UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[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.  

[soares]

On 2/8/2021 at 9:58 PM, Superdad said:

Our shop is getting crowded and expansion is planned for this year as we have several other new products to roll out in the coming months.

Hi Alex, 

Is it too much to tell us about the timeline? 
Can’t sleep! Too anxious. 
Pleaseeeeeee!

🤗😂🤗

[R1200CL]

I’m more curious what’s coming 😀

I have a wish list. 

[genvirt]

Just reporting-:)

I’m with ER for one week now and out of the box Tidal starts play real music!

Amazing!
To be honest I was a bit sceptical (in general about switches etc.) that it can bring improvement when actually everything from streaming services first downloading to memory buffer and than playing from there... but... ER make magic...

Thank You!!!

 

My net pass:

Fiber Internet Receiver-Transmitter->Router(supplied by provider)->(regular cat6 cable) LinkSys switch->(Supra cat8 diy cable)->UpTone EtherRegen->Sablon 2020 cable->Jcat XE net card

[http404]

WHOA! Not at all subtle!

 

The cat ate yet another optical cable between my fiber media converters (grrrr) so I decided to try the ER. My hopes were along the lines of the improvement I got from powering my UltraRendu with an UltraCap LPS 1.2. Forget that ... more along the lines of putting the Tesla in Ludicrous mode ... big grins! Thanks guys.

[RickyV]

7 minutes ago, http404 said:

WHOA! Not at all subtle!

 

The cat ate yet another optical cable between my fiber media converters (grrrr) so I decided to try the ER. My hopes were along the lines of the improvement I got from powering my UltraRendu with an UltraCap LPS 1.2. Forget that ... more along the lines of putting the Tesla in Ludicrous mode ... big grins! Thanks guys.

aren’t cats awesome, hide the fiber better. 👍

 

You could use one FMC and go optical into the ER.

[MarkusBarkus]

Naw, it's a dietary fiber issue. Sounds like you'd better switch back to Cat6 for better resolution. 😽

[Superdad]

1 hour ago, MarkusBarkus said:

Naw, it's a dietary fiber issue. Sounds like you'd better switch back to Cat6 for better resolution. 😽

Just as long as they don't start making the fiber optic cables with soy-based plastics.  We have a major problem with pack-rats around our rural home and they have already disabled two of our vehicles.  Auto makers use soy-based wire insulation and component plastics and the rats love to eat that stuff! 

[thyname]

5 minutes ago, Superdad said:

and the rates love to eat that stuff! 

‘You surely meant “rats”!!😂😂🤔

[Superdad]

2 hours ago, http404 said:

My hopes were along the lines of the improvement I got from powering my UltraRendu with an UltraCap LPS 1.2. Forget that ... more along the lines of putting the Tesla in Ludicrous mode ... big grins! Thanks guys.

 

That's really great. Many thanks!

 

And to all those waiting:

210 EtherREGEN circuit boards arrived to us this Monday.  My staff has already flash programmed and tested all of them. Tomorrow we start affixing heat sinks to the chips and when the thermal adhesive dries we will install in cases, clean, and kit up in retail boxes. Will begin shipping the domestic units by the 11th or 12th, then the internationals (which take more time due to export paperwork).  So all will depart on time or early--not later than the 17th.

 

There are still a few spots left in the March batch, so if you are about to land on the "buy" side of the fence, now would be a good time to get your order in.  Have been so busy that we have not even begun to schedule the next 250 boards after these. We are partially constrained by world shortages of certain unique vendor circuit parts.

[Pokey77]

1 hour ago, Superdad said:

Just as long as they don't start making the fiber optic cables with soy-based plastics.  We have a major problem with pack-rats around our rural home and they have already disabled two of our vehicles.  Auto makers use soy-based wire insulation and component plastics and the rats love to eat that stuff! 

Sounds like you need a few rat traps in the engine bay!

 

Super stoked for you on the continued demand for the ER. I just love mine with a PHynes SR4T power supply.

[http404]

17 hours ago, RickyV said:

You could use one FMC and go optical into the ER.

 

That's my planned next step once I've established a listening baseline with copper.

[http404]

16 hours ago, MarkusBarkus said:

Naw, it's a dietary fiber issue. Sounds like you'd better switch back to Cat6 for better resolution. 😽

 

I've always suspected that the E in Cat6E (etc.) was for Expletive when the furry fiend chews something new.

[Tone Deaf]

15 hours ago, Superdad said:

Just as long as they don't start making the fiber optic cables with soy-based plastics.  We have a major problem with pack-rats around our rural home and they have already disabled two of our vehicles.  Auto makers use soy-based wire insulation and component plastics and the rats love to eat that stuff! 

You just need to use chicken wire like they do in Canada!  Then you would be all good! 😉

 

https://westkootenayhiking.ca/porcupine-proof-vehicles/

[PYP]

54 minutes ago, http404 said:

 

I've always suspected that the E in Cat6E (etc.) was for Expletive when the furry fiend chews something new.

If you try the chicken wire solution for your setup, please provide before and after pictures. 

[http404]

4 hours ago, PYP said:

If you try the chicken wire solution for your setup, please provide before and after pictures. 

 

I'm sure it won't be long before we can get special audiophile grade chicken wire starting at $250 a foot. The rocks are likely to be expensive though!

 

[PYP]

34 minutes ago, http404 said:

 

I'm sure it won't be long before we can get special audiophile grade chicken wire starting at $250 a foot. The rocks are likely to be expensive though!

 

Group buy opportunity!   Will also need some anti-vibration material for the chicken wire.  If the wire is copper, would this be a faraday cage?  I'm glad you are going to try this and report back.  Thanks!

 

I'm sure folks will prefer tungsten to rocks.  But back to the thread....

[tubegem]

A little Guidance please. Hope this is the right thread.

I just ordered an EtherRegen, which should arrive by the end of the month. As a background, I purchased a Bryston 3.14 steamer/dac. It will only receive DSD via USB input. I was hoping to use my Sony HAP-Z1es, but it does not want to work.  DSD plays fine, but internet radio, cpm etc all I get is loud white noise. 

So, back to a Mac mini currently used as computer. Plan to pick up a 2018 model and use it or current 2011 (perhaps add MMK)  model for music only. Purchased Audirvana which I quite like. Dug out original sotm sms-200. I have been able to send music via dlna? to the Bryston, a first for me. I'm not interested in Roon, Tidal etc. just internet radio and perhaps Spotify if it goes to cd quality. 

 

It appears that people are evenly split between sotm sms-200/Ultra/Neo etc and the UltraRendu. For those using the sotm do you still need/use the Iso Regen before your dac or does the EtherRegen take care of that? Now I have a chance to trade my sms-200 for an sms-ultra for a used unit at a reasonable price. The trade or a new ultrarendu will cost the same.

 

My understanding is that the ultrarendu has regen module built in. It also talks to Audirvana and has support to Spotify.  

 

Does the MMK mod only help if the mini is in the stereo rack or also on a dlna set up. Any preference ? Not sure if I should keep the music mini next to dac or other room.  Musically what have you found.

 

Thank you for your time.

[R1200CL]

56 minutes ago, tubegem said:

A little Guidance please. Hope this is the right thread.

I’m struggling to understand you. 
It seems you have 3 or 4 products doing the same thing. Your problem with the Sony HAP-Z1es must be related to settings. 
 

Can you explain how you like this to work ? Make a drawing. 

[jandersonhill]

It looks like the planned setup is:

 

Mac mini -> EtherRegen -> sms-200 -> Bryston DAC

 

In which case, a USB regenerator would likely further improve the sound, such as the UltraRendu

[jandersonhill]

Planned to edit this to say 'might further improve the sound as YMMV', but one of the children banged their head and I found I could no longer edit this when I got back!

 

A USB regenerator would fit between the sms-200 and the Bryston. AudioQuest, iFi, Uptone Audio, SOtM and Innuos sell them at various price points.

[R1200CL]

52 minutes ago, jandersonhill said:

Mac mini -> EtherRegen -> sms-200 -> Bryston DAC

I think the SMS200 or a Renu isn’t needed. Your Bryston 3.14 has Ethernet in. The Mac can be anywhere in your network.
 

Why would you use USB ?
 

If any Rendu should be considered, it should be opticalRendu. 
 

A usb regen after a Rendu is normally used with the Microrendu. (It’s equal the ultraRendu). 
 

Sell the SMS 200 and buy a clock from AfterDark. (Or a second EtherRegen 😀)

[jamesg11]

43 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

I think the SMS200 or a Renu isn’t needed. Your Bryston 3.14 has Ethernet in. The Mac can be anywhere in your network.
 

Why would you use USB ?
 

If any Rendu should be considered, it should be opticalRendu. 
 

A usb regen after a Rendu is normally used with the Microrendu. (It’s equal the ultraRendu). 
 

Sell the SMS 200 and buy a clock from AfterDark. (Or a second EtherRegen 😀)

Consider 1. the upsides of the new mac M1 & 2. the usefulness of an NAA to mac upsampling ie optical rendu or say hqp naa.

[R1200CL]

1 hour ago, jamesg11 said:

Consider 1. the upsides of the new mac M1 & 2. the usefulness of an NAA to mac upsampling ie optical rendu or say hqp naa.

Your Bryston 3.14 is limited to DSD support up to DSD-256. But, if NAA, yes, you need one of the Rendu’s. You may keep your present Mac, and consider a Sonictransporter with embedded HQplayer. 
Your present Mac may do 256 ?

[GryphonGuy]

6 hours ago, R1200CL said:

I think the SMS200 or a Renu isn’t needed. Your Bryston 3.14 has Ethernet in. The Mac can be anywhere in your network.
 

Why would you use USB ?
 

If any Rendu should be considered, it should be opticalRendu. 
 

A usb regen after a Rendu is normally used with the Microrendu. (It’s equal the ultraRendu). 
 

Sell the SMS 200 and buy a clock from AfterDark. (Or a second EtherRegen 😀)

 

Perhaps he is not just connecting using Ethernet because needs it to make music and it appears the Bryston's ethernet port is only for control of the device. So any of the Audio inputs could be used and he seems to have chosen USB.

 

Regards

GG