. But that's the only real negative review, and we all know how system dependant this can get. I have a Farad 3 coming next week.
I have an Uptone JS-2 and will be comparing it directly to the Farad 5V model on a Lindemann Limetree Bridge II Streamer.
The Farad is almost half the price of the Uptone and much more limited in application. The Uptone is dual output and adjustable voltage, a much more useful product, but for pure performance a fixed voltage LPS is supposedly better than an adjustable.
So its not really a fair comparison, as these two products serve different uses. But I am itching to know if the Super 3 can beat it on pure sound quality. According to Audio Bacon it cannot, the JS-2 is way better.
I have an Uptone JS-2 and will be comparing it directly to the Farad 5V model on a Lindemann Limetree Bridge II Streamer.
The Farad is almost half the price of the Uptone and much more limited in application. The Uptone is dual output and adjustable voltage, a much more useful product, but for pure performance a fixed voltage LPS is supposedly better than an adjustable.
So its not really a fair comparison, as these two products serve different uses. But I am itching to know if the Super 3 can beat it on pure sound quality. According to Audio Bacon it cannot, the JS-2 is way better.
Audio Bacon also claimed Sbooster PSU is totally flat sounding, which it not correct imo. Just bought a Farad Super 3 with upgraded Synergistic purple fuse, level 2 copper cable and plan to use Tubulus Concentus power cord to power my English Electric switch. Hope for a great improvement!
Ya I owned the iFi iPower X too and also the better iPower Elite. But the Super3 is another level and especially performing well in every aspect of music reproduction.
In the meantime I have 3 Farads
One for EtherRegen, one for Sonore OpticalModule Deluxe and one for LUMIN U2 Mini.
Wow, must be really happy with the Farad then! I am not sure what the Sonore Optical Module is for. Do you use this between the EtherRegen and Lumin? How can you describe the improvement on the EtherRegen?In the meantime I have 3 Farads
One for EtherRegen, one for Sonore OpticalModule Deluxe and one for LUMIN U2 Mini.
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