Check out the main review here.
Please keep in mind this is a comparison of the world’s BEST power supplies. These were recommended by you. So consider it a filtered list of power supplies that are worth serious consideration.
Ranking these power supplies was an extremely arduous exercise. I had a listening session for each criterion so that I could focus on one thing at a time. Some of the relative differences were obvious and some weren’t. For the latter, I would have to do another heads-up comparison and do them again weeks later for the sake of consistency.
As mentioned, I enjoyed different power supplies for different reasons. Depending on what you’re planning on connecting them to, you’ll most likely decide on a different power supply for the job (rather than the same one across all your components).
The lower the number, the higher the rank for that specific criteria.
Best Audiophile Linear Power Supplies
Here's a table to help you with a purchasing decision. Again, these are just MY subjective opinions. Yours may vary depending on your equipment and tastes.The columns are mostly self-explanatory. But I'll clarify a few.
"Shape" is how much it sounds like 3D, molded objects. Basically indicates which one gives you the impression that they're in the room.
"Technical" basically indicates which power supply does "more stuff" overall. This could be detail, soundstage, body, bass, etc. That said, it doesn't mean it's the better power supply for YOU. For example, the JCAT Optimo Duo 3 has great form, a nice sprinkle of shine, fantastic focus, good weight, and bass. But the Paul Hynes SR4-12's tonal color sounds a lot more like the real thing...but doesn't quite have the other technicals of the Optimo.
| Tonality | Bass | Treble | Resolution | Texture | Soundstage Width | Soundstage Depth | Shape | Technical | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Jacobs DC4 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Paul Hynes SR7 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Plixir Elite BDC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| Paul Hynes SR4T | 14 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| JCAT Optimo 3 Duo | 4 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Mojo Audio Illuminati V3 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| Fidelizer Nikola2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| UpTone Audio JS-2 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Paul Hynes SR4-12 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| HDPLEX 300W | 3 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| JCAT Initio 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 11 |
| Farad Super3 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| SBooster BOTW P&P ECO MKII | 7 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Shanti Dual Linear Ultra Low Noise PSU | 10 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
*** Update 9/11/2023: Paul Hynes has gone under a lot of scrutiny for misappropriating funds and customer deposits. Many have lost their deposits, including myself (it wasn’t a small amount). There’s recent speculation and some confirmed accounts of Paul stealing deposits from unsuspecting customers for potential power supply builds. I’m just keeping his supplies here for posterity, but please do not attempt to purchase a power supply from Paul Hynes.
Audio Bacon's PERSONAL Ranking
For those curious about what my favorite power supplies were, here are the rankings. My preference is for a warmer/darker and more romantic sound. And I'm willing to sacrifice transparency and even soundstage depth for it. Honestly, it was tough to give specific ranks to each since I enjoyed them for different reasons, especially those at the top 6.But as you could see, some of these power supplies perform SO well in other areas - I just can't overlook their performance (the neutral power supplies tend to have more believable corporeal bodies.). So even though I MUCH prefer the tonality of the SR4-12 or Nikola2, the ones above them just have more performance in one area or another. Essentially, this is a ranking of the power supplies with the best balance of technical and musicality.
Please take this ranking with a grain of salt. Depending on the component, I may actually select a power supply lower on the list.
| Color | Price | Rails | Price Per Rail | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Hynes SR7 | Neutral | $2,200 | 2 | $1,100 | 1 |
| Sean Jacobs DC4 | Neutral | $7,500 | 2 | $3,750 | 2 |
| Paul Hynes SR4-12 | Warm | $468 | 1 | $468 | 3 |
| Plixir Elite BDC | Neutral-Cool | $553 | 1 | $553 | 4 |
| JCAT Optimo 3 Duo | Dark | $1,770 | 2 | $885 | 5 |
| Fidelizer Nikola2 | Warm | $750 | 1 | $750 | 6 |
| UpTone Audio JS-2 | Neutral-Warm | $925 | 2 | $463 | 7 |
| Mojo Audio Illuminati V3 | Neutral-Warm | $1,999.95 | 2 | $999.98 | 8 |
| JCAT Initio 3 | Warm-Dark | $885 | 2 | $443 | 9 |
| Paul Hynes SR4T | Neutral | $564 | 1 | $564 | 10 |
| Farad Super3 | Neutral | $577 | 1 | $577 | 11 |
| HDPLEX 300W | Warm | $685 | 4 | $171 | 12 |
| SBooster BOTW P&P ECO MKII | Neutral-Warm | $359 | 1 | $359 | 13 |
| Shanti Dual Linear Ultra Low Noise PSU | Neutral-Cool | $159 | 2 | $80 | 14 |
