UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[djwalter2000]

Mine arrived today. 

 

My setup is coax out of my FIOS ONT converted to Ethernet with an Actiontec MoCA 2.0 adapter (powered with a linear PS). Ethernet connects into and out of a Cisco 2960G-8TC-L via Wireworld Starlight CAT 8. The run out of the switch connects to a JCAT Net Femto (linear PS). Matrix Element H card (linear PS) out into a Matrix X-SPDIF 2 (6v battery), then I2S into a PS Audio Directstream DAC. 

 

I'm currently using Amazon HD after comparing it with Deezer and Tidal. Downloading tracks on Amazon's PC software for playback vs streaming consistently provides an obvious, immediate SQ improvement - more impactful bass, cleaner mids, better imaging. Nothing subtle about it. 

 

I want to burn in for at least 48hrs before any serious listening, but I can report that cold, out of the box the ER erased the SQ advantage that downloading had over streaming. In the 20 minutes I ran comparisons, the stream sounded every bit as full and impactful as the download. Super impressed. I really wasn't expecting this.

[djwalter2000]

On Amazon' Music HD's FAQ (https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=14070322011) they outline how much local storage is used for various levels of quality offered when downloaded. While it's not an incredibly detailed FAQ, my read and listening experience is that for a given song there isn't a lesser quality file offered for download vs stream. 

 

Quote

I believe the downloads from Amazon are mp3 even on the HD service,

 

For me, the ER did what I was hoping it would. 

[djwalter2000]

4 hours ago, HeeBroG said:

 

Are there any other initial ER users finding benefit if they already had JCAT NET Femto in their endpoint/server?

I may have missed other reports but the above was the only one I could find in this thread.

 

Yes, I have a JCAT Net Femto card in my endpoint and have noticed a significant improvement since incorporating the ER. Soundstage width, presence of vocals, quiet background all improved. At the time I purchased the JCAT I thought it was an extravagance that may very likely not pay off in SQ improvement but ultimately wanted to try. What I came to understand was that my thinking was still being influenced by commentary from those who enjoyed theorizing about why something couldn't improve SQ or improve SQ enough to justify the expense rather than from those who actually tried something and offered feedback on the results.