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Most of your CD/DVD players and DACs uses generic voltage regulators like 78xx and 79xx series.  A few better ones uses the adjustable versions like 317/337 types.  All are cheap, easy to use and does their job.  All generate a large amount of wide band noise around 40~50mV in the audio band and are slow on response to changes in the power supply line.  None are good enough for audio.  Of course this is to be expected, as they are really designed for digital circuits in the first place!! 

So are you resigned to use these inferior technologies (which cost less than $1 each) to run your output stage, when you spend tens of dollars on exotic capacitors and opamp modules/tubes?  Well, you can use a EA Ultima reg to make sure you are getting the best from your equipment!!  

EA Ultima regulators are designed to be a drop in replacement for the TO220 package 78xx and 79xx series of regulators.  The design starts off with a low noise voltage reference that further filtered to remove noise within the audio bandwidth.  It is then fed to one of the industry’s lowest noise and fastest opamp.  The opamp (the brain) controls a pass element (the brawl) which provides the current needed to run your circuit.  An active current source runs the actual driver circuit which is biased into class A for the best possible performance.  It also ensures proper operation by activating the circuit before the opamp takes over, as the opamp gets its supply from the clean output, not on the input.

For the best possible performance the board is designed to be hand-mounted and not thru machine.  Only this way can the distance between the components be kept to a minimal for lowest possible noise performance.  Each module is manually fine tuned and tested before shipping to meet our most exact requirements

No heat sink required for most applications!

No heat sink is required, as the pass element is located on the back of the 4-layer opamp PCB, which is open padded to act as the heat sink.  By locating the pass element on the back also dramatically reduces thermal noise on the actual critical circuits and control elements.  For best performance, the guarantee power dissipation is 1.2W and maximum current Output is 350mA. 

Is this enough?

For example, if your input is 12V and your output is 5V, then you have 7V to drop over the regulator.  The EA Reg (5V version) will then be able to provide up to 170mA(1.2W / 7V) of current in this condition without heatsink.  So for 350mA the voltage drop cannot be more than 3.42V (1.2W / 0.35A) Given that most stereo players use less than 100mA, this is definitely enough. 

Where to install ? 

The regulator than affects audio most will be those that run the analog audio section of the player.  These include the analog output and buffer stage (which typically uses +/- rails) as well as the analog section of the DAC chip.  So typically you need 3 to 4 regulators.  The other place where they make a huge difference will be the circuit that runs clocks.  I do not find them to be very beneficial for other circuit locations, especially those that runs the pure digital circuits, so don’t waste money on these locations

What will you hear?

Properly Installed, you WILL be able to hear

• More transparency

• More details

• More dynamic contrast and speed

• Sweet highs with firm and fast bass

• Mo muddyness of sound

THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE NIGHT AND DAY!!

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