Uptone Regen and your DAC. What DAC do you use?

[toddrhodes]

I agree, to extent.

 

Although a little off topic, the isolation/coupling quandary is out there. I work in the mechanical vibration area these days, from generation to measurement on the order of 10 nm or less amplitude, which is where most small metallic objects vibrate. I have measured the resonant vibration spectrum of many things with our instruments, including various commercially available cones. Quite interesting. Any object has numerous frequencies of resonance at which it actually acts like an amplifier due to constructive interference. That's how the opera singer blows up the crystal goblet. (at resonance the amplitude of vibration increases to the point of exceeding the elastic limit of the crystal) That vibration needs to be drained from the component or it will just travel through any contact with a material of similar acoustic impedance, which is analogous to electrical impedance. The closer the impedances match, the higher the efficiency of transfer. This topic can get deep. There are nulls and maxima in the amplitude of vibration on any surface. All this can be modeled to find those locations and put your contact there. Balls are a special case all their own.

 

Personally, I prefer the results of spikes into hardwood, end grain butcher block. I may have to try balls. Ceramic balls will have very sharp, higher frequency resonances than most metals. Ideally you would want to step down from metal or composite (yes even composites do have some very low Q resonances) to intermediary materials of decreasing acoustic impedance to max out the transfer before you dump it into a really non-resonant material. Not sure how much improvement it would be, though.

 

Back on topic, I made 2 small angled blocks (inclined triangles, if you will, when looked at on edge) that I could slide against each other to bring them to the best height for the REGEN to be level. I also put very thin 800 grit sandpaper on the contacting faces so they won't slip. The 2 sandpaper surfaces should also alleviate any vibration transfer from the shelf to the REGEN.

 

I've incorporated Barry's method in my listening room - inner tubes under a plywood base (covered in basic fabric), with furniture cups on top of the plywood, which hold 1" metal ball bearings to support the actual gear. Unfortunately I made this change along with a slew of other changes (was an interesting day/night...) but what I can say is I've never heard my system sound so open, engaging, and all the while enjoy the best imaging and instrument separation it has to offer.

 

And I hope to be in the Regen buying population sometime soon

[Duke40]

I followed Barry's method, it is very good and very inexpensive. I remembered that post and using that as a base, this set off some experimenting with inner tubes and wood, plus a large variety of other materials.

I have some great looking schroers & schroers berlin hifi stands, unfortunately they are glass & metal and I can detect it is a backwards step SQ wise for resting gear (especially DACs) on glass.

 

So I DIY some AntiVibration / Resonance platforms (pics below from my headphone setup).

7 shelves of 10mm Aluminium (weight is about 10 to 12 Kg in total) ... from my local metal work suppliers.

3 sets (of 4) springs (spare sets from Townshend Audio Stella Stands)

9 Door stoppers , 0.5 Kg each, steel filled with sand, use them for weight balancing ($1 each from my hardware store).

1 "Just Mobile UpStand" ... this slides under the REGEN, no stress on the USB inputs/outputs.

 

Though the photo's are from my headphone setup, I find it is more effective in my speaker rig especially under the DAC.

Don't know why ... though I can feel the energy from the speakers in the (concrete) floor, go thru the (sand filled) hifi stand ... maybe the electronics in a DAC are sensitive to resonance/vibration. Some guessing going on here, though I can hear an improvement, especially soundstaging/imaging.

 

Plus it was some fun experimenting.

 

Hopefully I do not mess up attaching the photo's, the 2nd one shows the REGEN being supported.

 

[Duke40]

And I hope to be in the Regen buying population sometime soon

You should I found the REGEN a great upgrade ... never was particularly fond of USB before (though I did appreciate the development of Asynch USB which I thought was a significant improvement, the addition of the REGEN has finally got me away from S/PDIF and enjoying USB).

[wisnon]

FYI:

All REGENs available for shipment to clients in June have been pre-sold.

The web ordering page and automatic confirmation notices have just been changed to inform that new orders (as of 4:00 p.m. Pacific time, May 17th) will be shipped in early-July. I will update everywhere once a more exact July schedule is known.

 

Once again, as of now, ALL orders already placed will ship in JUNE. Only new orders from this moment forward are for July.

 

Thanks everyone!

--Alex C.

 

LoL

 

Not enuff hotcakes for everyone!

[Superdad]

Not enuff hotcakes for everyone!

 

Hotcakes. Now I know what to do with the extra pancakes our teenage son makes every Sunday. Save them and ship them as REGEN support pillows! How many do you need for your DAC?

[Guidof]

To support the REGEN I use four thicknesses of Vibraphone discs I had lying around, between the REGEN and the shelf on which the DAC sits. Fits snugly, and the resilience of the Vibraphone keeps it from sliding around (and may even provide some vibration control). Simple and effective, but one needs to have room on the shelf to use anything similar to this.

 

VibraPODS, of course. Not VibraPHONES. Sorry, a brain short circuit.

[wisnon]

Hotcakes. Now I know what to do with the extra pancakes our teenage son makes every Sunday. Save them and ship them as REGEN support pillows! How many do you need for your DAC?

 

As it a protruding Big 7, I need at least 3 to support my Regen Green and since the Amber will be a "heavy weight" performer, its will need at least 5! "Normal" Dacs should not need more than 1 or 2. LoL

[Superdad]

VibraPODS, of course. Not VibraPHONES. Sorry, a brain short circuit.

 

I wondered, but then it made some sense:

 

 

;)

[twist222]

I wondered, but then it made some sense:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18653[/ATTACH]

 

;)

 

Makes it sound just like the instruments are in the room !!!

 

Regards

Mark

[Solstice380]

Extra resonances, warm rich timbres, I can hear the superlatives flowing off the reviewer's tongue now!

[AlainGr]

There will probably be more post ringing no ?

[jamesg11]

Been considering a support solution - ever since, like jud, I grabbed the nearest handful of solid-ish cardboard & made it fit the ~85mm. But ... I did insert a layer top & bottom of Steve Herbelin's grungebuster damping sheet ... anti-micro vibrational, with exc grip, as per Solstice's pursuit. Be very interesting to get his measurements on this & similar products ...

[Solstice380]

Been considering a support solution - ever since, like jud, I grabbed the nearest handful of solid-ish cardboard & made it fit the ~85mm. But ... I did insert a layer top & bottom of Steve Herbelin's grungebuster damping sheet ... anti-micro vibrational, with exc grip, as per Solstice's pursuit. Be very interesting to get his measurements on this & similar products ...

 

I'll post some resonance spectra this weekend when I'm back home. I have some of Steve's material and some of his layered isolation cups for spikes. I'll have to set up a transmission arrangement to measure the layered pieces.

[MarkS]

Will this device be on display and/or used in any room(s) at THE Show in Newport?

[Superdad]

Will this device be on display and/or used in any room(s) at THE Show in Newport?

 

Yes, in the Audiopax room.

Yesterday I got a call from Gordon of Audiopax USA, and since we have no units in stock in time for the show, Silvio of Audiopax (Brazil) is borrowing a REGEN from either Geoffrey Armstrong (Sound Galleries, Monaco) or Edward (Eurodriver) straight from the Munich HiEnd show. It will still be just a first version "green" unit as the "amber" boards don't arrive to my door until June 1.

 

I have had phone calls from about 6 manufacturers who wanted to buy/borrow REGENs for the Newport show, but I've had to turn them all away. That won't be the case for the Rocky Mountain show in October. I intend to get a lot of room placements--and maybe little placards telling where to buy 'em in a booth downstairs. Assuming we can build and set aside enough stock--it is hard to keep with you guys and the crazy demand.

And once the 315 "amber" units ship in June and reports roll in again, all heck might break loose…

[wisnon]

Yes, MORE hot cakes!!!

 

I am in an amusing thread over at headfi where they think I am trying to do promo for you. Hahahaha

 

I had to tell them that MORE demand now is the LAST thing you need. I did warn you 2 months ago that all hell would break loose and that you should plan for overwhelming success. Hehehe

 

What a rollercoaster ride...

 

BTW, if I were a manufacturer, I would say, gimme a raw GREEN PCB (surely you have surplus of this), who needs a case? I would get my own external PSU and a corning and that would be my "special sauce" for Newport.

[Superdad]

What a rollercoaster ride…

 

Yep.

 

BTW, if I were a manufacturer, I would say, gimme a raw GREEN PCB (surely you have surplus of this)...

 

Not a one (okay, my personal unit). Have 150 cases now though.

[wisnon]

Oh, Bummer for them…

 

No secret sauce then. They have to make do with Ketchup.

[MarkS]

I would get . . . .a corning and that would be my "special sauce" for Newport.

 

What is a "Corning"?

[MarkS]

Yes, in the Audiopax room.

 

Will be my first stop. This thread (and product) has me intrigued.

[Jud]

What is a "Corning"?

 

USB 3.Optical™ - Optical Cables by Corning

[MarkS]

So this Corning UBS cable is being used from the Regen device to the dac?

[Jud]

So this Corning UBS cable is being used from the Regen device to the dac?

 

Not usually, and not in my setup at the moment. It's best due to impedance matching considerations that the Regen run directly into the DAC. I have the Corning running from the computer's USB port into the Regen through a solid adapter I purchased, and the Regen running into the DAC through the solid adapter supplied with it.

[wisnon]

So this Corning UBS cable is being used from the Regen device to the dac?

No, the Regen connection to the Dac should be as short as possible. Corning is from Computer/streamer to Regen.

[Haninger]

No, the Regen connection to the Dac should be as short as possible. Corning is from Computer/streamer to Regen.

 

I would be interested in hearing more about this, as unfortunately I can't use the solid adapter. It seems the best short options for cables are the 6" AudioQuest, the 0.3m Wireworld (in various qualities), and the 0.7m Supra. It would be great to hear about others' experiences or maybe from John or Alex about our best options for a short flexible USB connector. Thanks.