USPCB A>B Adapters can now be ordered at UpToneAudio.com!

[Superdad]

USPCB A>B Adapters can now be ordered on our web site!

https://uptoneaudio.com/products/uspcb-a-b-adapter

 

It's about darn time I know... 

 

Ordered by themselves, First Class Airmail is $13 overseas, $9 to Canada, and $3 in the USA--regardless of quantity.

Added to a REGEN or LPS-1 order there is no extra postage--they weigh almost nothing.

 

If you wish to add an extra USPCB to an ISO REGEN order you are waiting on, follow this simple instruction:

1) Place a separate order for the USPCBs you want (remember to look at the new pictures to decide on orientation, and choose that from the drop-down above the AddToCart button;

2) Please use the same name, address, and e-mail as for your other pending order;

3) In the "Special Instructions" box of the Your Cart page, leave a short note that you have another order waiting;

4) Pay for your USPCB order--including shipping.

 

I will see your order and your note, and then will refund the shipping (of the USPCB).  We will combine your orders, and the extra USPCB will ship with your other product--via whatever delivery method you paid for with the ISO REGEN or LPS-1 order (typically Priority Mail).

 

Thanks everyone.

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

2 hours ago, Confused said:

Can you advise if the USPBC will be sold via Vortexbox for those of us in the UK and Europe?

 

Yes, Martin has a bunch of them on order with us.  We will ship them to him this coming week in box with more UltraCap LPS-1s he is getting. 

[Superdad]

1 minute ago, t_ram said:

Hey Alex,

 

When somebody places an order for an ISO REGEN does it automatically come with the horizontal adapter? Does one have to specifically ask for the 90 degree version when ordering the IR?

 

Hi:

Take a look at the ISO REGEN product page and you will see two drop-down selection bars above the AddToCart button.  One is for selection of power supply, the other is for orientation of the included USPCB A>B Adapter.

 

The default selection is the "Standard for normal horizontal position."  So when orders are placed , I really never know if someone consciously choose that or simply forget to make the choice.  But the Standard is more popular--by almost 3:1.

[Superdad]

3 hours ago, Jean Plum said:

I want to try one with an SOTM sms200 - which has a vertical USB out - into my DAC. Does that mean I need a 90 degree one ?

 

Thanks.

 

Either version should be fine.  Please refer to the ne pictures on the product web page.  Depends upon what you are connecting.

 

If you are using an ISO REGEN, please keep in mind that it is more ideal to place it at the input of your DAC rather than at the output of your streamer. Although some people are making physical arrangements to have no cables at all--using USPCBs on both sides of the REGEN--it is more traditional to run a cable from the computer/streamer, and then the USPCB to connect the REGEN to the DAC.

[Superdad]

18 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

The detail on the website for the USPCB says it preserves impedance match.

But there's no mention of 90 ohms or the USB spec. I'm guessing though that this is what the impedance match refers to?

 

Yes, 90 ohms.  John used stripline impedance calculations (e.g. https://www.pasternack.com/t-calculator-stripline.aspx) in determining the correct trace width, thickness, spacing, and spacing from the above and below shield/ground planes; It is a 4-layer board.

[Superdad]

1 hour ago, charlesphoto said:

Can anyone tell me the exact length of the USPCB (the exposed part)?

 

Hi Charles:

 

When plugged in at both ends, the distance from DAC back panel to source (REGEN, microRendu, etc.) panel is 45mm (this assumes USB jacks that are flush with their chassis panels--as most are).  So plugged in, the "exposed portion" is 45mm.  Add the depth of the microRendu etc. to determine if you have room.

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

1 hour ago, charlesphoto said:

Just wanted to let you know that this adapter has to be one of the best bargains in hifi...

 

 

Hi Charles:

Glad you like the USPCB A>B Adapter.  These things have been selling like crazy, so I guess you are not alone. 

And to those waiting, I promise that the version with microB plug in place of full size USB 'B' is in the works.  John and I have just bee very busy with other things...

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

13 hours ago, Le Concombre Masqué said:

I understand that in order to get rid of any cable and even of any non Uptone device between my MBPr and TEAC 501 with an unboxed Green USB Regen card in between, I need 2 USPCB A>B Adapters ; is it a good idea to order 2  turned 90-degrees USPCB A>B Adapters ?

 

Hi: Are you considering placing your MacBook Pro laptop behind your Teac DAC, close enough to use a USPCB from the laptop to the DAC?  You would need to set the laptop on book or something to position it--and any REGENs--at the correct height to align its USB port with that of your DAC.

 

In any case, you would definitely want to stay with our standard orientation--and not the 90-degree rotated 'B' plug version.

 

13 hours ago, Le Concombre Masqué said:

Is postage charged twice to France ?

 

Of course not!  In fact, you could order a dozen USPCB A>B Adapters and they would ship overseas for the same $14.  They weigh next to nothing.  The cost is because any non-bendable item--even in a padded pouch--gets considered by the post office as a "package," and $14 is the amount we pay for First Class Air Mail.  

 

(Actually, because I set up the USPCBs as a 4 ounce items our system--for our ease when shipping--orders for a whole bunch of them would likely trigger a larger shipping charge, which I would see and refund.  But 2-3 of them will still bill at just the $14; $3 in USA.)

[Superdad]

16 hours ago, Bricki said:

Are the USPCB micro B adapters going to be available in the next few weeks??  Or month...

 

Hi Brendan:

We have not forgotten about the microB version of the USPCB, it is just that we still have a lot going on and that project--simple as it is--keeps getting pushed behind other top priority tasks for John.  We will get there, but not before the end of 2017. Sorry.

[Superdad]

16 minutes ago, wakka992 said:

Any news regarding the USPCB micro USB version? my Chord Hugo 2 is waiting.

 

Sorry, not just yet.  Been quite consumed by the UltraCap LPS-1.2 launch and another semi-secret project.  Will try to slot the microB version in soon.  Thanks for your patience.

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

5 minutes ago, jaaptina said:

Fortunately all went well and the right angled USPCB sounds great!

 

WILD!  

[Superdad]

9 hours ago, Lauritsvd said:

But the Uptone adapter is just sounding better, sound is more natural, and with very high level of detail in sound.

It`s a very good buy, much improvement for these few $

 

That's great to hear.  Thank you for sharing your experience with our unique adapter in your music system.  Enjoy!

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

By the way, we had a small break in our super-busy-ness (), so John finished the new USPCB Adapter layout for the frequently requested microB version (for Chord DACs, etc.).  Am submitting the board files and bill-of-materials to our board house today.  So it is safe to say that in about 4 weeks we will at last be able to offer this new version to those who have been asking for it.

[Superdad]

13 minutes ago, Chiler54 said:

Is the USPCB really better than ANY USB cable? Is there a test or a comparison?

 

It is a 4-layer, shielded, and impedance-controlled circuit board. So it measurably modifies USB signal integrity (as seen on a eye-pattern) less than any cable.

ALL USB cables alter SI in some way (again, measurable)—which is why differences are heard between cables can be heard.

 

Use of our 45mm USPCB A>B Adapter eliminates the use of a cable—so technically it is more “transparent.”.  The choice of that direct connection versus some euphonic enhancement provided by a cable in any particular application is a subjective one.

 

We designed the USPCB primarily as a means to preserve signal integrity and impedance match between our SI-improving ISO REGEN and your DAC/DDC (hence we include one with every ISO REGEN).  In that application it is ideal.

Other connections not involving an ISO REGEN may benefit from the SI-alteration that a USB cable provides.  Even with the ISO REGEN some people may (and do I know) prefer a bit of “enhancement” by a cable.

So we offer the USPCB Adapters as a way for people to know the true “sound” of a direct-connected source.  For better or for worse.  The $35 price is rather modest so it is a nice item to have on hand as a reference against various cables.

[Superdad]

2 hours ago, CJH said:

Is there going to be a version with Male C-USB plug?

 

No plans for such at this time. Can you name any popular DACs which have USB ‘C’ input?

[Superdad]

21 minutes ago, Siltech817 said:

A thinly veiled swipe, no?

Better off just taking the high road.

 

Gosh no!  I never intend to offend. 

I am genuinely curious about what DACs are using USB 'C' as their input.  

 

The thing is, we sell hundreds of our  USPCB full size A>B Adapters (about 4:1 the standard orientation to the 90-degree-rotated version), but for the microUSB version (where there are plenty of DACs with that input, most popularly Chord) we have sold about 80 of the 250 units we ran a year ago.

So unless we can foresee a real demand for USB 'C', it would be a loosing proposition for us to produce such a model.

Thanks for understanding.

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

7 hours ago, BlueDL said:

Hi,

Sorry if this has already been answered, but could a short USB extension cable be used with the USPCB?  I would presume that a USB A (male) to A (female) cable would be a better choice (i.e. USPCB at DAC input) than a USB B (female) to B (male) cable (i.e. USPCB at source output)? Thanks.

 

The UpTone USPCB Adapters are impedance-controlled 4-layer circuit boards which are simply a substitute for a cable.  They are passive and there is no magic to them.  Thus adding one to an extension cable defeats their purpose.  The whole point is to use them instead of a cable. That is the only time they can provide a benefit.

Hope that makes sense.

[Superdad]

On 8/11/2019 at 6:55 AM, satbox said:

Today I use an Audioquest Carbon USB cable between my streamer and my DAC.

I wonder if there is any benefit to place an USPCB between my AO Carbon and my DAC by using an USB A Female to B Female adapter like this?

 

There would be no benefit.  There is no "magic" to our USPCB A>B Adapter.  It is simply a highly optimized cable substitute--a 4-layer, impedance-controlled circuit board.  So it has no purpose for you unless you are physically able to use it to replace a USB cable connection.

Cheers,

--Alex C. 

[Superdad]

On 6/27/2021 at 8:14 AM, GMG said:

 

I recently started playing with upsampling and I'm experiencing some issues with USB audio at 768kbps and was suggested that it might be a bandwidth issue with the USB connection from my network player to the DAC. No problem with 705, and sometimes 768 will work for almost 30min before issues start.

Unless your USB cable is very poorly made I would not think that it would be the culprit with your issue.

Sure the measurable signal integrity (as seen on a eye-pattern) through our USPCB Adapter is better than what you get with most USB cables, but still I doubt it will solve your issue.

 

On 6/27/2021 at 8:14 AM, GMG said:

My second suspect is that my Etheregen (which is feeding the the USB network player) is getting too hot with 768,

I got a thermo gun today and will test the temp.

Operation temperature of the EtherREGEN will not be any greater when transferring high sample rate material. Don't have time to write the full explanation, but Ethernet packet rates (100Mb/sec or Gigabit) are not affected by audio sample rate.

The number of highly active Gigabit connections to the EtherREGEN's 'A' side is the only operating variable that affects heat of unit.