UpTone Audio USB Regen Listening Impressions

[tne]

At last I will make my REGEN evaluation as I have had a bit more time (including being alone in the house so the volume can be turned up LOUDLY). After all of the glorious comments from others here, I feel a bit like Elizabeth Taylor's fifth husband on their wedding night - I know what I need to do, but I am not sure how to make it interesting.

 

My recent tests are as follows, using the Xfi powered by LPS. These were all sighted tests and I am aware of the potential consequences of expectation bias in these evaluations. Hopefully some blind tests soon.

 

All equipment is listed in signature:

with and without REGEN, and REGEN with adaptor or Mapleshade Clearlink Plus in to DAC, REGEN with adaptor and either Mapleshade or LHL Lightspeed 2G USB cable from Mac Mini to REGEN.

 

First test was with and without REGEN. With REGEN quieter background and wider sound stage. Detail and seperation improved.

 

The second tests involved comparing the REGEN with adaptor into DAC versus using the Mapleshade from REGEN to DAC. Surprisingly to me (as stated in earlier post), I prefered the adaptor between REGEN and DAC. Even fuller sounding, better detail and instrument separation, more "natural" sound.

 

Then I removed the LHL Lightspeed 2G and installed Mapleshade from Mini to REGEN. This led to what (to my ears) was an incrementally more natural sound. It should be noted that the LHL 2G is a split cable and the power leg was plugged into my LPS. Once I get the REGEN on an LPS, this improvement may be even larger.

 

So now, the system is as listed in signature. I usedHQPlayer to convert all files to DSD128.

[tne]

I'd urge anyone with 2 Regens and two power supplies to connect both in series (I've got the Green -> Amber -> DAC, connected with solid adapters). I did not think the brand-new Amber was head and shoulders above the Green, but when I bought a second power supply and hooked the two up in series a few days later, that was jaw-dropping - or rather, hugely smile-inducing.

 

It would be quite interesting to hear from John and Alex on why serial REGENs make improvements that are stated here (and by intelligent and critical minded posters). I now have a REGEN amber (love it!) and a JS-2 will arrive today that I will use on the Mac Mini and REGEN. Will likely get another REGEN for a separate system, but I would still like to hear why two in series is an improvement over just one.

 

 

BTW I like what Toast is proposing in the previous post.

[tne]

I did see a reply from John about that.

 

Thanks. With the number of threads on this very nice device, I have missed it, but will go back and look.

[tne]

Hi Thomas:

It's basically that the REGEN's own input PHY is still susceptible to upstream signal integrity variations (that's why USB cables feeding it still sound different), and putting two in series feeds the DAC-connected REGEN with a better signal.

 

Believe it or not, I still have not tried this myself in my own system. Just been too busy with the biz to even stop and play music or experiment with the various PS options/upgrades that others have loaned me. My wife has been out of town on business so I was hoping to fiddle one night this week. But it did not happen and now tonight is our 27th wedding anniversary so I'm off to pick up flowers, etc.

 

Call me early next week about the JS-2 and your Mac mini, etc.

 

Best regards,

ALEX

 

Thanks, Alex. The JS-2 arrived an hour ago and it is now unpacked.

Will give the installation a go this weekend, having read your instructions and the ones more specific to a 2014 Mini with PCIe SSD.

[tne]

It's always interesting to see how so called objectivists approach such listening tests.

 

I see no attempt to follow Alex's advice to use a solid USB adapter between Regen & DAC - maybe they did but no mention of it.

But more than this - two of them heard a slight difference & Waldrup didn't - I see no attempt to investigate this further by stripping out some of the boxes & trying a more direct route between Sony Vaio server & the DAC. No mention of using different USB cables or solid USB adapter - simply no inquisitiveness - to me that's the stamp of an objectivist. Just a dismissal of the 2:1 positive listening report. What would be the problem with doing further listening tests - afraid of something that they can't so easily dismiss?

 

They don't believe what they hear so they don't put any thought or effort into listening - instead there seems to be a rush to do the measurements which we will see tomorrow show no difference

 

With all due respect, I do not believe this is the place to have an "objectivist" vs. "subjectivist" flame. If they do not hear any changes, they do not hear them. That does not have any effect on how you or I or anyone else evaluates the improvement in SQ.

 

Your points about lack of detail on adapter, cable, etc., are spot on.

[tne]

Using two Curious - one (1.2M) from MBP to Regen at dac, one (special short cable for Regen) from Regen to dac.

 

I just ordered the 20cm cable to replace the REGEN hard adaptor into my LHL Xfi. Once I get some listening experience with it, I am considering buying another and having Mac Mini (vertical orientation) -> 20cm Curious -> REGEN -> 20cm Curious -> Xfi. The upstream cable is currently a LHL 2G (split) cable or a Mapleshade Clearlink Plus (mood dependent). Since the REGEN is LPS powered, it seems like there is no need for the split cable other than separation of the data from the power link. This appears to be dealt with in the Curious cable as well.

 

This short-path linkage is something I have considered for a while and these short cables from Rob at Curious look promising for this. It was good to hear the positive reviews here, and I will see how it works in my system, then report back.

[tne]

Has anyone used the Regen with a DAC that draws power straight from the USB bus? I have a Halide Dac HD and would need to turn the Regen around in order to make it work. Just wondering if there are any listening impressions from the group with this type of setup. My source is a Mac Mini.

 

I searched the forums, but couldn't find anything related, so please send me to the right place if this discussion has already happened.

 

 

I have used with a Resonessence Concero HD and a iFi nano iDSD, both of which require USB power, with no problems. Do not "turn the REGEN around", as USB A out and USB B in are as you need. Plug the Halide USB A male input into the female USB A output of the REGEN. Like all devices, the REGEN has a directionality.

[tne]

Another Knock Out review!

 

Next level USB audio with UpTone REGEN, Curious cables | DAR__KO

 

Nice to see the combo of REGEN and Curious Cable link reviewed. Not sure why he brought the Concero HD into the comparison as it is a DAC/USB-SPDIF converter, and the REGEN/Curious Cable combo...is not.

[tne]

Thanks. Any thoughts on SQ improvement with the Dacs that required bus power?

 

I mostly listen to the Xfi (both REGENs came after the Xfi arrived) so my listening experiences with the two bus powered DACs are much more limited, and not in the main system, mostly to make sure they would work with the REGEN and in both cases with the SMPS. Sounded very good, but no real evaluative time yet.