solderdude
Grand Contributor
Don't own the RME and like KSTR believe it is well designed.
As such the leakage currents that may or may not be present may or may not show up in SE cable operation depending on the usage, used cables, used cable length and wire routing and equipment it is connected to.
In test conditions this is likely to NOT show up at all.
The concerns KSTR has with SMPS mirror mine.
In MOST cases this isn't an issue at all in audio but in some specific cases it might.
Also it really doesn't care if the PS in question is mV noise level or not.
The leakage currents are common mode and travel from mains via signal ground in other equipment and out back via mains.
Unless one specifically measures for this it won't show up.
The test from KSTR is very valid and usual in EMC testing (sometimes into the GHz range depending on the certification)
I rarely (if ever) see very relevant tests like this in the audiocommunity.
These kind of tests can ruthlessly show why some folks experience ground loop hums.
About power supplies in general.
Leakage currents can vary between very low and unacceptably high.
They can be mainly mains or HF only or combined.
For some equipment (low PSRR) a 'better' quality PS can give better results.
With high PSRR equipment it usually doesn't matter.
A wimpy power supply can be problematic when dynamic power is drawnsuch as in headphone amps driving low impedance inefficient headphones or speaker amps.
A higher amperage power supply in pretty power constant devices (DACs, pre-amps, smaal power headphone amps) usually is pointless unless the original one gets very hot and/or is not well suited for its task.
As such the leakage currents that may or may not be present may or may not show up in SE cable operation depending on the usage, used cables, used cable length and wire routing and equipment it is connected to.
In test conditions this is likely to NOT show up at all.
The concerns KSTR has with SMPS mirror mine.
In MOST cases this isn't an issue at all in audio but in some specific cases it might.
Also it really doesn't care if the PS in question is mV noise level or not.
The leakage currents are common mode and travel from mains via signal ground in other equipment and out back via mains.
Unless one specifically measures for this it won't show up.
The test from KSTR is very valid and usual in EMC testing (sometimes into the GHz range depending on the certification)
I rarely (if ever) see very relevant tests like this in the audiocommunity.
These kind of tests can ruthlessly show why some folks experience ground loop hums.
About power supplies in general.
Leakage currents can vary between very low and unacceptably high.
They can be mainly mains or HF only or combined.
For some equipment (low PSRR) a 'better' quality PS can give better results.
With high PSRR equipment it usually doesn't matter.
A wimpy power supply can be problematic when dynamic power is drawnsuch as in headphone amps driving low impedance inefficient headphones or speaker amps.
A higher amperage power supply in pretty power constant devices (DACs, pre-amps, smaal power headphone amps) usually is pointless unless the original one gets very hot and/or is not well suited for its task.
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