Chris_B Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 My ER arrived on Saturday and it has been running in my system since Saturday night on Roon radio. Very nice surprise by Alex with the early delivery 😄. I plan to sit down for some critical listening this weekend. I was able to spend a little time on Sunday evening listing to Qobuz streaming and a couple local files via Roon. What struck me out of the box was the micro-detail on tracks that I know pretty well. They sounded more "intimate" and "present in the room" if that makes sense. Imaging and placement was more defined. So far, I'm very impressed. More to follow this weekend. My system: iMac/Roon > ER > UltraRendu > Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC > LTA MicroZOTL tube preamp > LTA UltraLinear tube amp > Spatial Audio X2 Modular speakers Link to comment
simon_pepper Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Ok, couple of weeks in (3 and over a week since I applied the V2 firmware) and I am noticing so much more detail on every track. The detail was there before, as the same recordings/files, but now it is just there - is it that the noise floor has dropped so making the fine details more audible or is the signal timing more accurate allowing the micro-detail to come into better focus. It is equivalent to a source upgrade, a better cartridge, next gen DAC technology etc. Whatever it is and why, it is excellent, thank you. Matias 1 Link to comment
mikeg Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 18 hours ago, Superdad said: It is, but there is the matter what screw of the JS-2 enclosure you would use as the chassis is anodized and while the screws are steel, the ones holding the cover are short and a special countersink. Putting a wire under them could be tricky and likely to scratch the lovely case finish. And if you pick one of the other underside stainless steel hex-head screws, you need to be mindful as some are short PCB screws, and the larger ones are for the transformer and you could have trouble retightening them from only one side. I'd really rather people not mess with JS-2 screws. You must have many other good grounds in your system. Alex, I so appreciate the time and value you add to this forum. Not many manufacturers would go the extra mile like Uptone Audio. Wouldn't a good system ground for the ER ground screw be the SR Active Grounding Block given that in my audio system I have all components and cables grounded to it? Reviewer Link to comment
Superdad Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 13 minutes ago, mikeg said: Alex, I so appreciate the time and value you add to this forum. Not many manufacturers would go the extra mile like Uptone Audio. Thanks. We try our best. 13 minutes ago, mikeg said: Wouldn't a good system ground for the ER ground screw be the SR Active Grounding Block given that in my audio system I have all components and cables grounded to it? It could be, but remember, the goal of grounding with the EtherREGEN is not at all related to having common ground with your other audio components. It is about shunting—to mains ground—any residual high-source-impedance leakage currents (coming into the ‘A’-side RJ45 ports from other gear) that our 12-core per port magnetics don’t already block. I have no idea how a Synergistic Research Active Grounding Block works, but if it increases impeadance to real mains ground then it would be a less-than-ideal choice for grounding the EtherREGEN. Feel free to experiment. UpTone Audio LLC Link to comment
HumanMedia Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 On 12/9/2019 at 11:13 AM, cat6man said: for what its worth, i remember reading years ago that the ear is exquisitely sensitive to delay, way beyond the inverse of highest frequency (e.g. 1/20khz)........and classical conductors were reported to be able to discriminate in tests between absurdly low level of audio delay, which suggests that very small correlations and/or errors in sound between channels are important. Exactly, Rob Watts the designer of the Chord DACs, believes we are more sensitive than that and attributes part of the success of his upscaling products to providing 1.3us accuracy. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hugo-m-scaler-by-chord-electronics-the-official-thread.885042/page-503#post-15076324 And what characterises his products? Clean accurate soundstage with delicate reverb and transients. The descriptions I hear of the EtherRegen are remarkably similar to the benefits of Chord products. He is often quoted as saying high sampling rate is mostly about transient accuracy and resultant reverb and soundstage as opposed to frequency response. And would microsecond precision between channels be shown in those gross low resolution charts over at ARS? Of course not. So my opinion is that part of what the EtherRegen does is removes noise or influences that affect timing of the reproduced analog signal downstream. jos 1 Link to comment
Popular Post andresz Posted December 10, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 10, 2019 Yes I think you nailed it. There is a character to leading edge and decay and how that overlays on the 3D soundscape is the “magic”. pRAT is heavily affected here “toe tap”. By the way, upstream is very important - I tried the system with and without an emo 70e and also with daisy chaining two Shunyata Ethernet sigmas and the effect on video and audio is immediate. In my case, too much roll off on transient attack and a softness in video. I think that is just too many filters in the chain. So yes, it does matter what you out upstream. This was easily noticed. Changing the power supply to a grounded Sbooster lifts things a bit but not the essential character. This is harder to notice. Grounding the ER certainly had the effect of adding solidity to the SQ. Put some good vibration control underneath the ER like you should On everything. Something like Grand Prix Audio Apex feet. I spent a bit of time on ASR yesterday and that was an eye opener. The definition of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. These people are arrogant and opinionated. Wouldn’t stand up to real innovators like Caelin Gabriel from Shunyata and many more who have advanced the field of music reproduction and have a scientific basis. They seem like the worst part of what engineering represents as opposed to science and exploration. Many are like the smart arse kid in primary school who knows more than his peers until they meet up with someone from Uni. They really don’t know what to measure nor seem to have any capability of hearing differences. Their catch all defence of placebo and confirmation bias only IMO has limited value as most audiophiles, and my experience too, is that often I don’t hear a difference even when I expect it to, or the difference I hear has the same signature consistently. It’s a sad read on ASR - those guys are infantile and love their very limited toy. Clearly as they dont believe in higher echelons of equipment they are unlikely to have systems capable of nuance. MikeyFresh, skatbelt, soares and 7 others 6 3 1 Link to comment
Popular Post mikeg Posted December 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 11, 2019 8 hours ago, Superdad said: Thanks. We try our best. It could be, but remember, the goal of grounding with the EtherREGEN is not at all related to having common ground with your other audio components. It is about shunting—to mains ground—any residual high-source-impedance leakage currents (coming into the ‘A’-side RJ45 ports from other gear) that our 12-core per port magnetics don’t already block. I have no idea how a Synergistic Research Active Grounding Block works, but if it increases impeadance to real mains ground then it would be a less-than-ideal choice for grounding the EtherREGEN. Feel free to experiment. I connected the EtherREGEN to the unused output on my Uptone Audio JS-2 power Linear power supply today. I also grounded the ER to one of the top plate screws on the JS-2 using a 20 gauge single crystal silver Harmonic Technology wire. My JS-2 is powered by a SR Galileo SX pc that is plugged into a SR PowerCell UEF that is grounded to a SR Active Grounding Block SE. btw - since day one, my ER has been sitting on a sandwich bag filled with Star Sound Microbearings and I have two PPT Alpha card on top of the ER. It's no comparison vs plugged into the wall with the stock power supply. Everything the ER did before is magnified. Sounds like an ER on steroids. Noise floor and signal compression is even lower than before and the bass is incredible. I also ordered an upgraded dc power cable from Revelation Audio Labs to power the ER which previously made a considerable improvement on my NAS drive. Superdad, skatbelt, auricgoldfinger and 1 other 1 2 1 Reviewer Link to comment
so-no-mah Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 10 hours ago, mikeg said: Alex, I so appreciate the time and value you add to this forum. Not many manufacturers would go the extra mile like Uptone Audio. Wouldn't a good system ground for the ER ground screw be the SR Active Grounding Block given that in my audio system I have all components and cables grounded to it? +mikeg That's how I have mine set up and it sounds great. And Alex, the SR ground block is a star grounding scheme that is connected to the earth ground of the house AC. I my setup I have added a second ground rod at the breaker box in an attempt to further lower AC ground impedance. I'm a believer! As for others seeking to experiment with grounding the ER when using a JS-2, rather than trying to kludge a ground wire to the JS-2 case, maybe try connecting a wire from the ER to the ground pin of a 3 prong male AC plug and connect it to an unused AC outlet? Andy Link to comment
Popular Post russellbobby Posted December 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 11, 2019 Translated from above per Google translate I now use DIY supra cat8 whose shielding is only connected to ground on one side. This in such a way that earth loops are never possible. I also use SOTM black cable and TLS reference, this after Audioquest (cinnamon and vodka) and SOTM iso cat6 lan isolator and the SOTM dcbl cat7. With the ER, everything improved in a way that had never happened before. Really amazing Inspired by the ER in terms of noise and interference removal, I took the same guess by also tackling the AC side. I already use the Z3 and monsoon cables from Audioquest with great pleasure and last week I bought the AQ niagara 1200 EU. What a party in combination with the ER, even more amazing! At the moment I am really afraid that something will break. The SQ is so good! 😍 Superdad, RickyV and MikeyFresh 1 1 1 27x17x10 Golden Ratio room,EtherRegen>Melco N1A EX H60 server/streamer >T+A Dac 200>Coda CsIB > Paradigm Personas 5f, Combak Harmonica Footers, Townshend Podiums, Custom swarm sub system , Iconoclast 4x4 UPOCC XLR cable, Townshend F1 Fractal speaker cables SoTM dBl7 Ethernet cable, Puritan 156, Farad 3 LPS, Synergistic, Audience,and Triode wire labs power cabling ,Stillpoints, SR fuses,GIK Slatfusors Link to comment
Popular Post Theobetley Posted December 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 11, 2019 All the positives that have been said about the ER sonics I absolutely agree with: air, soundspace, timbre, dynamics, etc etc. However what is not mentioned is ictus. Ictus often used by Axcell in Audio Critic is about the leading edge of beats or phrasing in the music. One can hear it plainly on percussion music. But it is experienced on all music especially on percussion, vocal consonants. Its one of the things that makes following the beat or understanding the words so easy. The ER unveils this phenomena brilliantly. Thanks again John and Superdad. Superdad, Bricki, mark_z and 7 others 3 6 1 Link to comment
Popular Post stevebythebay Posted December 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 11, 2019 3 hours ago, Theobetley said: All the positives that have been said about the ER sonics I absolutely agree with: air, soundspace, timbre, dynamics, etc etc. However what is not mentioned is ictus. Ictus often used by Axcell in Audio Critic is about the leading edge of beats or phrasing in the music. One can hear it plainly on percussion music. But it is experienced on all music especially on percussion, vocal consonants. Its one of the things that makes following the beat or understanding the words so easy. The ER unveils this phenomena brilliantly. Thanks again John and Superdad. Thanks for providing a proper word to describe what I’m hearing. I’ve felt that articulation and focus as well as exposing fine details and the tail/fade of instruments was insufficient. This nails it. Puma Cat and Superdad 1 1 Steve Schaffer Grimm MU1 / dCS Vivaldi Upsampler - APEX DAC - Clock / Spectral DMC-30SV preamp / Spectral Anniversary monoblocks / Wilson Audio Alexia V / Wilson Lōkē subs / Shunyata Everest / Shunyata Omega interconnects, power cables, Ethernet / Shunyata Altaira / Uptone EtherREGEN switch / Cybershaft OP21A-D / Uptone JS2 LPS / HRS racks - Vortex footers - damping plates Link to comment
bailyhill Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 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. Link to comment
Popular Post Lucie Posted December 12, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 12, 2019 I received my ER in the second batch yesterday. That was more quickly than expected, as it was send on Monday and delivered Wednesday at noon in Holland. That’s a first “thumbs up”. I had it running, immediately after getting home from work early, at five. Connected it to my sBooster 12V PS. It replaced a TP-Link Archer C1200 (in Holland: Ziggo wifi versterker). First impressions: silky sound overall, increased midtone and bass, soundstage slightly more backward (deep). More listenable than before, but also a bit restrained. After dinner, I couldn’t stop listening for hours. Then, after about four hours, I noticed a clear shift, as the music had a quite sudden increase in detail. My wife came home late. The usual lyrics would be: “Can you turn the music off, or at least the volume down. Further!” As she came in, I told her the new thing would make her happy, thinking of the “listenability” of the sound. First thing she immediately said: “Well, this is a lot better”. (And then: Which on is the new device? Is this it? And that costs you 600 euros?). She sat down in my listening chair and wouldn’t leave it anymore. That is a “thumbs up” for ER, I can assure you. Kept it running the whole night and got up early to have another short listen before going off to work. Impressions: still silky sound, lots and lots of detail, bass is tight, soundstage remains deep, but also wider than yesterday, clearer separation of the instruments than before. Volume can (and perhaps must) be turned up a bit. I’m very curious how the sound will develop in the next one or two weeks. Thumbs up so far! Compal CH7465LG-ZG modem (Ziggo Connect Box in The Netherlands) > Supra cat 7+ > ER > Roon Nucleus (B-side via AQ Vodka) > Naim NDX2 (A-side via AQ Vodka) > Chord Signature Reference RCA > Accuphase E-600 > AQ Rocket 88 > Audio Physic Avanti. All devices in the chain have their own PS (respectively iFi, sBooster, TeddyNuc, TeddyXPS and Accuphase PS-500V). PYP, Puma Cat, Maceear and 3 others 1 3 2 Link to comment
RickyV Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 💫🎁🎉 I got my EtherRegen today 🎉🎁💫 It took me 10 minutes to pull out my old Netgear fs105 and replace it with the ER so burn in can start. Oh so happy, thanks superdad and superJohn. Superdad 1 Meitner ma1 v2 dac, Sovereign preamp and power amp, DIY speakers, scan speak illuminator. Raal Requisite VM-1a -> SR-1a with Accurate Sound convolution. Under development: NUC7i7dnbe, Euphony Stylus, Qobuz. Modded Buffalo-fiber-EtherRegen, DC3- Isoregen, Lush^2 Link to comment
Popular Post Superdad Posted December 12, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 12, 2019 55 minutes ago, Lucie said: She sat down in my listening chair and wouldn’t leave it anymore. That is a “thumbs up” for ER, I can assure you. Making the spouse happy: #1 priority! Now we can add that to the list of tricks the EtherREGEN performs. Welcome to the Audiophile Style forum Lucie. And thank you for posting about your excellent experience so far. Best wishes, --Alex C. Puma Cat and PYP 2 UpTone Audio LLC Link to comment
perry1 Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 My "EtherRegen" was sent to Germany on Monday and was there yesterday afternoon. Great! Connected to Keces P3 since last night. 7V output. First I connected my Devialet to the B output, and the Innuos streamer and two other devices at the A input. Sound was good but a bit tight. Then I connected the Innuos to the B output and connected the Devialet via the Innuos bridge output. Significantly better in all disciplines. I'm very impressed. Much more music! The sound stage is slowly becoming more open and detailed. @ Superdad: Should the EtherRegen be earthed because two more devices are connected to the A side? Superdad 1 Link to comment
Superdad Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 30 minutes ago, perry1 said: @ Superdad: Should the EtherRegen be earthed because two more devices are connected to the A side? If the zero-volt/-VE output "ground" of your Keces P3 is "floated" (not common to AC mains ground), then yes you might want to try using the Ground screw of the EtherREGEN. And later, once you have a lot of hours on your EtherREGEN, please try reverting back to having just the Devialet on the 'B' side, with your Innous and other devices on the 'A' side--with Ground screw used. That may in the end give you the best results. Certainly glad you are enjoying it so far! UpTone Audio LLC Link to comment
Popular Post Bones13 Posted December 12, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 12, 2019 Inserted mine into my system last night. 1) remove Trendnet hub, and find/detatch its wall wart. 2) Plug in new UpTone audio PSU (hide under shelves) 3) place the ER and plug in the streamer to B, and incoming + BlueRay +AppleTV to A. First impression very positive, a bit more "pop" and darker background. I will let it cook a few days before I make final comments. Next step will be to replace the unmanaged switch that feeds the ER with a new one with an SFP cage, and run optical to the ER. This will remove any interference that might be present with the 10 foot, copper, ethernet cable running along with a couple of power cords for 3-5 feet. The optical cable won't be affected by electro/magnetic interference. This was on my list to investigate, even before the ER was announced. Superdad, Maceear and Puma Cat 1 2 [Home Digital] MSB Premier DAC > Modright LS300 > Atma-Sphere "Class D" Monoblocks > Daedalus Audio Muse Studio Speakers [Home Analog] Technics SL-1200G > Boulder 508 (Benz Glider SL) [Office] Laptop > Kitsune R2R lvl3 > Violectric V281 > Meze Liric / Meze Elite [Travel] Laptop/iPad -> Focal Bathys Link to comment
RickyV Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 I listened to the ER briefly on Thursday when I first got it, it sounded promising but left it at that. Thinking I rather listen to it after some burn-in time. First toughs after 28 hours of music playing burn-in: Oh wow, need to recalibrate my brain. Much more precision in the whole soundstage meaning that every sound has now more of its own space around it, definition, decay and depth. Great stability, tight bass definition. I think there’s still some harshness but I am confident it will disappear. Oh I am tired 😴, going to casual listening mode now. Thanks SuperJohn and SuperDad for this SuperBad switch, just fantastic. Music: (all via Tidal) Iggy Pop, Free: Loves missing. Supertramp: school. Benjamin Clementine, At Least For Now. Daft Punk, Random Access Memories: Giorgio by Moroder, Motherboard, Contact. Fink, Bloom Innocent. Ps etherregen fed with 12 volt gives it a toasty 43C. Superdad 1 Meitner ma1 v2 dac, Sovereign preamp and power amp, DIY speakers, scan speak illuminator. Raal Requisite VM-1a -> SR-1a with Accurate Sound convolution. Under development: NUC7i7dnbe, Euphony Stylus, Qobuz. Modded Buffalo-fiber-EtherRegen, DC3- Isoregen, Lush^2 Link to comment
Popular Post Discopants Posted December 13, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 13, 2019 Mine arrived today , 2nd batch purchase from UK distributor. Ive been out at my works Christmas do all day so I am a well lubricated , but i listened to 2 tracks that I know very well on my old Cisco 2690 switch first before plugging in. First impressions after hearing about 6 tracks now (including the 2 that I played before switching the switch). Definitely different sound, immediately obvious, I turned my amp down 1db in volume immediately to get the volume to where I perceived it was with the Cisco. Lower noise, more detail and I’ve spent much effort lowering the noise in my system already. Air’s Moon Safari and the Deline’s Scenic sessions albums streamed from Spotify are the source of all my listening to date. Textures are are luscious on Airs track remember there is an electric snare that I can hear all the edges on, bass is more solid, treble has a little more air. Details in every track Ive not heard before. My system is Lyngdorf TDAI3400 streaming spotify premium and apple Tv (not tried yet). My router goes through power line , through 10 cm cat 6 cheapo patch cable to cat 5e transformer designed for surge protection to ER to TDAI3400. All other ethernet cabling is Chord C stream and AQ Pearl HDMI cables. I use Isotek Sigmas gen 2 and Perfect Path Technologies, total contact and alpha cards and omega mats for power conditioning. More critical listening to come over Christmas, I may need to invest in a better patch cable for the last run. Happy listening, Disco Superdad, Koso and Puma Cat 1 1 1 Link to comment
HumanMedia Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 How would people characterise the changes they experience in sound over 200 hours burn-in? What changes and when? Link to comment
Popular Post gstew Posted December 14, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 14, 2019 6 hours ago, HumanMedia said: How would people characterise the changes they experience in sound over 200 hours burn-in? What changes and when? See this post in the Firmware update thread... I felt the author did a good job of describing the experience of the process. Greg in Mississippi Puma Cat and HumanMedia 2 Everything Matters! 2 systems... Well-Tempered Refs->ET-2.5->DIY or Lounge LCR MkII phono stages Standalone digital Sony HAP Z1-ES or SDTrans384/Soekris DAM DAC Networked digital Zotac PI320-W2 LMS Server -> EtherRegen -> USBBridge Sig -> Katana / Ian GB / Soerkis / Buffalo-IIIPro DACs Passive S&B TX102 TVC or ladder attenuators -> BHK-250 -> Eminent Tech LFT-VIII / IV / VI ALL gear modified / DIY'd; cables MIT; all supplies DIY’d or LPS-1.2s w/HUGE Ultracaps; Audio gear on DIY AC filters + PS Aud P15s; misc gear on separate AC w/filters Link to comment
Popular Post rncasper Posted December 14, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 14, 2019 Just want to add my two cents on the EtherREGEN. I got in the first batch, and it replaced my NETGEAR GS105/iFi Power. Here's my system: SonicTransporter i5 (with external SSD) > ER > UltraRendu > Brooklyn DAC+ > Focal Clear/MrSpeakers AEON Flow (1st Gen) Power: JS-1 (SonicTransporter/DAC +) w/ Shunyata Venom HC (Venom Defender in receptacle), LPS 1.2 (UR) w/ Sonore DC-4 Other cables: DanaCable TruStream USB, Black Dragon/Black Dragon Premium headphone cables, Wireworld Starlight Ethernet throughout In my experience everything matters, but the EtherREGEN matters more than almost any component I've added/updated. I can't believe how full and detailed the sound now is--how much I can now hear the shape of each voice/instrument, and appreciate the miking/mixing, in each recording. And in my system, the ER smoothed out after burn-in, but the detail was there from the get-go. Bricki, Superdad, skatbelt and 4 others 3 3 1 Link to comment
Popular Post spotforscott Posted December 15, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2019 I have had the ER up and running now for 3 to 4 days and wanted to share my feedback. In terms of setup, I could not the B side of the ER to work with my NUC because the NUC cannot accept 100mb speed (NUC issue, not and ER issue). So here is how it is connected in the chain: ETHERNET: Router > SonicTransporter i7 > ER B side > A side > NUC SOURCE: NUC USB > Mscaler > Dual BNC > OptoDX > Dual BNC > Chord DAVE > HFC Trinity > Abyss TC (with Superconductor cable). PC and BNC's are full loom of HFC. Also of note, ER replaces the Linear Solution Switch. Both the the previous switch and the ER are powered by an LPS 1.2. I did not start to seriously listen until ER had 50 hours on it. I have listened to it for about 25 hours. I then put back the Linear Solutions switch for about 5 hours, then back to the ER again. I had reasonable high hopes for the ER like others on this board but I have to say, it easily surpassed my expectations. I have tried many different things in my system over the past 2 to 3 years with various hits and misses along the way. Well the ER is NOT a miss, it's the "real deal". It's performance embarasses what I thought was a pretty good (Linear Solutions) switch. First and foremost, it has noticably lowered the noise floor so that I hear more into the music - more detail and more life. It also seems to relax the music whilst maintaining speed. Also, if anything, it seems to contribute to more more musical density rather than thinning things out - like some components do. Put simply, the ER makes it easier for to get more enjoyment out of my music Thanks Alex and John, very well done! skatbelt and Superdad 1 1 Link to comment
Ricardo007 Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 For folks who prefer streaming to endpoint with wifi, has anybody tried put the etherregen just before their wireless access point? For experimentation sake... Untill know my streamer is connected by copper ethernet but when i receive my etherregen i will experiment putting it before my ubiquiti unify AC pŕo AP which is untill now used for non audio purposes and cut down normally when i have serious listening Link to comment
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