Uptone Audio Regen

[jtwrace]

Mine just arrived....

[jtwrace]

Installed and playing...

 

 

[hifial]

I just came back from being out and what do you think was waiting for me....

 

 

 

SHOW TIME!!

 

Mmm, where do I start...so many choices.

[jtwrace]

I'd start in the other thread! ;-)

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/uptone-audio-regen-listening-impressions-24078/

[esimms86]

Would be curious to hear from John Swenson as to how the sound compares between the USB cable/Regen combo vs. the Sonore Signature Rendu with I2S(clearly, two different products with different target audiences; no offense intended to either product, rather, just looking to hear whether or not the Regen levels the playing field for those of unable to use I2S or otherwise not interested in or unable to use SPDIF).

 

Esau

[Audioclyde]

Downside to having audio toys delivered to the office (with no Saturday delivery)--so I will have to wait till Monday to get my Regen installed.

[jtwrace]

Downside to having audio toys delivered to the office (with no Saturday delivery)--so I will have to wait till Monday to get my Regen installed.

 

Perfect excuse to take a drive to the office and "check on things". ;-) Go for employee (or owner) of the year! We will not tell anyone.

[Audioclyde]

Perfect excuse to take a drive to the office and "check on things". ;-) Go for employee (or owner) of the year! We will not tell anyone.

 

Unfortunately mail just doesn't get delivered in our building on the weekend .

 

I'm enjoying breaking in a new pair of Audio Note monos anyway, and after this weekend they will be pretty much burned in (or 'bedded in' as Peter Q puts it), so a couple more days before introducing the Regen is likely a good thing.

 

Jason, please do share your reaction so far (besides your initial reaction ).

[jtwrace]

Unfortunately mail just doesn't get delivered in our building on the weekend ��.

 

I'm enjoying breaking in a new pair of Audio Note monos anyway, and after this weekend they will be pretty much burned in (or 'bedded in' as Peter Q puts it), so a couple more days before introducing the Regen is likely a good thing.

 

Jason, please do share your reaction so far (besides your initial reaction ��).

 

Ah, sweet! Good Luck with them.

 

Head on over to the other thread for listening impressions. Good timing, I just posted.

[REShaman]

I was moved to place an order for the Regen (very) early this morning and to take my place on line for a May delivery. Music's the thing. The equipment seduces. Looking forward to hearing what Alex and John's every little bit helps contributes to the quality of SQ. Wishing us all good fortune with our choice and, of course, Alex and John for the hard work that went into designing, creating and contributing to the computer audiophile experience.

 

Enjoying the music,

Richard

[jexby]

my Regen destined to arrived on Monday evening. first connection will be with iFi iPower 9V/1.5A to the Gungnir USB port.

[jtwrace]

my Regen destined to arrived on Monday evening. first connection will be with iFi iPower 9V/1.5A to the Gungnir USB port.

 

It was recommended that you do NOT do that.

 

From Alex:

Any devices before the REGEN that are there just to make a better 5VBUS will no longer have an effect on the 5V received by the DAC because any pin 1 power coming into the REGEN is disconnected and replaced with power regulated by one of the unit's two best-in-class TPS7A4700 ultra-low noise regulators.

[jexby]

It was recommended that you do NOT do that.

 

From Alex:

Any devices before the REGEN that are there just to make a better 5VBUS will no longer have an effect on the 5V received by the DAC because any pin 1 power coming into the REGEN is disconnected and replaced with power regulated by one of the unit's two best-in-class TPS7A4700 ultra-low noise regulators.

 

yes, that statement makes sense.

 

IIRC, earlier Superdad mentioned that the 9V iFi iPower (not iUSB Power!) would be a safe alternative option as the power source FOR the Regen.

not before it.

 

need to go back and dig through this thread.

[stellablues]

Happily received my Regen in the mail today. Thanks superdad. The regen definitely brings things up a notch in realism even with a system which previously had the iUSB.

 

I have tried the Regen today in both configurations. At this point I still prefer the iUSB in front of the Regen vs Regen alone. I have a dual usb cable so I unplugged the power side from flowing to the Regen, but 5-10 times back and forth across multiple tracks, i prefer the signal side flowing to the iusb first.

 

This is not to take anything away from the Regen. could happily live with it alone but for some reason it harmonizes well with the iusb in my system. I will continue to try all configuration over the next few days to see if its just my imagination.

[Superdad]

IIRC, earlier Superdad mentioned that the 9V iFi iPower (not iUSB Power!) would be a safe alternative option as the power source FOR the Regen.

not before it.

 

Yes, you can feed it with iFi's 9V wart if you wish. Let me know if you think it sounds better than the 22W Mean Well I picked for the REGEN. I am curious. I think Rich at Signature Sound promised to send me one of iFi's new $50 SMPS warts to try when it ships.

 

I don't find a real need to obsess over the supply feeding the REGEN. Don't get me wrong, a good LPS (like our JS-2, the only one I have personally tried with the REGEN) will certainly improve its performance a lithe bit. But it is nothing like the main benefit you get from the device's "reclocking" of the USB signal regardless of PS type.

 

Perhaps DACs that are using the REGEN's clean 5V VBUS output for their USB inputs will benefit more from powering the REGEN from a better supply. It is hard for me to say since the best DACs I have in house don't use bus power, and the ones I have that do are not very high end DACs in the first place. Maybe I will experiment some more when I have time. Or just leave it to you guys to report about it.

 

With regards the iFi iUSB Power: As explained previously, the REGEN does not connect pin 1 (5VBUS line) to anything, so whatever the iFi is doing will be lost on it (assuming you put the REGEN as the last device into the DAC as intended). However, pin 4 ground (and the shield) are attached, so perhaps any cleanup of those lines will aide a bit.

 

And I have no idea of the iFi does anything good for the data lines, though having to use a second USB cable to use it might take something away.

 

Do let us all know!

[Superdad]

I have tried the Regen today in both configurations. I still prefer the iUSB in front of the Regen vs Regen alone. I have a dual usb cable so I unplugged the power side from flowing to the Regen, but 5-10 times back and forth across multiple tracks, i prefer the signal side flowing to the iusb first. I will continue to try all configuration over the next few days.

 

 

Well that was quick! You obviously posted while I was writing the above. Glad you are experimenting.

[AlainGr]

Hi Jexby,

 

There could be some confusion here... I think that there is the recommended power for the regen and the "purity" factor - two different things.

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-music-servers/uptone-audio-regen-22803/index10.html#post411826

 

This links to the explanations from Alex regarding the recommended power for the Regen.

 

Jason is also right, but the confusion may emerge from the "iPower" vs the "iUSB"...

[stellablues]

I edited my post as it seemed abrupt and without introduction. The regen definitely brings things up a notch in realism. I am very much enjoying being closer to the musicians and the feeling of real music.. thats absolutely what this little guy does.

[Superdad]

There could be some confusion here... I think that there is the recommended power for the regen and the "purity" factor - two different things.

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-music-servers/uptone-audio-regen-22803/index10.html#post411826

 

This links to the explanations from Alex regarding the recommended power for the Regen.

 

Jason is also right, but the confusion may emerge from the "iPower" vs the "iUSB"...

 

 

Thanks Alain. I'm starting to edit more clear versions of answers to questions for posting in the FAQ section of my web site.

 

Since for some reason the whole "can I power the REGEN on X volts" has become common (though as mentioned I don't think better power is large factor for the device), that was the first one I rewrote for (hopefully) greater clarity and posted on the REGEN's FAQ page.

[Melvin]

Placed my order this morning and now must wait patiently(?) until the end of May. Alex, the website is nicely done. Best.

[Superdad]

Placed my order this morning and now must wait patiently(?) until the end of May. Alex, the website is nicely done. Best.

 

Thanks for the order Melvin (and thanks EVERYONE; it's becoming a stampede!).

 

I hope to make time to keep adding to the web site. Not so much with products, but with FAQs, the overdue MMK installation pictorial, and a "Best of Swenson" tech talk section. But right now I am a bit buried and daydreaming about a second hire--an admin assistant to help with help with inventory/vendors and shipping/logistics. My one assembler is going to be maxed out in a hurry.

 

I just wrote to both my board house and enclosure firm with a 50% increase in the size of the second run of REGENs for end-of-May delivery. Exciting time, but a bit overwhelming. The best sort of problem to have I suppose. The worst of it is having to listen to my say "I told you so" with regards to what would happen when I finally put up a web site. Hey, it only took a few years to get around to.

[wisnon]

Hahahaha.

 

ALEX, I did tell you that a flood was on the way and that productions probs would be your medium term nightmare.

 

If nothing else, can smell a hit! :-))))

[Superdad]

The worst of it is having to listen to my say "I told you so" with regards to what would happen when I finally put up a web site.

 

Hey, how did the word "wife" get edited out of that sentence as I wrote it? That's weird.

[Superdad]

ALEX, I did tell you that a flood was on the way and that productions probs would be your medium term nightmare.

 

If nothing else, can smell a hit! :-))))

 

Yeah Norman, you get to say "I told you so" too...

[Superdad]

FYI, although I promised to finish up shipments of the second half of the first run by this Tuesday, it's looking promising that I'll get them all kitted up, packed, and shipped on Monday.

The paper work for invoicing/shipping is the tedious part, and I'm knocking that out at a pretty good pace tonight.

Grooving to RadioParadise.com and discovering new music as I go, so I don't mind.