EtherREGEN: All posts about firmware moved here

[andresz]

I loved the ER and have been raving about it as the best thing ever. I got the Firmware upgrade and installed it a day ago and have to say I don't like it at all. On my rig, there is an over mellow, less real sound signature and yes, the bass is different. It doesn't own its space as per the Mark 1 Firmware. It is swallowed up a bit in the mix and has less of its own life and timing. There is a change in attack and decay (still airy) but now muddled and that sense of toe tapping and energy has dropped off. The crispiness of a steel string sounds indistinct and its all too smooth.

 

HT doesn't like it either with a noticeable drop off in video naturalness and a more uneven and bombastic dolby. Treble texture and its ability to float in the mix is really compromised.  This added greatly to the "you are there".

 

Not sure what is going on but to my ears the magic I heard isn't there. I can only think that the guys have spent months and months calibrating this great piece of equipment and then an eleventh hour change may have not had as much on the ground beta.

 

Luckily there is a roll back file.  I miss the original badly. 

 

Just a bit of a warning that my experience (rig is ultra high end) has not been good with the upgrade. I didn't have connectivity issues.

 

 

[andresz]

Sure - happy to help. I imagine the guys were working for months getting the sound just right and this tweak is more of a reaction to a tech problem that may have sounded ok in transit.  Guys need to be careful here that they don't make wholesale changes without getting a sense of what is going on across systems. I was shocked how badly V2 works on HT re vision and dolby. 

[andresz]

Agree EHSU -I am waiting on the roll back file. I prefer my top end Cisco to V2, I had a high end audio dealer come for a  listen and he thought V2 was a totally different sound - more hi fi and less musical and coherent re the timing. I think there is a real danger here for Uptone re the hundreds of units that are of a different character. I would return a V2 but would walk over hot coals for V1. I have been a musician as well as an audiophile for a long time and I have absolutely no doubt V1 is way more consistent with live presentation - in my rig. (NAGRA Tidal Audio Shunyata full isolation, dedicated lines, Metrum, Weiss). 

 

I think the point is that V1 was universally seen as brilliant - V2 for me is a backward step (my rig is already at a very engaging level and V2 has sucked it out) and it seems many here have very similar experience. Could be the rig, could be taste, could be different compensatory SQ for system issues etc.... It is important to address this as I see a big risk in returns for the guys at Uptone who are brilliant and genuinely want to hear impressions - otherwise why have a forum. (I had no connectivity issues).

 

Luckily it appears easily solved - the changes are easy to make. But v1 and v2 are entirely different character and pls be aware of this as V2 is not a better v1. It is different to my ears markedly.  One way for those with HT is to watch a live concert on youtube and you will immediately hear and see how things are really different. Both video and Audio are affected by the way.  Have already posted observations and these seem to be quite consistent with many users. 

 

If you are making a change - I am not sure whether you can copy that file and pop it back if you dont like it. I dont know whether the roll back file is simply this or a different SW.  I hope it as simple as that to get back V1.

[andresz]

I think the easiest way to sort this is to simply make a roll back file available and for those of us who hear and see the differences and prefer V1 to be able to revert to that. In fact I have an email to that effect which is the only reason I took the chance to try V2. So please someone please make this file available and everyone happy. (its possibly like DAC filters where some prefer one style to another re presentation) The purpose of this forum is not be like ASR where there is denial of change but an acceptance that there are things which make differences we cant quite pinpoint. That is why we are here and not there. There is something going on re the versions that is audible and visual. Its really interesting for further research.  

 

By the way, I own most of Alex and Johns products and strongly actively advocate my great experiences dealing with both. The fact that there is a forum like this that accepts "listener impressions" is what adds to the integrity of Uptone. We as audiophiles really care about our hobby and interacting so that we share experiences.  

 

Also, I had no problems with connectivity with V1. Ran really fast and tight. Perfect. 

 

[andresz]

It isn't technical analysis. It is very obvious in toe tapping and emotional attachment for me. And a no brainer if you stream home theater. It is really easy to see. I test a lot of gear with high end products and very familiar with responding to musical info such as treble edge of instruments, the placement of bass in 3 D space etc... this is really obvious when you are both watching and listening to a live performance. I only test live minimum miked music, vocals etc...   The rig has Tidal Audio Contriva Diacera with black diamond speakers so resolution is really transparent.   As I said, I dont deny any ones experience I am telling you mine. I spend months evaluating power cables, isolation, etc.... and this difference isnt where you have to A B over and over to try and find results. It is obvious. I also have a high end valve pre and power so the system is already very organic. More "smoothness" if that is what some describe hearing - on a resolving system comes across as veiled and a blend of musical info that loses its sense of space as individual entities interacting.

 

You either feel it or you don't. The analysis only comes after the why are we not feeling it and then what may be a cause of it.  The best way to evaluate anything is how it makes you engaged - and by the way, have a test on Video if you really want another platform of how ethernet reacts. 

 

We would all rather not waste our time on this - but this is a listener impressions forum and hopefully everyone working together to understand what is going on. But the ER is a ground breaking product and all on this forum will fight the ASR brigade to the death re their "its your imagination" claims re Ethernet not making a difference. My answer is YES, Ethernet makes a hell of a difference but so does the firmware. 

 

I am hoping that this feedback is in the spirit of exploration and "wow, what does this mean" rather than an attack on product integrity or the science. I am thinking that we are all above that paradigm. ER is an outstanding piece of engineering and a game changer on Ethernet - I think we are now discussing another level of nuance.  It is very interesting.

 

 

[andresz]

Agree Puma - I don't care about code or measurements. No time for ASR as that is the extreme end of denialism.  I do know whether I am engaged or not and whether I enjoy music more or less. That's the only test and it is really easy to determine.  It is very interesting in computer audio for example how there is a lot of code tinkering aka Jplay etc.... Windows registry tinkering etc... that has a strong impact on sound. I found out a lot about ethernet cables trying many. Copper, silver, filtered, grounded etc.... they all have a different signature which then translates to the experience. I am using Shunyata Sigma and if any doubt re Ethernet cable differences, get one (or a few) of these. The effect on video and audio was an ER moment. (I wont say that in ASR as they will carry on in their ignorance).  We are always learning.....open minds. 

 

I think we can agree that there is a difference in SQ re V1 and V2. If we agree here then the topic is about - well what do we mean by it being different. Do some audiophiles prefer one Sq to the other? If so, which one. And why. It is an area of interest - not from a tech point of view as I couldn't care less but the impact it has on enjoying the music. We are unable to measure most of these things now other than ear-brain. One day, as Alex said we may find answers that can be white papered. 

 

Hans is absolutely right.