Uptone Audio Regen

[ErikM]

I emailed CI Audio about the size and wether they have a longer cable.. I guess I can shop up the ones I have but I'd rather not do that.

[ErikM]

Ok so what I need is a cable with 5.5mm D with 2.5mm pin for VDC end, and 5.5 D 2.1mm on the other.. Any ideas Mouser or Newark ??

[Superdad]

Ok so what I need is a cable with 5.5mm D with 2.5mm pin for VDC end, and 5.5 D 2.1mm on the other.. Any ideas Mouser or Newark ??

 

You will NOT find ANY factory-made cable with 5.5mm x 2.5mm at one end and 5.5mm x 2.1mm at the other (if you do, please let me know!). Your best bet is BixPower.com and these two items:

BiXPower Cab-Z6 (1 meter, 16awg coax with 5.5mm x 2.5mm both ends; rare to find 16awg DC cables)

CNT-C3 (one of the many 2.5mm-centric adapters they offer)

 

The contract house in Southern California that makes the custom 4-wire PicoEZ-mate cable for me (for our Mac mini DC-conversion/Linear Fan Controller Kit) last week returned a perfectly made sample of my custom Oyaide/Belden shielded, star-quad, 15awg cable from parts and an example I suppled them. Have not seen the labor bid yet, but as long as it is not outrageous, I will joyfully begin having them make these for me as I am darn tired spending 10-20 hours per month hunched over my bench doing them.

To-date I have only offered them to JS-2 buyers and owners (1 comes "free" with the JS-2; a second one is $60) with either 2.5mm or 2.1mm at device end. Once I can just have 50 of each version in stock, I'll put them up on the web site for anyone to order.

 

Until then, BixPower….

[ErikM]

Thanks!! BTW do you happen to know if the ferrite thingie is removable??

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

I've recently upgraded the clock of my Regen Amber:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19781[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19782[/ATTACH]

 

The clock I've chosen is a NewClassD Neutron Star Reference Clock with 24.000 MHz. The clock features an own separate low-noise power supply and galvanic insulation towards the Regen. For further Information check out here: www.newclassd.com

 

The careful disassembly of Regen's clock was a quite easy job to do.

 

The clock upgrade resulted in a further, significant increase of SQ. Definitely greater than I've expected when I decided to take this experiment. Subjectively said it is about doubling the positive impact Regen Amber brought to my system!

 

There is again an instantly noticable portion of increased air, room information, realism and emotion in the overall sound. Quite unbelievable and breathtaking. Sending a chill down my spine during listening to already well-known tracks.

 

So I would just like to encourage the diyers around here to take this step. It's more than worthy the efford and extra costs and it literally takes the Regen into extremes.

 

All the best, Henning

 

 

Interesting but expensive. Also, I assume you cannot directly compare the Regen with and without the clock....

[Superdad]

Interesting but expensive. Also, I assume you cannot directly compare the Regen with and without the clock....

 

He bought 2 REGENs so he probably can compare.

[Superdad]

Thanks!! BTW do you happen to know if the ferrite thingie is removable??

 

I don't think so. I stock that Z6 cable from Bix. I'm holding one in my hand now. There is a fine seam on the ferrite casing, and also some tiny holes 9--degrees of that, but they don't look like screw holes. More likely some kind of one-time plastic slug-rivet. I suppose I could put one in a vise and try to chisel the seem to split the thing apart. But not now.

[Superdad]

I've recently upgraded the clock of my Regen Amber:

...

 

So I would just like to encourage the diyers around here to take this step. It's more than worthy the efford and extra costs and it literally takes the Regen into extremes.

 

Hi Henning: Wow, that IS extreme. You know you just voided your REGEN's 4-year warranty.

 

I do wonder about the efficacy of having that long coax clock line to the board. I'll chat with John about it this afternoon.

 

Your mode seems to have prompted Edward (EuroDriver) to ask me about the possibility of an upgraded-clock REGEN. It already has a pretty low jitter Crystek clock--and it is just for the USB chip, it's not as if it is the DAC master clock. But I can see it now, a giant, expensive Crystek CCHD-957 on a high-priced, special edition REGEN. Don't hold you breath my fringe friends...

[BobSherman]

Hi Henning:

 

I do wonder about the efficacy of having that long coax clock line to the board. I'll chat with John about it this afternoon.

 

The PPA USB card with the better clock, version 3 also comes with the clock off board V4 with a cable so it can be used in smaller enclosures. So maybe not an issue...

[westy]

I just got one of these. Before putting it to use, I took some time to do a close look at it. I also got the schematic for it for the place I bought it from:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19784[/ATTACH]

 

Some notes about what I have found so far:

 

1) C07 is a 4,700uF Nichicon PW(M) cap. Schematic shows it is bypassed with another cap which is not present on the board unless it is hiding on the bottom side of the circuit board.

 

2) C1 is a 10uF 35V SIMIC II cap.

 

3) The adjustment pot is not 5K, writing on the parts says it is a 10Kohm.

 

4) Resistor RM7 is 100 ohms.

 

5) Diodes are labeled SB560 / 1508 (have not had a chance to look up the part)

 

6) Electrolytic cap on the output is a 220uF 63V part. Can't see a company name on it besides the letters KY. It is bypassed (C6) by a 0.1uF Wima.

 

So, it has some decent parts. It is also NOT grounded anywhere. Ground pin on the IEC is not connected to anything. Hot and Neutral (via power switch on front panel) go directly into the power transformer! So, the output of this supply is floated (not grounded in any way)... ground reference will come from whatever you connect it to (if grounded). A quick measurement of leakage current (nothing connected to the output of the power supply, measured AC and DC current from ground to plus, minus, and the chassis) showed 7uA (that is 0.000007A) AC from plus and minus and 5uA AC from the chassis. Zero measured DC current. So, it looks safe to use.

 

Some more pics of the unit.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19786[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]19787[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]19788[/ATTACH]

 

Hope to try it with my Regen tonight!

 

I just ordered one today, so I would be very interested in your results.

[rickca]

The contract house in Southern California that makes the custom 4-wire PicoEZ-mate cable for me (for our Mac mini DC-conversion/Linear Fan Controller Kit) last week returned a perfectly made sample of my custom Oyaide/Belden shielded, star-quad, 15awg cable from parts and an example I suppled them.

I'm really glad this is looking promising for you. As a customer, I'd rather see you do something more productive (or fun) with your time.

[rickca]

I've recently upgraded the clock of my Regen Amber:

Henning, that's fascinating. So that clock costs twice as much as the REGEN itself? Wouldn't upgrading the clock in a DAC be more effective (assuming it's asynch USB)?

[HenSch]

Hi Henning: Wow, that IS extreme. You know you just voided your REGEN's 4-year warranty.

 

I do wonder about the efficacy of having that long coax clock line to the board. I'll chat with John about it this afternoon.

 

Your mode seems to have prompted Edward (EuroDriver) to ask me about the possibility of an upgraded-clock REGEN. It already has a pretty low jitter Crystek clock--and it is just for the USB chip, it's not as if it is the DAC master clock. But I can see it now, a giant, expensive Crystek CCHD-957 on a high-priced, special edition REGEN. Don't hold you breath my fringe friends...

 

Hi Alex,

 

your chat with John would be great, I'm really curious what he is thinking about the pros and cons of an external clock (with coax cable in between).

 

This evening an audiophile friend of mine and me had an intense audition and comparision between the Original and the modded one (indeed I have two Amber Regens). This time we were at his place so that I could hear them in a completely different audio system than mine.

 

My friends and mine common conclusion was, that the clock upgrade takes all the good things what Regen does on the music and multiplies them by two. As simple and delightful as that, yet still somehow incredible...

[HenSch]

Henning, that's fascinating. So that clock costs twice as much as the REGEN itself? Wouldn't upgrading the clock in a DAC be more effective (assuming it's asynch USB)?

 

Frankly said, I don't know whether modding the DAC clock would have been more effective. I've an Auralic Vega DAC and voiding its guarantee is strongly holding me off trying this.

 

What I experienced during my first steps with a diy asynch USB converter is, that this part in the computer audio chain is very, very touchy. Altough being asynchronous, it reacts on the smallest external impacts with great changes in SQ. Therefore the REGEN is adressing a very important aspect in the overall game.

[sandyk]

Hi Alex,

 

your chat with John would be great, I'm really curious what he is thinking about the pros and cons of an external clock (with coax cable in between).

 

This evening an audiophile friend of mine and me had an intense audition and comparision between the Original and the modded one (indeed I have two Amber Regens). This time we were at his place so that I could hear them in a completely different audio system than mine.

 

My friends and mine common conclusion was, that the clock upgrade takes all the good things what Regen does on the music and multiplies them by two. As simple and delightful as that, yet still somehow incredible...

 

Many clock upgrades incorporate a much improved power supply. The higher the quality of the power supplied to the Regen, the better the clock stability is likely to be. John and Alex C's new PSU is likely to result in a further improvement in the onboard clock's stability, and the oscillator already fitted is likely to have lower phase noise etc. than many others.

John would have carefully selected it on both a performance and cost basis. I would wait for the new PSU before trying far more expensive options which may end up in greatly diminished returns for the money.

Many oscillators don't like much capacitive loading so you need to be careful with the length of an external shielded lead.

[4est]

AFAIK, the cable comes with the clock. One would hope it is engineered reasonably well.

Many clock upgrades incorporate a much improved power supply. The higher the quality of the power supplied to the Regen, the better the clock stability is likely to be. John and Alex C's new PSU is likely to result in a further improvement in the onboard clock's stability, and the oscillator already fitted is likely to have lower phase noise etc. than many others.

John would have carefully selected it on both a performance and cost basis. I would wait for the new PSU before trying far more expensive options which may end up in greatly diminished returns for the money.

Many oscillators don't like much capacitive loading so you need to be careful with the length of an external shielded lead.

[Superdad]

Hi Alex,

 

your chat with John would be great, I'm really curious what he is thinking about the pros and cons of an external clock (with coax cable in between).

 

Just had a long and terrific conversation with John about the Neutron Star clock system you installed (and he looked at it and your installation). He will be along shortly with information, feedback, and ideas that you are sure to fine VERY interesting.

[Nikhil]

The clock mod looks really interesting. Great idea for the next version of the Regen

 

In fact this leads me to think that the M2Tech guys were onto this or something similar with their hiface EVO, EVO Clock and power supply. A friend of mine uses them and it would be interesting to see if they work well with the Regen in the chain. For that matter, it looks like Italy is the hotbed for cutting edge USB technology if you add in the guys from Amanero and their USB work.

[zilch0md]

Thanks!! BTW do you happen to know if the ferrite thingie is removable??

 

I don't think so. I stock that Z6 cable from Bix. I'm holding one in my hand now. There is a fine seam on the ferrite casing, and also some tiny holes 9--degrees of that, but they don't look like screw holes. More likely some kind of one-time plastic slug-rivet. I suppose I could put one in a vise and try to chisel the seem to split the thing apart. But not now.

 

Other than cosmetics, is there any advantage to be had by removing the ferrite collar?

[4est]

They were onto something. The EVO can be exemplary.

The clock mod looks really interesting. Great idea for the next version of the Regen

 

In fact this leads me to think that the M2Tech guys were onto this or something similar with their hiface EVO, EVO Clock and power supply. A friend of mine uses them and it would be interesting to see if they work well with the Regen in the chain. For that matter, it looks like Italy is the hotbed for cutting edge USB technology if you add in the guys from Amanero and their USB work.

[lmitche]

They were onto something. The EVO can be exemplary.

 

A bird told me that with the green REGEN plugged into the amber REGEN beating can occur leading to unstable sound quality and dropouts. I have observed similiar of this behavior and found myself intuitively powering the amber down and back up to remedy this behavior. At first I thought it was my Vega DACs hi-speed (exact) mode setting, but now I am not so sure. Curiously this seems is more noticeable on Redbook playback.

 

For now, I am using the amber only to see if this behavior stops.

 

Has anyone else with two REGENS noticed the same? Maybe with two REGENS the clocks need to be synced?

[4est]

Hmm, interesting... Something certainly was wrong. I used the 6" USB cable provided FWIW.

A bird told me that with the green REGEN plugged into the amber REGEN beating can occur leading to unstable sound quality and dropouts. I have observed similiar of this behavior and found myself intuitively powering the amber down and back up to remedy this behavior. At first I thought it was my Vega DACs hi-speed (exact) mode setting, but now I am not so sure. Curiously this seems is more noticeable on Redbook playback.

 

For now, I am using the amber only to see if this behavior stops.

 

Has anyone else with two REGENS noticed the same? Maybe with two REGENS the clocks need to be synced?

[Lionelh2]

I have the Green into Amber REGEN setup and have not experienced any issues. I'm always using DSD512 out of HQPlayer, for what it is worth.

[ErikM]

I've found that Ferrite can cause high frequency roll off..

 

 

Other than cosmetics, is there any advantage to be had by removing the ferrite collar?

[Jud]

I have the Green into Amber REGEN setup and have not experienced any issues. I'm always using DSD512 out of HQPlayer, for what it is worth.

 

Same here (no issues, that is). I've got both Green > Amber and Amber > DAC with solid adapters. iPower to the Green, eBay power supply to the Amber, just adjusted to 9v (from 7.5) this morning.