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


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On 8/21/2019 at 5:43 PM, Superdad said:

 

Yes, the EtherREGEN does include one Gigabit SFP port.  But use of it is not necessary to keep "noise/interference" out because all the unique advancements included--using active differential isolators and dual-domain clocking/data/power--should isolate the copper ports from upstream elements just as well as fiber.  

 

My apologies to everyone: All the design features, benefits, and tech explanations--including some diagrams--really need to be gathered together soon. As a starter for a new launch thread, and on a web page for the EtherREGEN. People should not have to dig through a 50 page thread to find all of what we have said (though searching for just my and @JohnSwenson's long posts will reveal a lot).  Even the first post of this thread desperately needs updating.

 

 

7~12V +DC.

 

 

EtherREGEN will draw more current at 7V than at 12V.  So while the UltraCap LPS-1.2 (which users can set to 12V/1.1A) will work fine, the original UltraCap LPS-1, with top voltage of 7V/1.1A will not have enough current. Sorry, we did try hard to make it possible, but there are a LOT of chips to power.

Thanks!

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On 8/21/2019 at 4:45 AM, Superdad said:

Not sure how you came up with November as the “earliest possible shipping.”  We are still crossing our fingers for October. The cases for EtherREGEN arrive October 2nd.  Of course everything depends on how functional the new (final?) round of pre-production/beta-test boards are.  Those should arrive at John’s lab this coming Monday and he will get started with them right away.  I have a good feeling about these...

 

 

Any news about the pre-production/beta-test boards?

Main system
TAD D1000mk2, TAD M2500mk2, TAD CE-1, Ansuz Mainz 8 C2, Ansuz Darkz D-TC, 
Qobuz Studio -> Roon ROCK on NUC -> Uptone etherREGEN -> dCS Network Bridge -> AES/EBU -> DAC
HD Plex 200W PSU (4 rail for ISP fiber, router, etherREGEN and NUC)
 
Second system
Qobuz Studio -> Devialet Silver Phantom, Devialet Tree
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🤞

[Home Digital] MSB Premier DAC > Modright LS300 > Atma-Sphere "Class D" Monoblocks > Daedalus Audio Muse Studio Speakers

[Home Analog] Technics SL-1200G > Boulder 508 (Benz Glider SL)

[Office] Laptop > Kitsune R2R lvl3 > Violectric V281 > Meze Liric / Meze Elite

[Travel] Laptop/iPad -> Focal Bathys

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Hi.  I need some advice on the best location for the EtherRegen in my set-up.  Between Router and Mac Mini or between Mac Mini and DAC?

 

Current set-up

Router --> Mac Mini Roon Server powered by UpTone JS2—> DAC Ethernet input (Ethernet sourced from Mac Mini configured in bridged mode)

 

Thanks

 

 

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10 minutes ago, savjam said:

Hi.  I need some advice on the best location for the EtherRegen in my set-up.  Between Router and Mac Mini or between Mac Mini and DAC?

Current set-up

Router --> Mac Mini Roon Server powered by UpTone JS2—> DAC Ethernet input (Ethernet sourced from Mac Mini configured in bridged mode)

 

I'd attach your Ethernet-input DAC to the 'B' port of the EtherREGEN.  That's most important.  Then plug your Mac mini into one of the 'A' side ports; and of course the line from your router to one of the 'A' side ports.

The Ethernet bridging of the Mac mini will no longer be necessary.  Use the Mac mini's internal Ethernet port and skip the Thunderbolt>Ethernet adapter.

 

By the way, what DAC with Ethernet input do you have?

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1 hour ago, Superdad said:

 

I'd attach your Ethernet-input DAC to the 'B' port of the EtherREGEN.  That's most important.  Then plug your Mac mini into one of the 'A' side ports; and of course the line from your router to one of the 'A' side ports.

The Ethernet bridging of the Mac mini will no longer be necessary.  Use the Mac mini's internal Ethernet port and skip the Thunderbolt>Ethernet adapter.

 

By the way, what DAC with Ethernet input do you have?

Thanks.   I am using a bel canto black series dac/integrated amp.

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16 hours ago, Superdad said:

Yes, the new pre-production/beta boards were delivered to John's place by FedEx less than one hour ago.  Not sure why, but they were about 1 week later than we expected

 

Are you still having October as the month to start shipping even after this delay?

Main system
TAD D1000mk2, TAD M2500mk2, TAD CE-1, Ansuz Mainz 8 C2, Ansuz Darkz D-TC, 
Qobuz Studio -> Roon ROCK on NUC -> Uptone etherREGEN -> dCS Network Bridge -> AES/EBU -> DAC
HD Plex 200W PSU (4 rail for ISP fiber, router, etherREGEN and NUC)
 
Second system
Qobuz Studio -> Devialet Silver Phantom, Devialet Tree
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Hi, I was considering purchasing an Iso Regen, but after the announcement of the Ether Regen, I am now looking to purchase an Ether Regen when it is available.  Would there be any expected benefit adding an Iso Regen to a system which has an Ether Regen? or would the clean signal provided by the Ether Regen offset some or most of the positive impact of an Iso Regen further down the line?  I have a simple set up for streaming only, Router --> Ultrarendu --> DAC.  Thanks

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4 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Thanks for your interest.  And welcome to the Audiophile Style forums! (I see the above is your very first post.)

 

The EtherREGEN will offer ultimate network isolation, blocking of leakage, "reclocking", and ideal signal integrity--it does so for the benefit of whatever is the DAC-attached endpoint/renderer computer.  

It does not do anything to improve the signal integrity/impedance-match/clocking of USB output of such computer. That is the job of the ISO REGEN (via selected USB 3.1 hub chip, femto clocking, state-of-art voltage regulation and true galvanic isolation).

All NUCs and typical computers, and even most high-end music servers/streamers do not perform any of the aforementioned. So they will benefit from both the EtherREGEN (for input) and ISO REGEN (for output).

 

Your specific case--using the John Swenson-designed Sonore ultraRendu is slightly different:

John designed the USB output of the ultraRendu for good signal integrity, using the USB 2.0 hub chip from our original USB REGEN, and the same Crystek CCHD-575 clock as used in the ISO REGEN.

So while there are a good number of people who still quite enjoy the ISO REGEN after the ultraRendu (probably due to the galvanic isolation and the ability to position the ISO REGEN right at the input of the DAC using the included USPCB A>B Adapter), I would definitely prioritize the EtherREGEN above the ISO REGEN for ultraRendu users.

 

Hope the above is helpful to you. :)

 

Thank you!

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1 hour ago, Superdad said:

Yesterday John verified that all the power networks are running correctly (something like 30 different voltage points), and all the lines he ran for programmable reset generation are acting just as they should. The clock synthesizer is accepting its programming from the microprocessor, but as of last night it was not outputting clocks around the board. I'm confident John will sort that out shortly. After all, the clocks were running fine on the last set of boards and he did not (purposely at least) change anything in the layout related to them.

 

Thank you.  It is interesting to learn a bit about the kind of testing for the boards (perhaps, especially for those of us who have not experience with this kind of work).  

Grimm Audio MU1 > Mola Mola Tambaqui > Mola Mola Kaluga > B&W 803 D3    

Cables:  Kubala-Sosna    Power management:  Shunyata    Room:  Vicoustics  

 

“Nature is pleased with simplicity.”  Isaac Newton

"As neither the enjoyment nor the capacity of producing musical notes are faculties of the least use to man...they must be ranked among the most mysterious with which he is endowed."  Charles Darwin - The Descent of Man

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On 9/4/2019 at 1:12 AM, Superdad said:

 

I'd attach your Ethernet-input DAC to the 'B' port of the EtherREGEN.  That's most important.  Then plug your Mac mini into one of the 'A' side ports; and of course the line from your router to one of the 'A' side ports.

The Ethernet bridging of the Mac mini will no longer be necessary.  Use the Mac mini's internal Ethernet port and skip the Thunderbolt>Ethernet adapter.

 

By the way, what DAC with Ethernet input do you have?

 

This is more or less the same setup I have. Would it be wise and advisable to power the Mac mini and the the EtherREGEN both from the JS-2 or is it better to the keep power supplies separated Alex?

Streamer dCS Network Bridge DAC Chord DAVE Amplifier / DRC Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 Speakers Lindemann BL-10 | JL audio E-sub e110 Head-fi and reference Bakoon HPA-21 | Audeze LCD-3 (f) Power and isolation Dedicated power line | Xentek extreme isolation transformer (1KVA, balanced) | Uptone Audio EtherREGEN + Ferrum Hypsos | Sonore OpticalModule + Uptone Audio UltraCap LPS-1.2 | Jensen CI-1RR Cables Jorma Digital XLR (digital), Grimm Audio SQM RCA (analog), Kimber 8TC + WBT (speakers), custom star-quad with Oyaide connectors (AC), Ferrum (DC) and Ghent (ethernet) Software dCS Mosaic | Tidal | Qobuz

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On 9/5/2019 at 1:53 PM, skatbelt said:

This is more or less the same setup I have. Would it be wise and advisable to power the Mac mini and the the EtherREGEN both from the JS-2 or is it better to the keep power supplies separated Alex?

 

If your Mac mini is not the DAC-attached machine--and so is connected to an 'A'-side port and not the 'B'-side port of EtherREGEN--then I see no downside to using your JS-2 to power both the Mac mini and the EtherREGEN. Isolation would be maintained.

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1 hour ago, Superdad said:

It is a VERY HAPPY Friday here.  The pre-production/beta-test boards received this past Monday are working end-to-end! Passing data, music and everything!

 

John found only one very small mistake--which he was able to fix under the microscope by soldering four very tiny capacitors across some cut traces and vias.  Nothing that would cause need for another round of test boards or any risk of going to production with the parts additions.

 

Still to do is the separate code set to load to the clock synthesizer whenever someone sets the Internal/External clock switch to use an external 10MHz reference.

Also the rather complex code to allow for easy field firmware updates via the microUSB port (vertical in the middle of the board).  But that can be done during the small, short field beta test cycle.

Thermal and current draw tests are the very next up. John has some family/church obligations this weekend, so not much will happen until the beginning of the week.  He will also need to make the aforementioned required capacitor additions to a few of the boards so he can send them down to me.  

I can't wait to put EtherREGEN in my system! x-D

 

Hope everyone has a great weekend,

--Alex C.

Congratulations

 

G

Main: sonicTransporter I5>etherRegen>opticalRendu/ghent/UltraCap 1.2> WireWorld Platinum>YGGY Atma-sphere MP-1 3.1> Hegel 30> Maggie 1.7, REL SE 212: Zero Autoformers, Interconnects , Analysis Plus Silver Oval-In, Nordost Heimdall, Power Cables: Synergistic./Shunyata>Chang Litespeed 

HT:Dish>OPPO>Marantz>Hegel> 3-Maggies/2-Quads>REL Gibraltar>Custom Wire loom>APS>Samsung Plasma 55"

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Congratulations on a working board. A big milestone. Enjoy the weekend.

 

I do enjoy the updates!

[Home Digital] MSB Premier DAC > Modright LS300 > Atma-Sphere "Class D" Monoblocks > Daedalus Audio Muse Studio Speakers

[Home Analog] Technics SL-1200G > Boulder 508 (Benz Glider SL)

[Office] Laptop > Kitsune R2R lvl3 > Violectric V281 > Meze Liric / Meze Elite

[Travel] Laptop/iPad -> Focal Bathys

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31 minutes ago, Bernstein said:

Tuning-wise the last (hopefully last) thing I will add to my system...

same here....

Grimm Audio MU1 > Mola Mola Tambaqui > Mola Mola Kaluga > B&W 803 D3    

Cables:  Kubala-Sosna    Power management:  Shunyata    Room:  Vicoustics  

 

“Nature is pleased with simplicity.”  Isaac Newton

"As neither the enjoyment nor the capacity of producing musical notes are faculties of the least use to man...they must be ranked among the most mysterious with which he is endowed."  Charles Darwin - The Descent of Man

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2 hours ago, stevebythebay said:

Ah but then it’s time to tune the room itself.  Of late, while awaiting the EtherREGEN, that’s what I’ve been doing. It’s a fairly consequential aspect of getting the most out of our systems I’m afraid. 

I know, I know, ... but it’s a major learning curve for those of us with little experience of it ... been looking at HQP’s convolution, bought myself a umik1 mic, collecting guides, maybe all-too-hard ... but it’s still gonna sound better with the etherRegen in there!

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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3 hours ago, stevebythebay said:

Ah but then it’s time to tune the room itself.  Of late, while awaiting the EtherREGEN, that’s what I’ve been doing. It’s a fairly consequential aspect of getting the most out of our systems I’m afraid. 

Agree that that room treatments make a huge improvement.  Haven't tried the electronic route thus far.  With my current system, I really do listen to the music and not the system (finally, the analytical side of my brain is quiet!).   If I listened to a lot of large-scale classical, I'd be motivated to try convolution, since that kind of music seems to require more from the room.  I wonder if it is possible to get the true scale of large venues for large-scale classical, no matter the treatment.  

Grimm Audio MU1 > Mola Mola Tambaqui > Mola Mola Kaluga > B&W 803 D3    

Cables:  Kubala-Sosna    Power management:  Shunyata    Room:  Vicoustics  

 

“Nature is pleased with simplicity.”  Isaac Newton

"As neither the enjoyment nor the capacity of producing musical notes are faculties of the least use to man...they must be ranked among the most mysterious with which he is endowed."  Charles Darwin - The Descent of Man

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