Uptone Audio Regen

[rickca]

The supplied adapter does fit very tightly

My experience with a QB-9 DSD was exactly opposite. The adapter was so loose that I needed support under the REGEN just to keep the adapter flush to the DAC, and I'm not using a heavy USB cable. It's not really a problem though.

[jtwrace]

Alex or John

 

For those that use external USB HD's would there be any possible benefit to have a REGEN on them too? So, one from the HD to the computer or streamer and one from the computer or streamer to the DAC? Just curious.

[HenSch]

Alex or John

 

For those that use external USB HD's would there be any possible benefit to have a REGEN on them too? So, one from the HD to the computer or streamer and one from the computer or streamer to the DAC? Just curious.

 

I'm curious as well! Without having the answer, I've ordered two REGENs for exactly this use case. Next week I will know more, when I've collected them from the customs.

 

From my basic understanding of the REGEN I assume that it should work fine also from HD to Computer and add there some improvement as well. Nonetheless some words from Alex or John on that would be really great.

[scan80269]

I'm curious as well! Without having the answer, I've ordered two REGENs for exactly this use case. Next week I will know more, when I've collected them from the customs.

 

From my basic understanding of the REGEN I assume that it should work fine also from HD to Computer and add there some improvement as well. Nonetheless some words from Alex or John on that would be really great.

 

My guess is that REGEN will provide little or no benefit to USB hard disks connected to computers.

 

USB hard disks (and flash drives), being mass storage devices, utilize the "Bulk-only Transport" (BoT) mode of USB data transfer. BoT provides no guarantee of data throughput or latency, but does have a packet resend mechanism to ensure data integrity. A REGEN can provide cleaner USB power to a bus-powered USB storage device, but from the USB data timing perspective, it is of little advantage for BoT mode, unless the USB cable in use is of such poor quality to trigger an elevated rate of packet resend requests, in which case the REGEN is acting like a re-driver of sorts to clean up the USB signal waveform, at least in one direction. My guess is the sonic benefits of REGEN for USB HD may be hard to hear, though I have yet to try.

 

In stark contrast, modern USB DACs utilize USB 2.0 isochronous (streaming) mode with asynchronous feedback, which allows a DAC to pace the data transmitted from the source (renderer, PC, etc.) by regularly sending packet rate adjustment info in the opposite direction of the music data flow. There has already been lots of feedback on the sonic benefits of REGEN cleaning up the USB signal entering the DAC.

 

A key difference between USB HD and USB DAC is that the former delivers file level music data into a renderer/PC without audio timing info, which is not what a DAC receives. A USB HD to PC link running in BoT mode has noise sensitivity but low timing sensitivity. By comparison, a renderer/PC player streaming digital audio to the DAC in USB isochronous mode is noise sensitive and very timing sensitive.

 

I would think a cleaner USB power source, such as battery or LPS, would benefit a USB HD at least as much, if not more than a REGEN. The REGEN is ideal for driving into DACs where it really shines in USB isochronous mode for audio streaming.

[HenSch]

Let's see what comes.

 

For me it was hard to understand in the beginning why different USB cables in the path HD to Aries make a difference in SQ - but indeed they do in a quite clear way in my system. My SSD and USB - SATA converter are both powered by independent high-quality power sources already.

 

I very much like Alex's thougt that wherever a USB cable is influencing SQ, a REGEN is very likely to make a difference as well.

[Superdad]

I very much like Alex's thougt that wherever a USB cable is influencing SQ, a REGEN is very likely to make a difference as well.

 

Well I was thinking/speaking of DACs and USB>S/PDIF converters at the time--in answer to someone's question of if the REGEN would make a difference with the latter.

 

I too am a bit dubious about if there would be any benefit (as far as data signal integrity) sonically for a USB HD. Frankly, I avoid having USB hard drives attached to a computer feeding a USB DAC. (My disdain for USB music storage dates back to my interface comparison report of 2 years ago.)

 

But there is certainly no harm to experimenting. We may all be surprised. I have been meaning to try a REGEN with my external Apple Superdrive optical drive--just to test SandyK's theory/reports about better PS, etc. improving CD rips (even when the bits are the same). Hard to fathom, but so are a lot of things until we test and research.

I go by the maxim of having an open mind and open ears, but I'm careful not to fool myself. I'm just as happy to say "no difference" if I don't hear one. Am interested in real, repeatable, significant gains. There are still plenty of those out there to be had, so no need to sell of buy "snake oil."

[jtwrace]

Well I was thinking/speaking of DACs and USB>S/PDIF converters at the time--in answer to someone's question of if the REGEN would make a difference with the latter.

 

I too am a bit dubious about if there would be any benefit (as far as data signal integrity) sonically for a USB HD. Frankly, I avoid having USB hard drives attached to a computer feeding a USB DAC. (My disdain for USB music storage dates back to my interface comparison report of 2 years ago.)

I do agree with USB on both the HD and computer. However, some might not have a choice so it could be the difference to their ears.

 

I have been meaning to try a REGEN with my external Apple Superdrive optical drive--just to test SandyK's theory/reports about better PS, etc. improving CD rips (even when the bits are the same).

Well, that's an interesting concept. Hmm.

[Nikhil]

Interesting! I found out that Hyderabad is 13,525 km from San-Francisco (no Mariposa in online calculator, sorry). Sydney, Australia is 11,933 km and my place, Odessa, Ukraine is 10,297 km. Small black box is traveling around the world...)

 

Sorry AnotherSpin ... missed your post! Yes indeed - the small black box is travelling all over.

[sandyk]

Interesting! I found out that Hyderabad is 13,525 km from San-Francisco (no Mariposa in online calculator, sorry). Sydney, Australia is 11,933 km and my place, Odessa, Ukraine is 10,297 km. Small black box is traveling around the world...)

 

It could have been worse.

 

The distance from Perth WA to San Francisco, CA is 14,735 km

[AnotherSpin]

It could have been worse.

 

The distance from Perth WA to San Francisco, CA is 14,735 km

 

From San Francisco to Cape Town - 16,489 km, to Antananarivo, Madagascar - 17,702 km :-)

[firedog]

Only about 12, 200 KM from San Fran. Good to know I'm not the farthest. On the other hand, mine's still stuck in customs. Hopefully sometime this week they will get around to processing it.

[One and a half]

The distance is immaterial, if the packages are on the plane they are ok. It's the on and off loading where the drama begins, more waypoints, more delays.

[Solstice380]

The distance is immaterial, if the packages are on the plane they are ok. It's the on and off loading where the drama begins, more waypoints, more delays.

 

The USPS let a CD I ordered take a one week vacation somewhere in Oregon just last month! It took 12 days just to go across the country. Actual travel time less than 7 hours including the time on the truck on delivery day. I know, I'm beating a dead horse here. ?

[Superdad]

The USPS let a CD I ordered take a one week vacation somewhere in Oregon just last month! It took 12 days just to go across the country. Actual travel time less than 7 hours including the time on the truck on delivery day. I know, I'm beating a dead horse here.

 

All right, do you guys really want to talk about shipping? FedEx is always an option, but then we are talking upwards of $100 to some locations. I just reordered 80kg worth (50 pcs.) of R-core transformers for the next run of JS-2s, and the FedEx bill for those will be $580. The alternative of course is ocean freight, but aside from the weeks of extra transit time, the brokerage fees, local delivery costs, and huge paperwork hassle result in almost no savings in the end. Maybe if we were located right next to the Port of Oakland or Port of Los Angeles.

It is all just the cost of making the world smaller... And being able to ship something easily to anywhere on earth for $23.50 starts to seem a bargain.

[jtwrace]

All right, do you guys really want to talk about shipping?

 

I really hope not. I was going to say same thing but thought I'd let it go. THANK YOU!

[firedog]

All right, do you guys really want to talk about shipping? FedEx is always an option, but then we are talking upwards of $100 to some locations. I just reordered 80kg worth (50 pcs.) of R-core transformers for the next run of JS-2s, and the FedEx bill for those will be $580. The alternative of course is ocean freight, but aside from the weeks of extra transit time, the brokerage fees, local delivery costs, and huge paperwork hassle result in almost no savings in the end. Maybe if we were located right next to the Port of Oakland or Port of Los Angeles.

It is all just the cost of making the world smaller... And being able to ship something easily to anywhere on earth for $23.50 starts to seem a bargain.

 

Alex- I was just trying to be cute.

 

I've learned over the years never to pay for fast shipping to where I live for anything that will get looked at by customs.

It takes a few days for something to travel halfway around the world to the airport, and then a week - or even two - to travel the last kilometers to my home. What's worse - if I ask for it to get sent by (supposedly faster) EMS - there is automatically a $50 handling fee added by the authorities to the cost of the package.

 

I appreciate that unlike some vendors you give us the choice to choose the less expensive option. So keep doing things the way you are doing them.

[Superdad]

Alex- I was just trying to be cute.

 

No problem Danny. Yours does look to have been "in country" since last Wednesday, so it should arrive to you soon.

 

I meant to add a note of sympathy to everyone overseas whose REGENs are still en route. Should not be long now, and I have actually been seeing delivery notices--or at least released-from-customs updates for France, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, and elsewhere. I must admit that UK post seems a bit slower than the rest.

[AnotherSpin]

I must admit that UK post seems a bit slower than the rest.

UK as for Ukraine? :-)

[Superdad]

UK as for Ukraine? :-)

 

No Sergii. UK for United Kingdom. But yes, I expect that delivery to you in Ukraine is going to be slow too. As it is, I had to pass security clearance at my local post office just to ship the package to you. Don't worry, the finger they pricked to take my blood sample is about healed up.

[AnotherSpin]

No Sergii. UK for United Kingdom. But yes, I expect that delivery to you in Ukraine is going to be slow too. As it is, I had to pass security clearance at my local post office just to ship the package to you. Don't worry, the finger they pricked to take my blood sample is about healed up.

I keep my fingerprints ready just in case...)

 

P.S.: Do not tell Putin you've sent Regen to Ukraine, nobody knows what he might do out of jealousy...

[Evo1668]

No problem Danny. Yours does look to have been "in country" since last Wednesday, so it should arrive to you soon.

 

I meant to add a note of sympathy to everyone overseas whose REGENs are still en route. Should not be long now, and I have actually been seeing delivery notices--or at least released-from-customs updates for France, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, and elsewhere. I must admit that UK post seems a bit slower than the rest.

 

Well mine arrived on Friday Alex....here in the UK, in that I rushed to the local sorting office, to pay the fees glad I did as I have had a great weekend listening to music with the Regen. My whole playlist just got upgraded . Thanks Alex & John

[Theobetley]

Just came back from Axpona. Hooked my Regen up and it works fine. Already after only an hour it sounds consistent with all the comments in the listening thread. However I am using the 2 inch jumper from the Regen to my Benchmark. Couldn't get the solid short cable to work. So how much am I losing with the longer jumper?

[Theobetley]

I meant that I am using the longer cable to connect to my dac (6") not the short one (2").

[weedos123]

Alex or indeed anyone.

 

For those of us outside the U.S. Who have just got our regens and want to cut off the U.S plug on the power cable and use an appropriate one, what is the colour code of the wires? Green/yellow is ok that's earth isn't it? But black and white? Black used to be neutral in the UK but In the

U.S.?

 

Paul

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AlainGr]

Hi Paul,

 

In Canada (and I am quite certain it is the same in the US), the black wire is normally the "hot" one, white is the neutral, green is the ground.

 

But if you have to cut the 3 prong male plug, you could check the veracity of this like this:

Facing the 3 prong plug, the round one being the lowest:

- The left flat prong is the "hot"

- The right flat prong is the "neutral".

 

If it is doable, you could assure that this is still the case with cutting through the rubber and open the plug...

 

The other thing you could do is comparing what arrives at the other side of the cable (the IEC plug, composed of 3 flat slots). It you verifiy the conductivity of each of them with another cable that you already have at hand, it would be easy for you to determine which color code correspond to which slot ?

 

Hope this helps...

 

Edit: we have 120V, 60hz (not sure this additional information is useful) here...