UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[bailyhill]

Just did a proper Google Search to get the meaning:  FMI, FYI:

 

What is an Ictus in music?

Ictus. With the spoken word, ictus indicates the stress or accent on the syllable or foot of a verse. In music, the term ictus is used in conducting to denote the specific point in a visible pattern of beat points that articulates the pulse of the music to the ensemble.

Ictus - Definition (Artopium's Music Dictionary)

And by my listening, I would say that the ER does a very nice job of it.  

[bailyhill]

I have had my ER for nearly 4 weeks.  Its been marvelous.  Had to work thru the burn-in, which was the largest burning I ever had--perhaps it was the cables.  However, it gave a big SQ improvement.  Buy one, try it, you can return in 30 days if it does not do anything for your system.  If these guys did not know what they are doing, they could not have such a positive response.  I suspect the reviewer must have had another problem in his system, as he is about the only bad review out there.  That says a lot.  Most on this forum have had very positive results.  Just go back and read the listening impressions.  I would buy it again.  In fact, I am thinking of buying another.

[bailyhill]

Thanks--this might be the beginning of an up tic reported in SQ due to external/linear power supplies.  This is the first one that I see.  Perhaps others, but lots have tried various supplies (maybe a couple of dozen) and I don't remember seeing a clear consensus.  I would think by now, that there would be half a dozen folks with a particular power supply with very positive results.  Perhaps this post shows the way how to get an up tic?  Does this regulator board/power supply provide isolate power to two devices, which from the posts, seems to be a requirement to even maintain SQ--I have one ER now, but am thinking of using two in cascade along with an optical Module--and there I think you need the isolation.

[bailyhill]

Hello Alan

 

So if that is the case, what is the consensus on power supply?  I am ready to buy if I read that its the case.  I follow the Naim Forum, and there there was a clear consensus for the past couple of years that a Cisco 2960 gave a positive uplift in SQ.  Now they report a positive uplift with 2 Ciscos in cascade.  Almost all who try it reply in a positive manner.  The same here with the ER.  Most are very pleased.  I have posted there about my positive experience with the Cisco and ER in cascade in my system.  Unfortunately, the ER has not caught fire there like it has here.  A couple of positive reviews and a couple of serious evals going, but results appear to be coming sooooon.

 

What are the Power supply or supplies that most folks are going to to report positive SQ?  It seems that the power supply is very important, but most are happy with the SMPS and several have removed power supplies back to the SMPS.  I am looking for consensus, not just 1 or 2 here or there.  I open.

[bailyhill]

What is pretty amazing to me is that the positive reaction to the ER seems to be almost universal.  I cannot remember another product with such high acceptance.  Great Job John and Alex.

[bailyhill]

Perhaps its appropriate to break this topic of Power Supplies for the Er into its own thread.  If someone could go thru and pull all those

posts together, that would be great.  I realize that this takes time away from the forward going effort to procure, organize, and fabricate the parts for new ER's.  Perhaps someone with the necessary skills would want to volunteer to do that.  I don;t have the skills myself, but I would be a candidate for purchasing an external ps for my ER.  One problem is that Uptone/Alex/John has done a very good job of designing the SMPS that comes with the ER.  

[bailyhill]

Perhaps I should have said Uptone did a great job selecting and supplying the SMPS. I stand corrected. Thanks for that.

 

However that does not detract from my original suggesting that this topic be giving its own thread, and organized so that all the 

posts on power supplies and the SQ changes as a result.

[bailyhill]

I believe this is a multi-rail linear PSU, which does not have a shared ground.  So, yes, you should ground the eR. per Flashman;

 

From what I believe I read, this is only required if you are using multiple "A" ports.  For those using only one "A"port, the ground is not necessary.  This is for the case where the "B" port is the output to a dac or other.

[bailyhill]

On 3/21/2020 at 2:02 PM, octaviars said:

 

Older HD Plex only had three windings on the transformer so two outputs shared the -0V (12 and 19V). The latest 200W model have four seperate windings on the transformer so all outputs have seperated -0V.

 

I use the latest HD Plex 200W and run the 12V rail to my etherREGEN. As I only use one RJ45 on the A-side (fiber input from router) to my server I have tried both with and without grounded -0V but cant say that I hear any difference. 

 

Just this week got an email from HD Plex, introducing their 300W model with even more improvements.  They will be offering it soon, but no date given.  I am going to order one myself.  It will replace the ZERO Zone units I bought as a stopgap.  I can always use anouther 12 vdc supply.  Not sure what I will do with the 19v one for my Nucleus+.

[bailyhill]

Its so good to see you growing.  Its so well deserved.  I hope your new products include a breakthru fiber setup, with all the issues worked out, so it is plug and play, and the eR was.  

[bailyhill]

20 minutes ago, richard_crl032 said:

ER=🥳🥳  ER+AD=🥳🥳🥳 Not absolutely needing AD but obvious improvement albeit almost 100% more for my double crown. Save $ on cabling in powercord, lps, ethernet cable etc. with stock ones and have an oxco 🙏

I agree 100% with Richard here, and found the same thing.  Bought the same Queen unit.  I did use my HDPlex power supply for it.

[bailyhill]

I had similar experiences several years ago with the eR, feeding the Meridian Ultra Dac.  Definitely an uptic in realism.