EtherREGEN: Installation, Usage, Difficulty, Questions thread

[bailyhill]

I have had mine since November last year (3-4 months).  To answer you question, it has gotten so good, that I don;t turn it off and I have stopped tweaking, as I am afraid I am going to undo something.  That said, I did order some additional Designacables 6a, that will tidy up my install, so they don't have to do loop-loops to take up some slack.  The ER is the second biggest uptick in SQ for me, second to the Merridian Ultra Dac that I got last year.  

[mourip]

6 hours ago, Iving said:

 

Great to read your early experience P.

 

Being the ex-user that you are, I wonder if you are curious about the potential of the eR when it is located between the stored music files and the DDC endpoint when the latter is a RedNet box?

 

In my system I noticed the "extra signalness" of the eR immediately (best summary expression I can think of although I realise it's better understood as "noise" mitigation) - although yes the music had edges of the bright kind as well as the focus kind for a little while. The eR improved day-by-day for a couple of weeks (playing constantly).

 

Your amps get stood down periodically? Well there'll be a confound (warming up), but your ears will be used to that.

 

I'd sure be interested to know what your ears are telling you at 2-300 hrs (eR listening impressions thread?)

 

Please assure everyone that by "ex-user" I previously "used" a Rednet AOIP system 🙂

 

It definitely crossed my mind regarding how the ER would work with AOIP. I still use my previous Rednet system as a benchmark to measure my present system against. I feel that I have surpassed it now but it took a long while.

 

My amps use tubes so I only turn them on to warm up for listening although the Berning design it notably easy on tubes.

I will definitely circle back when as I reach significant milestones for burn-in.

[ambre]

23 hours ago, Superdad said:

That looks fine. I do not know why you are having trouble with connecting it on the 'A' side of the EtherREGEN. My LG OLED connects right away.  Did you try a different cable and also check the settings in the TV? Power off fully and turn on again?

 

Hi Superdad,

Thanks for quick response.

 

I have tried two different ethernet cables of different lengths ( 4 meter up to 10). Both Ethernet cables functioning well on the Apple AirPort Express and Netgear Switchnand LG TV.

Powered off The LG and ER several times but doesn't help. Connecting LG TV with  Ethernet cabe in ER doesn't give any kind of activity (no lamp signal).

But when I take my Mac Mini and /or MacBook Pro with ethernet cable the ER gives an instant signal / activity.

 

Present Solution: Connected my " Old " Netgear Switch ( including Shunting ) on A-side  ER. Everything works now fine. My TV recognizes immediately the switch the same  when using the Apple Airport Express.

 

It seems to me that ER doesn't support DHCP protocol?   Only in one way (direction) when a device like Mac Mini / Netgear switch initiates first contact resp. handshake.  But this maybe a wrong assumption due to the fact I am a layman in network computing. Or the ER  isn't properly functioning?

 

Addtional question. What is the better: to have the Netgear Switch before the ER including TV.

Or connecting as described above the Netgear on A-side of ER?

 

Vert best regards, Andreas

 

[Roasty]

I have just acquired an ultracaps lps 1.2

 

9v setting on LPS should be fine right? 

 

Also, both the EtherRegen and LPS 1.2 run pretty hot. I assume they should not be stacked? 

[jcn3]

6 hours ago, Roasty said:

I have just acquired an ultracaps lps 1.2

 

9v setting on LPS should be fine right? 

 

Also, both the EtherRegen and LPS 1.2 run pretty hot. I assume they should not be stacked? 

 

@Superdad recommends the lps-1.2 be put on 12v to reduce the current required.

[esmit]

On 3/1/2020 at 10:19 AM, TwinPeak said:

Hi esmit, at first startup, I couldn't "see" through the ER, meaning my WD NAS does not auto-load to the desktop on Mac Mini. And since Mini is "headless", I need to manually mount WD NAS via screen sharing from another Mac on the network. I installed ER according to UpTone specs, I think (see sketch). I thought that using WiFi were more harmful compared to a wired network connection...
Tom

 

To me, your drawing looks as if the Mac mini is connected to both the EtherRegen and to the switch. And the EtherRegen is also connected to the switch so the Mac mini looks twice connected. I think it should be connected to the EtherRegen only. And the isoregen of course.

[TwinPeak]

After kind remarks from fellow users (esmit, jcn3, Frojo and Superdad) I corrected my setup. Turned off wifi, removed Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter. The connection to NetGear switch is no longer present, instead I have a wired internet connection from Airport Extreme to A-side of EtherREGEN. With about a week of playing music through EtherREGEN, the musical presentation is terrific and very engaging. Thanks for helping me out! 🙂 Uploaded diagram shows my new setup

My SetUp 2020-v3.pdf

[ASRMichael]

@Superdad first off, EtherRegen arrived and sounds fantastic, really does. Really well done. 
 

Question? Is there much benefit of having two EtherRegen in the chain? Have you tested this?

[Ponkbutler]

That’s what I have. There is a difference - a bit more relaxed and spacious with very slightly more detail - but it’s minimal. One person I know has found that with a Sean Jacobs LPS the improvement is greater and pretty much removes the difference between having 1 and 2. I have one of his DC3 PSUs on order and will report my findings.

[ASRMichael]

20 minutes ago, Ponkbutler said:

That’s what I have. There is a difference - a bit more relaxed and spacious with very slightly more detail - but it’s minimal. One person I know has found that with a Sean Jacobs LPS the improvement is greater and pretty much removes the difference between having 1 and 2. I have one of his DC3 PSUs on order and will report my findings.

Thanks, I’m using Sean JacobS 7th rail on the EtherRegen. Sean’s great guy was at his house yesterday. 

[Crustacean]

Here’s a question I hope is easy for @Superdad or @JohnSwenson to answer in quick general terms—and apologies for my lack knowledge (and apologies if this has already been discussed somewhere and I’ve missed it):

 

My setup: For my primary music playback system I have the B-side of my EtherRegen connected to my network. On the A-side, the optical port is feeding an opticalRendu. In this setup, to get best results, I know that I shouldn’t have anything else plugged into the A-side.

 

However, the question is:

 

At times when I am not playing music to the opticalRendu this way on my primary system, and when my DAC that is attached to the opticalRendu is powered off, does the opticalRendu by itself in its idle state still generate sufficient network activity and potential noise that it’s still not advisable even at those times to use one of the other copper ethernet ports on the EtherRegen’s A-side to feed a different streamer to a second system? (Doing so works fine, of course; but I’m asking about best results in terms of the purpose of the etherRegen.)

 

Thanks!

[cat6man]

forgive me but i haven't read every post since getting my eR.

has the white paper been released?

[jcn3]

On 3/8/2020 at 1:45 AM, Crustacean said:

Here’s a question I hope is easy for @Superdad or @JohnSwenson to answer in quick general terms—and apologies for my lack knowledge (and apologies if this has already been discussed somewhere and I’ve missed it):

 

My setup: For my primary music playback system I have the B-side of my EtherRegen connected to my network. On the A-side, the optical port is feeding an opticalRendu. In this setup, to get best results, I know that I shouldn’t have anything else plugged into the A-side.

 

However, the question is:

 

At times when I am not playing music to the opticalRendu this way on my primary system, and when my DAC that is attached to the opticalRendu is powered off, does the opticalRendu by itself in its idle state still generate sufficient network activity and potential noise that it’s still not advisable even at those times to use one of the other copper ethernet ports on the EtherRegen’s A-side to feed a different streamer to a second system? (Doing so works fine, of course; but I’m asking about best results in terms of the purpose of the etherRegen.)

 

Thanks!

 

Do you hear something that indicates a problem?  My take is that if you can't hear it, then there's not a problem.

[Superdad]

27 minutes ago, cat6man said:

forgive me but i haven't read every post since getting my eR.

has the white paper been released?

 

Tomorrow morning!  Coinciding with another surprise here at AS. 

[thyname]

1 minute ago, Superdad said:

 

Tomorrow morning!  Coinciding with another surprise here at AS. 

‘And before the white paper is released, as a staunch member of ASR (not 😂), I will tell you right now the exact reaction:

 

1) The tests were wrong 

 

2) whatever the tests show are beyond human hearing threshold, and therefore, insignificant 

 

3) you were obviously cheating and “cooking “ the numbers

 

4) every competent DAC design takes care of these issues automatically, so whatever happens upstream does not matter. Even a cheap China DAC fixes these issues

 

5) the results / findings of the paper are not peer reviewed and certified by a panel of experts, therefore null and void

 

😂😂

[soares]

12 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Tomorrow morning!  Coinciding with another surprise here at AS. 

eR review I guess!!! 👍

[Superdad]

Rajiv Arora's big review of the EtherREGEN is up!  

 

This terrific and comprehensive review also includes the premier of a link to our 'white paper' on the underpinnings of a lot of this weird digital stuff and how the EtherREGEN addresses these interesting issues.  For further discussion and questions regarding the paper--which will be followed in the weeks to come with some measurements John has made--please go to a new thread created for such.  So we can keep this one on-topic.  

 

Hope you all enjoy reading both the review and the paper.

Thanks,

--Alex & John

[ASRMichael]

3 hours ago, Superdad said:

Rajiv Arora's big review of the EtherREGEN is up!  

 

This terrific and comprehensive review also includes the premier of a link to our 'white paper' on the underpinnings of a lot of this weird digital stuff and how the EtherREGEN addresses these interesting issues.  For further discussion and questions regarding the paper--which will be followed in the weeks to come with some measurements John has made--please go to a new thread created for such.  So we can keep this one on-topic.  

 

Hope you all enjoy reading both the review and the paper.

Thanks,

--Alex & John

@Superdad with this review & corona virus, suggest you start recruiting more staff. Well done guys. 
 

Only point to say is, I removed my TLS switch from the chain & got better results. Suspect due close proximity of my Edge Router, & the way my network is setup. 

[Bazza13]

4 hours ago, Superdad said:

Rajiv Arora's big review of the EtherREGEN is up!  

 

This terrific and comprehensive review also includes the premier of a link to our 'white paper' on the underpinnings of a lot of this weird digital stuff and how the EtherREGEN addresses these interesting issues.  For further discussion and questions regarding the paper--which will be followed in the weeks to come with some measurements John has made--please go to a new thread created for such.  So we can keep this one on-topic.  

 

Hope you all enjoy reading both the review and the paper.

Thanks,

--Alex & John

Rajiv's review is outstanding for his thorough investigation of the EtherRegen.  His addition of inserting a mega dollar clock has me a bit confused. If I have the ER before my server that is then connected to my DAC through an ISO Regen, there shouldn't be a need for an additional clock.  Correct?

[ogs]

10 hours ago, Bazza13 said:

Rajiv's review is outstanding for his thorough investigation of the EtherRegen.  His addition of inserting a mega dollar clock has me a bit confused. If I have the ER before my server that is then connected to my DAC through an ISO Regen, there shouldn't be a need for an additional clock.  Correct?

Your setup is very similar to mine. EtherREGEN before a RPI4 with RoPieee and ISO Regen on the DAC input with USPCB on both sides of the ISO. I'd expect that using an external clock like the Mutec REF10 would improve the sound quite a lot. However I am not going to do that. It's simply too costly. The REF10 is almost double the cost of the rest of my system! Currently using the SMPS that came with the ER. I'll probably change that to something better at some point.

[Bazza13]

7 hours ago, ogs said:

Your setup is very similar to mine. EtherREGEN before a RPI4 with RoPieee and ISO Regen on the DAC input with USPCB on both sides of the ISO. I'd expect that using an external clock like the Mutec REF10 would improve the sound quite a lot. However I am not going to do that. It's simply too costly. The REF10 is almost double the cost of the rest of my system! Currently using the SMPS that came with the ER. I'll probably change that to something better at some point.

After reading other posts on this forum I purchased a MPAudio DC power supply that is on its way from Germany.

[Blake]

After listening for around a month to my eR, I decided to experiment with the power supply.  This week, I took out the stock eR power supply and I swapped in a Farad Super3 LPS (12 volt model), connected to my Blue Circle Audio power conditioning with a Sablon Audio Petite Corona power cord, and an Audio Sensibility OCC Silver DC Cable running from the Farad LPS to the eR.

 

Side Bar:  I use a number of different familiar songs for A/B demo's.  I think music that is more sparse, with exaggerated or extreme sound staging elements and obvious micro detailing work best, listening in a darkened room, with no bright screens or daylight shining through windows helps to set the stage.  Take for example the song "Vigyen el as iz" by Errant Monks (available on Tidal). While I really enjoy this song, it won't be to everyone's taste.  But if you are patient and listen through the whole song, you will see how it is just one example of the type of song that will easily demonstrate differences in sound staging, layering, imaging, detail, transparency, etc. when auditioning new gear.  "I Could Sit Here All Day" by Carmen Villain is another example.

 

And the results are....  yep, this Farad LPS is a keeper!  There is a very noticeable difference with the Farad Super3 in place and the improvements are those I've always found when upgrading the power supply.  The sound stage opens up in all dimensions, heightened ambient cues, the tiny details become more obvious, a clearer window to the music.  Well worth it!  If you have the funds and are thinking about experimenting with the power supply I would go for it, swap in a good LPS of your choosing and see what you think.

 

I then added Stillpoints footers to the Farad LPS and Synergistic Research MiG footers to the eR.  Even better.  Improved instrumental separation and transparency.  The improvement was not as large as the upgrade from the stock supply to the Farad LPS, but still worthwhile.

 

Farad Bonus Points: Finally, since 95% of the time I stream music rather than listening to local files, I've started experimenting with software (I use Roon, which is more beneficial for those with large local libraries).  I've had Roon for a number of years now, but downloaded Linn Kazoo to check it out.  I am finding that Kazoo is more transparent and revealing than Roon.  Roon, while pleasant, seems to gloss over some of the small details in music.  In comparison to Kazoo, Roon sounds more homogenized.  I'm not saying Roon sounds bad at all, this is only when compared to Kazoo.  The only downside of Kazoo compared to Roon, is that when I use Kazoo there is a very slight hardness, but it is also possible this slight hardness is from the eR, I have no way to determine.  With the Farad in place, that slight hardness is mitigated, without any corresponding loss in detail.  Next on my homework list is to try Euphony and Audirvana, which I used for ages until I switched to Roon.

[Ultrarunner]

4 hours ago, Blake said:

Next on my homework list is to try Euphony and Audirvana, which I used for ages until I switched to Roon.

What about Roon/HQ Player? I haven’t tried it yet but it seems to be popular with audiophiles wanting to improve on Roon’s audio quality. 

[jamesg11]

... re Roon ... I took a breather from it, having run Roon into HQP for a couple of years - just tried HQP direct, gradually over a week or so deciding it was definitely superior as standalone - & haven’t gone back, despite the library advantages of Roon.

[Blake]

36 minutes ago, Ultrarunner said:

What about Roon/HQ Player? I haven’t tried it yet but it seems to be popular with audiophiles wanting to improve on Roon’s audio quality. 

 

Good question, but with my finding that Kazoo (free) sounds better to me than Roon (I am on the annual subscription plan), I think Roon may be a limiting factor on SQ.  Particularly because I don't really play local files anymore, I am planning to cancel Roon and move on to other software.