EtherREGEN: The long development thread. [Some Gen2 dev. pics and update starting on page 92.]

[jos]

I hope this device will not be too expensive (just a few hundred euro, or so) and sound at least as good as other devices already on the market. If this is the case it will be a hit among audiophiles, I assume. I will certainly never buy the SOtM switch, because it is far to expensive for a downstream device. How about others? For Uptone Audio it’s a chance to make a breakthrough, but only with a very, very competitive price point.

[jos]

7 minutes ago, thyname said:

Just a silly question (please delete if inappropriate here): why would this Ethernet Switch would work better than fiber optics converters? Provided the one downstream converter is powered by a nice / clean LPS of course.

Certainly niot a silly question; I think you’re right, it will certainly not be better, but it is just an alternative in case you want or need to stay with a Ethernet connection. The GigaFOILv4 in-line Ethernet filter is a very interesting alternative too, in this respect. So, the new Uptone switch need to be very good and cheap!

[jos]

4 hours ago, Bones13 said:

Heh, well we are an impatient lot to be sure.

 

My DLink hub will do for now. I know I won’t overpay for a consumer hub that has been hot rodded with a few caps, and linear power supply.

 

I plan on waiting for the reviews on the etherRegen and the recently released, much more expensive competition. I don’t happen to need an 8 port hub in that location. Mine only feeds the Bricasti, Roku, and Oppo 4K disc player.

 

 

In general: 8 Ports will be best.

[jos]

I think the etherREGEN will be our Christmas? present ? from UpTone Audio ?

[jos]

12 minutes ago, pl_svn said:

I believe @jos was only talking about regular switches, not the EtherRegen: I remember John Swenson said something about those having "coupled transformers" (or something like that) so to avoid magnetic interferences he recommended getting 8 port switches and only plugging devices every other port

 

have a great time with your family, Alex

Indeed, thanks for the clarification ?

[jos]

1 hour ago, panhead said:

Hope you have a blast on your vacation!     Let us know when we can preorder.

 

Yes, a preorder wit a nice discount for the real supporters of Uptone Audio ?

[jos]

1 hour ago, Ralf11 said:

 

 

do you guys want them to stay in business?

Just for us as early adaptors ?

[jos]

After reading a review about ethernet cables and how to use them in a home network, I wonder where I should place the EtherREGEN when I have one. In my present situation there is central Netgear 8 port unmanaged switch with iFi ipower. and from there several Supra CAT8 cables to my NAS, computer and so on. Most of them are 8 meter, or 10 meter, but some are quite short. One cable (8m) is going to my stereo rack with the ultraRendu. In the review I was reading there was the advice to place a switch very near to your stereo with a very good and short Ethernet cable to your streamer, in my case the ultraRendu. Should I do this, or just replace my central switch?

[jos]

Any news?

[jos]

How abouth this device, see link? Brand new by the way and promising!

 

https://www.djmelectronics.com/gigafoilv4-inline-ethernet-filter.html

 

AudioStream was quite positive in a review, about a year ago.

[jos]

1 hour ago, diecaster said:

 

Not cool to promote a competing device in this thread.

 

Having said that, this device does nothing special that you can't get by using other optical solutions. EtherREGEN will be superior....

That’s why, I think, we should discuss alternatives here too; perhaps not so polite but we all know what the alternatives are and take them in consideration.

[jos]

Okay, sorry for bringing it up! It needs another thread indeed.

[jos]

A few weeks ago there was a review on the ‘Hans Beekhuyzen channel’ for similar devices. I would like to advice Uptone Audio to send a review device to him for review. Hans is a  independent guy with lot of followers. I guess that will boost sales, if the EtherRegen is a winner.

[jos]

I’m a little confused now (and forgive me because it’s somewhat off-topic) , but I just received a mail from SmallGreen Computer about the opticalRendu. They can deliver this device with a kind of switch too and now I’m asking myself: is this a worthy alternatieve, or something totally different? In my mind I want to stay with one kind of connection (ethernet), but if it sounds better than my ultraRendu and I don’t have to buy the etherREGEN....

[jos]

11 minutes ago, LowMidHigh said:

 

A valid point.

But there's also an issue of timing. No one knows when the etherREGN will be available. 

Thank you both. If the sound quality will be the same (and I think it will), than I will prefer the etherREGEN. I think it will keep things more simple too.

[jos]

4 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Since I know you are referencing Sonore and Small Green Computer's mention of an "Ethernet switch" built into the opticalRendu, I will clarify that for all:

Without going into too much technical detail (Sonore understandably does not like it if I explain the details of their products), I can tell you that the opticalRendu uses an Ethernet switch chip as the means to provide the optical Ethernet input.  But since there is only the one SFP-cage for input to the opticalRendu, it is just a single-port Ethernet switch.  Similar to how our USB hub-chip-based REGENs are single-port USB hubs.

======

 

As a reminder, the key differentiating advantage that EtherREGEN will offer (and I am not referring directly to the opticalRendu as that fine product has a different function as a rendering end-point) over anything else is its separate, isolated, ultra-low-phase noise clock domain.

This comes courtesy of newly available active, 600MHz, ultra-low-jitter digital isolators on the Ethernet signal--something nobody else has done--clocking run as differential lines, and 10GHz(!) differential flip-flops.  And of course that all has to occur on its own separate power domain, so a more costly isolated power converter module combined with a boatload of LT3042/45 ultra-low-noise regulators are used.

Thanks, but I was meaning the additional staterskit with the switch inside.

[jos]

9 hours ago, Dutch said:

 

It’s been mentioned several times, it’s the TRENDnet TEG-S51SFP which one can buy at any shop for cheap. The starter kit with switch, fiber optic cable and SFP module is just there to take out the guess work for people who are computer illiterate but still want to venture beyond their simple CD players.  

Sorry, I’m not a technical person, but I think in the end I could chose between the opticalRendu with the starters kit (and sell my ultraRendu), or just add the etherREGEN to my ultraRendu. For now I prefer the latter.

[jos]

I would like it If I can also order an Uptone Audio approved 25cm ethernet cable to connect it to my ultraRendu.

[jos]

I have been reading an article (review) about ethernet cables (not off-topic to much, I think), including the combinations you can make with different brands. Perhaps this review is somewhat valid voor the etherREGEN too. I guess Superdad would know for sure. For who is interested, see....

 

https://audiobacon.net/2017/07/09/sotm-iso-cat6-special-edition-the-flavors-of-audiophile-ethernet/

[jos]

I have Supra cat8 cables all over my house and they are not very expensive, and do have  fantastic shielding. In my opinion shielding is very important (without the etherREGEN in place). Before my ultraRendu, I have had a long Supra USB 2.0 cable and that was a great cable too. Also with superior shielding.  So I Will stick to Supra, but perhaps I wil chose an other cable after the etherREGEN based on the review mentioned  before.

[jos]

1 hour ago, Bones13 said:

Ouch, his favorite setup is ~$2,500!

 

I really plan to use a simpler Ethernet cable with clean-up provided by etherRegen, and my Bricasti unit. I currently have some Cables off of Amazon, that have only 2 twisted pair of wires (no PPoE), thin, and flexible, and sound the same as other commercial Cat5-7 cables that have been there, and the one AudioQuest cable I own.

 

I have a typical amount of audiophile nervousa, but I’m not willing to pay that much for digital cables. I’m also sure that my 60 year old ears will never detect timbre, and sound stage, differences between competently constructed Ethernet cables. YMMV, of course.

Yes, that is ridiculous indeed! I would chose for Blue Jeans 6a or Supra cat8.

 

[jos]

On 3/3/2019 at 7:54 PM, Superdad said:

Hi gents:

There are a number of other threads in the public forums where people are discussing Ethernet cables.  Please take discussion of such there--so that this thread does not wander off. 

Thanks,

--Alex C.

You are right, but we need the etherREGEN at Home to discus it further...😍

[jos]

20 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

I don't really know what is in a Gigafoil so it is hard to speculate, but my guess is that the EtherRegen would make it superfluous. 

Remember that the etherRegen has two primary things: provide isolation from upstream leakage current (in all forms), AND prevent upstream clock noise (phase noise, jitter, whatever you want to call it) from propagating through.

 

To my knowledge nobody else is doing both those.

 

John S.

Thanks, promises, promises, Johnn, so we can’t wait much longer. A release date, please? 🙏

[jos]

26 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

Who knows if there may be any one of a thousand things that cause even a firmly projected release date to slip?  My advice to manufacturers and developers is never to set release dates until the software can be downloaded or the hardware exists in quantity and can be ordered.  Otherwise it happens far too often that the release date is missed and people don't like that.

Agree, but we are a year later now after starting this thread by Uptone Audio. I believe it is also a way from companies to prevent people from buying something similar. I don't care to wait a little longer than promised, if they can't reach a dead-line for a viable reason, but in this case there is no horizon, beside: 'we are getting closer'. So, I want to know: how close? And I assume others too.

[jos]

Thanks for the explanation. It seems to be a groundbreaking product, so I will wait...