All PSUs have some noise, even linear ones. It might be negligible, or if you are unlucky, severe. But the Pi boards do not use 5V internally -- everything is regulated (switched mode) to lower voltages. So a bit of noise at 5V is not an issue for the Pi. Equipment on USB and HDMI connections may be susceptible, but that is still unlikely.Though some quick research tells me that there is some potential for noise with a switching power supply.
Noise can arise from the AC input, from the switching process, or from response to load variation. Only one of these sources is unique to switching regulators.
And finally, almost all voltage conversion below 50V is now switched mode -- the efficiency is much higher, resulting in lower running costs and less waste heat. That includes all standard computer supplies. Only a few audiophile systems blindly insist that "linear is best" rather than seeking to find an optimised low-noise switching supplies.
Statistics: Posted by davidcoton — Sat Jul 20, 2024 8:10 am