EtherREGEN: Installation, Usage, Difficulty, Questions thread

[simon_pepper]

Question to current EtherRegen users, what have you placed your EtherRegen on?

 

Mine is behind my 2 Aavik tables sat on the wooden floor, as that’s where the 5-port CISCO switch was it has replaced & there is no shelf space available & that’s where all the Ethernet cables are, however should I be placing it on something isolating? And should that be a small bamboo chopping block or a cork pad (e.g. a table place mat).

 

My UltraRendu and UltraCap have the dual faceplate, so a larger unit, plus cables only coming from the rear of these units.

 

Does anyone have any suggested isolation components for these sized components?

Does placement affect the performance?

 

Is this the right thread for this type of question/discussion?

[simon_pepper]

Yes, but my UltraRendu and UltraCap are accommodated on a shelf, in their dual faceplate configuration and cabling from the rear of these units - so it is just the EtherRegen that is behind the racks and currently placed on the wooden floor.

 

My post was really to see if anyone found sonic advantage to placing the EtherRegen on isolation and whether there was a small isolation plinth, of the size for these cases out there, as obviously I cannot get a full shelf or an amp shelf in behind.

 

But I take on board you comment that there are sensitive clocks & crystals, so any mechanical and acoustic feedback for the EtherRegen needs to be minimised.

 

I am present looking at either a bamboo or cork block to go under the EtherRegen and a stabilisation weight on top to reduce any case level vibration & microphony effects. Though there is a small isolation table designed for desktop speakers, but I can’t seem to find a distributor and a price.

 

thanks, Simon

[simon_pepper]

If it helps anyone, I have mapped out how the music playback path within my network is connected, separating WiFi traffic, from other device traffic.
(taken out backup NAS units, printers, networked UPS, networked AV equipment etc.)

 

[simon_pepper]

58 minutes ago, Flashman said:

What's more, when one's spouse says the system is playing better than ever, without knowing about the change, one can only smile appreciatively.

That’s our control, in the great scheme of things!
 

58 minutes ago, Flashman said:

One unexpected benefit: albums via Roon now load much more quickly and access from one album to another happens at light speed.  I admit to being a bit confused as to why this should happen, as the speed of my network did not increase by adding fiber-optical.  On the other hand, the change to fiber-optical is clearly increasing the through-put to the Roon Nucleus.  Go figure.

Don’t understand this bit, as you start in copper, break to fibre into the A ports. If it was fibre all the way into the A port cage, then that’s a different medium for that connection, but the connection to the Roon Core is still copper.

 

However could be that the optical transceiver is working faster than the transformer based isolation for the Ethernet cabling.

[simon_pepper]

Hi, There are still some people on the Roon forum refusing to understand that a switch can improve the playback of networked streaming.

I know I shouldn’t engage, as their minds are closed, believing that it is just 1 & 0’s etc., however what is the present installed base of EtherRegens now worldwide (shipped & returned)?

[simon_pepper]

Thanks - BTW Roon, EtherREGEN, SonoreUPnP Bridge running on an UltraRendu with UltraCap LPS1 PSU into my Naim NDS with 555DR PSU has worked well for me for the last 2 years (since Nov '19 and the 1st batch of EtherRegens).
No networking issues, playback of all supported formats by the NDS (upto 24/192 PCM, DSD64) and all others catered for by Roon Core (MQA, DSD128/256/512, 24/384, 24/768 etc.)
Do have issues with the recent Roon releases, but it is in their software and not any playback mechanics. 

[simon_pepper]

4 hours ago, Superdad said:

So those of you who already have—or will soon receive—an EtherREGEN, we thank you and hope you treasure them in your music systems. 

Already treasured, and has been since Nov ‘19, when it went into the system.

 

Now powered by a Farad3 PSU (12v) with the dual stage LT3045 regulators (output 10v)

The previous Chinese sourced 15W LPS PSU couldn’t maintain current & voltage, and died. It was a dual 5V/12V unit, so I push the 5V side to provide a 7V supply, which powered the EtherREGEN for a few months, while considering replacement options.

 

Farad3 supply (Rodium input, Orange fuse, L2 Silver cable) still burning in, but sounding good so far.

[simon_pepper]

11 hours ago, Johnnydev said:

Try the purple fuse 👍

But in doing so, all other fuses in the system will need to be upgraded - most are Reds, from when they were released over the Blacks which over the SRs.

 

Where's the top of this rabbithole again?

[simon_pepper]

Question re. Optical isolation with an EtherREGEN

 

I have the EtherREGEN providing the network switch duties for my Streaming Audio playback.
On the 'A' Ports there is the connection to the folllowing:
1. Backend Data storage servers (Primary & Backup NAS units), ROCK server, Internet access (Modem with separate Router)

2. Sonore UltraRendu running Sonore UPnP Bridge (powered by an UltraCap LPS 1 @7v)

3. RPi2 running Asset UPnP server (for backup) (powered by 5v LPS)

4. Apple ATV

On the 'B' ports there is the connection to my Naim NDS Network Player

EtherREGEN is powered by Farad Super3 PSU @ 12v with an additional Dual stage triple LT3045 arrangement (input 12v and output 10v) and Earthed to the post on a Russ Andrews Purifier Block

 

Is there need or benefit, from going to an Optical connection on the connection #1 (the backend data storage), which is the feed into the EtherREGEN, or is the isolation of the Port 'A' connections, plus the Port 'A' to Port 'B' moat enough to stop any noise coming in on that connection from getting into the Network Player connection?
I would need a Media Convertor with STP cage, a STP module for the EtherREGEN and a short length of fibre.

Do I leave it as it, and sounding might fine may I say, and stop tinkering - or experiment with some optical isolation?

[simon_pepper]

Hi, @SuperdadCould you comment on whether the Chord EE1 device would add anything further to the downstream feed into an EtherREGEN?

Any further noise reduction, through galvanic isolation?

 

https://chord.co.uk/product/english-electric-ee1/

 

Thanks,

Simon