The EtherREGEN thread for various network, cable, power experiences and experiments

[ambre]

Hi All,

 

What to share my experiences with an upgrade to a Supercapacitor linear Power supply with the Uptone EtherRegen.  Namely the Super3 Power Supply made and sold by Farad in The Netherlands.

 

Immediately an increase of all aspects concerning P R a T & B. In other words Pace, Rythm and Timing and the Black background. Ps.was using the standard delivered Meanwell supply.

 

I can wholeheartedly recommend it, although not cheap, but a huge improvement in sound quality.

 

Ps. Although I am Dutch, I have no involvement whatsoever with this company except as a very satisfied customer.

 

Very best regards, Andreas

 

[ambre]

11 hours ago, nonesup said:

That cable is the Level2 Copper?

Yes copper 2 was advised but they also have a Silver version too.

[ambre]

7 hours ago, FIndingit said:

Interesting that you hear better prat. I don’t have the Farad but all better power supplies I’ve tried mostly result in better imaging. 

Yes a good but costly investment but indeed improved the sound on my Auralic Vega G1 very much.

 

There is another tweak I am aiming for the Master Clock on the EtherRegen. 
Please see the specific thread. But a this very moment still confusing what the best approach should be square or pulse wave etc ....

 

And finally €$ versus level of improvement. Should I invest in a Master Clock between € 1200 up to €3500. Or go for the Vega G2.1 that cost also approx. €2500 more than the G1. .....?

 Regards,Andreas

[ambre]

4 hours ago, Johnnydev said:

To me, the farad sounds the best of all I've had here. I have them with the furutech inlet and synergistic orange fuse and then it sounds best here with the level2 copper. But also with an audioquest monsoon powercable.
Of all the powersupply’s  I've had in the house, the order of which was best on the EtherRegen, was as follows:

 

 ifi ipower> sbooster botw mk1> Sbooster botw MK2* > uptone SMPS* > Paul Hynes SR4T*> Farad super3.*

The Farad beats them all.

Fully agree

[ambre]

1 hour ago, Rsbrsvp said:

 

Just read a report of a direct comparison of blue jeans to meicord and the blue jeans won.

Please share. 
Thanks in advance

[ambre]

Hi all,

 

I recently use Cisco SFP & RJ45 adapter on A-Side in the SFP cage of the EtherRegen. This gave me another uplift in SQ ( more detail, clarity and stereo-depth).

 

Do you have same experiences?

 

Ps. EtherRegen is powered by a Farad Super3 and also the Afterdark Giesemann Clock. 

I also use a double ethernet cable ( signal + and signal  - ) made from Meicord Opal also  an  SQ uplift.

 

Regards, Andreas

 

[ambre]

20 hours ago, mitch751 said:

Hi

I also use a double ethernet cable ( signal + and signal  - ) made from Meicord Opal  - where can I get this ??

 

Thanks

Google Meicord opal in Germany or the Akiko Audio in the Netherlands 

[ambre]

12 minutes ago, JohnSwenson said:

I don't know at this point. The ER does a very good job of attenuating the two things it was designed to work on, so it looks like there is at least one other mechanism involved that I don't know about yet.

 

Either it is something that is preventing the ER from performing its task to the fullest or there is some different mechanism at play here which the ER is not addressing. Peeling an onion thing. As we work on getting rid of some mechanisms others show up, they are probably of a considerably lower effect, so they are not obvious until higher effective mechanisms are squashed. No clue what it could be at this point.

 

John S.

Hi John,

 

If do have now three modified switches = Bonn silent angels upfront the Etherregen with sfp&rj45 and the Afterdark Giesemann Clock (medium spec).

 

And 2x Farad super3 for Etherregen and Clock for supply. The Bonn Silent angels are feeder by A Keces P8

 

Each switch that I have added gave in uplift to “my ears” in SQ. Daisychaining helps ... less pollution in each step in simple words.....Why and how to underpin  I don’t know.

 

Heard this trick from somebody who has 3 SOTM switches all clocked by a Mutec clock .,,,which sounds “ very “ well.

In my opinion Hifi sound is lot of trial and error and the scientific explanation comes (always) later.

 

A new mystery born? 😎

 

Best regards, Andreas

 

Ps. Are your Clock papers edited by Alex in the meantime ready to publish ?

 

I suppose that there will be a lot of open ends / discussion points left for further investigation resp measurements respectively new worlds to discover!!! A new journey together @ A-style.

[ambre]

10 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

Between the choice of a clock or a second EtherRegen, I would probably spent the money on a clock. 
 

Dear Andreas,

 

That’s is a really biased statement.
 

The Afterdark Giesemann Master Clock  (at least my version)  was a remarkable improvement.

 

But adding the additional switches one by one was always immediately audible.

Another  uplift was the expensive original Cisco SFP&RJ45 connector( more clearing and increased separation of instruments and voices). 

And the powering  the Bonn Silent Angel switches with each an Uptone Lps.1.2 and those powered by a dual Keces P8. The third switch in the fuse box has a single 5v Lps.

 

Summarizing: more or less equal steps in SQ. Very remarkable and never expected. 
Now in Hifi Nirvana or ..........? 

Regards, also Andreas 

[ambre]

30 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

I have my next clock purchase on hold, as there is so many possible combinations and unknown upcoming products. But I’m quite sure, most of them will offer clock input. (Where a 10 MHz clock make sense). 

What clock you are using now? Or don’t you own a Master Clock yet?? 
Did you not ordered the new Giesemann with 3 outlets reading the posts  by you and Adrian?

[ambre]

40 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

This should give you a clue 😀

 

The Chinese BG7 clock I have owned too and sold immediately after hearing the Afterdark Giesemann. 

[ambre]

46 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

Is this just that SFP connector you’re inserting into the SFP cage of the EtherRegen ? YES 

What’s in the other end. Please read more carefully SFP&  RJ45=>>> Ethernet Cable

I know I’ve asked about you setup before, but it isn’t clear to me. Have specified earlier but once again. The Pink Faun Lan Isolator skipped

Singel mode or multi mode ?Multimode

[ambre]

3 hours ago, R1200CL said:

Sorry @ambre, but it’s impossible for me to understand where the fiber connection is. Or are you just using the SFP cage in EtherRegen as RJ45 interface? YES

 

And you’re saying the SFP port is better compared to the RJ45 ports of the EtherRegen ?

Apparently. In my system YES.

 

[ambre]

23 minutes ago, Superdad said:

We don't modify them (removing the 75-Ohm BNC from the board is quite difficult and risky), we run 10% of each run with 50-Ohm BNC (and matching termination resistor).

 

More or less as the converter from Cybershaft 50 => 75 Ohm ? Than other way around?

Or am I mistaken?

[ambre]

1 hour ago, dbastin said:

@ambre  are you saying the Cisco RJ45 to SFP adapter you have plugged into Side A SFP is better than using fibre (ie. SFP module in FMC > fibre > SFP module in Side A)?

No. It’s better compared with normal wired Ethernet cable into A-side EtherRegen in

my case.
 

Apparently better galvanic de-coupling and less negative effects as part conversion prices to SFP like jitter etc..

Was surprised too ..,, Trial and Error process 😜

[ambre]

2 hours ago, Superdad said:

I am very surprised to hear you say that you prefer an SFP copper transceiver versus the EtherREGEN’s RJ45 ports!  Those transceivers are terrible for a bunch of different reasons:

a) They cram in a cheap PHY—versus using the PHY right in our main switch chip;

b) The magnetics are nowhere near as good as the 12-core per port jacks we use;

c) The SFP port of the EtherREGEN is supplied with just a single 3.3V rail (provided by one of the 12 nice and expensive LT3045 regs we use in ER), but the chips in your copper>SFP transceiver need several other voltages—and I can assure you those are being derived from cheap DC-DC switching regulators sitting right on top of everything else in there;

d) Jitter performance of those modules is poor since they are also providing their own clocking for their PHY (main EtherREGEN clocking is not fed to the SFP port).

 

So while I am sure you hear some difference, you might want to listen again to judge if that is really better or just different.

Hi Alex,  

 

Many thanks for your feedback.

 

I am surprised too. But I have done a lot of (combined) changes the last 1-1.5 weeks in terms of Lan- and  Clock cables etc.

I will take everything back step by step and build it up again. Any change you hear is not always an improvement and takes time to assess. Will listen again to judge if that is really better or just different?

 

Remains a question regarding your response.  Namely your remark " those modules is jitter poor since they are also providing their own clocking for their PHY (main EtherREGEN clocking is not fed to the SFP port) 

 

When you use the Master Clock in combination with an SFP module, the SFP module is not controlled by the OXCO clock of the EtherRegen or the Master Clock in my case the Afterdark?

 

In other words, an SFP module in combination with a Master Clock is not recommended or am I misunderstanding this?

 

Very best regards, Andreas

[ambre]

1 hour ago, charlesphoto said:

If you do use fiber (I do) I would suggest just going whole hog with a Sonore opticalModule with a decent power supply. 

Hi Charles, 

 

Did you see the remark of Alex concerning my earlier post?  Especially his remark "  also providing their own clocking for their PHY (main EtherREGEN clocking is not fed to the SFP port). 

 

Would this not also the case with all Optical Modules = SFP too including those from Sonore? 

 

And what will be than the role/ functionality of a Master Clock in combination with SFP ?

I am curious and anxious too 🤪

 

Very best regards, Andreas

[ambre]

22 hours ago, Superdad said:

So while I am sure you hear some difference, you might want to listen again to judge if that is really better or just different.

Alex, damn it you were right.

Built everything back to basics and tried again. The CISCO SFP & RJ45 sound bright leather. Just like the silver RCA cable in the past.

 

But indeed the normal RJ45 input sounds better in terms of timing, midrange, bass and much better stereo image.

Sorry for any inconvenience and confusion. And indeed any change is not always not an improvement.

 

It remains a trial and error process.

 

Very best regards,  Andreas

[ambre]

58 minutes ago, MasterWarzombie said:

 

OK folks. If I understand correctly, all internet cables with TELEGARTNER plug are to be avoided. 

No that’s nonsense. Only if the shield is tight resp. Connected  to the earth in this case metal part of an RJ45 connector is mostly not preferred on A-side of Etherregen. Please read manual Etherregen more in depth.

 

The Telegartner it’s self if very fine an audiophile connector.

[ambre]

59 minutes ago, MarkusBarkus said:

I'll try to limit the OT reply, but Buffalo Technologies is the parent company of Melco, right? There were extensive discussions and photos of the MOBOS, etc.

So, yes, a good switch, to which is added a very nice OCXO https://www.pinkfaun.com/shop/clock/67-2916-ultra-ocxo.html#/clock_speed-20_mhz 

 

Hi Markus,

 

Have a look at Afterdarks double Buffalo 16P with a Giesemann Master Clock build in one case threr outputs ( 1 x 10mhz, 2x 25mhz for the 2 Pink Faun OXCO's) and LPS on board for Clock.

[ambre]

2 hours ago, mitch751 said:

I totally agree with the above. I bought a Ref 10 and attached with ER / MC3+ also SOtM, to me even with not sensitive hearing can hear the difference. Finally I changed my upgrade plain , instead of purchase ARC Ref 6E pre amp, I go for Ref 10 SE-120 for another listening room. If I can't hear any benefit from Ref 10 to ER, why should I changed the original plain ?

 

 

Did you try a different clock cable? Because the default cable delivered with the Mutec’s is    maybe not that good !?

[ambre]

11 minutes ago, esmit said:

With what cables does the Farad3 sound less than the LPS1.2, and which better, in your opinion?

IMO avoid silver Level 2