Intro
Contents
LHY is a subsidiary brand of the longstanding audio brand Jay’s Audio from China. LHY offers a number of products in the area of power supplies, clocks and switches. In this review, we look at the SW-8 and the linear power supply: the LPS50VA.
The LPS50VA Linear Power Supply (459 Euro) was tested as a power source for a simple Cisco Switch, putting a comparison with the LHY SW-8 switch (849 Euro) into more context. Alpha Audio has already written, compared and researched a lot in terms of the impact of switches on audio. For more background, we recommend reading “Why a good switch does matter for streaming audio. And our recent blind multitest.
What has been compared?
Your reviewer is using a Cisco switch powered by an iFi PowerX. Replacing the iFi PowerX with the LHY linear power supply is the first comparison. Then replacing this combination in its entirety with the LHY Switch.
The products
The LHY linear power supply can be ordered in variants, differing in maximum deliverable power and output voltages. We have a 50 watt power supply with two 12 volt connections that can deliver up to 3.5 amps of power.
The power supply comes in a black metal case. On the front is an on/off button with a blue LED behind it that lights up when the supply is on and a display that shows the output voltage, also in blue.
The LHY Switch has a nicely made aluminum casing and is surprisingly heavy. It feels substantial and serious. That says nothing about its sonic qualities, of course, but it’s always nice when you can see and feel from a device that it was designed and built with attention. The switch itself consists of three linear power supplies, a temperature-controlled clock crystal and a Linksys switch whose Linksys-mounted power supplies have been replaced by the linear power supplies. All words that make the heart of the technically oriented audio enthusiast beat faster, because a check mark can be put behind all the buzzwords in audio land.
If you are a little less sensitive to that, or simply don’t care that much, you can read on. This review is based on listening and we try to make clear what LHY’s two products can bring to the audio enthusiast. And that is a lot of good things I can tell you!
Hello,
question probably asked a thousand times,
I have the choice of upgrading my system with either a LHY SW-8 switch (replacing a Dlink GS105) or a set of Ricable Magnus Power+XLR cables (replacing HMS Quartetto XLR and Audioquest Z3) for headphone listening (Matrix audio mini i-4, Violectric DHA V590², Hifiman 1000SE).
Which would be the best choice for my system?
Best regard
Hello Jacques. that’s impossible to say. It depends. Let your ears make the decision.
I hav3 the LHY SW-8. And speaking with the engineers
The ocxo clock takes roughly 300 hours to fully run in
I just let music play 24-7,
2 things to mention that gave it a solid added5+% was a decent power cord ,I used the Pangea awg14 sig mk2 , and Hifi tuning supreme 1.25 amp slow blow fuse better then both the Sonore deluxe Ethernet to fiber which imo bleaches the sound
And better then the ether regen both we used a 7 v fared LPS
This is made by Ja yes Audio , streaming now is far better sounding , my brothers Innuos Ethernet switch is far better
And will get one for Xmas ,one mentiin the T+A200 dac exceptional and = or beats dacs at 2x it’s $7200 cost a great dac to look out for.