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ISO REGEN Listening Impressions (kicked off with some measurements)


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17 hours ago, Superdad said:

Well there you go!

A while back, I made up two short USB cables with a toggle switch in the Gnd lines (PC > Intona > I2S board). The idea was that, once the post-boot handshake was complete, I could break the Gnd lines. SQ was excellent but, as you'd expect, I would forget to restore the connections on next power-up. In the end, I settled for low-value resistors in the wire with little, if any, SQ loss and less hassle.

 

I forget from whom I pinched the toggle-switch idea but seem to recall getting the low-value resistor idea from an old post by JS. (I was going to call the design "The Plagiarise".) However, I've just measured my USPCB and found it has no resistance in the Gnd line. Am I missing something?

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9 hours ago, Ryelands said:

I forget from whom I pinched the toggle-switch idea but seem to recall getting the low-value resistor idea from an old post by JS.

 

You probably read it either in an original USB REGEN thread or in this blog post of mine from nearly 4 years ago:

https://uptoneaudio.com/blogs/news/20068483-usb-regen-updated-amazing-bass-all-unshipped-orders-will-be-the-latest

Some few cents worth of resistors on the input ground lines was the change we made after the first 100 USB REGENs were sold (and we changed the LED from green to amber to signify).  All 100 of the first buyers received the upgrade, and we went on to see close to 4,000 USB REGENs after that.

 

The more sophisticated ISO REGEN design does not require such resistors.

 

9 hours ago, Ryelands said:

However, I've just measured my USPCB and found it has no resistance in the Gnd line. Am I missing something?

 

The 4-layer, impedance-controlled circuit board known as the USPCB A>B Adapter is meant as a pure cable substitute. Its primary application is between a REGEN and a DAC, though people freely purchase and use them in other spots.  

It would be problematic for us and our clients if we put ground line resistors on the USPCB Adapters as performance and connectivity issues could then arise.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've skimmed most of the pages in this thread and can see that a few people have inserted the ISO/LPS-1.2 between PC or streamer and the SU1, then run I2S to their DAC.

 

Has anyone compared this to removing the SU1 from the path and running the ISO directly into the DAC via USB?

 

I'm running Aries femto (SBooster LPS) > Curious USB > Intona Industrial > Curious USB > Matrix SPDIF 2 (LPS-1) > I2S > Holo Spring 2 DAC > Kinki EX-M1 amp > Silverline Sonata III speakers & Rythmik sub. 

 

I could order the ISO without the LPS-1.2 and use the LPS-1 from my Matrix SPDIF 2 if I drop the Matrix and I2S cable from the path and use the ISO and USBPCB directly into the DAC. 

 

Is the benefit of the ISO/USBPCB direct into the DAC likely to be greater than any loss from not using I2S?

 

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1 hour ago, DSK6 said:

I've skimmed most of the pages in this thread and can see that a few people have inserted the ISO/LPS-1.2 between PC or streamer and the SU1, then run I2S to their DAC.

 

Has anyone compared this to removing the SU1 from the path and running the ISO directly into the DAC via USB?

 

I'm running Aries femto (SBooster LPS) > Curious USB > Intona Industrial > Curious USB > Matrix SPDIF 2 (LPS-1) > I2S > Holo Spring 2 DAC > Kinki EX-M1 amp > Silverline Sonata III speakers & Rythmik sub. 

 

I could order the ISO without the LPS-1.2 and use the LPS-1 from my Matrix SPDIF 2 if I drop the Matrix and I2S cable from the path and use the ISO and USBPCB directly into the DAC. 

 

Is the benefit of the ISO/USBPCB direct into the DAC likely to be greater than any loss from not using I2S?

 

 

in your chain, the iso is really more like the intona than the matrix.  have you run the same experiment with your intona?

(1) holo audio red (hqp naa) > chord dave > luxman cl-38uc/mq-88uc > kef reference 1
(2) simaudio moon mind 2 > chord qutest > luxman sq-n150 > monitor audio gold gx100
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1 hour ago, DSK6 said:

I've skimmed most of the pages in this thread and can see that a few people have inserted the ISO/LPS-1.2 between PC or streamer and the SU1, then run I2S to their DAC.

 

Has anyone compared this to removing the SU1 from the path and running the ISO directly into the DAC via USB?

 

I'm running Aries femto (SBooster LPS) > Curious USB > Intona Industrial > Curious USB > Matrix SPDIF 2 (LPS-1) > I2S > Holo Spring 2 DAC > Kinki EX-M1 amp > Silverline Sonata III speakers & Rythmik sub. 

 

I could order the ISO without the LPS-1.2 and use the LPS-1 from my Matrix SPDIF 2 if I drop the Matrix and I2S cable from the path and use the ISO and USBPCB directly into the DAC. 

 

Is the benefit of the ISO/USBPCB direct into the DAC likely to be greater than any loss from not using I2S?

 

My dac has an Amanero usb to i2s card inside the dac.  It has an isolator on the i2s output so the card is bus powered, using the iso regen and lps 1.2 the Amanero card is also powered by the lps1.2.  

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5 hours ago, jcn3 said:

 

in your chain, the iso is really more like the intona than the matrix.  have you run the same experiment with your intona?

Thanks jcn3. I figured that but was concerned that I could lose some of the "ISO greatness" by having it connected to the Matrix DDC instead of the Spring DAC.

 

So I wondered whether anyone has compared their ISO with and without their SU1 DDC? If there is little or no sonic difference it would save me having to buy another LPS-1.2 and eliminate one box from the chain.

 

You raise a good point … I haven't re-tested the Intona since changing from separates to the integrated Kinki amp recently (it only has about 30 hours on it so far). 

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35 minutes ago, DSK6 said:

Thanks jcn3. I figured that but was concerned that I could lose some of the "ISO greatness" by having it connected to the Matrix DDC instead of the Spring DAC.

 

So I wondered whether anyone has compared their ISO with and without their SU1 DDC? If there is little or no sonic difference it would save me having to buy another LPS-1.2 and eliminate one box from the chain.

 

You raise a good point … I haven't re-tested the Intona since changing from separates to the integrated Kinki amp recently (it only has about 30 hours on it so far). 

 

btw -- do you have the level 2 spring dac (original version) or the new 2nd version of the spring dac?  if you have the new version, supposedly the usb input is much, much better than the previous version. (i haven't heard either)

(1) holo audio red (hqp naa) > chord dave > luxman cl-38uc/mq-88uc > kef reference 1
(2) simaudio moon mind 2 > chord qutest > luxman sq-n150 > monitor audio gold gx100
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After an elaborate Audiolinux,/NUC endpoint and Audiolinux/Server tuning session today, I achieved hands down the best sound ever heard here. While already playing at a high level, the system took on a new level of tonal detail, brass instruments sound golden, guitar strings sound real . . . truly beautiful.

 

So just for grins, I thought to test removing the LPS1.2 powered ISO Regen. What a mistake! I put it right back nestled between two Lush cables. Transients just don't hit the same level without the ISO Regen.

 

What a great device.

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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51 minutes ago, lmitche said:

After an elaborate Audiolinux,/NUC endpoint and Audiolinux/Server tuning session today, I achieved hands down the best sound ever heard here. While already playing at a high level, the system took on a new level of tonal detail, brass instruments sound golden, guitar strings sound real . . . truly beautiful.

 

So just for grins, I thought to test removing the LPS1.2 powered ISO Regen. What a mistake! I put it right back nestled between two Lush cables. Transients just don't hit the same level without the ISO Regen.

 

What a great device.

 

Hi Larry,

 

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere but do you mind confirming, we're talking NUC endpoint USB out to ISO Regen to DAC?

 

Both with Lush originals, not Lush^2?

 

Cheers,

Alan

Synergistic Research Powercell UEF SE > Sonore OpticalModule (LPS-1.2 & DXP-1A5DSC) > EtherRegen (SR4T & DXP-1A5DSC) > (Sablon 2020 LAN) Innuos PhoenixNet > Muon Streaming System > Grimm Audio MU1 server > (Sablon AES) Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC > PS Audio M1200 monoblocks > Salk Sound Supercharged Songtowers

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54 minutes ago, BigAlMc said:

 

Hi Larry,

 

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere but do you mind confirming, we're talking NUC endpoint USB out to ISO Regen to DAC?

 

Both with Lush originals, not Lush^2?

 

Cheers,

Alan

Hi Alan,

 

Yes, NUC endpoint USB out to ISO Regen to DAC. Two lush cables. A short lush 2 with default config to the ISO Regen. A longer lush 1 out with shielding configured as the lush 2 default. So the latter is a diy lush 2.

 

The galvanic isolation from the ISO Regen lps1.2 and wifi connection combo prevents any ground loops to the NUC and DAC, and it matters.

 

At long last, I am content with the sound quality.

 

 

 

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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2 hours ago, lmitche said:

After an elaborate Audiolinux,/NUC endpoint and Audiolinux/Server tuning session today, I achieved hands down the best sound ever heard here. While already playing at a high level, the system took on a new level of tonal detail, brass instruments sound golden, guitar strings sound real . . . truly beautiful.

 

So just for grins, I thought to test removing the LPS1.2 powered ISO Regen. What a mistake! I put it right back nestled between two Lush cables. Transients just don't hit the same level without the ISO Regen.

 

What a great device.

 

I'm looking forward to upgrading my AL NUCs this weekend to the latest greatest, but I want to echo the feedback on the ISO Regen.  

 

By pure chance I had a 2nd ISO Regen in house so I put two in series (powered by LPS 1.2 with a Ghent splitter DC cable) and the lift over a single ISO Regen was startling.  

 

At this point, with 2 ISO Regen's in series and the LPS 1.2, my AL NUC end point and Roon Bridge is sounding VERY close to the SQ I get with SqueezeLite and large buffers.

 

Absolute winner

 

ATT Fiber -> EdgeRouter X SFP -> Taiko Audio Extreme -> Vinnie Rossi L2i-SE w/ Level 2 DAC -> Voxativ 9.87 speakers w/ 4D drivers

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What might be the reason for such an improvement, with the 2x usb?

macmini M1>ethernet / elgar iso tran(2.5kVa, .0005pfd)>consonance pw-3 boards>ghent ethernet(et linkway cat8 jssg360)>etherRegen(js-2)>ghent ethernet(et linkway cat8 jssg360) >ultraRendu (clones lpsu>lps1.2)>curious regen link>rme adi-2 dac(js-2)>cawsey cables>naquadria sp2 passive pre> 1.naquadria lucien mkII.5 power>elac fs249be + elac 4pi plus.2> 2.perreaux9000b(mods)>2x naquadria 12” passive subs.

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/13/2019 at 5:18 AM, lmitche said:

Yes, NUC endpoint USB out to ISO Regen to DAC. Two lush cables. A short lush 2 with default config to the ISO Regen. A longer lush 1 out with shielding configured as the lush 2 default. So the latter is a diy lush 2.

Hi. Is it possible to use the Startech 4-Port USB 3.1 (10Gbps) Pcie Card at the NUC endpoint to output usb to ISO Regen and provide good external ps to Startech? I know you think highly of the card, so have you try out this setup? If it is workable then what NUC can installed with the card and how? 

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4 hours ago, lateboomer said:

Hi. Is it possible to use the Startech 4-Port USB 3.1 (10Gbps) Pcie Card at the NUC endpoint to output usb to ISO Regen and provide good external ps to Startech? I know you think highly of the card, so have you try out this setup? If it is workable then what NUC can installed with the card and how? 

Hi LB,

 

I haven't tried any PCIE experiments with NUCs. The existing NUC USB ports sound great to my ear, probably due to the SOC design, and with a LPS1.2 ISO Regen they really sing, so I'm not inclined to experiment.

 

The Startech card is still at the heart of my server with two channels, one to an external USB hard disk and Startech enclosure delivering USB 3.1 gen 2 speeds at 10gbps and the second channel with a usb nic connected to a Linksys re9000 wireless extender.

 

Powering the Startech card with an external triple regulated LT3045 12 volt chain sounds wonderful.

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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9 hours ago, Quasar said:

Hello.

As if it is useful, I used a riser pciexpress connection and this in turn to a USB multiport card and has not been an impediment to get a very good sound with the IsoRegen and the rest of the USB chain.

How about a picture please?

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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  • 2 months later...

Question about the 5 volts input on isoregen.   If i tape over the output on my mac mini to isoregen.  Does this shut the 5 volts off on the isoregen output?  My eitr needs 5volts input, but can i shut down the 5v out of mac mini and the isoregen make it on its own, and I leave the a/b connector on?

 

I would love to get rid of the 5 volts in my usb cable.

 

mac mini 5volts off - isoregen makes 5volts output to eitr-  a/b connector on- eitr - dac still works?

 

musicguy

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12 minutes ago, musicguy said:

Question about the 5 volts input on isoregen.   If i tape over the output on my mac mini to isoregen.  Does this shut the 5 volts off on the isoregen output? 

The 5v from usb powers the silanna isolation chip.  If you disable it then maybe you could block the 5v usb.

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36 minutes ago, musicguy said:

I would like to buy a data only cable for my isoregen.   Made by  j maxwell.

 

musicguy

 

 

the isoregen is expecting 5v over the usb cable.  if you use a data only cable, the isoregen won't work.

(1) holo audio red (hqp naa) > chord dave > luxman cl-38uc/mq-88uc > kef reference 1
(2) simaudio moon mind 2 > chord qutest > luxman sq-n150 > monitor audio gold gx100
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