Wyred 4 Sound's Recovery USB Reclocker Findings For Audio Performance. (Curated Thread)

[Superdad]

Hi Richard:

 

Glad you are enjoying the new W4S Recovery. Mine (ordered during the Xmas $149 sale) will likely arrive in a week or so and I'll be able to check it out for myself. Competition is a good thing, and I promise that John and I have not been resting on our laurels.

 

One suggestion with regards to your postings about the Recovery:

Only about 200 people in the world have our choke-filtered JS-2, and while I don't recall you having broad experience with various linear power supplies, there are big differences among them and you have something quite special.

So while your goal is to get the best from your system, your expressed experience with the Recovery would be more representative of what other buyers will hear if you report on the SQ when using the wall-wart SMPS that EJ Sarmento provides with the product

 

Just a thought. Have a great weekend,

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

And, frankly, Part 2, I don't understand the reasons for Alex Crespi's comments to me about using the JS-2 and how exclusive it is compared to other LPS.

 

Hi Richard.

 

My reasons are thusly:

1) Many people are interested in a comparison between the REGEN and the new Recovery;

2) While both devices use an external AC>DC power supply, they also both have important power regulation circuits and systems inside of them;

3) Using our premier LPS to power and review the Recovery is a bit like reviewing a new car by immediately filling it with jet fuel and putting racing tires on it. That's fine, but how does it perform in the real world with the tires and fuel it came with?;

4) While I know you gave the REGEN the same advantage afforded by the JS-2, the power networks and regulation inside our respective USB hub devices are more fairly evaluated by powering them with either the SMPS units they came with, or with a more modest LPS that someone is likely to use.

5) It think the above is why others seemed to echo my comment.

 

None of this is meant in the least to take away from the service you are offering both the forum readers or the fine folks at Wyred4Sound. And I both:

a) respect your stated position to decline to evaluate the units with their stock SMPS units;

b) don't expect that your general conclusion of preference between the two models would change even if you did run them both on either their stock SMPS or a modest LPS. (Though I bet our chosen Mean Well 22W unit will result in better sound from either REGEN/Recovery than with their wall wart.)

 

Despite my obvious commercial interest, I assure you my suggestions on this matter are as much motivated by seeing the interests of the forum members served. It is okay though, soon enough more people will possess and report on the Recovery and the host of other similar devices that are being brought to market (funny, even Light Harmonic is jumping in with a pre-announced USB "regenerator"; it's not on one of their crowd-fleecing campaigns, but their promised March date gave me a chuckle--yet to be fair, they did not say March of which year ).

 

Anyway, we are here with our friends and supporters for the long haul, and very shortly with announce an exciting new trick that might just leapfrog a lot of this.

 

Thank you so much Richard for your kind support of UpTone and the even-keeled and fair way you have presented things.

By no means do we possess any exclusivity or patents on the market-space of USB signal regeneration--heck we were not even first to market, that honor goes to the Schiit Wyrd--and I have no sour grapes about competitive products.

Rather John Swenson and I are grateful for the ridiculous success of the past 9 months with the REGEN, and we are proud to have been the ones to really wake up not just audiophiles, but also many DAC designers, to the sonic benefits of improving USB signal integrity and impedance match just before the DAC's input.

 

There are forums and circles on the internet were armchair engineers continued to deride the whole premise of the REGEN and like devices, insisting that the reports are all just mass delusion. Thankfully, most here at CA--and at many other forums around the world--are using their ears and personal connection to what music should sound and feel like, to tell them that this is quite real.

 

Sorry for intruding in your thread. I'm hoping my Recovery arrives this week as well. Always fun to look and see how others do things differently.

 

Best,

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

I think most the units now have a galvanic isolation transformer in them, but I have not seen the inside of the RUR, not have been privy to any of the going ons. I have made some basic assumptions, and its why I chose it over the competition.

 

No, galvanic isolation is not provided by the W4S Recovery. And one can not do so with isolation transformers on a 480Mbps USB data signal.

[Superdad]

No audible sonic difference between this and the iFi for $49.99

 

That's pretty funny. Clearly you have never auditioned our choke-filtered, dual-output, 5-7A LPS versus the little iFi SMPS wall wart.

 

But I agree that our big supply is overkill for just a USB hub (that's what the Recovery, REGEN, et al are). Yet many who invest in a JS-2 do use it for that--in addition to powering their computer and/or DAC, USB>S/PDIF converter, headphone amp, etc. A robust, fast, and very clean supply (which, unlike all other LPS or SMPS units, kicks nothing back into the wall and whose output ground is galvanically isolated from mains ground) is good long-term investment that will outlast a lot of other system components.

 

Still, it won't be long until we drop the bombshell about our FPGA-controlled 1A 3.3/5/7V isolated LPS--to go with the REGEN, microRendu, Squeezebox Touch, Recovery, USB cards, SSDs, etc.

(see: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f27-uptone-audio-sponsored/uptone-audio-regen-power-supply-add-24963/index24.html#post517120)

--------

 

Speaking of JS-2 owners: Has anyone here heard from our friend Richard--this thread's OP and "curator?" His last post here at CA was February 17th. I am a little worried about him going silent. I'll send him an e-mail to be sure he is okay.

 

Best,

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

There is a new AC Regenerator coming out for $999 from Core Power Technologies...

 

Oh wow, another audio company from the infamous Mark Schifter! (Google him and judge for yourself.)

[Superdad]

Who's Regan?

 

You know…

 

 

 

and later, this guy…

 

 

And in between he was a president who if he ran now would be branded a liberal.

[Superdad]

I completely agree that computeraudiophile is a top publication and I will take it a step further. I think computeraudiophile.com is the ABSOLUTE BEST SOURCE for this information in the world!

 

Thanks Dev for the reasonable price power supply solution I will look into that one just like I did with the JS-2 that doesn't have one independent review from a top blogger or publication which was concerning.

 

Well I guess you missed Ted Brady (one of CA's most respected reviewers) discussing his experience with the JS-2 powering the exaSound DAC he reviewed last year: Computer Audiophile - exaSound e12 DAC Review

 

The fact is, major reviews of the JS-2 are not something we are seeking at this point (though we receive press inquiries from around the world). With our current staff (myself plus 1.5 people) and space, 30 units per 5-6 weeks is about the max week can build, and they sell out 3 weeks in advance. We keep dreaming of the day we can have a few on the shelf, but 260 units later that has yet to happen.

 

 

I actually didn't realize the owner of "Uptone Audio" was really "SuperDad" or as you call him "Golden Child"...

 

Similarly you seemed to miss the fact that my company is listed both next to my SuperDad handle and in the signature line of every one of my posts. Don't know what that "Golden Child" BS is all about. I neither seek or receive any favor, though people do seem to appreciate my honesty and business integrity. But I do screw up once in a while--and I might look back at this post as one of those times. I know I'm not supposed to feed the trolls…

 

Sorry everyone for the off-topic. I will try to stay out of this W4S Recovery thread--provided nobody keeps dragging my name into it.

 

Have a great weekend all,

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

Respectfully, Steve

 

No worries Steve. I appreciate your statement and the maturity to step back and chill--and to sign your post with your real name. To me that quickly separates you from some folks who have come round these parts and turned out to be really hostile and/or arrogant.

 

As CA founder Chris is prone to remind us: "We are not curing cancer or crushing kittens." Or something awkward to that effect. It's audio and wee are all here to have fun and learn from one another. Nobody has a monopoly on good sound.

:)

 

Ciao,

ALEX

[Superdad]

Exactly and its such an ever moving target too.