UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[watts]

On 12/26/2019 at 12:26 PM, sandervdp said:

Agnes Obel's The Curse

Only on page 21 of this thread, but decided to check this out, and what an awesome tune! thanks for the suggestion!! So much good music out there I have no idea about. Good stuff. 😊

[watts]

I see a change on the Uptone website: 😃

 

We now have all parts in house now and circuit board production has begun again. If you place your EtherREGEN order now it will ship to you by January 31st. 

After reading this whole thread, and the many favourable reviews, as well as several others across the globe decided to order one. 🙂 As I currently go through the patience many in this thread have also gone through up to 2 years ago(!) (I'm a little late to the game) I'll just ask a question to tide me over:

 

 

Based on your post from October above, the current EtherRegens's should be the same, going forward have you had to revise some of the parts based on this issue? 

 

[watts]

1 minute ago, Nikko1960 said:

 

They are all the same.  The nice thing about them is that you can add an external clock at a later date and get another huge uplift to SQ.  I bought an Afterdark OCXO clock and matching LPU from Adrian (see his paid forum on this site).  I got the Emperor Crown SE version and am really, really happy with it and the ER combo.

Ah, you are too quick. I re-read his post above and reworded my question, as it does state the next 225 units (now) should be the same, but unsure what happens after that batch. Apologies; I am getting over Covid, so my mind seems a little foggy still. 

[watts]

Okay, got about 200 hours on the etherregen now. Like many have claimed, a layer of grain has been removed.  I wouldn't characterize it as "huge", as far as upgrades and sound quality improvements go, as I have done quite a few lately, but the improvement is definitely there. (Perhaps my ethernet is not as dirty as others?)

 

A quick listen and I could see someone thinking it is like detail has been lost, but that was the glare and haze that was riding on top of the detail. But I didn't think there was any grain or glare in my system! Low level details are more easily identified, as the background seems a little blacker, and perhaps dynamics seem slightly increased as a result? Definitely smoother and more analog sounding. 

 

I'll add a few choices to the many good suggestions in this thread: 

 

Fleetwood Mac- Second hand News

3 tracks of guitar, the first one in the left channel, another in the right, and a muted low level strum in the right centre. Pick any of them: All three are better resolved and more natural with the ER in the chain. There is so much going on in many of these Lindsay Buckingham produced gems. 

 

 Neil Young - The Needle and the Damage Done

One guy and his guitar. What better way to show the analog sound. His voice sounds more realistic, and the guitar sounds, well, more acoustic. And of course every file is MQA free 44.1 Khz 16 bit: thanks for coming back to Tidal Neil 😍

 

Now to hook up this Audio Sensibility Supra ethernet between the ER and the Playpoint in place of the $2 one and see if that improves anything.

 

[watts]

Listening impressions part II: 

 

I first posted my listening impressions here 2 years ago, only 2 pages ago (page 57). Not much action since then I see. I have made many changes in my system last year: I since acquired a newer better built version of hypex amplifier, a better power conditioner, a higher resolving DAC, and have some more expensive and better sounds cables. 

 

Additionally, regarding the streaming/etheregen I previously simply had an Amazon cat 6 cable from router to etheregen, then cat 6 direct to DAC. I now have cat 5 to Cisco 2960 from the router, then optical to etherregen, then Audio Sensibility Supra ethernet to my Weiss 501. The etherregen is also powered by a Plixir BDC connected with an Audio Sensiblity copper DC cable. 

 

I had the Plixir LPS kicking around after selling my exasound player, so I decided to keep it and try it on the etheregen before selling it. I most recently added optical line as many have claimed it improving SQ. The DC cable that came with the Plixir didn't fit in the etheregen, so I ordered one from Audio Sensibility. 

 

With my new DAC I thought possibly it does a better job filtering compared to the older DAC, as this higher-end DAC has its own in house built power supply and renderer, so anything else in front of it might not be needed. So I just decided to unplug the etheregen/Plixir/optical/AS cat cable and go direct from the Cisco switch with the cat 6 cable to the Weiss and compare. 

 

Well turns out I'm keeping everything. I am shocked. The difference is HUGE. I just read my post from 2 years ago, I stated yes it made a difference, but it wasn't huge. I have since thought to myself over the past 2 years for the $700 US yes it made a noticeable difference, perhaps significant in how it smoothed out the treble, but I always thought a $700 upgrade in cables may have been money better spent. 

 

Keep in mind I didn't just buy this and post 2 hours later saying "OMG, this is night and day!" like we read from posters many times. I have owned this etherregen and it has been plugged in my system for 2 years,  🙂 But I will restate- it is unbelievable what a difference it makes. 

 

Track: LIberty by Anette Askvik: it takes about 3 seconds to hear the difference- with the etheregen (etc.) the song begins with there is swirling of sounds, finely resolved drums and various other percussion, in 3d space, and then her voice is beautifully and naturally rendered in space. The sax sounds sublime. Exceptional recording. With ER and everything removed the whole soundstage collapses- it becomes 2D-  the swirling is gone, there is just so much less to hear- her voice is sibilant and much less realistic. The sax first seems like it has more air, but the 'air' is distortion-poorly resolved air, and it no longer suspends itself in its own space, it falls flat. Seriously, it is obvious in mere seconds. If anything I thought it would be much harder to discern any differences. Now, it is not just a layer of grunge getting removed, but the whole soundstage undergoes a massive change, and with the ER/attachments my DAC goes from sounding like a $1000 player to the $10000 player it is supposed to sound like. 

 

Here is another way to define the difference: that track Liberty, using just Amazon cat 6, I listen, and about half way though I have the desire to stop it and put on a more familiar track. With the ER/Plixir/fibre I listen from start to finish, and then have the desire to listen to the track again. And again. So much more music is gained- so much more engaging. 

 

I am not inclined to see which part contributes to what particular percentage of overall improvement (etherregen 70%, LPS 20%, optical 5% Cisco 5% etc. ) I just wanted to know that this money spent for these streaming "tweaks" or components positively affect the sound quality compared to not having them. Yes, unequivocally! 

 

So I am happy! First because my ears are better than I thought they might be, and because I trusted many in this thread and bought this switch. Like we all know, the higher the quality and more resolving one's system the easier it is to hear differences. And I keep reading from those with much more experience than I, when it comes to streaming "everything matters".  

[watts]

2 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Wow! Terrific follow-up review! Many thanks.

So glad (but not surprised) to know that you are enjoying the benefits of EtherREGEN even more as your system evolves and becomes more revealing. 

Thank you Alex, and you're welcome. And/or it might be due to the increase of noise on the internet highway! 

 

I need to do this experiment again today. I still can't believe the difference, and it is so easy to do- easier than a power cord swap- Turn off DAC, pull out one ethernet cable and insert the other, turn on DAC, sit and wait about 10 seconds for Roon to kick back in, and listen. Yes those 1's and 0's sound so much better with this stuff inserted. All your friends at ASR don't know what they are missing. 😉