Jump to content
IGNORED

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


Recommended Posts

Something crossed my mind just now

 

We all agree the regen makes pratically every system to sound better. More "weight" and better "clarity" are among the mentioned -by me as well- benefits.

 

So, all this improvement comes just from having a better USB signal? Or the regen has some sort of "sonic signature" that is responsible for what we are listening?

 

Sorry if this has been answered before, I'm kinda new around here and did not take place in the discussions about the original regen.

Link to comment

Hi,

What is expected  to sound better in each of following 2 scenarios. I have approx £600-700 to spend on new streaming solution. Already have chord mojo.

 

For now looking at.

1. micro rendu

2. Iso regeneration & mac mini

 

If i can afford a bit more or looking at upgrade later.. (Essentially here question is which benefits more from LPS1?)

1. Microrendu & Lps1

2 Iso regen & Lps1 & mac mini

 

I think I'd prefer mac mini (or nuc or some kind) so I can switch seamlessly between spotify and roon. Having to change mode in microrendu  puts me off. So ISO regeneration provide equal/better SQ as microrendu to standard pc then would suit me better.

 

Thanks for any insight.

Link to comment

Could this device afford any benafit if installed between a microRendu and a Mutec MC3+USB?

Windows 11 PC, Roon, HQPlayer, Focus Fidelity convolutions, iFi Zen Stream, Paul Hynes SR4, Mutec REF10, Mutec MC3+USB, Devialet 1000Pro, KEF Blade.  Plus Pro-Ject Signature 12 TT for playing my 'legacy' vinyl collection. Desktop system; RME ADI-2 DAC fs, Meze Empyrean headphones.

Link to comment
17 minutes ago, kalinka said:

Something crossed my mind just now

 

We all agree the regen makes pratically every system to sound better. More "weight" and better "clarity" are among the mentioned -by me as well- benefits.

 

So, all this improvement comes just from having a better USB signal? Or the regen has some sort of "sonic signature" that is responsible for what we are listening?

 

Sorry if this has been answered before, I'm kinda new around here and did not take place in the discussions about the original regen.

 

Can't of anything the Regen does that would cause something like that other than perhaps correct impedance matching, which would make any "sonic signature" the um, correct one. :)

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

Link to comment
11 minutes ago, tommytastic said:

I think I'd prefer mac mini (or nuc or some kind) so I can switch seamlessly between spotify and roon. Having to change mode in microrendu  puts me off.

 

Well, what if Roon supports Spotify ?

 

What are you using today. And why not considder SonicTransporter?

Link to comment
19 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

 

Well, what if Roon supports Spotify ?

 

What are you using today. And why not considder SonicTransporter?

 

As good as Roon is, it's not as user freindly as spotify app for discovering new artists and I love the personalised play lists. Spotify connect or tidal over chromecast is far more immediate and accessible than roon. There is a weird disconnect in roon using tidal between tidal library and roon library. I currently use a chromecast for tidal/spotify/tunein and also have a Roon license but need a new living room friendly PC for it. The sound via chromecast optical is good but not as good as over usb from pc. My ideal would probably be a unit that allows "casting/connect" of spotify lossless and tunein. I tend to prefer the native apps than the generic ones. I have a sonos connect too and found the spotify integration on that poor. I think they are doing spotify connect now too but like the chromecast it's not as good SQ as via my pc.

 

Sonic transporter is basically microrendu right with lower SQ? How does it help?

Link to comment
20 minutes ago, tommytastic said:

Sonic transporter is basically microrendu right with lower SQ? How does it help?

 

A MicroRendu is an endpoint with almost same SW as the SonicTransporter. 

The SonicTransporter is meant to be a RoonServer. Just like your suggested Mac. 

You can do USB direc from it. (+ ISO regen). No need for the MicroRendu. 

 

An upgraded Mac mini with UpTone mod may be equal. I don't know.

 

Link to comment

I just joined as a new member of the forum, though I've been an audio enthusiast for more than a couple of decades, and I used to participate in other forums like AudioCircle. I began immersing myself in computer streamed audio a little more than 18 months ago, and am a true believer in the superior sound quality of streaming files (especially high resolution downloads) over CD playback using highly regarded playback equipment and cabling. As a computer audio newcomer, I'm hoping I might be able to get some advice the knowledgeable and friendly members of this forum, but I'll ask those questions as new posts. That's it for my mini introduction. :)

 

So now I'll build to my question about the ISO Regen and LPS-1. I took the plunge on the original USB Regen a year ago after I inquired about it on the Uptone Audio website. I was most impressed that my questions were patiently addressed and answered by Superdad personally. My computer playback system is fairly modest (using a USB hard drive as my music library feeding a Windows laptop running JRiver outputted to a Parasound Halo with built-in dac), and as soon as I inserted the Regen in front of the Halo I immediately heard a significant improvement in sound quality. Based on my very satisifying experience with the USB Regen and Alex, I did not hesitate to order the ISO Regen and LPS-1.

 

Here's the question: My system has always been plugged into a pair of isolation transformers acquired from a lab where they were previously used with electron microscopes. Should I continue using the transformer assigned to my digital components with the ISO Regen and LPS-1, or would there be any concerns for some sort of conflict or intererence between them?

Link to comment
3 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

This one is tough. In order to try and measure this sort of thing I bought some older (then) top of the line test equipment from ebay, I can get great eye patterns with this, it is good for looking at the waveforms but useless for jitter measurement. The jitter from any of our devices is lower than what these devices can measure. The waveforms from the ISO REGEN look REALLY good. Unfortunately getting screen dumps is quite a complex task and very time consuming so I don't do it very often. I don't have any saved eye patterns so I'm not going to be able to post anything for quite some time. None of this equipment has USB interfaces that would make it easy, they work off of GPIB interfaces, or in the case of one of my scopes, a floppy! The scope take FOREVER to write an image file to the floppy, then I have to put it in a USB floppy drive to get it into my lab computer. BUT the image format is very old so none of the current programs will read it, so I have to run a series of conversion programs to get it into something that a modern browser can handle. Its a lot of work.

 

As for jitter measurements I have been looking for test equipment that can actually measure the jitter on actual USB data streams and have not found any that will get us into the area that our stuff works at - for any price. The ones that exist are designed for standards compliance not characterization at very low jitter levels.  So I'm designing my own. Unfortunately I can't start working on that until the new lab is set up, and then I will have lots of things to work on, so realistically it is most likely going to be a year before I have that device up and running. THEN I can actually measure the USB jitter. Oh yeah, the existing differential probes aren't good enough for this so I will have to build my own as well!

 

John S.

 

Thanks John! Not a big drama for me if you can't publish any wave forms / eye patterns until you're well settled in your new lab.

 

But when you say "The waveforms from the ISO REGEN look REALLY good" I assume you also mean significantly better than the original USB REGEN (from the waveforms / eye patterns you saw visually)?

 

 

Appreciated, as always. 

 

Link to comment
11 minutes ago, lmitche said:

Hi Jud,

 

Having been the other other lucky one to beta test the ISO Regen, I know you just sent your ISO Regen back to Alex for recycling.  So having used it for a year, I want to ask how your system sounds without it!

 

I can't answer this for myself as I voluntarily and reluctantly sent the G version back to John for testing six months ago after he blew up all his other prototype units.

 

I should also disclose I am gratefully receiving a free ISO Regen from Uptone.  Thanks to Alex and John.

 

I'm still enjoying the music a lot with the original Regen in the system, but sending back the test version of the ISO Regen was sadness. :)  Anxiously awaiting shipment of the production version along with everyone else!

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

Link to comment
10 hours ago, tboooe said:

Maybe I will just use some caps instead.  Much easier though not has pretty looking.

Do I assume you are referring to wire nuts, or something else?

Link to comment
15 minutes ago, ted_b said:

Do I assume you are referring to wire nuts, or something else?

Yes sorry about not being more clear.   I mean wire nuts.  Any draw back to that aside from how lame that looks?

12TB NAS >> i7-6700 Server/Control PC >> i3-5015u NAA >> Singxer SU-1 DDC (modded) >> Holo Spring L3 DAC >> Accustic Arts Power 1 int amp >> Sonus Faber Guaneri Evolution speakers + REL T/5i sub (x2)

 

Other components:

UpTone Audio LPS1.2/IsoRegen, Fiber Switch and FMC, Windows Server 2016 OS, Audiophile Optimizer 3.0, Fidelizer Pro 6, HQ Player, Roonserver, PS Audio P3 AC regenerator, HDPlex 400W ATX & 200W Linear PSU, Light Harmonic Lightspeed Split USB cable, Synergistic Research Tungsten AC power cords, Tara Labs The One speaker cables, Tara Labs The Two Extended with HFX Station IC, Oyaide R1 outlets, Stillpoints Ultra Mini footers, Hi-Fi Tuning fuses, Vicoustic/RealTraps/GIK room treatments

Link to comment
20 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

For all the people wanting to use an ISO REGEN with a SU-1 and an LPS-1, I just talked to Alex about this. He has done it, the recipe is:

 

Set the LPS-1 to 5V, use a Y-cable to power both at 5V. (see the DIY DC Cable thread on how to make your own) The VBUS output regulator will be undervolted so it won't actually be regulating (but the regulator in the LPS-1 is the same as in the ISO REGEN). The measured voltage is 4.95 V on the VBUS coming out of the ISO REGEN, this is fine to drive the upstream side of the SU-1.

 

This will preclude the isolation in the SU-1, but the isolation in the ISO REGEN will still be working.

 

If it were me I would get the external power kit from the manufacturer and cut off the internal cable, leaving pigtails on the both connectors. Then use a piece of 4S6 starquad to replace the cable you just cut off.

 

John S.

 

John (or Alex) is there any down side when the SU-1's isolation is no longer in affect?

 

Is there any ground loops or noise passed from the ISO REGEN over to the SU-1?

 

Would powering them with separate LPS-1's provide any incremental gains?

 

٩(●̮̃•)۶ Carbon (NET)  EtherRegen (NET)  Carbyne (USB)  Terminator-Plus (XLR)  β22 (XLR)  Diana TC (ง'-')ง
 
 =  ︿  = 
Link to comment
20 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

The kit is talked about in the DIY DC Cable thread, page 4.

 

If anyone wants to discuss this please do it in that thread rather than here.

 

John S.

 

John,

 

I did not want to be on the way of this thread but actually i am in the same interests of the ISO REGEN and if someone pulls out something that has to do with the ISO REGEN and also suggest something that comes along with it, i thought i could ask if i don't have an idea of what is being suggested, sorry for interrupting the Thread

 

Best regards

Link to comment

No problem at all John. You have done way more than what others would have done. Thank you so much for that. xD

٩(●̮̃•)۶ Carbon (NET)  EtherRegen (NET)  Carbyne (USB)  Terminator-Plus (XLR)  β22 (XLR)  Diana TC (ง'-')ง
 
 =  ︿  = 
Link to comment
15 hours ago, satfrat said:

 

Hypothetical question for Alex or John, IF I had $300+ to spend, which would I be better off buying, a $380 LPS-1 for my present day USB Regen/Meanwell or a $310  ISO Regen to go with my Meanwell SMPS? Just curious,,, just in case something changes in my life.

 

Cheers,

Robin

 

Hi mate, I'm definitely not John or Alex and am just as curious about how the ISO REGEN performs as you, but with the 30 day trial you could buy both and return one for a refund, after your testing.

 

If I had to make a guess I would go with the new ISO REGEN to go with your Meanwell initially and add the LPS-1 when funds later allow. Only a guess though, as to which one to get first, like tossing a coin. Once it's out in the field there will be plenty of people that can help to test this out of you with their feedback too.

 

But the risk free 30 day trial is cool.

 

 

Link to comment
1 hour ago, Em2016 said:

 

Hi mate, I'm definitely not John or Alex and am just as curious about how the ISO REGEN performs as you, but with the 30 day trial you could buy both and return one for a refund, after your testing.

 

If I had to make a guess I would go with the new ISO REGEN to go with your Meanwell initially and add the LPS-1 when funds later allow. Only a guess though, as to which one to get first, like tossing a coin. Once it's out in the field there will be plenty of people that can help to test this out of you with their feedback too.

 

But the risk free 30 day trial is cool.

 

 

 

Damn if that's not a marvelous idea, I could make up my own mind, keep the Regen w/LPS-1 or upgrade to the ISO Regen w/Meanwell and send back the LPS-1 for another day which I'm sure there would be once I sampled the Regen w/Meanwell vs ISO Regen w/LPS-1. I would know first hand how all the combinations work IN MY SYSTEM. 

 

Much thanks for telling me something I should have thought of on my own,,, duhhhh. Now I just need to find the money for at least one of them so I can sample them both. ;)

 

Cheers,

Robin

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...