UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[OldBigEars]

On 11/24/2019 at 7:28 PM, Jud said:

More stuff to listen to with the ER:
 

Sean Rowe, The Drive, from the album Madman. 

 

Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas, especially Amen, where the bass is a physical thing.

 

Edit: And you might also try Juniper Arms, from Adam Torres’ Pearls to Swine album.

 

@Jud I'm especially interested in your findings as (like me) you use a microRendu 1.4, and apparently haven't felt the crushing need to replace it with Ultra or Optical yet.  I've been thinking about upgrading my microRendu 1.4 to one of the costlier Rendu variants but am somewhat dubious about the difference it would make.  Sounds from your experience that putting in ER would be a more significant improvement. Would you agree?

[OldBigEars]

9 hours ago, Jud said:

Well, thought I'd provide an actual listening impression.  🙂

 

You know those small wet sounds lips, tongue and teeth make when you're standing close to someone? Listening to "Slow Like Honey" from Fiona Apple's "Tidal" at low-mid volume (38-46dB), I really noticed this in her vocals, and the effect was quite sensual.

 

That's my kind of review! Bollocks to measurements.  Thank you.

[OldBigEars]

Paul is a likable, believable owner of a hi-fi manufacturing company that makes some fine products.  The audio industry of full of these geniuses.  We often believe what they say under the reasonable assumption they know a thing or two about everything hi-fi, and will dispense their impartial wisdom as a kind of public service.  One of my personal favorites is Alan Shaw - who similarly makes nice loudspeakers. Although Alan's signature brilliance is loudspeakers, he has famously sprouted forth his infinite knowledge about other pieces of equipment - most famously amplifiers, which he claims have demonstrably zero affect on sound quality, when adjusted for volume.  There are countless clever people that lead other famous audio companies.  The majority of them, in their own minds, know it all.  The funny thing is that these geniuses continuously disagree with each other.  It's pretty clear to anyone following that the only thing that actually matters to them in the audio chain is the product they manufacture. 

[OldBigEars]

It's hard to know what more to add to the plaudits already posted here, but I thought I'd add my brief comments after a couple of months living with this amazing little device. My main point is to speak for the guys with more humble systems. It's often been stated on here that ER works fantastically with "...even top-end equipment...".  Which is all very well if you have such a system.

 

You can check out my system in my signature.  It has been carefully built and within my small listening space, performs exceedingly well. This year has seen an astonishingly satisfying upswing in performance, particularly since adding a Chord Qutest DAC, replacing my trusty Hegel HD25 and after briefly living with a Topping D90, which didn't work out well for me.

 

After adding the Qutest, I thought I'd go the extra mile and see what incremental musical enjoyment ER could bring, notwithstanding my end-point remains a mere mR 1.4 (CI Audio powered). I have not invested in a fancy power supply for my ER - sticking to Alex's comments, but well aware of all the positive experiences of AS readers with high-end power systems for their ER's.

 

Enough of the background....within a few minutes of connecting my new ER it was clear that something extraordinary had happened to my system, in a positive sense. After a day or so, it was confirmed that my ER has added a whole new layer of musicality.  A real breakthrough in undigitalizing the sound.  Very much on the same level of improvement as add the Qutest.  

 

The net result of adding Qutest and EtherRegen to my system, in quick succession, is that I feel I've landed on a very comfortable performance plateau.  A place where I can enjoy my music for a long time - focusing on the music rather than constantly obsessing over equipment tweaks. Thank you Alex - your product works as claimed.

[OldBigEars]

17 hours ago, Pro Jules said:

 quick a/b testing is the only true way to evaluate equipment. 

 

 

For me quick a/b testing is the worst way to assess audio equipment.  I can't listen to music properly in that state of mind. and for short a period.  When I relax, listen and absorb my favorite pieces of music in a normal way, it becomes clear to me if the equipment or settings are working well, or not. 

[OldBigEars]

13 hours ago, LowMidHigh said:

 

Personally, if it takes that long to discern a difference, I stay shy of it.

 

I absorb the first 30 to 60 seconds in a track, then make the switch, repeating several times. If there's no clear distinction, I call it a dud. That's exactly I how evaluated my ER's after they'd settled in. 

 

Each to their own. I certainly like the idea of identifying an instant improvement.  My problem is that sometimes my assessment changes after prolonged listening 'in a normal way'. Example....the Topping D90...initially I was impressed by its detail, but hated it after a week or two. But that's just me.

[OldBigEars]

13 hours ago, Superdad said:

I usually avoid such debates—and they really have no place in this thread—but what you describe is about how I personally make comparisons. Though I do give time for run-in of new pieces and I try to listen to a variety of music (mostly real acoustic instruments and voices recorded in real spaces—even though my tastes run broader). 

 

Isn't this thread supposed to be "listening impressions"?