UpTone Audio USB Regen Listening Impressions

[russtafarian]

I just got a glance at the photo - pardon me for being too lazy to go back and look more closely - and wondered whether the speakers you were listening to were the only ones in the room, or whether there were others.

 

Mark has five B&W 801 speakers set up in the ITU configuration. We listened to the L & R speakers. There were two bookshelf B&W speakers set up between the front LCR 801s. Those weren't in use and I don't know what they are for. The studio is also set up for TXH cinema mixing so there are huge LCR cinema speakers against the wall in front and cinema "surround" speakers hung along the sides. The soundstage thrown by the L&R 801s was pretty impressive.

[Jud]

Mark has five B&W 801 speakers set up in the ITU configuration. We listened to the L & R speakers. There were two bookshelf B&W speakers set up between the front LCR 801s. Those weren't in use and I don't know what they are for. The studio is also set up for TXH cinema mixing so there are huge LCR cinema speakers against the wall in front and cinema "surround" speakers hung along the sides. The soundstage thrown by the L&R 801s was pretty impressive.

 

Thanks - love the alias, by the way.

[russtafarian]

Russ,

 

Yeah, it'd be great to hear your experiences and impressions of the session. I'm reading all the Regens listeners feedback I can find, as a kind of soft 'database' to examine the range and groupings of peoples subjective vebalizations, and if it can say anything about how we hear.

 

The listening impressions I shared on Mark's blog are pretty much what I would share here. There have been a number of questions and comments about the setup and methodology. We worked with what we had in terms of time and gear and did our best to conduct a fair listening evaluation.

[Mystic]

My Regen just arrived and about to install... I'll give my impressions in a day or two.

 

My digital system is a MacMini (late 2012), Kimbre Kable (Base series) USB and an Oppo BD105. The software I use is either Roon or Audirvana Plus 2.2.1.

 

Here's to hoping I notice a difference.

[yuhengdu]

Has anyone tried Curious usb cable from australia? I hope to read some reviews from users here. Thank.

[yuhengdu]

Since there is no power needed for the cable connecting computer and Regen, what's the point of using those cable whose strength is great insulation/separation between the power signal and data signal within the cable, like the anticables and curious cable? Thank you guys.

[jtwrace]

Mark has five B&W 801 speakers

 

Why such mid-fi speakers? I'm joking but do not think they're all that great. Of course, IMO.

 

 

[JohnSwenson]

Since there is no power needed for the cable connecting computer and Regen, what's the point of using those cable whose strength is great insulation/separation between the power signal and data signal within the cable, like the anticables and curious cable? Thank you guys.

 

Most cables have no shielding between the pwr/gnd pair and the data pair. Even with a REGEN which does not use the pwr wire, noise can still be coupled from pwr to data wires. Due to the specifics of the geometry of the wire twists in the cable the coupling will not be perfectly symmetrical, thus there will be added noise in the PHY of the REGEN.

 

So cables that shield between pwr/gnd or cables with no pwr wire at all will help cut down on this coupling and improve the results.

 

John S.

[jjraffin]

Has anyone tried Curious usb cable from australia? I hope to read some reviews from users here. Thank.

 

See reviews from John Darko on DAR about the cable.

[Mystic]

Most cables have no shielding between the pwr/gnd pair and the data pair. Even with a REGEN which does not use the pwr wire, noise can still be coupled from pwr to data wires. Due to the specifics of the geometry of the wire twists in the cable the coupling will not be perfectly symmetrical, thus there will be added noise in the PHY of the REGEN.

 

So cables that shield between pwr/gnd or cables with no pwr wire at all will help cut down on this coupling and improve the results.

 

John S.

 

Hi John, quick question. I just received my Regen this afternoon and now installed and wondering if burn in time is a thing for this unit?

[Jud]

Hi John, quick question. I just received my Regen this afternoon and now installed and wondering if burn in time is a thing for this unit?

 

Let music signals run through it 24/7 (A+ on shuffle with amp off and preamp all the way down is one way to do this), listen to it each evening for a period of 2-4 nights, and see if you think there is any change.

[Mystic]

Thanks Jud.

[yuhengdu]

Most cables have no shielding between the pwr/gnd pair and the data pair. Even with a REGEN which does not use the pwr wire, noise can still be coupled from pwr to data wires. Due to the specifics of the geometry of the wire twists in the cable the coupling will not be perfectly symmetrical, thus there will be added noise in the PHY of the REGEN.

 

So cables that shield between pwr/gnd or cables with no pwr wire at all will help cut down on this coupling and improve the results.

 

John S.

 

Thank you. I got it. IMO, there is two ways for connecting the Regen, one is use long usb cable from computer to input of Regen and connect Regen directly to DAC using adaptor. The other is connect computer to Regen using short usb cable or adaptor and a long usb cable from Regen to DAC. Which one is the recommended way to use Regen?

 

YFS data only cable fits in the first option since it don't have power wire. I asked the curious cable today and they recommended the second option. But in this second way (long usb from Regen output to DAC), there is no way to prevent power coupling in the computer to Regen short link, am I correct? Also can we use the adaptor from computer to Regen? Will it give enough room for the power input plug for Regen?

 

I plan to use the free trial of YFS and Curious cable and compare, but I think technically the first options seems to make more sense to me.

[sandyk]

But in this way, there is no way to prevent power coupling in the computer to Regen short link, am I correct?

 

If the Regen is plugged directly into the motherboard at the rear of the PC, there will be minimal coupling between the data and power leads. If plugged into a front USB port, there is an internal cable from the Motherboard to the front USB port , where there will be a degree of coupling between Data and Power wires before it gets to the Regen.

[ElviaCaprice]

Yuhengdu, why not just get the Supra cable, which has been found to be excellent with the Regen, and tape over the power lead pins? Would be cheaper.

It has been found to use a cable from the computer to the Regen and an adapter from the Regen to the DAC give best results for the majority of users. You can also tape over the power lead pins of the adapter if you don't need the 5V for handshake or power.

[yuhengdu]

Yuhengdu, why not just get the Supra cable, which has been found to be excellent with the Regen, and tape over the power lead pins? Would be cheaper.

It has been found to use a cable from the computer to the Regen and an adapter from the Regen to the DAC give best results for the majority of users. You can also tape over the power lead pins of the adapter if you don't need the 5V for handshake or power.

 

Thank you! I will need a 2 meters usb cable since my dac is that far away from my computer. Thanks for recommending Supra. Using Supra to connect from computer to Regen requires good insulation of pwr/signal even the power lead is taped at the Regen input, right?

[yuhengdu]

If the Regen is plugged directly into the motherboard at the rear of the PC, there will be minimal coupling between the data and power leads. If plugged into a front USB port, there is an internal cable from the Motherboard to the front USB port , where there will be a degree of coupling between Data and Power wires before it gets to the Regen.

 

 

Thank you for reply. I am using an iMac, so I guess all the usb outputs are from motherboard directly. Do I need to worry about power being coupled into signal in this case? So put Regen near computer is better or put Regen near Dac is better? My dac is 2 meters away from my computer.

[lmitche]

Most of us put the regen near the DAC, with the adapter if possible. You can of course try both ends.

[yuhengdu]

Most of us put the regen near the DAC, with the adapter if possible. You can of course try both ends.

 

Thank you! I will start trying things around for the next couple of weeks. Will keep you guys updated of my findings. Thanks!

[ElviaCaprice]

Using Supra to connect from computer to Regen requires good insulation of pwr/signal even the power lead is taped at the Regen input, right?

Yeah, no need to tape these ends if taped from the source, which is all I did. So tape only, computer output and Regen output, 5V pin.

[yuhengdu]

Yeah, no need to tape these ends if taped from the source, which is all I did. So tape only, computer output and Regen output, 5V pin.

 

Thank you. I will add Supra to my to try list! I think you don't mean tape the Regen output's 5V pin, do you? My dac (Schiit Ygg) requires 5v power form USB line. : )

[sandyk]

Most of us put the regen near the DAC, with the adapter if possible. You can of course try both ends.

 

Most are of course doing that. I was replying to the 2nd option, which I believe is incorrect advice from Curious cables.

I don't like too much the idea of relying on a piece of tape to isolate the +5V lead at the PC end of the USB cable though. It can become displaced or fall out.

[DEANO2]

I find it remarkable that people who have 100k speaker's a/b ing after I guess a short period, don't find a difference in sound quality, either way. But I'm guessing if they have a Scarlatti or similar, they shouldn't from a device that costs $175 bucks.

 

Sent from my SM-T113 using Tapatalk

[yuhengdu]

Most are of course doing that. I was replying to the 2nd option, which I believe is incorrect advice from Curious cables.

I don't like too much the idea of relying on a piece of tape to isolate the +5V lead at the PC end of the USB cable though. It can become displaced or fall out.

 

So the 2nd option (put regen near computer) is not the right way to use curious cable, correct? Since curious cable provides good insulation of power. I may just use the curious cable in option 1 ( put regen near dac).

[JohnSwenson]

So the 2nd option (put regen near computer) is not the right way to use curious cable, correct? Since curious cable provides good insulation of power. I may just use the curious cable in option 1 ( put regen near dac).

 

The REGEN was designed to be placed as close to the DAC as possible, that is why it is in a small light weight case.

 

John S.