UpTone Audio USB Regen Listening Impressions

[Guidof]

Kudos to John S. and Alex C. for an inexpensive product that delivers really worthwhile improvements.

 

After almost a week of listening to a wide variety of albums, I can only reiterate what others have already noted. The overriding impression is one of significantly enhanced clarity. This, in turn, has other desirable effects:

 

More correct timbres. Heinz Holliger's oboe has never sounded so lifelike in my system before, nor Ofra Harnoy's cello so seductive or the Cannonball's sax so vivid.

 

More easily identified details and nuances. The (mono) RIAS recordings of Mozart's Quartets by the Amadeus are simply stunning with the REGEN in the chain. Bruckner's 7th with the Chicago Symphony under Haitink is revealed in all its intricate sonic complexity. It's not that more detail is unearthed, but rather than what was always there becomes more obviously apparent, thus requiring less brain effort to latch onto the composer's intention and the performers' delivery.

 

More three-dimensional soundstage, with plenty of "air" around the performers. This is equally as evident in thickly orchestrated symphonic works as in small jazz ensembles.

 

Tighter, more focused bass, which allowed me to bump the sub's volume up by one notch (of forty) for a more solid foundation and further enhanced soundstage.

 

An overall sense of greater refinement in the musical presentation. With well-recorded music this helps a lot in concentrating on the music itself, rather than on the hi-fi.

 

Even before the REGEN, my system sounded quite nice, but the REGEN's addition has made it even more enjoyable.

 

Now, if only I could get my Benchmark DAC2 to automatically and reliably switch resolutions in USB mode as it does through the coax input . . .

 

Guido F.

[Guidof]

After a lot more listening with the REGEN in the system, I have one addition to make to the effects I described earlier (in post #207): It brings into sharper focus a recording's virtues and/or shortcomings. In particular, lifelike recordings seem even more stunningly like the real event. And poor choices in mic placement, acoustically flat venue, or mastering become more obvious.

 

While this may be thought of as a disadvantage with poor recordings, personally I find that it makes it easier to listen through the flaws and concentrate on the music itself.

[Guidof]

Swapping the Regen "Amber" for the earlier "Green" in my main system brought about further cleaning and tightening of the sound presentation throughout the frequency range. In the bass region, this prompted me to bump up the frequencies below 50Hz by another dB (for a total of two), for an even more solid foundation and three-dimensional sound stage.

 

With a well recorded album (e.g., Pachelbel's Organ Works from Dorian CD rips), the overall effect is one of exquisitely lifelike sound. With a poorer recording (e.g., Mozart's String Quartets with the Quartetto Italiano from Philips CD rips) . . . Well, herein lies the rub: with all this clarity, a recording's shortcomings are mercilessly revealed. But perhaps paradoxically, even then I much prefer the sound with than without Regen.

 

Many thanks again, John S. and Alex C., for this worthwhile tweak.

 

Guido F.

[Guidof]

I will just say again: Ever since I got the Regen, I have never enjoyed my system as much. Just sounds better than it ever did before. Not a night and day difference, just noticeably better.

 

Yes, very much my own experience. And the Regen's sound also prompted me to make small adjustments to further enhance the benefit of increased clarity. As mentioned earlier, a small bump up in the bass region, but also a few inches increased distance from speakers to listening chair (which is now about 1.5 times the distance between speakers).

[Guidof]

With regen (first green and amber now) I hear much clearly the difference between various preferences in HQPlayer (filters, etc.) It helps the selection of optimal mode. In other words, regen is not just a small piece of miracle itself, it makes possible better setting of other parts of audio.

 

Good point! That's what I found too. In my system, the Regen prompted me to further adjust bass levels (via my DSPeaker Dual Core), as well as to slightly increase the distance from speakers to listening position.

[Guidof]

My Regen arrived this week, so the weekend gave me a chance to give it some listening time. Overall impression is positive, but in my system the Regen seems to move the balance a bit darker (less air on the highs, more bass emphasis). Has anyone else experienced this?

 

I haven't. If anything, in my system the Regen contributes *more* air and *tighter* bass.

 

Guido F.

[Guidof]

This is rather strange and irrational, but after a couple of weeks with the REGEN "Amber" in the system, I perceive a sudden significant uptick of SQ over the already excellent presentation of the Amber, which in turn was better than the very good Green. The refinement and lifelike quality of the sound are now truly exceptional.

 

Irrational, and possibly just imagined . . . But I'm thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. Can't wait for the " unmentionable" mystery device to show up now, and wondering how it can possibly represent further improvement. But coming from John S. and Alex C., I have no doubt that it well could.

 

Guido F.

[Guidof]

 

it is particularly impressive when connected to a computer and dac

 

lol!

[Guidof]

lol fool . It can be connected to a network streamer like an auralic or aurender ,etc .

 

ok, ok.

[Guidof]

You are correct about those being Wagner EVA pads. I found them out on Amazon and they work better than the rubber and cork versions of HVAC pads. I have all my gear on bamboo cutting boards from IKEA and then those rest on the Wagner pads. Really damn effective vibration draining/isolation solution for a reasonable price. The Wagner pads are here on Amazon DiversiTech MP-4E E.V.A. Anti-Vibration Pad, 4" x 4" x 7/8": Automotive Disc Brake Pads: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

 

+1 for the E.V.A. Pads. Inexpensive, effective. I even have them under my speakers.

[Guidof]

Hi Barry:

 

The REGEN ignores any incoming voltage on USB pin-1--it is not connected to ANYTHING on the board. So any audible benefit of having a USB cable with no 5V coming down its length is NOT from keeping 5V out of the REGEN. Rather it is that you are reducing any capacitive coupling of the voltage to the data pair along the length of the wire.

 

So yes, you can use an Sbooster VBUS isolator (or just tape over pin-1 in the 'A' plug at the computer end) and thus have a data-only cable.

 

Yes, but it is rather surprising (to me) that turning off power at the computer, which my SOtM card thoughtfully provides a switch to do, would have such a beneficial effect on clarity. Yet it does.

 

But many thanks to Barry et al. for calling attention to this benefit, which inspired me to turn the damn switch off.

[Guidof]

Sorry but I haven't found anything regarding on this topic:

 

Uptone Regen vs PPAStudio / JCAT / SOTM USB Card comparison?

 

As I understand it, the REGEN works on issues with the DAC, while the SOtM PCIe to USB card works with issues with the computer. In my experience, the REGEN mostly enhances clarity, while the SOtM card mostly improves the 'air' around instruments. There are other benefits, that have been described in threads about them, but I find these two devices to be complementary to each other, and would not be without either one. As to the most bang for the buck, the REGEN is clearly (for me) the better bargain.

 

i have no experience with the other devices you mention.

 

Regards,

 

Guido F.

[Guidof]

I found the effects you describe from the Jitterbug. Try the Regen without it.

 

+1!

[Guidof]

In my case, the jitterbug was very good at fooling me into believing there was an improvement, and there was, sort of... the music became much more "physical", meaning singers and instruments seemed to "fill out" and become more "dimensional/rounded"... in reality it was kind of false, because it was stripping musical information from the audio and really kind of making the soundstage a bit claustrophobic and cluttered... that is not an improvement to me... it's a trade off. It wasn't until I removed them, that this all became startlingly clear.

 

I tried all manner of configurations with the JB and the result was always the same. My system sounded better without it. Less perceived depth and dimensionality, yes, but the JB were adding a kind of "false" depth and "dimensionality", so it wasn't real to me.

 

This is just my own personal experience with my particular chain, so I'm not writing off the JB's objectively, YMMV and all that.

 

The Regen is the real deal... I took it away after a few days of using it to see what difference it made, and the music sounded limp, sluggish, inauthentic and shallow without it...and I have the very good Bifrost 4490 DAC from Schiit, which is nearly as good as the multibit version, an excellent DAC, so you realize just how good the Regen is, if by taking it away, that DAC starts to sound "bad" (I mean in comparison to the Regen's addition) .. I can't imagine getting a new DAC without the Regen at this point. I've hear people say it even improves the world class Gungnir and Yggdrasil DACs which are further up the Schiit line.

 

Your observations mirror my experience with the JitterBug.

 

When I had the REGEN in the chain, on the other hand, SQ was significantly improved.

 

Eventually, I went to the Sonore microRendu, moved the server to my upstairs office plugged into my router (where it belongs), and experienced yet another substantial improvement.

 

Of course, all of this stuff is system dependent, subject to individual preferences, and quite subjective. Different impressions have been reported, which is not surprising.