UpTone Audio USB Regen Listening Impressions

[Jimmypowder]

I'm interested in more comments from people using REGEN amber with Yggdrasil DAC.

 

Schiit now has their Adapticlock clock regeneration system and USB Gen 3 input module ... so it will be nice to hear whether REGEN still makes a significant difference.

 

If I recall correctly, when Bifrost first came out Schiit was less than enthusiastic about USB.

 

Jimmypowder, I'm glad you're happy with your REGEN. I told you you wouldn't be disappointed.

Thanks Ricka!

[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.

[zilch0md]

^ That paradox is intriguing, Guidof.

 

:-)

[AnotherSpin]

Update: After few days listening made one change yesterday, substituted Corning Optical with Supra.

 

Still having some doubts, because in my system Corning/green was better than Supra/green without doubt (Supra's sound with green was just bad - fuzzy, muddy, smeared) I was ready nevertheless for certain level of improvement on the basis of words from both Alex and John.

 

Ok, Corning disconnected from amber, Supra connected (mac mini - Supra 1 m - amber regen - Schiit Loki DSD). Wow, I wish I should be prepared better for this. The sound has not became just incrementally better. It became better beyond my ability to grasp the level of change. Yes, If I would analyze carefully I would find a words to describe certain specifics, but... The sound is so much better overall. Not the slightest trace of Supra's muddiness and fuzziness from combination with green. Totally opposite, the sound is crisp, fresh, superbly detailed, very smooth and musical. Can't stop listening. It was an effort to turn off the music before going to bed, and first thing in the morning I did was turning it on again.

 

Amber upgrade with Supra is magic. Not sure I will want to try my Nordost USB instead of Supra anytime soon. In several days, maybe.

 

Update 2: After couple of days listening to amber/Supra I put Nordost Blue Heaven USB on Supra place. Now the line is: mac mini > Nordost > amber > Schiit Loki. There is a difference but it is much smaller than in a case amber/Corning vs. amber/Supra. To my ears Nordost sounds slightly better. Sound picture is more cohesive. Everything is together, smooth and seamless. Separate details are not so separate as with Supra, maybe. In comparison with Supra Nordost is just more... sweet:) But, Nordost is almost 5 times more expensive than Supra. Does it sound if not 5 times better, but with very definite edge over Supra? Practically not. As for now I will keep Nordost in a line with amber, but Supra is still very much recommended as excellent combo with amber.

[firedog]

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.

[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).

[Superdad]

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.

 

I have to confess that whenever I am stressed--trying to get enough parts in and crank out JS-2s and REGENs to meet promised dates while also trying to keep on top of my monstrous e-mail box and accounting backlog--I just come and read all the wonderful things you guys continue to write about your experience with our products. It totally energizes me! So thank you all again.

 

And just wait until you see and hear what we have coming next (Yes, I'm referring to the low current power device that is going to turn heads; and the parts count on the prototype is up to 217!; nobody is going to be copying these new circuits of John's anytime soon. )

 

Best,

 

--Alex C.

 

P.S. Am headed to the post office now with 100 REGENs shipping today. Another 35 will go out early next week, and we will have covered everyone with a May order date. Will still be about 120 short of filling all who were promised "early-July" because enough of the darn scarce 7.5V/2.93A/22W Mean Well SMPS units are not yet here. 70 more arrive on the 20th and 240 on the 28th. August will flow much better.

[Jiffi32]

 

But on our long and rambling call last night (while I installed MMKs into 3 JS-2 buyers' Mac minis), John stumbled onto this little bargain on eBay: 30W DC9V HiFi Linear Power Supply Regulated PSU for DAC Amp Digital Display | eBay

 

--Alex C.

 

rcore power supply from ebay just arrived today and plugged into regen, makes a nice improvement over mw smps.

 

Did have to adjust the dc output slightly as it was putting out 9.4v on arrival, have discovered it is adjustable from 5v -12v!

 

so now set to 7.5v and will try 9v and 12v when fully run in.

Just don't take to much notice of LED display read-out as mine is 0.4v out compared to my multimeter

[4est]

I'd be careful going to too high a voltage without watching the pre-regulated voltage and its ripple.

rcore power supply from ebay just arrived today and plugged into regen, makes a nice improvement over mw smps.

 

Did have to adjust the dc output slightly as it was putting out 9.4v on arrival, have discovered it is adjustable from 5v -12v!

 

so now set to 7.5v and will try 9v and 12v when fully run in.

Just don't take to much notice of LED display read-out as mine is 0.4v out compared to my multimeter

[Jud]

rcore power supply from ebay just arrived today and plugged into regen, makes a nice improvement over mw smps.

 

Did have to adjust the dc output slightly as it was putting out 9.4v on arrival, have discovered it is adjustable from 5v -12v!

 

so now set to 7.5v and will try 9v and 12v when fully run in.

Just don't take to much notice of LED display read-out as mine is 0.4v out compared to my multimeter

 

Thanks for the info - I have one of these coming in, too.

[gsquared]

rcore power supply from ebay just arrived today and plugged into regen, makes a nice improvement over mw smps.

 

Did have to adjust the dc output slightly as it was putting out 9.4v on arrival, have discovered it is adjustable from 5v -12v!

 

so now set to 7.5v and will try 9v and 12v when fully run in.

Just don't take to much notice of LED display read-out as mine is 0.4v out compared to my multimeter

 

I just took delivery of mine too. My unit is set to 9.16v (according to the LED display). How did you adjust the output? Did you have to remove the front and back plate or just one?

 

Just don't take to much notice of LED display read-out as mine is 0.4v out compared to my multimeter

 

Are you saying that you adjusted it to 7.5v using your multimeter, but it still displays 0.4v on the LED display?

 

- Gary

[audio.bill]

I've also got one of the same linear supplies coming from China via eBay. Not sure about the adjustment to set the voltage output, but I think Jiffi32 meant that the display is off by 0.4V (either above or below) compared to what he measures on his multimeter.

[sandyk]

Are you saying that you adjusted it to 7.5v using your multimeter, but it still displays 0.4v on the LED display?

 

- Gary

I expect that he means that there was a difference in readings of 400mV between the cheap onboard display and his D.M.M.

 

Alex

[lmitche]

Mine arrives tomorrow!

[Dyson]

Mine arrives tomorrow!

 

You all lucky guys, mine just departed from China yesterday despite having ordered it 2 weeks ago :-(

[Jiffi32]

I just took delivery of mine too. My unit is set to 9.16v (according to the LED display). How did you adjust the output? Did you have to remove the front and back plate or just one?

- Gary

Just remove top 2 screws front and back on end panels

Are you saying that you adjusted it to 7.5v using your multimeter, but it still displays 0.4v on the LED display?

 

- Gary

the front panel read out is 0.4v lower than actual output on mine, yours may vary it. its just not very accurate.

[Jiffi32]

You all lucky guys, mine just departed from China yesterday despite having ordered it 2 weeks ago :-(

 

Mine was supposed to come from china as well, the box it arrived in was posted from London!!

[Superdad]

Gentlemen: Perhaps a separate thread can be started for discussion of the little Chinese LPS. Thanks.

[Dyson]

Gentlemen: Perhaps a separate thread can be started for discussion of the little Chinese LPS. Thanks.

 

Hi Alex, I understand but it's a bit unfair for this short OT as we had to go through the long exchange about isolating transformers recently as well ;-)

[Blake]

Have the Green running into the Amber, and it's well into "Holy sh*t!" territory now.

 

Wait, so I go away for a bit and come back to find out that running two Regens in serial fashion is even better?!

 

 

hmmmm........... let's see.......

 

Order placed for a second Regen. See you in August!

[Ben-M]

Hi Alex, I understand but it's a bit unfair for this short OT as we had to go through the long exchange about isolating transformers recently as well ;-)

 

+1 for sure.

 

This is a much lesser departure than the trannies... Just 10 posts before Jiffi32 mentioned about the sound improvement of the Chinese R-core LPS, so it is indeed a listening impression. It's all part of the package people are putting together to listen to their Regens and I think it's great to find out about.

[gsquared]

Just remove top 2 screws front and back on end panels

 

the front panel read out is 0.4v lower than actual output on mine, yours may vary it. its just not very accurate.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

[tims]

With two regen's connected in "serial" fashion would you use the one power supply to feed both regens or do they need separate supply's to get the best from them (connected this way)?

 

 

 

Wait, so I go away for a bit and come back to find out that running two Regens in serial fashion is even better?!

 

 

hmmmm........... let's see.......

 

Order placed for a second Regen. See you in August!

[Blake]

With two regen's connected in "serial" fashion would you use the one power supply to feed both regens or do they need separate supply's to get the best from them (connected this way)?

 

The power supply provided with the Regen will only power one device.

[JohanS]

[snip, snip]

And just wait until you see and hear what we have coming next (Yes, I'm referring to the low current power device that is going to turn heads; and the parts count on the prototype is up to 217!; nobody is going to be copying these new circuits of John's anytime soon. )

 

Best,

 

--Alex C.

Hi Alex, can we use the SBooster in conjunction with this wonderful-217-parts-REGEN-add-on? Did you find time to listen to the SBooster-REGEN-combo? Thanks for your info!!

 

PS Glad my REGEN is at the post office and now on its way to me!