Outdoor power supply as hifi power supply

Is there an efficient power supply for Hi-Fi amps?

The major inefficiency there is in the amp itself, not in the power supply. Hypex has a switching supply for hi-fi amps. There's also a vendor on Taobao selling switching supplies for audio amps. But don't expect superb efficiency overall unless you're willing to move over to classD from SE classA. Un-regulated DC supplies are fairly efficient.

What is the function of a power supply?

This is the function of a power supply - to go from a high voltage, alternating current to a low voltage, direct current that we can use. There are two common approaches to building a power supply - linear (LPS), and switch mode (SMPS). I'll describe how both work, and touch on the relative advantages and disadvantages of each.

Are power supplies a good investment?

It's not uncommon for people to invest in additional or improved power supplies in their systems. Two famous brand that have made a fortune selling additional power supplies are Naim and Cyrus, for example the iCyrus PSX R2 pictured above, but the pattern can be found throughout the industry.

What is a switch mode power supply?

Switch mode power supplies are radically different. Compared to linear power supplies, they are complex, however they are much lighter, much more efficient, and consequently much more affordable. For an example, a 30W SMPS will weigh about 100 grams.

Do HiFi devices need 240V power?

The electronic components inside hifi equipment, and computers etc., generally do not require anything like 240V, and won't work with an alternating current, and so we need some way of converting the power from the mains outlet into something we can use in our amplifiers, DACs, etc.

How does a linear power supply work?

A linear power supply is fundamentally a very simple device. It takes mains power straight in, straight into a step-down transformer to a much lower target voltage. This is then passed through a rectifier to move the negative part of the signal to the positive side, and then through a filter to flatten it.