Regularly I am asked what PSU to use as a replacement with media players.
The following rough guideline for PSU size calculation:
- USB2 max 2.5W per port used
- USB3 max 4W per port used
- SATA internal/external is about 10W average running per 3.5 HDD and above 15W/20W when starting up.
- Most Android media player boxes are about 7W-10W sustained when running APPs
- STB's powering LNB's will run in the 15W-20W range.
I personally don't like PSU's running above 50% continuous load as they tend to (over)heat, produce rippled output and fail early over time. Also prefer earthed versions despite not being common for home audio/video in The Netherlands.
My own setup now uses a shared 120W linear PSU:
I am using a 120W Linear PSU configured to 2X 12V 5A output. See attachment.
This baby is long and very heavy with good specs. Added an additional 220V power input filter myself to it.
This unit shares a single toroidal transformer but further consists of 2 fully independent linear power supplies. Obviously the unit is earthed but using a specific cable can be disconnected from earth if desired. In fact the power cable that came with it was such a version.
I use this big unit to replace several brick type and powerplug integrated switched mode PSU's.
In total have 3 different media players and a STB (sat receiver) connected all to output-1. These players are never running all in parallel but even that will stay still within power limits if accidentally happening. To wire them all together I am using a 1:4 fanout power cable (typically sold for power led strings sharing a single power adapter).
Output-2 is used to connect in the same way all powered 3.5 inch HDD's used. Connecting 3 is very safe to do, but even more will work. As HDD's produce quite a power surge when starting up it is a good practice to have them on a independent stabilizer and sequence powering these on manually.
Practical experience:
It is a nice cabling/PSU cleanup and obviously vast improvement on PSU specs working as expected/intended. Do I see and/or hear quality differences? Difficult to tell but for sure it did not harm. Being all digital the difference are difficult to perceive but could be measured for sure. I have the feeling the biggest effect on visuals is actually when watching my STB.
Others reported significant improvements on audio moving to a linear PSU. It all depends on how stable the actual HDMI clocking exchange works and the impact on the total audio chain. The better the total audio chain the bigger the chance it is the weakest link and becomes audible.
For those interested in the consumption aspect: The combined standby power consumption of the total setup remains below 3 W which surprised me a lot (expected a lot higher value). No need to switch the PSU off physically but it can be done conveniently with a single switch on the front. Leave it always on power myself. Actual power consumption during operation is hardly influenced by the new power setup.
Costs of the whole about Euro 200 including surge filter added, import taxes plus handling and additional required cables. Well worth it in my perception.
INCLUDES EXPRESS 2-4 DAY DELIVERY 