Coming soon, Little Pinkie PSU

[PinkFloyd]

Coming soon is the "Little Pinkie" PSU1 which will be suitable for powering the X-CANS, X-CAN V2, X-LPS and X-10D

Nothing's set in stone yet but I plan to use a 30VA toroidal transformer, Black Hammond aluminium enclosure, Illuminated on / off toggle switch and top class materials throughout.

Price will be around the £90 mark and the PSU will be available soon, if anyone's interested please let me know.

I also plan to make a top notch PSU for the X-CAN V3 (Little Pinkie PSU2) and this will also come in at around £90, this will be a few weeks down the line but it will be coming.

Pictures will be uploaded once I get the prototypes built.

[PinkFloyd]

Just working on this now and have ordered up some parts. Thinking it would be a good idea to fit two chassis mounted nickel plated DC sockets so flying leads could be used between the little Pinkie and X-Ponents (will be able to power two seperate X-Ponents) this is better than a captive lead as different types of leads can be tried if required.

I'm also thinking integrated IEC inlet filter, Led tipped toggle switch, encapsulated UL94V-0 toroidal, Black Hammond 1455 series enclosure, 20mm panel mount fuseholder..... all fully hard wired and heatshrinked with polyolefin tubing supplemented with 130C+ woven polyester sleeving....... should give the X-PSU a damned good run for its money!

[mac2006]

Would definately be interested in the PSU for the V3, keep us posted!

[rickcr42]

should give the X-PSU a damned good run for its money!

Chi-Ching !!!!!!

[PinkFloyd]

Total change of plan on the V3 power supply (Little Pinkie) I've gone for a no nonsense, high quality but affordable design and these units will be available for sale by the end of this week (taking orders now)

The prototype has been running for a few days and I'm satisfied that the sound "with it" is a lot better than listening with the stock wallwart so I'm happy to sell this PSU as a worthwhile "sound upgrade". More clarity, tighter bass and a tad more "airiness" around the musicians being the major improvements.

It's called "Little Pinkie" as it's compact (L-130mm x W-70mm x H-60mm) and sleek. I'm known as "Pinkie" on certain forums so it seemed pretty right to call her "Little Pinkie"

Little Pinkie is housed in a sturdy black ABS enclosure with inputs / outputs all at the same end of the enclosure so you can place Little Pinkie on your rack and all the spaghetti will be hidden.

I've fitted a good length (2.5 metres) of shielded cable so the Little Pinkie can be situated quite some distance from the X-CAN V3 which ensures it will be interference free in use. The shielded cable is terminated with a top notch Neutrik 3 pin DIN plug with all connections hard wired with silver loaded solder.

The "engine" is a top quality Clairtronic 30VA encapsulated transformer (Made in the UK) with twin double section bobbins (4 coil structure) which provides maximum isolation and achieves a low interwinding capacitance. Absolutely silent in operation with no discernable "buzz" or heat build up, this puppy runs as cool as a cucumber and has oodles of current on tap to satisfy even the most demanding of musical climaxes... she certainly won't run out of steam, that's for sure.

A 275V AC rated capacitor is strapped across the mains input to suppress interference (something that neither the stock wallwart or X-PSU employs) and internal wiring is not only hard wired with silver bearing solder, it is also supplemented with heatshrink "and" then given a liberal dose of hot melt glue to prevent against oxidisation and to ensure the joint is impervious to any form of mechanical stress.

Each Little Pinkie will obviously be fully tested before the key areas are potted in hot melt glue (I guesstimate that 8 hot glue sticks are used in each unit so you can be assured that there's no skimping in this area. Every single part of the wiring is strategically "clamped" to ensure the unit will remain mechanically "sound" whatever environment / shipping abuse it is subjected to.

Each unit will be hand built by myself from my workshop in Scotland. Parts cost is pretty high (one of the disadvantages of living in the UK) and each unit will take me approximately 3 hours to build / test so I have to obviously take this all into consideration when thinking about a "price" (yeh, this is primarily a hobby where I normally "DIY" at parts cost for a fellow enthusiast but I can no longer provide that service due to the "demand" and, most importantly, my Time)

The Little Pinkie will be £75 built and tested. Shipping to the UK will be £6. Rest of Europe £10. USA / ROW £15. Shipping to all destinations will be via Trackable / Recorded delivery.

Pictures to follow shortly.

All the best.

Mike.

[PinkFloyd]

Here it is, the pictures don't really do it any justice but here they are: www.rock-grotto.co.uk/pinkiepsu.htm

[rickcr42]

Here it is, the pictures don't really do it any justice

The hell ! Looks good to me and I would order one if I had an X-Can V3 in a N.Y. minute dude.Very tidy layout and not even close to ugly.

Kudos mikester

[alan]

Hi Mike

The original design included an on-off switch. There doesn't appear to be one on the new model - is that the case? It would be useful to a nyumber of people - a de-luxe version perhaps?

Alan

[rickcr42]

Having at least access to an on/off switch is usally a good idea even though many leave low level electronics on 24/7 but I am one that beleives the switch belongs on the actual electronic device and not on the external power supply box unless it uses a vacuum tube rectifier (life of the part).

I prefer my cable stetched out rather than bundled and tied which unless the psu-to-amp cable is kept very short would be the case.that or dangling down behind the rack (looking sloppy to my taste but better than a tied loop that can pick up RFI as if an antenna)

at least that is my personal take on a two box solution

looking at the back of the V3 it would appear there is plenty of space to add a toggle switch on the back panel (though would void the warranty ;D ) which to me would be best placed directly above the power inlet connector making use easy.Just reach over the top and "toggle' the switch



For those who like to keep power supply/electronic device together I see a few options to easily incorporate a power on/off switch into the "Little Pinky" (things a full grown take charge woman might say to a male who is lacking ? ) :

1-Unobtrusive : combination IEC Inlet/Power switch unit so will fit a single hole on the back

www.mouser.com/catalog/627/879.pdf#search=%22iec%20ac%20inlet%20with%20switch%22

2-Semi Intrusive : Front panel black rocker switch

3-WAY Intrusive : Lighted panel rocker

all about taste and what passes for easy to use.



Not trying to thread crap here folks but just offering up possibles

[PinkFloyd]

OK, things are getting confusing this end! People want them with toroids, glass cases, switches, neon lights.... you name it they want it Unfortunately I can't chop and change and am just going to keep this simple as something that "sounds good" yet is relatively cheap to buy.

I've been trying to pack 30VA into an even "smaller" enclosure and have got it just right without compromising on sound quality. Same 30VA encapsulated transformer packed into an enclosure measuring only L- 95mm x W- 65mm x H- 55mm, not bad eh?

Here she is:







Same Clairtronics transformer, same Neutrik 3 pin DIN plug but now housed in a much more compact enclosure with a captive mains lead in one end and a captive 12-0-12V out the other end.

Construction time is greatly reduced and this will be reflected in the price...... £45. The same level of sound quality as this Little Pinkie:



But £30 cheaper

The guy who wanted a switch........ there's the "Big Pinkie" @ £95:


Big Pinkie





A bit more metal, a 30VA toroid and switch for your money but essentially does the same job as the Little Pinkie.

So, to get this straight here's what I'm offering at the moment:

The Little Pinkie - £45



The Slinky Pinkie - £75



The Big Pinkie - £95





They all do the same job (ie: make the V3 sound better) but there's a bit of choice with regard to switches, styling etc.

I plan to just make the Little Pinkie from now on (there's a couple of Slinky Pinkies and Big Pinkies left) as I believe it offers superb value for money whilst offering the same degree of performance.

Mike.

[PinkFloyd]

This little guy has now got heavy duty rubber feet on board as well as the Neutrik 3 Pin DIN plug. Its 2.5amp rating (2500mA) ensures it packs a BIG punch from it's small (ish) dimensions.

First impressions from Neil who has been running his for a couple of days:

Hi Mike,

I've been listening to the Slinky for a few hours now. I'm pleased with it - not only because it's a quality bit of kit that'll drive my 6N1P's happily, but also because I noticed the same improvements in sound you mentioned. More 'confident' sound? Slightly clearer, tighter, and better imaging, and seemly just more sound with increased volume if that makes sense.

Thanks!

Regards,

Neil

[PinkFloyd]

mrarroyo said:

Mine should arrive this week! Looking forward to spending some time with it and the X-Can V3 Mike modded for me. Oh Mike, next week I will be sending you an email because I will need a second PSU. Today I called MusicDirect to get a demo X-Dac V3 for $475 plus $7 for S&H.

Well, they called me back and since they can not fill the order they are sending me a brand new unit for the same price. Guess today was my lucky day!

That's awesome news Miguel! Great to get something at a knock down price! You have a good listen to your PSU and let me know what you think (your impressions are always welcomed) it's on its way as I type this so should be with you shortly.

All the best.

Mike.

[rickcr42]

That's awesome news Miguel! Great to get something at a knock down price!

and deal with an outfit that values customer over profit.Very cool and a high recommendation for Music Direct.class act there folks

[PinkFloyd]

The X-DAC V3 looks great Miguel what does she sound like?

I've pretty much finalised the Little Pinkie now and have decided to add a switch, for convenience, I have also fitted a chassis mount DIN socket so the power lead to the X-ponent is no longer captive. This gives the user the scope to fit a different cable if they want but the one I supply with the Little Pinkie is top quality, shielded, Neutrik 3 pin at the X side and moulded 5 pin at the Little Pinkie side.... nice tight fit and 2.5 metres of it so the Little Pinkie can be sited quite far away from the X-Ponent if required. Same figure of 8, AC in, chassis mounted socket. Same robust heavy duty feet.

The engine is the same, mounted with 4 x screws and a generous glob of hot melt glue so mechanical integrity is assured. All connections are hard wired, switch and DIN socket are supplememented with heatshrink and quality hook up wire is used throughout.

I'll make up a 110V version tomorrow Miguel so, should you want one, there'll be one here for you.

Here are a few pics of the Little Pinkie:


Engine department


Shows the Pinkie to X-Ponent power cord (supplied)


Heavy duty rubber feet ensure Little Pinkie remains firm on the deck


Rear View


Front view (shows minature on / off toggle switch)


Rear chassis mount connectors (power in and power out)

[PinkFloyd]

mrarroyo said:

Beautiful work there Mike. The X-Dac sounds good out of the box, I would like to put at least 100 hours to make a more informed call. It replaced my Chinese made non- oversampling Lite Dac-AH. The Lite Dac-AH I have has not been modded, there are a couple of mods like the passive mod (takes out the output OP amps) which supposedly help to make the treble less grainy. I will probably do the mods in early October.

Sounds like you're going to be busy Miguel!

I will say that the Lite Dac-AH sounds fantastic for $162 including S&H. Would you like to listen to it un-modded? I could ship it out with the X-Can V2 which I would like you to mod (every little trick). I assume you have a 220V to 110V transformer, right?

Thanks so much for your offer Miguel but I'll have to pass on the DAC, I've got so much stuff here already it's swallowing me up! Plus the shipping of these things from the States is ludicrously expensive but thanks so much for your kind offer, most appreciated. X-CAN V2, I look forward to working on her. All you have to do, to keep shipping costs down, is to send the PCB's (well bubblewrapped) and front panel (if you can't desolder the 2 LED wires) no need for the PSU or the valves I've got plenty of those my end.

By the way, which PSU would you recommend for the X-Dac V3? The same one I got for the X-Can V3? Those the X-Dac V3 draw as much current as the X-Can V3?

Well, the X-PSU (which powers the X-DAC V3) is 20VA. The Little Pinkie is "30" VA so you can be assured it's very well suited to the X-DAC V3. The X-DAC will only draw as much current from the PSU as it requires, you can't force feed it current it doesn't need, so the 30VA Little Pinkie will have plenty of juice on tap for every occasion. Plus, the 30VA will give you slightly better regulation than the 20VA X-PSU... basically you can't have a PSU that is "too big" but you can have a PSU / wallwart that is too small, which is sometimes the case with the stock 500mA wallwart when the amp is playing demanding passages at hefty volco levels, you'll be fine with the Little Pinkie and why don't you give it a go with the one you already have before ordering another? Go get the Little Pinkie plugged into your X-DAC V3 and see what you think

Finally what PSU would you recommend for the X-Can V2?

A good quality 30VA transformer as used in the Little Pinkie would be ideal if you wanted them to all match. If you're not too bothered about wallwarts I can recommend a good quality 1000mA "wart" as a good, cheap, alternative. As long as it's output is 12V AC you're good to go.

All the best.

Mike.

[PinkFloyd]

Beautiful work there Mike.

Thanks Miguel, they're coming on a treat but I think I could speed up the cutouts with a more suitable tool. "Hand Made" is no joke and I've, until now, been cutting the holes out with all sort of stoneage devices. It's a bit less laborious now I've bought a hole punch for the chassis mount DIN and am using a suitable attachment on my dremel to get the cutout for the figure of 8 socket absolutely spot on.


End panels waiting to be cleaned after hole cutting

So, you're pretty guaranteed that each one of these is an "individual" and, if you're lucky, you may even find the odd bit of sheeps wool inside one Plenty of fresh mountain air inside them, that's for sure!

[rickcr42]

looking good there Mike.

[alan]

I've now had my Little Pinkie for just over a week (thanks Mike) and thought it might be worth posting my impressions.

First off, it's smaller and neater in the flesh (or the plastic) than it looks in the pictures, very nicely made, and I personally find the switch a real benefit. It also runs pretty cool - just getting slightly warm underneath. Overall pretty well house trained.

In terms of sound, it's a definite improvement. I use a standard, un-modded, X-Can V3 and an old, but still wonderful, pair of 600 ohm Bayer 990s which need voltage rather than raw current so wasn't necessarily expecting a huge step forward, and was pleasantly surprised.

I liked Neil's description of a "more confident" sound, which sums it up nicely. There is definitely more deep bass - the start of Donald Fagen's excellent Morph the Cat shows this up very well, and more "air" higher up - shown by pretty much any female vocalist. The best part however was a noticeable increase in precision - this is difficult to explain but it's what makes it easier to tell whether, for instance, it's a Martin rather than a Gibson guitar on a track, and how it's being played.

Overall seventy five quid well spent. I'll be back for the upgrade kit as soon as the guarantee on the X-Can runs out!

Alan

[theadmans]

Can I use the Little Pinky with an X-10D ? The power input socket on X-10d is not a DIN type like the X10V3 - it uses the small DC connector.

[PinkFloyd]

theadmans said:

Can I use the Little Pinky with an X-10D ? The power input socket on X-10d is not a DIN type like the X10V3 - it uses the small DC connector.

Hi theadmans,

Welcome to Rock Grotto! No, you can't use the Little Pinkie V3 with the X-10D but you can use the Little Pinkie V2 with it, details here: www.rock-grotto.co.uk/pinkiev2.htm It uses the same engine as the LPV3 but is configured for 12V output instead of 24VCT (12 0 12) for the V3.

All the best.

Mike.