A different universal AC adapter with a polarity reversing adapter. A while back I tried using AA batteries with AA to C adapters and I was getting the same results.

I’m currently using THIS power supply (12V/3A) to power a test strip of 600 LEDs, it conveniently allows me to connect the LED wires and a USB to power the boards.

I get some discoloration when cranking up the LED brightness in the code, but I don’t need them to operate at max brightness.

Wallwart AC to DC power adapter with choice of seven voltages plus USB output too:

• 3 Amp (45 Watt max) - Amazon - Photo

Bench DC power supply - variable output plus USB output too:

• 5 or 10 Amp - Amazon - Photo

I’m currently using THIS power supply and I’m able to power all LEDs and the RP/BT from the USB port also present on it.

I did notice some issues when cranking all LEDs to max brightness white color, but they will rarely be used in that state. I’m able to test multiple patterns by limiting the brightness value in the code.

I’m currently trying to figure out the best/cheapest components that would make up a board that does just what I need. I plan on testing the ESP32-S3 to confirm, but I’m not familiar with other commonly used chip options or how to effectively find them. Is DigiKey’s library a place where I can assume all top market choices will be present?