Uptone Audio Regen

Remind me James. How much was it in the end?

Look forward to your findings.

Steve

Hi Steve - £130 inc shipping. Nicely made little product but the final proof is in the listening. 

James

Hi James, the reports that I've read are highly promising so I will I be keen to hear what you think. I see that you're using the short USB cable - most seem to think that it sounds better using the supplied adaptor as it's important to get the Regen as close the DAC as possible. Worth trying anyway. Regards, Philip

James - do you have the version they call the 'Regen Amber' i.e. the one with an amber LED?

So this product takes the potentially damaged digital signal delivered by a USB cable, somehow recreates everything that was lost, and then outputs the result via another USB cable. That's pure genius.  What colour was the LED again?

You cynic .  But you are right though - it does seem a bit daft putting a cable between the Regen and the DAC Which, I guess, is why they supply an adaptor too.

I compared  a Chord Sarum TA USB cable to a Canon printer USB cable last week fully expecting that they would sound the same or at least close (as I've never bothered to compare USB cables before) but the sound using the Chord was superb whilst the Canon cable made it flat and lifeless.  I have no idea why.  I was rather hoping that Regen plus a lesser cable might be as good as the Chord but a lot cheaper.

Hi Phil - it's the later 'amber' version. I'm using the small lead at the moment just to get it going. Plugged in via the adapter it fouls the toslink cable coming from my TiVo box (can be sorted) but more importantly it needs to fit under the Devs rear cover - i'll give it a go when i get a chance.

Interesting so far ...

James

Someone on the Devialet forum has posted that it does fit under the rear cover of a 200 when using the adaptor but it's close...

:-D  Well I have similar experiences with USB cables, and I can just about understand why one may be better than another.  When you break down the principles though, it's all about delivering the purest electrical signal possible; you cannot 'regenerate' what has been lost.  Therefore, it seems a bit barmy to introduce a bunch of components in the signal path between the digital source and the DAC.

I suspect the device uses a chip similar to below

http://www.analog.com/en/produ...tml#product-overview

It isolates and tidies up the waveforms, thereby reducing electrical noise.

Simon

I've never used USB for HiFi before but recently tried an Aurender streamer with the Chord cable I mentioned above and was extremely impressed. 

It's worth reading the product info on the Uptone site and people are raving about it on CA.  From what I've read it regenerates the signal using a high accuracy clock thus reducing jitter, presents the correct impedance to the DAC and also supplies a 'clean' 5V 

I'm not sure what has been lost - care to clarify ?

Nope - bit more to it than that Simon. I think there is an Audioquest device which does something similar to the device shown in the data sheet linked to in your post. 

James, oh go on then.. Can you take the lid off and post a picture of its circuit board.. That should reveal most even if the chip indents have been removed 

Simon

Just for you Simon 

Cheers Phil - that's good to know 

James, thanks. It appears there are possibly two regulator chips, perhaps one for the USB drivers and the other for the clock?

i guess the middle chip is some sort of USB hub type chip perhaps with inbuilt isolation as I can't see any other isolation unless on the underside of the pcb. I guess the hub chip is clocked by the crystal shown..but as predicted the indents are scrubbed..

all good fun 

Simon

Hi Simon – yes that would make a lot of sense given its role.

The Regen seems to do two things –

Isolate the 5v supply from the computer and provide its own ‘clean’ 5v supply to the USB input on the DAC (as does the ifi device)

Regenerate the USB signal (effectively acting as a mini USB hub, albeit single port) and in doing so provide a well engineered, impedance matched path between it and the USB input on the DAC. This should give the USB receiver an easier time (sorry for the poor description but I’m rushing off somewhere – must read up on USB physical interface).

I know from playing about initially with USB cables that my Devialet is sensitive to what is attached to its USB input, so any way of minimising that would be beneficial. I didn’t get a lot of time to listen properly last night but initial impressions are positive.

I’ll update when I’ve had a better chance to sit down and enjoy a few albums and gather my thoughts.

James

Excellent James - looking forward to your evaluation as mine should hopefully be shipping in July.

For those interested, it is very well described on the Uptone Audio website, with lots of reviews on Computer Audiophile.

Simon is correct, it does incorporate a hub chip, as described in the website blurb and evidenced by those using the Regen with SB Touch/EDO. Where the DAC apparently becomes listed as connected via a hub when the EDO app is re-installed. 

Very interested to hear how you get on with this.

I've not had a lot of time to play about with this due to a rather hectic work schedule and will write up my thoughts more comprehensively when i've got a bit more time. It's still plugged in with the small extender cable rather than the adapter and i've not tried any different cables in front of the device (my usual Chord Silver Plus USB cable is still in service).

Initial thoughts - This is an interesting device if you've got a USB source. Bass quality is immediately noticeable. At first i thought there was less of it, but it's just tighter and more detailed. At the treble end some harshness on 'hot' recordings has gone but the detail is still there (Mindy Smith 'Tin Can' is a good example). No downsides noted at the moment apart from needing another mains socket for the PSU. 

James

Thanks for the brief update James. I wonder how much, if any, difference direct connection via the adapter will make? In anticipation I picked up one of these to connect to my Hugo.

Please keep us posted

Sam

James - How are you getting on with yours?

Mine arrived last week, and I have to add to the general chorus of contentment.  I have had it running for about 5 days and have tried not to be too analytical in my listening, just playing familiar albums etc. I also haven't yet tried the 'take it out of the system and see if you miss it' test - though this may be unnecessary at this point.

I suppose I can best describe what I hear as an overall increase in clarity and maybe an associated reduction in the noise floor. Particularly noticeable to me is a better unravelling of double tracked vocals and harmonies and better bass definition - to the point of actually hearing more and better defined notes being played. My system as it stands has been really strong in differentiating drum tones if the recording allows, but it appears that this is now more evident, and present on a wider range of recordings, as is the delineation of bass notes.

More listening/testing to come but as it stands I am very, very pleased, and more than a wee bit impressed by the cost to benefit ratio of this little device.

I am using the recommended Supra USB cable between my SB Touch and the Regen, and a direct connection from the Regen to the DAC, having picked up the requisite USB adapter for the Hugo.

Forgot to mention the one thing that had initially struck me which was an increase in room/recording acoustic ambience. More noticeable echo, reverb etc, when it is there. I suppose this all falls within the more detail/clarity camp. 

Hi Sam - all going good. I still haven't had a chance to really sit down and play with the options yet due to a heavy workload but i'd agree with your observations above. There is certainly more detail, not as a result of an increase in treble energy but just more clarity - I will sit down and have a proper play soon but it's certainly a keeper. Glad it's working well for you.

James