UpTone Audio USB Regen Listening Impressions

[Barry in Calgary]

Hi All

 

I put off posting this reply to the thread for a while as I was slowly building up the pieces to what I hope will be my final accessory purchase for my MSB Analogue DAC (fat chance).

 

I initially purchased the Uptone Audio Regen several months ago but was ill for a while and couldn't really do a easy comparison with the Regen in place and the removed. When the illness passed, I and an audiophile friend, on two separate occasions with different friends. Sat down for pleasant evenings of swapping the Regen in and out. The Regen had been in the system for a while so was likely broken in.

 

On both occasions, we believe the Regen added clarity to the music and made the system sound more lifelike (detail, depth, and soundstage all improved). On both occasions this was noticed within minutes (sometimes seconds) after a swap. I was quite happy with the Regen in place...

 

But then I read some of the comments coming out of the WBF and the controversy about the Regen. I'm pretty anal, so I thought I'd try to see what was out there which might attempt to improve the Regen (why? I don't know why as it already sounded better than without the Regen). But I was focussing on the power supply criticisms raised, stupid yes, but pretty much normal for me:)

 

I came across a mention of the sBooster company in the forum (I think it's a Dutch company) that produces a product called the sBooster Ultra for the Regen that works as an active filter for the MeanWell SMPS which ships with the Regen to improve the quality of the DC reaching the Regen. Oh and they included a USB power leg (Vbus) isolator as there is no need for power travelling along the USB cable as the Regen provides the power.

 

So I plugged in the sBooster Ultra and swapped it in and out a few times and was again pleased with the effect.

More detail and air. So this is the effect of cleaner DC I thought. I kept it in for a few days, got used to the sound then removed it, just to confirm I was heading something real. It's staying in.

 

Almost as an afterthought I plugged my USB cable (Lightspeed Harmonic, red colour single plug on each end) into the Vbus isolator (at the Macbook end) and listened again and was amazed at the difference just cutting off the power from travelling down the USB cable made.

 

This difference was more significant than the addition of the sBooster Ultra filter (and it was thrown in as a freebie).

 

I won't bore you with the usual comments about how startling real the music sounded, but it's true, it does sound far more real now.

 

The combination of Regen and the two sBooster products made a phenomenal improvement to an already terrific sounding digital front end.

 

I'm a little surprised how big a difference cutting off USB power made, but very happy with the final result.

 

Again this is in my system, using my ears. I have no interest in either Uptone or sBooster except as a satisfied customer.

 

Barry

[Barry in Calgary]

Hi Peter

 

I did have a jitterbug in the unused USB port for all of the above tests. On its own its effects were more subtle...

I didn't want to try putting the two adapters in serial, as it would be hard to put all that "stuff" onto the USB port I'm using due to the Macbook's placement. Also the cable droops down alarmingly.

 

Regards

Barry

[Barry in Calgary]

Barry,

 

Interesting ! I recently restored a taped off +5volt connection to my USB cable, in front of my Regens. I hadn't isolated its effect before, and didn't think of listening for it this time. But, I did hear a improvement in the SQ, along 'Regen effect' lines afterward. I had put that slight increase down to additional burn in of a new LPSU. But its been running for 3 weeks, so I now think that the latest change is due to isolating the Vcc wire, as you, and others, have heard. I was fortunate that replaced the isolating tape was the only real change I made at that time (not that usual a practice here ).

 

What is also interesting, is that the previous discussions, I recall from these threads, about doing your own DIY isolation (versus buying specific cables), is that it was a generally good idea, not about much in the way of heard differences. Or, maybe I just didn't pay much attention then

 

If the Regen is providing power to my DAC (which does requires external power) does this mean any USB cable upstream of the Regen no longer needs to carry power? If true (which is what I'm seeing) this means the noisy power from the Macbook doesn't need to enter the Regen at all.

 

Preventing the power from entering the Regen appears to be a good thing and further the Regen lets me use a Vbus isolator at the Macbook port (which I couldn't use without the Regen).

 

Regards

Barry

[Barry in Calgary]

Dave

When the Regen is providing the needed +5V to the DAC, do we REALLY need to spend such obscene amounts on USB cables when the noisy +5V SMPS line is removed from the equation ? The major advantage of the expensive USB cables is the markedly improved electrical separation between Data and power leads.

 

Regards

Alex

 

 

Darn, too late, already spent an obscene amount on a Lightspeed Harmonic cable about a year ago (good idea at the time). But I will listen again to the Kingrex (The Kingrex was very nice) and the Nordost cable I've got in my cable hidey hole (graveyard). Now that the separation of signal and power the Lightspeed Harmonic cable provides is not required I may find one of the contenders is now champ.

 

To all, thanks for the really useful input (sic).

 

Regards

Barry