EtherREGEN: Installation, Usage, Difficulty, Questions thread

[frednork]

My ER has started freezing at random times. I have been using it for a long time with no issues I initially had it running on 12 volt and after I changed to 9v the problem seems a little less frequent but it is happening about once an hour and often in the middle of a track. Sorry if its already been covered but this thread is getting pretty long now...

[Johnnydev]

4 hours ago, frednork said:

My ER has started freezing at random times. I have been using it for a long time with no issues I initially had it running on 12 volt and after I changed to 9v the problem seems a little less frequent but it is happening about once an hour and often in the middle of a track. Sorry if its already been covered but this thread is getting pretty long now...

perhaps give your entire system a complete reset

[Mike Rubin]

9 hours ago, frednork said:

My ER has started freezing at random times. I have been using it for a long time with no issues I initially had it running on 12 volt and after I changed to 9v the problem seems a little less frequent but it is happening about once an hour and often in the middle of a track. Sorry if its already been covered but this thread is getting pretty long now...

Just out of curiosity, are you using Audirvana on a Windows machine?  I ask because I have a similar issue when playing through Audirvana, not not with JRiver or Roon. I therefore have assumed it is a software issue. 

[frednork]

10 hours ago, Johnnydev said:

perhaps give your entire system a complete reset

This happens regularly and doesnt change the freezing behaviour.

[frednork]

4 hours ago, Mike Rubin said:

Just out of curiosity, are you using Audirvana on a Windows machine?  I ask because I have a similar issue when playing through Audirvana, not not with JRiver or Roon. I therefore have assumed it is a software issue. 

Hi, using a 2 box setup of Roon rock and windows 2012 server running roon bridge. Thinking about it, It may conincide with a setup change however now that you bring it up. I might try to go back to the old setup and see if it persists.

[Superdad]

17 hours ago, frednork said:

My ER has started freezing at random times. I have been using it for a long time with no issues I initially had it running on 12 volt and after I changed to 9v the problem seems a little less frequent but it is happening about once an hour and often in the middle of a track.

 

Hi Fred:

We would like to assist you. 

To do so we would like to know...

a) All your network connections (what is where, especial your Roon Core Server) and endpoint.

b) What LEDs you see lit about the EtherREGEN's ports when the incidents happen.

 

Will also want to know your full name so we can date your purchase. There is a chance that a new firmware we have (not the one on the web) might help--but that depends upon your set up and answers to the above.

So please send us a message via the Contact Us form on our web site.

 

Thanks,

--Alex C.

[agladstone]

Is anyone using a medical Ethernet isolator either Pre EtherRegen or post EtherRegen? 
I just received my EtherRegen yesterday and prior to getting it, I have been using a chain of multiple Baske Medical Ethernet Isolators in between my wifi router/ switch and the Ethernet IN to my Aurender music server. 
When installing my new EtherRegen last night, I decided to leave one of these in between my router/switch and the A side of ER, not sure if it will help any or if it may even actually negate any benefits of ER? 
I was also wondering if it would be better on A side (IN) or B side (out) OR if I would have any benefit from one on A side and one on B side ? (I have three of these Baske Medical Ethernet isolators in total). 
FYI, I’m not really even completely sure what these things actually do? Apparently the provide galvanic isolation of Ethernet and prevent Ethernet line leakage, but I definitely think they added an improvement in my system prior to getting the EtherRegen. 
 

[Superdad]

21 minutes ago, agladstone said:

I was also wondering if it would be better on A side (IN) or B side (out) OR if I would have any benefit from one on A side and one on B side ? (I have three of these Baske Medical Ethernet isolators in total). 
FYI, I’m not really even completely sure what these things actually do? Apparently the provide galvanic isolation of Ethernet and prevent Ethernet line leakage, but I definitely think they added an improvement in my system prior to getting the EtherRegen. 

 

Those "isolators" are not much more that another set of Ethernet magnetics, along with some mild passive filter elements (has to be mild or they filter the high speed stuff which needs to be passed.

 

You can use them if you wish, but only on the 'A' side please.  Please always avoid putting anything in-line between the EtherREGEN and your DAC-attached endpoint (or Ethernet-input-equipped DAC).

[agladstone]

1 minute ago, Superdad said:

 

Those "isolators" are not much more that another set of Ethernet magnetics, along with some mild passive filter elements (has to be mild or they filter the high speed stuff which needs to be passed.

 

You can use them if you wish, but only on the 'A' side please.  Please always avoid putting anything in-line between the EtherREGEN and your DAC-attached endpoint (or Ethernet-input-equipped DAC).

Thanks for the info Alex! 
I honestly never fully understood what they actually did! I also have noticed that with it in line, I only get 100 speed even though it says it is a Gigabit Ethernet Isolator, whatever it is doing definitely slows the speed down a lot. 
Do you think it’s a waste for me to even bother using them on A side now that I have the EtherRegen? 

[MartinT]

I used to have an Acoustic Revive RLI-1 LAN isolator inserted before I had the ER. Couldn't hear it do anything on the A side with the ER so I got rid of it.

[PYP]

7 hours ago, MartinT said:

I used to have an Acoustic Revive RLI-1 LAN isolator inserted before I had the ER. Couldn't hear it do anything on the A side with the ER so I got rid of it.

me too.

[agladstone]

15 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Those "isolators" are not much more that another set of Ethernet magnetics, along with some mild passive filter elements (has to be mild or they filter the high speed stuff which needs to be passed.

 

You can use them if you wish, but only on the 'A' side please.  Please always avoid putting anything in-line between the EtherREGEN and your DAC-attached endpoint (or Ethernet-input-equipped DAC).

Thanks for the info Alex! 
I 

 

10 hours ago, MartinT said:

I used to have an Acoustic Revive RLI-1 LAN isolator inserted before I had the ER. Couldn't hear it do anything on the A side with the ER so I got rid of it.

Once I buy an upgraded audiophile Ethernet cable, I’ll get one that’s long enough so that I can remove the Baske Medical isolator on A side, I’m sure it’s not doing too much but for now I only have a few very short Blue Jeans cat 6a cables so I can’t reach the ER without keeping in the chain. 
Anyone have any thoughts on the quality level of Ethernet cable needed for the A side? 
I suspect the one from B side to Music Server is most important?

Would a Blue Jeans cat 6a be good enough for A side ? 

[MartinT]

I would say they're both important, B side more so.  Use a good quality cable for the A side (mine's a MeiCord) and the best shortest one for B side (I use a 12cm Rhino Cat6 link).

[PYP]

11 minutes ago, MartinT said:

I would say they're both important, B side more so.  Use a good quality cable for the A side (mine's a MeiCord) and the best shortest one for B side (I use a 12cm Rhino Cat6 link).

One thought:  give most attention to the B side and see what that brings.  Then try cables for A.  Personally, I use inexpensive, very flexible copper ethernet on the A side (monoprice slimrun with plastic connectors) and found no downside versus Bluejeans and others.  For the B side, you might want to check out the AfterDark forum.  I don't have any experience with that ethernet cable, but Adrian has good ears (which I base upon his spot-on description of the Cybershaft clock's break-in and benefits to sound quality).   My Purist Audio Design Cat 7 is a great sounding cable.   

[MartinT]

There are hardly any specialist cables made in 12cm lengths, and that's what I need from ER to uR.

[kennyb123]

On 3/14/2021 at 8:03 AM, MartinT said:

If copper sounds best, stay with copper.  Don't get too swayed with all the talk of fibre - find the solution that works best in your system.

 

The challenge with that is that fiber doesn't sounds its best right out of the box.  @fuzzypoodlementioned that he found it "harsh and piercing".  It could be that those SFPs need more time to burn in.  Or maybe they were a sub-optimum choice.  Or maybe that Meraki switch is causing it.

 

If he were to instead have an opticalModule feeding the EtherRegen and was using the Finisar 1324 SFPs, I think there's a really good chance he'd prefer fiber.

[Qstik]

On 6/29/2020 at 2:56 PM, Superdad said:

If using our UltraCap LPS-1.2 to power the EtherREGEN please be sure you have it set to output 12V.  EtherREGEN draws a maximum of 0.8A at 12V.  At lower input voltages it will draw more current. At 9V it would draw a full 1.0A (keeping the LPS-1.2 mighty toasty) and it is rare for an LPS-1.2 to even work with an EtherREGEN at 7V because about 1.35A could be drawn.

With recent posts about UltraCap LPS-1.2 supplies working for some time and then for some reason stopping, I got concerned about the heat of my unit.  Checking it, I found that I could not hold the unit in my hand for more than a second or two because it was so hot.  I then used this non-contact infrared thermometer to check its temperature:  https://www.amazon.com/Kintrex-IRT0424-Professional-Non-Contact-Thermometer/dp/B0058NYUC8  I found that the average temperature over about 80% of the unit was around 140 deg.F (60 deg.C).  There were a few areas around 135 deg.F; while other areas were around 145 deg.F.  While I recall that we have been reassured that these temps are well below the max rated service temps of the electronics, I'm still concerned that temps inside the unit may be significantly higher than my measured external temps.  Note that I had been running with my LPS-1.2 at 9v to power my EtherRegen.  I then reset my LPS-1.2 to 12v per Superdad's recommendation above as well as stood it on its side.  The two changes did bring the LPS-1.2 temps down somewhat (around 5 deg.F).  However, I wanted more safety headroom than that so I ordered and mounted two of these heatsinks to the top and bottom of the unit:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LD4L5T4.  I used this thermal paste:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072MSXHJD

 

Temps of the LPS-1.2 are now in the 90 deg.F (32 deg.C) range on average with localized maximums of 100 deg.F.  I do not lay the unit on its face or side with heatsinks.  It just sits on the bottom heatsink in its normal orientation. 

 

While my solution is not pretty, it is very effective and I now have peace of mind that my electronics won't prematurely heat age.

 

My system:  Spotify>Uptone Audio EtherRegen powered by Uptone Audio LPS 1.2 at 12v>RPi4b/Pi2AES running Volumio>I2S over ethernet UTP>Metrum Onyx NOS DAC>balanced AES/EBU>PS Audio SGC Preamp>balanced AES/EBU>Parasound A23>NHT Classic Towers with dual sealed NHT subwoofers using miniDSP digital xover

[jamesg11]

My ER is powered by js-2 at 12V & is never more than v warm, which I guess might be hot for someone else - no measurements though!

[agladstone]

I’ve been using a 12V 3A Vinnie Rossi PURE DC4EVER Power Supply with my EtherRegen and I can confirm neither have gotten too hot, so I would say it seems like perhaps all the heat issues I read about prior to getting my EtherRegen may be a result of using too low of V and Amps to power it?? 

[MasterWarzombie]

3 hours ago, agladstone said:

I’ve been using a 12V 3A Vinnie Rossi PURE DC4EVER Power Supply with my EtherRegen and I can confirm neither have gotten too hot, so I would say it seems like perhaps all the heat issues I read about prior to getting my EtherRegen may be a result of using too low of V and Amps to power it?? 

I observed that too. However, not easy to measure.
With 12 V, it consumes less.

For my part, my main current question is for the SQ?
Is it better in 12 v or 9 v? It looks like it's the same.
I'm going to buy myself a farad but I'm still hesitating between 12v (I can try on the ER and on my Afterdark clock) and 9v (I can try on the ER and on my Sotm products). Big dilemma

I saw that people on the forum have a 9v or 12v farad, everyone seems very happy.

[FrankMA]

I use a 7V Farad Super 3 with the ER with no issues. This was Mattijs's recommendation for the ER at the time

[ambre]

2 minutes ago, FrankMA said:

I use a 7V Farad Super 3 with the ER with no issues. This was Mattijs's recommendation for the ER at the time

Nowadays 9V see overview at Farad Site

[octaviars]

5 hours ago, agladstone said:

so I would say it seems like perhaps all the heat issues I read about prior to getting my EtherRegen may be a result of using too low of V and Amps to power it?? 

 

The eR draws what it draws at different voltages even if you have a 12V 10A supply the eR will still only draw 0,8A at 12V. As you see the wattage that it consumes is the same at 12V and 7V a tad lower at 9V (this is the amps that Uptone have on their webpage).

 

12x0,8=9,6W

9x1.0=9W

7x1,4=9,8

 

I think @Superdad have stated many times that it does not make any differences in heat if you use 7, 9 or 12V it will produce the same heat.

 

I have run my eR with different voltages and it is still the same temperature on the heatsink when I check it with a IR thermometer. How hot the room or cabinet is and placement will make a much bigger impact on how hot the eR will get compared to the supply voltage.

[Johnnydev]

1 hour ago, octaviars said:

 

The eR draws what it draws at different voltages even if you have a 12V 10A supply the eR will still only draw 0,8A at 12V. As you see the wattage that it consumes is the same at 12V and 7V a tad lower at 9V (this is the amps that Uptone have on their webpage).

 

12x0,8=9,6W

9x1.0=9W

7x1,4=9,8

 

I think @Superdad have stated many times that it does not make any differences in heat if you use 7, 9 or 12V it will produce the same heat.

 

I have run my eR with different voltages and it is still the same temperature on the heatsink when I check it with a IR thermometer. How hot the room or cabinet is and placement will make a much bigger impact on how hot the eR will get compared to the supply voltage.

+1

[Johnnydev]

 

I have 3 farads super3, two of 12 V and the other one of 15V.
 

One of 12V is connected to the EtherRegen with very good results.

 

I also have an afterdark clock with 12V afterdark power supply on order. When they have arrived, I will later also try the afterdark clock with the second 12V farad super3