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Other devices — Merason Pow1
Description, images, technical data and specifications
Merason Pow1
Image source — © Merason
The pow1 is a linear power supply from Merason, the Swiss company whose products are made in Switzerland by dafraud GmbH. It was designed exclusively for the frérot, Merason's compact DAC based on the TI 1794A converter, and replaces the DAC's standard supply. It became available in May 2021, priced at GBP 595 in the UK.
Key specs that matter
The pow1 generates -12 V and +12 V rails, each regulated in two stages. It contains three linear supplies, two for the audio section and one for the digital audio and logic sections. The toroidal transformer is made by Trafox to Merason's specification, and capacitors are from Nichicon. The housing is metal with a shielding cover, and the connection to the DAC is a 5-pin DIN cable.
Engineering and use context
The second regulation stage of the ±12 V rails is discrete and particularly low in noise. The reference voltage for this regulation comes from a precise IC rather than the Zener diodes commonly used, since Zener references add noise. The shielding cover keeps the transformer's field inside the housing. The rectifier diodes are special types chosen to avoid the switching spikes of ordinary rectifiers, which reduces interference in the supply. With the pow1 connected, the frérot's output stage is powered directly by the external supply, while the third supply feeds the individual regulators of the DAC's digital audio and logic sections. Moving the transformer and rectification out of the DAC's small chassis also removes their magnetic fields and heat from the converter circuits. The frérot has one USB input based on Amanero, two RCA and two Toslink inputs, all galvanically isolated and dejittered, and a fully balanced architecture with four channels from DAC modules to outputs. It plays PCM up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Merason's larger DAC1 can also be upgraded with an optional supply using a 5-pin DIN connection. Sold with the frérot, the pair cost about USD 2,750 in the USA. Merason's first product was the DAC1, launched under the dafraud GmbH name. The small pow1 case is meant to sit beside or beneath the frérot on the same shelf.
Pairing
The pow1 works only with the Merason frérot, connected through the supplied cable. Together the two units form a compact DAC system for a streamer or computer source.
Alternatives
Merason makes no other stand-alone power supply, so the pow1 has no alternative of the same kind within the brand.
Key specs that matter
The pow1 generates -12 V and +12 V rails, each regulated in two stages. It contains three linear supplies, two for the audio section and one for the digital audio and logic sections. The toroidal transformer is made by Trafox to Merason's specification, and capacitors are from Nichicon. The housing is metal with a shielding cover, and the connection to the DAC is a 5-pin DIN cable.
Engineering and use context
The second regulation stage of the ±12 V rails is discrete and particularly low in noise. The reference voltage for this regulation comes from a precise IC rather than the Zener diodes commonly used, since Zener references add noise. The shielding cover keeps the transformer's field inside the housing. The rectifier diodes are special types chosen to avoid the switching spikes of ordinary rectifiers, which reduces interference in the supply. With the pow1 connected, the frérot's output stage is powered directly by the external supply, while the third supply feeds the individual regulators of the DAC's digital audio and logic sections. Moving the transformer and rectification out of the DAC's small chassis also removes their magnetic fields and heat from the converter circuits. The frérot has one USB input based on Amanero, two RCA and two Toslink inputs, all galvanically isolated and dejittered, and a fully balanced architecture with four channels from DAC modules to outputs. It plays PCM up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Merason's larger DAC1 can also be upgraded with an optional supply using a 5-pin DIN connection. Sold with the frérot, the pair cost about USD 2,750 in the USA. Merason's first product was the DAC1, launched under the dafraud GmbH name. The small pow1 case is meant to sit beside or beneath the frérot on the same shelf.
Pairing
The pow1 works only with the Merason frérot, connected through the supplied cable. Together the two units form a compact DAC system for a streamer or computer source.
Alternatives
Merason makes no other stand-alone power supply, so the pow1 has no alternative of the same kind within the brand.
Specifications
Model name
Pow1
Highlights
N/A
Dimensions (mm)
N/A
Weight (g)
N/A
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