UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[Dutch]

13 hours ago, lmitche said:

Yes, even more so. The notion of a wider pipe applies here.

Hi Larry, just to be 100% sure: in this case we’re all really talking about changes in  your server on the A side of the ER so not your endpoint on the B-side?

[Dutch]

12 minutes ago, lmitche said:

The operative phrase here is "easier to hear upstream enhancements downstream". 

If it’s easier to hear upstream changes (with either a bad or good effect on SQ) it can’t be true that the etherREGEN will make upstream stuff matter less. But I’m not a native English speaker so do correct me if I misunderstood. 
 

(of course all the usual caveats apply here like subjective experience, system dependant, ... etc.)

[Dutch]

51 minutes ago, EVOLVIST said:

Perhaps I'm receiving a stronger signal with the ER in? Would that sound right?

The ‘music’ itself encoded in the ethernet stream is 100% identical (bit perfect, the etherREGEN is not a DSP or otherwise manipulating the data) and with the same Roon settings will have shown digital clipping before and after you using the etherREGEN. I would eat both of my shoes if it wasn’t and make Alex and John do the same! 

 

What could be happening is you listening with more focus, now noticing the clipping and/or the EtherREGEN giving you ‘a clearer window to look through’. 

[Dutch]

@EVOLVIST, I understand!  But if you’d like to convince yourself or me/us a simple experiment could do that; just remove the etherregen for a while and go back to your previous setup and settings.

[Dutch]

10 hours ago, Ehsu said:

Well, I am running my own 12V Linear PSU. So I guess it is the reason? Is this true though that higher voltage will cause it to run hotter than lower voltage PSU? I mean, is it safe to be this hot? Or will this cause reliability issues later down the track?

It is normal. From the manual:

“During use, it is normal for the case of the EtherREGEN to become somewhat hot. 48~52C (118~126F), depending on room air temperature is to be expected. Do not be concerned about the heat. Even when hot, all parts are operating at less than half their thermal ratings. The case is the heat-sink. Please locate the EtherREGEN on a shelf where air can flow under and around it. If the heat of the case bothers you, standing it on edge will permit more airflow and will lower the case temperature by a few degrees. Do not stack other devices under or on top of the EtherREGEN.”

 

Also the supplied voltage does not matter much regarding heat. John wrote this recently because of the regulators used.

 

[Dutch]

My first impressions/listening notes after my first listen (I’m not counting the 15 minutes or so I listened when I hooked it up) and around 140 house of continuous operation of the ER.

 

In short: WOW! 🎶

 

Stronger foundation, more punch and the (upper) bass/lower midrange octaves seem to have filled up a bit in my system

Microdetail in spades without distracting or anything specific drawing my attention

More ambiance or reverb is heard, better soundstaging in all three dimensions 

Incredible separation, delineation and natural portrayal of voices and instruments (harmonies OMG)

Emotion is really oozing from recordings

Less digititis (again?!), no sharpness, peaky or intermingled/smeared highs, just well balanced not dark or filtered in any way. Lively recordings still sound lively.

 

One very weird ‘effect’; music seems to play a bit slower, of course it doesn’t (or so I hope 😁) but I think this is because it sounds more right and relaxed (good thing!) It must be my brain adjusting to something no longer there or the opposite: missing before.

 

Very happy so far!!! Thank you Alex and John! 👍

 

My system topology in attached picture (clickable for larger version). The ER is a drop in replacement for a TP Link MC220L fiber ethernet converter plus EMO Systems EN-HD70 LAN isolator. I’ll update my system details in my profile next.

[Dutch]

On 11/25/2019 at 11:01 AM, simon_pepper said:

But with Devialet Roon Ready support now available why not go ‘B’ port into the 250 unit, and skip the conversion to USB and the NUC based endpoint (which is not going to be electrically the cleanest endpoint).

Yes, on the devialetchat forum I wrote that I owe it to myself to test this one day and  back then even made a topology update to show how this would hugely simplify my system (for giggles I’ve attached it here as well). However since my Devialet came back with the CI module a year ago I have not ever used the USB and ethernet inputs, so these are still brand new. 
 

Pre CI module release I preferred USB over ethernet (when using a tweaked, both hardware as software wise, PC) and later AES/EBU out of the Mutec MC3+ USB over ethernet. I’ve been too lazy to re-test and RAAT stability issues reported by others and Devialet not caring much or at all did not motivate me either.

 

And yes, I really ‘needed’ the TX-USB Ultra connected to the NUC to clean things up, yet it did sound better than my previous single machine setup.

[Dutch]

Just now, matthias said:

 

Emile used only the A side because this was better sounding than going B to A with fiber.

 

matt

Coincidentally I was just reading this over at WBF. Great that you asked as it’s good to know the context. I also think it’s good to post his answer here in full because of this and because we mustn’t forget that the Taiko Extreme is or seems, quite extreme. Emile also keeps rightfully pointing out that his finding are with the Extreme. E.g. for the NUC which he also mentions things could or would work out very differently.

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-sgm-extreme-the-crème-de-la-crème.27433/post-625381

”The copper B-side is 100Mbit, I have the Telegartner M12 MAGIC switch here which also runs at a 100Mbit speed. Both of these, though "pleasant" sounding, come with reduced levels of detail, ambient retrieval, dynamics and envelopment. Anecdotally I have spend some time testing 10Gbit networking which do take these type of traits up another notch, but unfortunately have not managed to find a way around a certain associated mechanical quality. Years ago, before our servers even existed, I used to reduce my networking speeds to 100Mbit (fiber) to get a less "digital" sound, most certainly a valid way to get better sound from say a mac mini, or an Intel Nuc. To answer your question directly, both fiber and copper connected to the A-side running at 1Gb.”