Core Audio Announces New Linear Power Supplies

March 6, 2014 – Core Audio Technology is excited to announce a new audiophile linear power supply that delivers unprecedentedly low noise, high versatility, and superb performance. It is becoming better-known, at least by the dozens of companies that are already licensing our power supply technology, just how important perfect power is for your audio system. It also happens to be that <a href=www.coreaudiotechnology.com/>Core Audio</a> is at the forefront of power supply research and development.

Let’s meet the Kaia Audiophile Linear Power Supply
The Kaia was originally designed to spec for aerospace and satellite applications where wide bandwidth and ultra-low noise is paramount, specifying less than 1uV RMS at 12VDC. The Kaia was a redesign to allow for scalable output current and versatile dual-rail options so that the power supply could be used to drive two devices from a single unit. This is not only better bang for the buck, but also allows for simpler power management.

Dual Rail Options
The second rail on the Kaia is an optional $400 upgrade. It is best used to power a DAC, external hard drive, or PCIe USB card. Many customers use the primary rail to power a computer and the secondary rail to power their DAC. The secondary rail utilizes a Belleson low noise regulator, so you are guaranteed excellent performance from our second rail as well, no LM317s here.

Scalable Current
Many of Core Audio’s partners sell custom music servers. Some servers utilize 400 to 700watt power supplies, and so it is important that output current be fully scalable. Transistors are kept on their own separate boards to allow for additional boards to be added as necessary for over 150A of maximum output current. Obviously this isn’t needed for our Mac Mini music servers or most devices, but it’s good to have the room for expansion should it be necessary. Current can be scaled on both primary and secondary rails. Of course, the power supply only draws from what wall what it needs. So just because it can output 25A doesn’t mean it will use 25A from your wall at all times.

Keeping our cool
Core Audio Technology likes to keep things as cool as we are to ensure a long life and greater reliability. Beyond that, heat constitutes 50% of power supply noise in the same way that heat can kill your sound in computer audio. So we go overkill with our designs, designing our regulation circuits for 4x the output current that your specification requires*. So for a 6A Mac Mini power supply, our Kaia is designed for 24A continuous output current. This keeps power dissipation on the power devices lower, meaning greater efficiency. Our design has a vent path across the width of the chassis. This can be supplemented with a silent fan to force air through the heat sinks and across the chassis, which also keeps heat away from sensitive circuitry and the pass devices cool without the need for a fan on output currents below 25A.

Mechanical design
The Kaia is almost completely SMD and made by machine. Connectors are board-mounted to eliminate internal wiring. This makes it very easy to add expansion boards and eliminates noise picked up on output wiring. In addition, it makes build quality consistent and reliable.

Key Features of Core Audio Technology’s Kaia Power Supply

• Ultra low output noise 2uV RMS
• Dual rail output available
• Scalable output current
• 4-pin XLR output connector
• Best quality parts: Completely SMD, Organic Polymer capacitors and MLCC, no resistors, discrete design.
• Factory Adjustable output voltages

Applications of Core Audio’s Power Supplies

1.Our Mac Mini and Mac Pro Music Servers are one of our most popular products. With our latest upgrades to internal shielding and wire harness upgrades the sound of our Mac Mini rivals or outperforms the best PC-based servers in a smaller, easier-to-learn package.

2.The Pixie power supply, which is a $200 DIY offering from Core Audio is an excellent low-cost, low noise power supply that can be used for Raspberry Pi, external hard drives, or other devices that can benefit from an external low noise linear power supply, but where high current or a fancy box aren’t required.

3.We license our power supplies to almost every music server company on the market. So whether you buy from us or from them you’re likely getting a really great sounding product. If your server doesn’t yet use our power supply technology then it’s usually a plug and play upgrade and we are happy to help you with that process.

Other Core Audio Power Supply options

• ATX Linear Power Supplies: Multi-rail linear power supplies with 12V, 5V, and 3.3V rails for high current music servers and PCs and proper logic circuitry.
• Balanced Power Supplies for +/- voltages often used in amplifiers and recording consoles
• Laboratory dual redundant adjustable power supplies with crowbar overvoltage, over current, and LCD Display with optional battery backup.

About Core Audio Technology

Core Audio is a small company based out of Wake Forest, North Carolina. Founded by Ryan Mintz, we are a company focused on innovation with a strong belief that music is power. From our linear power supply designs to our fully digital systems, we believe that music comes from great power supplies and simplicity where signal conversion and complex cabling are eliminated.