ISO REGEN launch thread! (product web page up; photos, etc.)

[rickca]

31 minutes ago, Superdad said:

I have decided that the rebate terms will remain just as set forth, and that no rebate will be made for purchasers of the $655 ISO/LPS-1 bundle.  The discount is "baked into" the price, and anything further would be "double-dipping."

 

I'm perfectly OK with that.  Thanks for the clarification.

[Superdad]

10 minutes ago, ted_b said:

I did a search on "red switch" and didn't find anything.  Sorry if I missed this...but..what is the red switch (on and 1 being the choices) for?

 

Ah, I was waiting for someone to ask about the red switch.  Congrats for being the first Ted! 

 

Ignore the "1" and "on" nomenclature of the switch.  It was from one of only two sources in the world where we could get a single-position vertical-mount DIP-switch.

 

Instead pay attention to the letters "ISO" silkscreened just below on the case.

 

"ISO" is the position everyone will receive their units set to, and in that position the unit provides its full galvanic isolation as advertised.

 

The up position ("on" if you will) defeats the galvanic isolation by jumpering (shorting together) the grounds of the upstream/downstream sides of the "moat" of the ISO REGEN.

 

So everyone will get to hear what portion of the improvement of the ISO REGEN (over the original USB REGEN or versus other USB "decrapifiers") is from the many enhancements we spoke openly about, and what benefit comes from adding the full galvanic isolation. 

 

There is a story behind why we decided to include the switch, but I'm hungry and still have a lot of work to do to get the "launch morning" e-mail out to the 7,000+ people on our mailing list.  So I'll save the story for later.

 

I'll just say that we expect that 95% of users will never need to defeat the isolation with the switch.  It is there as a diagnostic tool and for very unusual cases.

 

 

 

 

[Superdad]

6 minutes ago, austinpop said:

@Superdad

 

Didn't you say an email would be sent to all customers of previous products one day before launch - or some such?

 

This is no big deal for me, as I inhabit CA forums, but just for the record, I didn't receive any email notification. Just in case you had sent out a blast and I should have received one.

 

My very rudimentary e-mail blasting app (no fancy formatting or pictures) is at this very moment sending out a short announcement to over 11,000 addresses!  It sends them individually (but quite fast with just 1 second pause between each) so that they are hopefully not blocked as SPAM by worldwide mail servers.

I'm just hoping that the links I included to company, product, and forum pages come through as links.  In the inevitable dozens of mail daemon failure notices that are coming back I don't see the links.  I think that is normal but I am kicking myself for not testing the message on myself before hitting the "blast to all" button.

 

 

6 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

While I have the floor, second question:

will the bundle pricing (ISO-Regen+LPS-1) persist for the foreseeable future, or is it only available in this first round of orders?

 

Exciting times!

 

I think the bundle price will continue always.

I am not sure how long the rebate offer will go.  Certainly through production of the first 500-600 ISO REGENs.  There are already over 1,000 LPS-1 units out there, but I am not sure what the true number of original USB REGEN/LPS-1 owners it.  Lots of people bought the UltraCap LPS-1 to power components other than a REGEN.

[ElviaCaprice]

Really there is no loyalty rebate offer, which is fine.  I wouldn't even offer one for the ISO Regen only, they are not truly as loyal.  If your like me, you can always use another high quality power supply and if your loyal you already have multiple LPS-1's, being used.  Thus you need another LPS-1 for the ISO Regen.  So only one discount.

I wouldn't even ask for the loyalty discount if qualified, Alex and John's advice on the forum is worth the $50, plus somebody has to put Alex's kids thru college.

[Energy]

18 minutes ago, satfrat said:

After 35 years on second shift, it's what I do even now that I'm retired. Plus music always sound better at night.

It's true. Either I'm more calm at night like you are, or the mains power line has less noise.

[R1200CL]

@Superdad

 

Any plans of offering these cables on your website ?

or are they only meant for the JS-2 buyers ?

[flkin]

If this ISO REGEN is galvanically isolated and data stream regenerated under a femto-clock, there doesn't seem any reason for the microRendu anymore. The simpler (and cheaper) SonicOrbitor SE with any power supply to the ISO REGEN with LPS-1 should work.

 

Or if one already has the microRendu with LPS-1, then just getting an ISO REGEN and using the already purchased LPS-1 with it and any power supply with the micro-Rendu would work also. 

 

Is this correct?

[R1200CL]

1 minute ago, flkin said:

 

If this ISO REGEN is galvanically isolated and data stream regenerated under a femto-clock, there doesn't seem any reason for the microRendu anymore. The simpler (and cheaper) SonicOrbitor SE with any power supply to the ISO REGEN with LPS-1 should work.

 

 

This is what I'm thinking to. Direct from my SonicTransporter. Or I suppose  it has to be my PC, as there is where my HQPlayer is. 

So I probably wait with a purchase and let the listening impressions guide me.

 

Or if you need a Roon endpoint, the SBT in EDO mode, or a PI will do the same as a MicroRendu if a ISO regen is attached. 

 

 

[k-man]

46 minutes ago, flkin said:

If this ISO REGEN is galvanically isolated and data stream regenerated under a femto-clock, there doesn't seem any reason for the microRendu anymore.

 

Is this correct?

I'm not convinced, and there are no manufacturer' claims to back that up (i.e. GI + best clock = any computer will do). I appreciate the ISO regen benefits can lessen the importance, but claiming the microRendu being made redundant is not wise before ISO regen launch. 

[flkin]

23 minutes ago, k-man said:

I'm not convinced, and there are no manufacturer' claims to back that up (i.e. GI + best clock = any computer will do). I appreciate the ISO regen benefits can lessen the importance, but claiming the microRendu being made redundant is not wise before ISO regen launch. 

 

I'm not claiming anything, simply making an observation from the unit's function. If the ISO REGEN performs as designed, the data feeding it wouldn't seem to require any special pre-treatment - say from the microRendu. A SonicOrbitor SE is functionally mostly the same as the microRendu at less than half the price so this is worth thinking on. Consider that the microRendu was special because it has the regen function built in which is now made redundant - unless multiple regens improve the sound quality 

 

Apart from the coming ISO, I have all the mentioned devices and mostly I'm mulling aloud how to arrange them to test eventually. 

[Energy]

I believe John created the list wrong and it goes more like so:

1) Separate LPS-1 on microRendu and ISO Regen

2) LPS-1 on ISO Regen and something else on MicroRendu

3) Same LPS-1 on MicroRendu and ISO Regen

 

FIRST - Two separate LPS-1's being used on each unit would provide the best rejection of AC leakage current for each device thus letting each perform well in it's own isolated domain. Since there are two independent linear power supplies, their positive and negative do not make contact between ISO Regen & MicroRendu thus offering proper separation.

 

SECOND - Single LPS-1 being used on the ISO Regen to provide clean power and 100% AC suppression. No leakage loop is created thus won't be passed over to the following device such as a DAC or digital converter. MicroRendu is powered by another power supply, preferably linear. The two are still properly isolated, however because the MicroRendu is not using the LPS-1, it's circuitry is still affected by AC leakage current and perhaps utilizes a noisier power supply (versus ~4uV of LPS-1).

 

THIRD - Single LPS-1 used to power both the MicroRendu and ISO Regen using a split DC output power cable. Due to both units sharing the same output power from the LPS-1, they both make contact with the same ground. Even though a new ground is created by the ISO Regen, it is in fact not new due to being tied with the same linear power power supply (LPS-1) thus can no longer offer galvanic isolation. The MicroRendu is SUPPOSE to be galvanically isolated through it's ethernet input however If by some chance that it is NOT isolated, leakage current can still be passed onto the ISO Regen if they are both connected through the same power supply.

 

All in all, If separate units are used, the ISO Regen can offer an isolation advantage. But like John says, who knows if any of this will account to sound quality improvements. These are only recommendations from a technical standpoint. 

 

Quote

 

If this ISO REGEN is galvanically isolated and data stream regenerated under a femto-clock, there doesn't seem any reason for the microRendu anymore. The simpler (and cheaper) SonicOrbitor SE with any power supply to the ISO REGEN with LPS-1 should work.

 

Or if one already has the microRendu with LPS-1, then just getting an ISO REGEN and using the already purchased LPS-1 with it and any power supply with the micro-Rendu would work also. 

 

Is this correct?

 

 

I would assume so as well. It seems as though any upstream device would work since full high speed galvanic isolation is provided after the streamer, source, or transport.

From what it looks like, the only gain from using two independent LPS-1's would be that the MicroRendu's audio circuits would perform better due to the cleaner power and AC leakage current suppression, however I'm not sure where it goes into the picture as it will be galvanically isolated anyhow once reaching the ISO Regen. I wouldn't think that any AC leakage would be passed through galvanic isolation barrier but could be wrong. In that case I would just use a low quiet power supply for the MicroRendu like an iFi iPower or DIY Sigma 11 (o11) with 9V output.

 

Anything I said above must be confirmed by either Alex or John for validity. 

 

Personally I am using a laptop computer and connected it directly to the ISO Regen. It in turn will supply a clean and regenerated signal to the following component, the Singxer SU-1 through the use of the USPCB Bridge (with 90° rotation). Both units will be powered by the LPS-1. This lets both units perform at it's best, and in addition, saves the DAC from AC leakage loops thus letting it perform even better.

 

Cheers,

Timothy

[jos]

Can I use the old Regen together with the new one? Will this improve te sound qualiy further? I am still happy with the old one and have to read more about the improvements the new one will make, so I wil be not an early adapter. First things first for me and that will be a better DAC and then I will decide, or just live with the old one.

[Energy]

25 minutes ago, jos said:

Can I use the old Regen together with the new one? Will this improve te sound qualiy further? I am still happy with the old one and have to read more about the improvements the new one will make, so I wil be not an early adapter. First things first for me and that will be a better DAC and then I will decide, or just live with the old one.

 

It will not improve the sound further, using two in series is not advised.

The ISO Regen is better than the Regen, so it's best if you just sell your old one and get the new one.

 

Computer > Regen > ISO Regen = ISO Regen performance (but possibly extra degradation from the Regen just sitting in between)

 

Computer > ISO Regen = ISO Regen performance

 

Basically, there's no point for the Regen to regenerate the signal and pass it down to the ISO Regen if the ISO Regen was already going to do a better job anyways.

[jos]

11 minutes ago, Energy said:

 

It will not improve the sound further, using two in series is not advised.

The ISO Regen is better than the Regen, so it's best if you just sell your old one and get the new one.

 

Computer > Regen > ISO Regen = ISO Regen performance (but possibly extra degradation from the Regen just sitting in between)

 

Computer > ISO Regen = ISO Regen performance

 

Basically, there's no point for the Regen to regenerate the signal and pass it down to the ISO Regen if the ISO Regen was already going to do a better job anyways.

Thanks for the answer!

[kalinka]

What about having a ISO Regen before an ifi usb purifier, would it be of any use?

 

I use the original Regen this way and like the results.

[firedog]

25 minutes ago, jos said:

Thanks for the answer!

Actually, when the Regen came out, John said it is possible 2 in series could have a beneficial effect, as the 2nd one could benefit slightly from getting the cleanest signal possible. Even a Regen has "self noise", and this might be lowered slightly by connnecting 2 in series.

[Energy]

6 minutes ago, kalinka said:

What about having a ISO Regen before an ifi usb purifier, would it be of any use?

 

I use the original Regen this way and like the results.

 

The iPurifier as I know is another product of regeneration so it helps to minimize cable degradation such as impedance deviation or signal integrity loss from long runs.

 

Like firedog days and I stand corrected, double 'purification' may yield benefits. 

[firedog]

To all those who have an LPS-1 + mRendu combo and are adding an ISO-Regen: we will be waiting to hear your reports of what you hear when the ISO is added in....

[esmit]

I ordered! Well, preordered through www.vortexbox.co.uk. 6 left, full month to wait.

 

:-) 

See http://www.vortexbox.co.uk/Uptone_ISO_Regen_Shipping_wc_24th_May/p317978_17351594.aspx

 

[darkless]

Just preordered from vortexbox.co.uk. Just 4 units left now.

Also, the minor issue with their online payment provider has been fixed, so grab your credit cards gentlemen!

[Superdad]

Waking up; coffee; less than two hours to go... 

[pl_svn]

I'm already at work, Alex 

[kalinka]

I will skip my lunch-time nap to wait for the iso regen.

 

Will be sleepy the entire afternoon, but it will be worth.

[pl_svn]

Yai!

 

... hopefully :nervous:

[austinpop]

Here is how this thread will go in the next few weeks:

1. Ordered! Order # nnnn
2. So excited/nervous, can't wait, etc
3. The meaning of order #s
4. Superdad will announce selling out of first batch
5. Oh no! Did my order # make the first batch
6. Questions about next batch
7. Is it shipping yet
8. Did you receive yours yet?
9. Just got mine x 250
10. Superdad will create an impressions thread

Some of us have seen this rodeo before.