UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Listening Impressions

[JohnSwenson]

On 3/21/2024 at 8:02 PM, tgb said:

hi,

could you please elaborate ?...

because the way you wrote it, it looks like you have a cheapo scope (70MHz BW / <1kEur)... and it sounds weird...

.. and especialy the "the aspects we are trying fix" : what do you mean here ? (1)

 

Back to subject :

- an 100Mb ethernet signal, from the ER (100MB for the ER is a smart choice)

- it is a easy signal to trigger using any scope, cause signal freq is 125M, thus any cheap 00M BW scope will do the job (3kEur max)

- anyone can tweak a switch or a FMC-bridge and measure the signal using a fairly cheap oscilloscope, and check which tweak is OK or KO vs SQ. So what ?

Ethernet is cheapo to measure vs USB ! lol ! (although I can measure USB 2.0 signal thanks to a "vintage" scope I bought at 3kEur only)

 

Strange exchange... 

an answer to (1) would help....

 

Hi tgb,

this is NOT about bandwidth of a scope, it is about how serial data streams are sent and received and how measuring devices have evolved to analyze these. It will take me a good part of a day to write this up properly and I don't have a good part of a day free right now. I think I'm going to do this as a white paper and put it on Alex's site, it is WAY to much to put on a forum message. This seems to have become a BIG DEAL so I want to cover this fully and put it in a specific place so I don't have to keep on talking about it over and over again.

 

John S.

[R1200CL]

Thanks John

 

Any nice updates about ER2. Did you manage to get SFP both sides?

[Bravado13]

On 1/12/2024 at 10:53 PM, watts said:

Listening impressions part II: 

 

I first posted my listening impressions here 2 years ago, only 2 pages ago (page 57). Not much action since then I see. I have made many changes in my system last year: I since acquired a newer better built version of hypex amplifier, a better power conditioner, a higher resolving DAC, and have some more expensive and better sounds cables. 

 

Additionally, regarding the streaming/etheregen I previously simply had an Amazon cat 6 cable from router to etheregen, then cat 6 direct to DAC. I now have cat 5 to Cisco 2960 from the router, then optical to etherregen, then Audio Sensibility Supra ethernet to my Weiss 501. The etherregen is also powered by a Plixir BDC connected with an Audio Sensiblity copper DC cable. 

 

I had the Plixir LPS kicking around after selling my exasound player, so I decided to keep it and try it on the etheregen before selling it. I most recently added optical line as many have claimed it improving SQ. The DC cable that came with the Plixir didn't fit in the etheregen, so I ordered one from Audio Sensibility. 

 

With my new DAC I thought possibly it does a better job filtering compared to the older DAC, as this higher-end DAC has its own in house built power supply and renderer, so anything else in front of it might not be needed. So I just decided to unplug the etheregen/Plixir/optical/AS cat cable and go direct from the Cisco switch with the cat 6 cable to the Weiss and compare. 

 

Well turns out I'm keeping everything. I am shocked. The difference is HUGE. I just read my post from 2 years ago, I stated yes it made a difference, but it wasn't huge. I have since thought to myself over the past 2 years for the $700 US yes it made a noticeable difference, perhaps significant in how it smoothed out the treble, but I always thought a $700 upgrade in cables may have been money better spent. 

 

Keep in mind I didn't just buy this and post 2 hours later saying "OMG, this is night and day!" like we read from posters many times. I have owned this etherregen and it has been plugged in my system for 2 years,  🙂 But I will restate- it is unbelievable what a difference it makes. 

 

Track: LIberty by Anette Askvik: it takes about 3 seconds to hear the difference- with the etheregen (etc.) the song begins with there is swirling of sounds, finely resolved drums and various other percussion, in 3d space, and then her voice is beautifully and naturally rendered in space. The sax sounds sublime. Exceptional recording. With ER and everything removed the whole soundstage collapses- it becomes 2D-  the swirling is gone, there is just so much less to hear- her voice is sibilant and much less realistic. The sax first seems like it has more air, but the 'air' is distortion-poorly resolved air, and it no longer suspends itself in its own space, it falls flat. Seriously, it is obvious in mere seconds. If anything I thought it would be much harder to discern any differences. Now, it is not just a layer of grunge getting removed, but the whole soundstage undergoes a massive change, and with the ER/attachments my DAC goes from sounding like a $1000 player to the $10000 player it is supposed to sound like. 

 

Here is another way to define the difference: that track Liberty, using just Amazon cat 6, I listen, and about half way though I have the desire to stop it and put on a more familiar track. With the ER/Plixir/fibre I listen from start to finish, and then have the desire to listen to the track again. And again. So much more music is gained- so much more engaging. 

 

I am not inclined to see which part contributes to what particular percentage of overall improvement (etherregen 70%, LPS 20%, optical 5% Cisco 5% etc. ) I just wanted to know that this money spent for these streaming "tweaks" or components positively affect the sound quality compared to not having them. Yes, unequivocally! 

 

So I am happy! First because my ears are better than I thought they might be, and because I trusted many in this thread and bought this switch. Like we all know, the higher the quality and more resolving one's system the easier it is to hear differences. And I keep reading from those with much more experience than I, when it comes to streaming "everything matters".  

 

“I now have cat 5 to Cisco 2960 from the router, then optical toetherregen, then Audio Sensibility Supra ethernet to my Weiss 501…”

 

 

So do you have your AS Supra Ethernet coming from the “A side” / optical end of the ER or the “B side” of the ER to your DAC?