UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[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.

[skatbelt]

7 minutes ago, bailyhill said:

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.

 

There already is a thread for this, see here.

[Ponkbutler]

2 hours ago, Ponkbutler said:

Just to help, Bailyhill, there's basically only one helpful post in that thread with regard to LPS comparisons, finding a modest improvement with an LPS 1.2 and a bigger improvement with a Paul Hynes SR4. Another post comments that power cable changes make more difference than powering through an HDPLEX 200W. Practically all the other posts are about Ethernet cables.

 

To sum that up more accurately, having trawled through all 23 pages again: 

 

There was also one report of some improvement using an SBooster.

 

Another, slightly more detailed post reported improvements with an (unspecified) Small Green Computer LPS with Pangaea power chord which produced deeper bass and a "better" soundstage.

 

One person found a SOTM SPS500 improved clarity but lacked life and rhythm. They sold it on.

 

And Skatbelt reported a satisfying improvement with the JS-2 providing the ER earth terminal is connected to the common ground of the JS-2. 

 

That's it in a nutshell, but the thread seems to be taking off a bit again now that a new wave of deliveries has started to come through.

 

Over on the Naim Forum one user reported a big lift using a Sean Jacobs (Custom HiFi Cables) DC3 power supply.

 

The other thread seems to have returned to LPS questions, so I have also posted this there and suggest we continue there so as not mess up John's site housekeeping.

[Superdad]

9 hours ago, skatbelt said:

The stock SMPS is not an Uptone design.

 

While we did not design the UpTone-branded 36W SMPS, we did not simply choose it at random from the universe of Chinese AC>DC adapters (which is where nearly all such items come from). 

We sampled and measured a pile of models, and in particular went for one that had lower leakage (than typical SMPS), was quiet (mechanically and typical on output), and importantly was "ground-shunted." That is, its -VE/0-volt out "ground" is common to AC mains ground. Very few are--even if they have a 3-wire cord--and surprisingly the manufacturers themselves don't think about or specify this.

 

Also, the company we use builds incredibly robust SMPS units. Ours is rated at 4.8A, but I tortured one at 8 amps (!) for 1 hour and it held up fine. 

 

Once we settled on the unit, I asked that it be made with a 1m, heavy 16AWG coax DC output cable and with a plug barrel that inserts fully into the jacks we use. Even the 45cm C14 mains cable we include is custom item. Those are solid, plated prongs, not folded bare brass.

We buy 1,000 SMPS/AC cord sets at a time, and the air freight alone for each order is $2K. 

[Ponkbutler]

Thanks, Alex lots of facts and good and interesting to know

[BCRich]

And we’re off to the races! Up and running....all ancillary devices are out of the loop.

ie: ISO Regen, Optical Module. Straight into to the “B” side from my Cisco Switch and SFP out to my Optical Rendu. 

[soares]

2 hours ago, BCRich said:

And we’re off to the races! Up and running....all ancillary devices are out of the loop.

ie: ISO Regen, Optical Module. Straight into to the “B” side from my Cisco Switch and SFP out to my Optical Rendu. 

If I may suggest, try it without the Cisco. 

[adamaley]

Mine arrived today as well. Orbi router(Farad Super3) (Sablon Audio Elite Ethernet) -- etherRegen (Farad Super3) (Sablon Audio Elite Ethernet) -- ultraRendu(Farad Super3) (Sablon Audio Elite 2020 USB) -- Lampizator Golden Gate 2 DAC. First impressions are good. I'm noticing a warmer sound contrary to the brighter sound many reported. Still early days though, so will report back.

[ambre]

Today arrived. Within 3 days from the USA to the Netherlands. 👏

• Just installed Mac Mini I7 2020 (Belden cat8 with JSSG) to ER. A-side.
• ER (B-side) with Linkup Cat 8.1 (sh) to Allo UsBridge Signature & Shanti lineair power.
• Usb Signature with Ghent USB (JSSG) to Uptone ISO Regen feeded by LPS 1.2 and Ghent DC cable.
• Project Ultra S2 feeded by Shanti and Uptone Iso Regen.
• Only Native DSD 256/512 upsampled by HqPlayer 4.0
• Auralic Taurus and Cambridge Edge W

First impression .... after 1 hour! Wauw.

A very subjectieve statement! 🤣 I know.  How can ??? But my ears love the better bass, mid-range and overall separation resp. Stereo image.

 

Have read will even be bettter .....after a decent burn-in period.😇😇😇.

 

Thanks U P T O N E,

Regards Andreas

[TwinPeak]

I received my Uptone Audio EtherREGEN yesterday morning. FedEx delivery over the Atlantic, quick as usual. No need to read tutorials, as I knew how to connect the new device to my system. Connected network and NAS to A-side and Mac Mini to B-side on EtherREGEN, all with Audioquest Cinnamon ethernet cables. Pressed play in Audirvana (player), and immediately I hear something is different. After listening a couple of hours I realized that these differences were on multiple levels. What drives most music lovers is to experience what actually happened in the music studio, when musicians and technicians met and placed microphones in front of the performers. Listening to the recordings in the aftermath, now with EtherREGEN connected, it seem as I am getting closer to what happened in the studio.

 

In my case, I had a momentary revelation - and a close to perfect subjective experience, even the fact that I did not really needed another switch in my music system. Therefore I do not consider the EtherREGEN solely as a audiophile switch, more as a anti-noise device. I have been using the UpTone Audio ISO-REGEN (and LPS-1.2) since autumn last year, and together these devices combined work miracles. What happened to the musical presentation after I connected the EtherREGEN, has to do with the definition between musicians and their place in the soundstage. When closing my eyes, it is as if the speakers has disappeared, and the musical landscape has expanded in all directions. What was stereo since before yesterday, is now a three dimensional space with musical interactions in well defined areas, and at the same time I better feel the nerve and concentration of acoustic ensembles.

 

One of the consequences of using the EtherREGEN (together with ISO-REGEN) is that they reveal so much rich detail, that it is easier to point out what went on in studio mixing and mastering. And not so good recordings are unfortunately easy to identify.

My music system is a mixture of retro analog amps and speakers, and some convensional (and now unconvensional) digital devices. Playing through electrostatic speakers, present highly resolved and revealing details in midrange and high frequencies. But applying a tube preamp calms the overall impression and soothes the nerves. Adding the EtherREGEN to this combo is a perfect match. The highly resolved midrange and high frequencies, needed to be tamed and brought under control. The EtherREGEN does exactly that.

I should mention that my Mac Mini is a stripped down 2012 version, running OSX and Audirvana from a SD-card. Hard drive and SATA-connections are removed. Internal power supply is replaced with UpTone Audio MMK power supply and active processes is at a minimum, and I don’t use wi-fi. I feed power from a SMPS, but have iFi DC iPurifier on the power intake.

 

Throughout this winter I have been in a state of listening, testing equipment and listening again. And actually without listening to music, but to dynamics, frequences og traces of noise. Now I really look forward to dive into my music collection again. With only one day with EtherREGEN installed I immediately felt spellbound towards the music, not sound and noise.

 

To skeptics I would say: don’t worry - it works whether you believe in audiophile switches or not. And to those who need scientific proof, watch the newly uploaded YouTube video with Hans Beekhuyzen (https://youtu.be/BbRF8z8dQFU).

 

Big thanks to Alex Crespi, who guided me through this strange path of digital audio 🙂

Tom from Norway

[Frojo]

Whilst I am here commenting, I should add my listening impressions....

the EtheRegen arrived yesterday and was inserted into the system still cold from its transatlantic journey ( which was really quick).

It replaced a gs108 in between my Mac mini/Audirvana and ultra Rendu et al.

The most obvious benefit/ feature was an improvement in resolution across the whole audio spectrum, which gives rise to impressions of ‘punchier bass’, better stereo imagery and placement. The improvement which particularly pleases me is the increased level of information retrieval from the background ie vocals and instrument licks which I was not previously fully aware of - all of my ‘review’ tracks are favourites from the last 30/40 years and therefore very familiar to me.

thanks very much😀

 

p.s. I think safari is snappier as well

[BCRich]

I’m on my 3rd day of listening to my music files & Qobuz with the etherRegen in play.

While it is nowhere fully broken in I already have a good sense of where things are headed. I am amazed at how much of a difference it is making. Like others, deeper and more solid bass response, much larger sound stage both in width and depth.

More transparent and dynamic. So much more enjoyable.

The impatient person that I am, I have already put the isoRegen back in and substituted the supplied power supply with the LPS-1.2 on the EtherRegen. Both of which had a positive impact as well. Even lower noise floor and more smoothness.

 

Some more experiments to be done, I have 2 emo 70-HD’s in line that are connected to each Mac Mini, using the Monoprice Cat 8 cables which have the shields intact, the emo’s break those ground points.  I plan on re terminating them, also I’m guessing that since I’m using the Optical connection from the EtherRegen to my opticalRendu and the B side of the EtherRegen is fed from the network (the same Monoprice cables although I think I may have broken the ground on that cable) that the shields being intact is less of an issue. Correct me if I am wrong. Maybe the emo’s can be placed somewhere else in the network and have a different purpose.

By the way, no regrets with regards to selling my expensive AudioQuest Ethernet cables.....

The Monoprice cables are getting the job done. 
Enjoying the Music for sure!

Thanks to Alex and John for bringing to market such innovative and awesome sounding products.

Looking forward to more goodies and goodness....

Mike

[BCRich]

Quote

 

Some more experiments to be done, I have 2 emo 70-HD’s in line that are connected to each Mac Mini, using the Monoprice Cat 8 cables which have the shields intact, the emo’s break those ground points.

Tried breaking the ground on the Cat 8 going from my wall jack to the EtherRegen with some heat shrink. Holy Moly, things came alive....

Then I tried removing each of the EMO-70HD’s, first from the HQ Player Mini and listened, put that one back and removed the Roon Core Mini one and listened.

Then listened with neither, end result they are both out for now.

I’m probably doing to much tinkering too soon as the ER is not fully settled in; I’m having fun though, it’s only gonna get better.....

[Tubeburner]

My Ethernet Regen arrived as promised when I ordered in January. I was skeptical , but having products from Uptone Audio before, I was intrigued what this could do to my Ethernet signal. I am using the Innuos Zen MK3 server with my PS Audio Direct Stream dac and using the Bridge 2 as a renderer. All  can say is BUY the Ethernet Regen and stop procrastinating! Digital glare is gone. The pace of the music is superb. I was demoing some $1500 cables and will send them back. The difference is like buying a new component upgrade. JUST BUY IT!

[Puma Cat]

Hey Gang,

In case you haven't seen it, Hans Beekhuzen has a superb video on "The Sound of Network Switches". This video does the best job, by far, that I've seen to date on why we can hear differences in Ethernet switches. 

 

Highly recommended viewing: https://youtu.be/BbRF8z8dQFU

[ppilihp]

22 hours ago, Tubeburner said:

I am using the Innuos Zen MK3 server with my PS Audio Direct Stream dac and using the Bridge 2 as a renderer

I have a Lumin U1 Mini as network player but other than that a very similar setup. May I ask how you connected the ER in the system? Do you use both Ethernet ports of the Zen (going directly to the Bridge II)? Or do you you connect the Bridge II to the ER? And: Have you tried both options? Thanks!

[Crustacean]

On 3/1/2020 at 12:51 AM, BCRich said:

Tried breaking the ground on the Cat 8 going from my wall jack to the EtherRegen with some heat shrink. Holy Moly, things came alive.

 

@BCRich, thanks for your reporting so far. I am working on a nearly identical pre-DAC chain w/ an eR since November and loving the initial SQ improvements, but haven’t had a chance yet for ethernet cable experiments. I wonder, would you (or someone) be willing to post a couple of photos (or direct me/us to some) that show how you used heat shrink to block the metal-connector ground on the Cat 8, and what a successful job of this looks like, for the uninitiated? (Perhaps to avoid going off topic, this could be done in the eR installation & usage thread? [Apologies if something like that is already there and I’ve missed it.])

[yellowblue]

I got my ER with the second batch in january. I conclude with what others are saying that the ER is a worthwhile upgrade and I am not the right person to describe how it sounds. But there are some interesting points from my perspective after using the ER for around 400 hours.

 

When I listened to the ER for the first 50 hours I honestely thought my system would sound better without the switch. For me it was a little flat sounding - maybe even a little fatiguing. First after 80-90 hours I could hear all the benefits described in this thread - still improving until 150 hours. For me burn in was really important (and I think it was not just brain burn in).

 

The effect of using the ER was that my system sounded a little more fatiguing even after burn in. There was more detail and more treble. The ER was just showing up the weaknesses of my system. I had to change my cheap BNC-cables between the M-Scaler and the DAVE and even Ethernet cables. I bought Sablon cables and now everything sounds even better without fatigue.

 

I am glad to hear improvements using the Zenith SE (Router > ER > Zenith SE > MScaler > Chord DAVE). This was not clear before because the Zenith itself has an extensive treatment of the ethernet signal and it not always works so well with other switches.

 

I was using the ER with a LPS 1.2, but after reading Romaz test on "Mono and Stereo" I tried the the supplied Power supply instead and I couldn´t detect any difference. That´s a good thing because the LPS 1.2 got really hot with the ER. Roy (Romaz) supposes that the LPS 1.2 is no good option because the switch draws too much current. He recommends the JS-2 or the new Paul Hynes SR4 turbo. 

 

Romaz recommends even to use the A-side instead of the B-side or even better to use the fiber port with special SFP transceivers. I tried both options. I can understand what Roys point is - maybe the A-side sounds a bit more musical. But I found the B-side to be cleaner and clearer and stayed with it. Unfortunately my transceivers didn´t work so I couldn´t check the other option. But we may have to ask Romaz if his ER was fully burnt in. For I really could conclude with him - just at the time I had used the ER for 50 hours. But as I said - after that things changed quiet dramatically with the ER.

[Tubeburner]

10 hours ago, ppilihp said:

I have a Lumin U1 Mini as network player but other than that a very similar setup. May I ask how you connected the ER in the system? Do you use both Ethernet ports of the Zen (going directly to the Bridge II)? Or do you you connect the Bridge II to the ER? And: Have you tried both options? Thanks!

I am using the B port out to the Innuos Zen MK3. Ethernet from the Zen to my dac bridge. Simple and wonderful sound.

[Jud]

If anyone wants to know how damn good the ER is, I just found myself listening, fascinated, to old James Taylor singing Moon River!

[further]

I received my ER last Wednesday, and have been using it for upwards of 8 hours per day feeding a microRendu.  I have used two different DACS, DirectStream via I2S from Matrix X-SPDIF 2 connected to microRendu and Vinnie Rossi L2 DAC on NOS setting.  The initial impression first couple days playing seemed very sharp, detailed presentation.  Sound appear smoother now while retaining very pleasing detail. 

 

The soundstage comes across as very wide, and at times has distracted me with a guitar or instrument seeming to occasionally out of the blue insert itself far to the side of a channel for a brief moment.  That has happened with both DACs and infrequently.  I have not noticed that before. I am actually hoping the soundstage narrows a bit with further use.  I may change my toe in on my speakers later on if need be.

 

I am pleased with the purchase.  The option to use it down line if I pursue optical ethernet is also a great plus for me.

 

Kudos to UpTone on the USPCB A>B Adapter as well, which I ordered with the ER.  This appears very neutral in coloration and mates perfectly from the microRendu to the Matrix.  I also have used it with my VR L2 Signature SE preamp.  If your system connections allow, I would recommend giving it a go.  The value appears to me to be a home run and it along with my Triode Wire Dongle are my current go to USB favorites.

 

[Jud]

A couple of other general remarks:

 

- It's amazing how very, very different the production now sounds on one album vs. another. Penguin Cafe presents a soundstage I can practically bathe in, while Justin Townes Earle is plain, unadorned, beautiful and in your face all at the same time.

 

- Listening to Phantogram on Qobuz at the moment there's enough low bass to shake my chest, but since my wife's in bed the peaks aren't even hitting 60 dB. The impact of bass and drums with the ER feels much more like a physical thing regardless of loudness.

[TwinPeak]

As Jud mentioned, the presence of EtherREGEN in the audio system makes it easy to point out what is good recordings, and what is not. Now, with more than a week of listening with EtherREGEN in my system (after correcting my internet setup and wiring), I can imagine how mixing/mastering engineers have used EQ and filters of the recording I listen to. Well, these observations are entirely subjective, but the transparency of the played music reveal such details, that your ears and your ability to make associations, creates new interpretations. The right/left audio crossover between speakers is what makes the soundstage, and when adding a device that corrects the stereo image - it is if you have a whole new system. Doing listening my benchmark has been the female voice, and I can recommend you to investigate into norwegian vocalist Kari Bremnes and her recordings 🙂 

[Flashman]

35 minutes ago, TwinPeak said:

Doing listening my benchmark has been the female voice, and I can recommend you to investigate into norwegian vocalist Kari Bremnes and her recordings 🙂 

Agree with you on Kari Bremnes.  As an example, listen to the first track "Lover in Berlin" on the "Norwegian Mood" album. 

[TwinPeak]

If you (as I am) are obsessed with female voices, you aught to listen to norwegian vocalist Kari Bremnes. Choose her 24/96 recordings when streaming or downloading. With EtherREGEN in the system, she is an absolute joy to listen to.
BTW - I have a new USB-cable connected from DAC to my Mac Mini: CAD USB-1 - and it's delivering the goods to an overwhelming degree 🙂