UpTone Audio REGEN Power Supply Add-On

[audioexile]

Hi Alex,

 

You have any Regen's shipping out this week?

 

[YashN]

I do I do. Replace them all with a JS-2. :-) Muahhhhhh

 

Hehehe!

[Superdad]

You have any Regen's shipping out this week?

 

Not really the right thread for a REGEN shipping update, but since you asked…

 

The last (12) of the July-promised orders went out yesterday--that's 300 for the month, whew!

 

As of today, the lowest unfilled order number (aside from 3 people who asked me to hold shipment due to vacation) is #1644. That number, all the way through to #1914 were all promised mid-August shipment, that's 300 units (some people ordered more than one).

And incoming parts to stay on track all look good, though maybe the last 30 of August's 300 will ship late in the month.

 

Orders #1915 and above--and any new orders placed now--will ship in September. I think very early September looks good, but don't hold me to that just yet. REGENs combined with record demand for JS-2s make for a lot of moving parts to this growing operation. Every day I get to choose amongst and put on and take off at least 5 different hats, including:

 

Parts procurement/vendor relations

Inventory management

Sales/client communications

Operations/shipping

Product production

Accounting (way behind on this one)

New product planning and parts research

 

Getting little or no attention these days is Marketing (though 6 reviewers now have REGENs) or web site freshening. I suppose chatting with you fellas counts as marketing.

 

So send in the clones. There ought to be clones…

 

 

P.S. My desk is obviously covered in "to-do" lists.

[zilch0md]

Hi Alex,

 

For clarification, in this context, are you talking about the USB Y-cables that are designed to supply 5V power from two USB ports while supplying data from only one port (to pull up to 1000mA at 5VDC, instead of just 500mA)?

 

(snip)

 

Hi Mike:

 

Yes, those are the cables I am referring to.

 

For example: Amazon.com: 30cm USB 2.0 a Power Enhancer Y 1 Female to 2 Male Data Charge Cable Extension Cord: Computers & Accessories

 

 

As it says in the description of this product, one cable provides only power while the other cable provides both power and data.

 

Hi Mike:

 

(snip)

 

First of all, AFAIK, those split cables do not have an 'A' side wired to pull both data and Pin1 +5V. That would defeat the purpose of the cable which is to keep the 5V off the data cable run.

 

(snip)

 

 

I think you're talking about a different type of Y cable. As stated in my previous post, the type of Y cable I was asking about has 5V power coming from two USB ports while supplying data from only one port.

 

I think you're talking about the typical "audiophile" Y-cables where power comes from only one side of the Y, while only data comes from the other side of the Y.

 

Thank you very much for the excellent answer regarding that kind of Y-cable, but what about this kind of Y-cable (as pictured above)?

 

Can they be rendered harmless (no ground loop) by blocking Pin #1 of that side of the Y that is meant to pull both data and power? (You once posted about doing this to convert a normal USB cable into a data-only cable.)

 

Thank you.

 

Mike

[Superdad]

For clarification, in this context, are you talking about the USB Y-cables that are designed to supply 5V power from two USB ports while supplying data from only one port (to pull up to 1000mA at 5VDC, instead of just 500mA)?

 

If so, can they be rendered harmless (no ground loop) by blocking Pin #1 of that side of the Y that is meant to pull both data and power? (You once posted about doing this to convert a normal USB cable into a data-only cable.)

 

Sorry, now I get it. As you say and said, I am not referring to that sort of cable. But what does that cable (meant for stupid USB devices that don't conform to the 500mA draw limit) have to do with the REGEN or DACs? Would you run your audio with one of those?

 

Yes, I know I sell a USB device, but this topic makes my head hurt.

 

Ciao,

--Alex C.

[zilch0md]

Thanks Alex,

 

Sorry, now I get it. As you say and said, I am not referring to that sort of cable. But what does that cable (meant for stupid USB devices that don't conform to the 500mA draw limit) have to do with the REGEN or DACs? Would you run your audio with one of those?

 

Yes, I know I sell a USB device, but this topic makes my head hurt.

 

Ciao,

--Alex C.

 

 

Figurative headaches aside, I only referenced that cheap power-doubling Y-cable to help you understand (and it worked) the wiring schematic I had previously described where both sides of the Y provide power but only one side provides data.

 

And the USB Regen was outside the context of your earlier comment to which I had replied in the first place - regarding ground currents and the risk of frying a DAC's USB input:

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but why would you want that?

 

If you are talking about using it with a split USB cable to feed a bus-powered DAC, it is never a good idea to use a split cable in that manner. Ground currents flow in weird ways if you do that and you risk frying your DAC's USB input (we have heard of many people doing just that). Those split cables are meant to have both of their 'A' ends plugged into the same computer/ground.

 

And anyone using a REGEN sure does not have to worry about VBUS power since the REGEN ignores incoming Pin1 5V and outputs its own, very clean 5VBUS to the DAC with one of its ultra-low-noise TPS regulators and an nice cap network around it.

 

Thus, I wasn't talking about using either a cheap Y-cable of that wiring schematic (or an expensive Y-cable of that wiring type) with the USB Regen. I was only trying to stick to your original context while understanding whether a cable of the type I described could be rendered harmless (in terms of ground currents flowing in weird ways) by covering a pin on the A connector that pulls both power and data.

 

I still don't have an answer to my question, but that's OK. My head hurts, too (figuratively speaking).

 

Until edified to the contrary, I'm going to stick with my belief that if I wanted to power the USB module of my DAC, not with the power coming from my laptop's USB port (and not with a USB Regen), but rather with some other 5V power source, I could use a USB Y-cable that is schematically similar to the one I referenced above (of higher quality construction perhaps, and having a USB B male connector at the bottom of the Y, instead of a USB A female) without risk of ground currents, as long as I block the power on that side of the Y cable that otherwise allows both power and data to be pulled.

 

Ahhhhh... I'm glad that's over...

 

 

Mike

[sandyk]

And if that tiny piece of insulation isn't correctly inserted, or accidentally becomes dislodged ?

I assume that you aren't going to cut the existing plug(s) off, and replace them with suitable types where you haven't terminated the red wire.

[zilch0md]

And if that tiny piece of insulation isn't correctly inserted, or accidentally becomes dislodged ?

 

I'll be crying giant crocodile tears.

 

:-)

[JohnSwenson]

The development prototype whateveritis is up and running on my bench tonight, working fantastically, measured performance is even better than anticipated. Haven't had time to listen to anything powered by it yet. (slight proud papa syndrome here)

 

I have a big smile on my face right now.

 

John S.

[Doak]

Great news John,,, but what a teaser. ?

[odelay]

Aw! That's gorgeous John ?

 

You've got quite the global cheer squad urging you on.

We wait with bated breath.

[Superdad]

Oh, if you guys only knew how hard John has been working on this thing!

It is NOT a simple PS by any means--at least not the parts that make it work. There are over 200 parts on the board, and it took him 9 hours to place them all on the prototype. And then he has spent at least another 10 hours (sometimes with his microscope remapping pins to adjust for changed parts or board mistakes) making each of the 5 or 6 major sub-systems work as envisioned.

All the while he has been keeping a log of every change and fix since he has already laid out the production board (can you tell he is motivated?), and we don't want anything to be missed when we run the first pieces. Due to the complexity, there is no way we are going straight to production. We are going to have our board house make and hand-place a couple of boards based on John's production files, and we will test those fully before the first 250 unit run. I'm afraid to ask my assembly house what they are going to charge to hand place these boards with over 200 parts each--with parts on both sides of the board. Maybe they will give me a break since I've been doing a lot of biz with them.

 

I so wish I could spill the beans on what makes this thing so radically different--but not yet. I want to be much closer to production and to have a chance for John and I to write a bit about how the whole thing works. Otherwise we will just be buried in questions. Plus, it is more fun to rock the world when a product is real and complete. Not that I am comparing the two, but imagine if Apple start talking about and describing the iPhone months prior to showing it.

To butcher a cliche, "This is not going to be your father's power supply."

 

--Alex C.

[Bubbens20]

So, who's pretty much decided they're buying one?

 

Hello, newbie to this site here. I've been reading the (many!) posts on the ReGen here and am intrigued. Can someone please tell me where you can purchase one? Also interested in the UpTone. Thanks in advance ...

[jtwrace]

Hello, newbie to this site here. I've been reading the (many!) posts on the ReGen here and am intrigued. Can someone please tell me where you can purchase one? Also interested in the UpTone. Thanks in advance ...

 

USB REGEN – UpTone Audio

[Bubbens20]

Thank you!

[Bill Leebens]

No, it wasn't answered. Guess we'll have to wait! ;-)

 

 

Sorry I'm late to the party here-- which PS product are we talking about, and in what application?

Let me know, and I'll walk down the hall to Engineering, and get an answer in 5 minutes! ;->

 

Cheers, Bill

[Bill Leebens]

D'OH!! It appears that in the case "PS" was "power supply", not PS Audio. My bad. ;->

[JohnSwenson]

The biggest problem now is measuring the output, my $13K scope isn't good enough! I'm going to have to build some of my own test equipment to properly see it. (and some special faraday cages to put things in, testing in these realms is tough)

 

John S.

[Jud]

D'OH!! It appears that in the case "PS" was "power supply", not PS Audio. My bad. ;->

 

The biggest problem now is measuring the output, my $13K scope isn't good enough! I'm going to have to build some of my own test equipment to properly see it. (and some special faraday cages to put things in, testing in these realms is tough)

 

John S.

 

Hey Bill, you guys wanna loan John some test equipment?

[sedest]

Pictures of the prototype, please...

[Bill Leebens]

The biggest problem now is measuring the output, my $13K scope isn't good enough! I'm going to have to build some of my own test equipment to properly see it. (and some special faraday cages to put things in, testing in these realms is tough)

 

John S.

 

John, I was interested in your post regarding how much more crap you found on your home mains now, compared to five years ago. Given the rapid proliferation of WiFi, Bluetooth and all manner of hash from bad SMPSes and the (horror of horrors!) onset of the Internet of Things...it can only get worse.

 

Reading over those other comments, I do notice a lot of folks who seem to think that adding a UPS will clean up their mains-supply crap-- they won't. UPSes are designed to be uninterruptable (as the name says), not necessarily clean-- we've seen UPSes with more spuriae and noise than the local mains. Obviously, that's not helpful when it comes to cleaning up the AC to your gear.

 

Similarly, I've never seen isolation or filtration products that didn't have, shall we say, unintended consequences. So---yes, I'm leaning towards the Regeneration solution--which is fortunate, considering I'm down the hall from where the PowerPlants are built!

 

Jud: regarding lending John some test gear-- we're growing at the point where we recently bought a couple additional rigs from AP, and need to add still more! Sorry, dude! ;->

[rickca]

John, congratulations on an important milestone. I'm wondering will this new power supply (in its initial implementation) be suitable for any audio components other than the REGEN? If so, please give an example.

 

I guess the fact that your $13K scope isn't good enough is an indicator of success.

[Jud]

Jud: regarding lending John some test gear-- we're growing at the point where we recently bought a couple additional rigs from AP, and need to add still more! Sorry, dude! ;->

 

Hey Bill, just joking, as I'm sure you realize. Thanks for lending your thoughts to the thread, very enjoyable when industry folks add to the forums.

[Superdad]

Pictures of the prototype, please...

 

Sorry, that's NOT going to happen. Would give away the bombshell surprise. So would telling you the name of it.

 

--Alex C.

[jtwrace]

Sorry, that's NOT going to happen. Would give away the bombshell surprise. So would telling you the name of it.

 

--Alex C.

 

Really? After searching the net I have found the picture.