When I come across a plug-in power supply, I instantly think about a better alternative - regardless of whether it feeds an analogue or digital component and whether there is a switching or linear power supply in the plug housing. As soon as I unpacked the splendid Soundsmith Strain Gauge, I knew I was going to give it a try with a power supply upgrade.

In case you haven’t read the review about the Strain Gauge: This cartridge operates neither according to the moving-magnet, the moving-iron nor the moving-coil principle and doesn’t need an equalizing preamplifier, but a preamp unit that draws its voltage via two sockets. As already said, I react almost reflexively to plug-in power supplies. That's why I ordered two power supplies from Ferrum shortly after the Soundsmith arrived. But they were left out for the time being, while the Strain Gauge kept enchanting me with its enormously coherent and homogeneous sonic image as well as its dynamics, resolution and spatial imaging. Shortly before putting this rather euphoric statement on paper, I wanted to try out the scope of sonic possibilities with the two external hybrid power supplies. So I first hooked up the two Ferrum Hypsos to the SG-200 preamp without any cartridges connected. No matter which power supply I switched on first, as soon as the second one was added, the green LED above the minus sign switched off. In order not to endanger either the SG-200 or the power supply units, I stopped my experiments and concluded the testing procedure.

I then tried to find out why the Soundsmith did not work with the Ferrums. A friend of a colleague and owner of a Strain Gauge had reported that an additional power supply with a Y-cable to the two sockets of the Soundsmith preamp had not worked for him either. With two SBooster power supplies, however, everything ran smoothly and he liked the sound of his Strain Gauge even more. Eventually, on the website of the Dutch power supply specialists, who have their gear produced in Bulgaria, I then found a special set with two SBoosters, each of them providing 24 volts. So I called Wiebren Draaijer, the developer of the power supplies and head of SBooster, to find out which kind of particular circuitry lets his designs harmonise with the SG-200. He assured me, however, that the SBooster recommended for the SG-200 boasted no special features. As with all models, the negative pole of the direct current is not in contact with the earth of the mains. In a conversation with Frank Schröder, a designer of tonearms and accomplished connoisseur of Soundsmith cartridges, I got to know that the two channels of the cartridge are supplied with inverted voltages. With an ohmmeter I then found out that the middle pin (+) of the right socket, when seen from behind, used for connecting to the power supply is connected to the outer contact (-) of the left socket and both are connected to the earth terminal intended for the turntable. In this case a Y-cable can't work of course.

With two power supplies whose negative poles are not connected to the earth of the mains plug, as it is the case with the Soundsmith plug-in power supplies or the SBooster, there are usually no problems whatsoever. The only aspect that remains to be clarified is why it doesn't work with the Ferrum supplies. Marcin Hamerla, the head of the Polish electronics specialists, outlines after having consulted his engineers responsible for the Hypsos models that because of its metal enclosure, it  belongs to a different electrical protection class than, for example, the SBooster or the standard plug-in power supply units with their plastic housings: With the Ferrum, the negative pole of the DC voltage is connected to the earth of the mains voltage. The circuitry of the SG-200 therefore short-circuits the Hypsos. Fortunately, both the Ferrums and Soundsmith SG-200 are well protected against mishandling and so survived my experiments unscathed. So it was well  appreciated that Wiebren Draaijer already during our first telephone conversation suggested to send an SBootser set for operation with the Strain Gauge to Gröbenzell - an offer I now gladly accept based on my previous findings.

My colleagues and I have reported many a time on the SBooster power supply units here, whether in their first version or their current MKII variant, and that in every application they have led to significant improvements. Regarding the current state of technology, I therefore simply recommend the article about the MKII. Of course, to get started with the first test I disconnected the SG-200 from the rest of the system and then connected the two stronger power supplies before switching them on: As the lights on the preamp indicate, there is not the slightest problem with the SBoosters. So nothing stands in the way of now operating the Strain Gauge with the SG-200 powered by the SBoosters - except for the Thiele TA01 tonearm, which has reclaimed its position for short tonearms on the Brinkmann LaGrange after having performed the Soundsmith's test and whose cabling should still accumulate a few more hours of operation before stepping over to the test. But instead of dismantling the Thiele and proceeding to operate the Strain Gauge in Einstein's short version of The Tonearm, I remove the Lyra Etna from the (almost) tangentially tracing pivoted tonearm and adjust the Soundsmith to it instead.

After the long break, it needs a little warming-up which it completes with its regular power supplies. On Brother Jack McDuff's Screamin', Joe Jukes seems to let his cymbals explode, the Hammond comes up sounding also in unusual registrations, while Leo Wright's alto sax plays with vigour and Kenny Burrell provides the necessary drive with his guitar solos: a perfect mixture of tonal colours, joyfulness and a lot of groove. Since I had to learn during the test of the ADOT media converter that even components that are commonly assigned to the computer peripherals category show better results after a few hours of operation, the two brand-new 24-volt power supplies burn in a while before I start to compare them with the standard Soundsmith units. While I'm at it, I treat myself to Zakir Hussain's fantastic album Making Music, which I rediscovered while testing the Strain Gauge. I'm sure I haven't heard the dynamics of guitar, tablas and saxophone with the Soundsmith like this before: There just seems to be no limit in terms of slew rate, energy and accuracy. In between, the flutes and the softly strummed strings of the guitar sound with a tenderness that almost melts your heart. I have never heard the Strain Gauge that good!

However, since I enjoyed this record the last time, there have also been two changes in my audio chain: First, my two Velodynes arrived in the meantime and are now playing along in the system. And in addition to that, the Strain Gauge - as aforementioned - is led through the grooves by the Thiele TA01 instead of Einstein's The Tonearm. So, if I want to assess the influence of the two SBoosters on their own, I can't avoid exchanging the power supplies: Still, the standard power supplies are really good. However, I had already been convinced that the Strain Gauge is one of the very best cartridges available. Nevertheless, the two SBoosters make up the stakes: The imaging gets a bit bigger, the soundstage seems a hint deeper, the instruments become more finely differentiated, and the dynamics benefit as well. All these improvements are by no means huge, but their sum reaches an impressive scale. But much more important for me is: With the SBoosters I simply enjoy the music more!