EtherREGEN: Installation, Usage, Difficulty, Questions thread

[PYP]

2 hours ago, Duckworp said:

Found a small heatsink on Ali Express which just does the job of slightly reducing the temperature as one of my ERs is not in a huge amount of space and was running hotter than my other one in a ton of free space. 

 

Another solution is something like this:  https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZ6T8VF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Even though my audio cabinet has ventilation on front and back, our generally warm environment doesn't help the heat problem.   This little fan works well (plugged into wall).  

[PYP]

This may be a question for Alex, but perhaps someone has this setup and can answer my question.

 

Does powering two separate clocks from a JS-2 -- each clock feeds its own eR -- defeat the moats?

 

eR connected this way:    #1 (A > B)  >  rj45  >  #2 (A >B) >  rj45 >  DAC

 

Thanks.  

[PYP]

41 minutes ago, JohnSwenson said:

The two outputs of the JS-2 share the same ground. So if you have two ERs in series, each plugged into its own JS-2 output, you ARE defeating the moat.

 

John S.

Thank you, John.  The eRs themselves are powered by a LPS 1.2 and SMPS, respectively.  One leg of the JS-2 powers an external clock for eR #2.    If I add a second, separate clock for eR #1, and power that clock with the second leg of the JS-2, is the moat defeated (shared ground for the two clocks)?  

[PYP]

7 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

More than likely running both clocks off the same JS-2 will defeat the moat of the second ER. Whether that is a problem depends a lot on how things are hooked up. The primary purpose of the moat is to prevent leakage current (both low and high impedance) from the network from getting into the DAC. If the path from the first ER to the output of the second does not introduce any new leakage currents then the moat of the first ER may be sufficient.  This really needs a detailed drawing of the system to figure that out.

 

John S.

Thank you, John.  Given that adding a second eR resulted in a significant increase in density and weight, sonic qualities that I value, I definitely don't want to defeat the moat of the second eR.    Adding an opticalModule and the two eRs has given me a new appreciation for just how good the Tambaqui DAC is, and makes me curious about whether there are other ways to maximize the ethernet stream.  And it was very clearly demonstrated that the JS-2 was a wonderful partner to the Cybershaft clock, which lifted the performance of my first eR.  But it seems like it is time to simply enjoy the music.  

 

I have observed in the past that adding a component that reduces noise can improve sound for a week or so and then become less effective.  It makes me wonder if this is related to leakage currents and, if so, how much time it takes leakage currents to propagate through the system.    

[PYP]

1 hour ago, JohnSwenson said:

I'm not quite sure what you are getting with this. Leakage currents are electrical signals, thus they propagate through conductors at close to the speed of light. There ARE several things that can take days to change are oxidation levels on connectors and static buildup.

 

All the "isolation" being done to help block leakage currents can also leave a system susceptible to static charges developing between segments of a system which might change how things sound. These can build up over time.

 

John S.

Thank you.  The role of static was exactly what I was trying to ask about.  In my system, unplugging just one component can change restore the sound to its highest level if I haven't done that in a while.  It seems like it doesn't matter much which piece of gear in the chain gets unplugged, but DACs have always been a good place to start the experiment.   In the past, I've also tried the IsoTek "rejuvenation" (their term for it) disc.   Their theory is that playing the disc through the system de-magnetizes the system.  Was wondering what you thought about that theory.  

 

But there is also a different phenomenon from static, at least it seems separate from the static issue.  And that is that over time some noise reduction tweaks seem to lose efficacy.  Perhaps it just my ears getting used to the new sound over time and therefore no longer hearing the "large" change that first occurred.   

[PYP]

55 minutes ago, Mihaylov said:

It's my EtherRegen:

 

 

 

does it run very hot with the top on?

[PYP]

7 hours ago, chungjh said:

Do you feel that two ERs clearly sounds better than one ER?

my own path was:  one eR, then added LPS, then added an external clock (with progressively better sound, the clock being the bigger factor), then second eR stock (internal clock and provided power supply).  In my setup, the second eR was a significant upgrade.  So much so that I removed the opticalModule that fed the first eR.  Others have reported a range of improvements when adding the second eR from "it is OK" to "it blew my mind."  So, as with everything else, it depends on the setup.

[PYP]

2 hours ago, R1200CL said:

….and yours is ?

full details in my profile:  https://audiophilestyle.com/profile/24347-pyp/?tab=field_core_pfield_3

 

Ethernet portion is:  ISP-provided router/modem/wifi unit > DXE filter > in-wall cat 6 utp > ... > DXE filter >  

 

UpTone EtherREGEN #1 [SMPS] >

Purist Audio Design Cat 7  >

eR #2 [LPS 1.2] + Cybershaft OP13 clock [UpTone JS-2] [Kubala-Sosna DC cable] [Kubala-Sosna clock cable] >

Kubala-Sosna ethernet cable > DAC

 

Monoprice slimline copper ethernet patch cables to and from the DXE filter.   both eRs are A > B.  

[PYP]

29 minutes ago, Superdad said:

Sadly, poor long-term reliability of the UltraCap designs is true for both the LPS-1 and the LPS-1.2; but for differing technical reasons. Most units will work fine for many many years; some will not. 

Just had to interject that Alex's forthright response is refreshing and commendable.  And I say that as a happy LPS 1.2 owner (and two eRs and a JS-2).  All have been working in exemplary fashion since they arrived.  

[PYP]

2 hours ago, charlesphoto said:

@mfsoa No mention of Roon anywhere on the Uptone etherRegen page (checking as I'm considering buying one and also a Roon lifetime user) 

@charlesphoto you do have 30 days to try it in your particular network.   I've been using Roon with the an etherREGEN since 11/2019 (subsequently added another) with no issues.    Irrespective of Roon, it is interesting the wide variety of systems (worldwide, it seems) that have been improved by this little box.  Worth checking out.  

[PYP]

45 minutes ago, charlesphoto said:

Yes, just been dragging my feet and then when I almost pulled the plug a couple of months ago they were out of stock. I've been running a pair of opticalModules since they were released so I am a believer in network tweaking. Just not sure how much better the eR will be than the oMs but like you say I've got thirty days to find out. 

before I purchased a second eR, I used an oM with an eR and, in my system, they worked very well together.  With the second eR, the oM no longer improved the sound so it went to another home.    Not trying to spend your money, just reporting what I found (to my ears, in my system...).   It did take nearly a month for the eR to settle in my system, but the improvement was evident long before that.    

[PYP]

39 minutes ago, Mike Rubin said:

Sorry to say this and maybe it is an issue of the power supply that I am using (CAPS 1.2), but I can't get the rendu to see the network when the optical module is on the B side. 

Is it a oM deluxe or the older model?  Older model won't work after the eR, I think.  

[PYP]

17 minutes ago, Mike Rubin said:

Original.   Is it because of a speed mismatch? 

yes.  When I had the original oM, it worked well before the eR, but it wouldn't work at all after.  Then I started to research the problem and understood the purpose of the deluxe - to be compatible with the requirements of more gear.  

[PYP]

1 hour ago, Mike Rubin said:

I may need to update, then. This hobby is a cash sink

Let me help you spend your hard-earned cash:  In my setup (YMMV), two eRs were significantly better than an oM + eR.  In fact, once I got the second eR (before the supply chain broke), the oM didn't increase the SQ.  In fact, perhaps because of the very basic LPS I was using, it added a bit of HF noise.   Very subtle, but noticeable once the second eR was in place.  I'm a fan of LPS, but it has to be well-designed so that it doesn't inject noise back into your setup. 

[PYP]

7 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Since our own UltraCap LPS-1.2 is no longer in production (thanks Intel for putting Altera Max10 FPGAs on indefinite hiatus!), and since our fine JS-2, choke-filtered, dual-output, 5~7.4A LPS is a bit overkill for the EtherREGEN, we are happy to recommend the following affordable and high quality discrete-regulator LPS from Teddy Pardo in Israel: https://teddypardo.com/product/teddy12-2-12v-2a-power-supply/?Ref=search&attribute_pa_cable-type=55-21

 

Following that same logic (LPS 1.2 not available and JS-2 overkill - although my favorite LPS!), purchased the Teddy Pardo for my second eR.  Takes about 1 week to settle in and then a month to completely burn in.  I'm at about the month now and think you will will be very, very happy with a second eR, and powered by the TP you might be surprised by just how great the eRs are.  

[PYP]

Are all of you talking about the cable feeding the eR?  IIRC, Alex said that the shielding issue does not apply to the cable between the eR and DAC.  In my setup, the cable leading to the DAC made the largest contribution to better sound (YMMV).  

 

At any rate, experimenting may still be needed.   I started with mono price cables feeding the eR and between the two eRs and saved the fancy cable to use between the second eR and the DAC.  Sounded very good.  Since I had another fancy cable, I tried that between the eRs and the sound was better (not huge difference but worthwhile).  That said, I have no idea about how the two boutique cables actually ground their cables.  

 

@Encore's advice to get the big stuff right first (how it all connects) is sensible -- cables are often a tweak that fine tunes the system-- as is the point that it takes time to settle in.   The boutique cables took two weeks to settle into my system.    

 

John's posts are very informative and have contributed a lot to the better sound of my system (and his designs too, of course:  JS-2, eR, LPS 1.2).  Even with all of his experience and knowledge, he often notes that "it all depends" because of all the variables across systems as well as some unknowns.   I found it beneficial to keep that in mind.  

[PYP]

2 hours ago, Encore said:

That's very much how I feel about my ~$500 boutique cable. In first instance. I'll try with Kapton tape as recommended by Barrows. Though shielded, my boutique cable between eR and streamer PC sounds a lot better than a Monoprice CAT8 with the shielding hacked.

will be interested in what you hear.  It seems logical that the grounding matters for cables before the moat but not sure why it would matter after the moat.