http://uptoneaudio.com/products/usb-regen
I know this is a bit like chucking a grenade in here, but so be it.
I know this is a bit like chucking a grenade in here, but so be it.
Anyone heard/use one of these?
- Thread starter Infiniteloop
- Start date
Covenanter
Well-known member
Infiniteloop said:
not really. Line noise from a usb powered by the computer is documented. I'd be sceptical of the claims they make about making things sound "better" quite frankly (and personally the second anybody says bits aren't bits needs shooting) as there's nothing to back them up, but doesn't mean it won't help in reducing noise on the line and other associated issues. Kind of line devices to remove mains hum if you will.
imho, the fact they don't include any measurements to show the reduction in the things they are talking about, and they only rely on testimonies and talking about "taking things to the next level" etc lead me to believe that it probably works just as well as other powered usb hubs and is overpriced. Again, I've not heard one, but I can't get over the over-use of unfounded marketing claims.
Similar testing of similar devices here http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2015/05/measurements-usb-hubs-and-8khz-phy.html which also references the regen.
Again, just to point out for those that are hard of understanding, I'm not disputing all the claims, just they appear to be overclaiming and overhyping what is basically a single port usb hub.
cheeseboy said:
Except that it re-clocks the data and generates a new data stream right at the closest point to the DAC's inputs.
Infiniteloop said:
thanks fore re-quoting the crappy sales spiel to me
It's very similar to the schiit wyrd - http://schiit.com/products/wyrd except that is cheaper and doesn't make any claims it can't back up, in fact, they kind of poke a stick at those that do.
You shouldn't need to re-clock the data unless you are having problems. These kind of devices are good for if you are having usb issues. Also, depending on what Dac you use, it may already have a much better clock device in it than this.
again, just to point out, I'm not saying this device is useless, I'm just super skeptical of the claims given the over bearing massive amount of subjective sales bollocks on the site, and lack of actual measurements, which for this device, should be easy to prove.
At best it is seems to be an over-engineered hub and I bet at $175 someone will very likely buy it just to sleep better at night.
What really worries me though is that brick that powers it. I'd never add such cheap PSU in the line signal of my system.
What really worries me though is that brick that powers it. I'd never add such cheap PSU in the line signal of my system.
Bl**dy hell why don't I think of opportunities like this. They've sold 'over a thousand' so at $175 a pop for something that looks to be about $10 to make at best, I could have made a bomb.
Ordered for October. No brained when its "immediately recognize the often dramatic effect that the REGEN can have on the the connection you feel with the music." I wanna feel connected man!
Interesting that practically everyone responding to this thread does so in the negative without having heard the device in use.
Infiniteloop said:
Thats what ive noticed. Now i dont want to bring up cables but as an example the most negative cable posters have good cables themselves
Infiniteloop said:
I don't see the problem. I've not nocked the device, just the over-use of subjective sales bollocks when they could also include measurements that prove what they are claiming very easily. IMHO there's waaaaay to much unsubstatiated claims to make me even remotely interested in trying the device.
Some things are so obviously lobbox you don't need to try them. If I told you your HiFi will sound better if you wear your boxer shorts inside out would you try it. Like a lot of HiFi gizmos, gadgets like this rely on you having just enough knowledge about the subject that their sales spiel sounds credible, but not so much knowledge that you recognise it as the load of old hogwash that it is.Infiniteloop said:
Covenanter
Well-known member
Covenanter
Well-known member
Andrewjvt said:
When I got my hifi I just bought the cables recommended by the salesman. The money wasn't material to me and I didn't want the hassle of looking around for other stuff, so shrug! Actually I think it is worthwhile buying good interconnects as the purer you keep the source signal the better so I don't regret paying for those. I don't think they do magical stuff though like improving the soundstage, that's just impossible. The speaker cables I do regret spending money on and they will go soon as they are clunky and awkward. I bought a Tacima too as the salesman thought they had an effect and I needed a set of sockets anyway. That's in a drawer as it had no effect and it was big and ugly.
Chris
Infiniteloop said:
The clock on a high quality DAC should be right on the circuit board, next to the DAC chip. Anywhere else is a compromise. Equally, no high quality DAC should ever get its power from a USB cable.
The right solution is to use a mains powered async DAC that has its own internal clock. If yours doesn't, then the best thing to do would be to save the $175 cost of this device and put it toward a better DAC.
I have waited a while to see what the responses to this post would be and I am not disappointed to find that they are almost entirely predictable.
I have had one of these devices in my Devialet 200 system for a few days now and am ready to report my initial findings. The Regen is very small and fits neatly out of sight under the Devialet's back cover. Of course, I fully expect to be accused of 'Expectation bias' and all manner of other FUD, but frankly I don't care.
The fact is, that to my ears, there is a positive difference to the sound coming through my system with the Regen in place. I have listened to the same music at the same volume (albeit not blindly) and in general I prefer the sound with it in place. The Bass in particular has more weight, is more tuneful and has more texture. At first I didn't think the music was better resolved, but then I found that I was hearing song lyrics more clearly and studio effects were more apparent. For example, in Leonard Cohen's 'Almost like the Blues' the featured background singers were more apparent and more easily discernable. There is also a 'moog-like' swell throughout the track that became more focused and warmer. The track also features a maraccas-like percussion which was much better resolved and more realistic.
Without the Regen, the music was a little grey and smeared by comparison, and the maraccas sound was less resolved and sounded like there was 'slush' inside the instrument instead of grains of something. The background singers receded somewhat and the 'moog' was less apparent.
In fact, transient sounds are better resolved altogether. The Hok-Man Yim Album discussed recently in these forums is spectacular with the Regen in place. You can feel the bass in your chest and the higher, more percussive sounds are quite startling.
The Regen cost me roughly £120. - Around the cost of a nice dinner for two. For that price I am more than happy with the improvement in sound.
I will be trying the Regen in my Valve-based system soon to see what the improvements are with the Chord Qute DAC and will report back in due course.
Whether anyone reading this believes me is entirely up to them, but for those who don't summarilty dismiss devices such as this without hearing them, and who want to explore maxing out what their expensive kit is capable of delivering, it might be worth checking this device out for themselves.
I have had one of these devices in my Devialet 200 system for a few days now and am ready to report my initial findings. The Regen is very small and fits neatly out of sight under the Devialet's back cover. Of course, I fully expect to be accused of 'Expectation bias' and all manner of other FUD, but frankly I don't care.
The fact is, that to my ears, there is a positive difference to the sound coming through my system with the Regen in place. I have listened to the same music at the same volume (albeit not blindly) and in general I prefer the sound with it in place. The Bass in particular has more weight, is more tuneful and has more texture. At first I didn't think the music was better resolved, but then I found that I was hearing song lyrics more clearly and studio effects were more apparent. For example, in Leonard Cohen's 'Almost like the Blues' the featured background singers were more apparent and more easily discernable. There is also a 'moog-like' swell throughout the track that became more focused and warmer. The track also features a maraccas-like percussion which was much better resolved and more realistic.
Without the Regen, the music was a little grey and smeared by comparison, and the maraccas sound was less resolved and sounded like there was 'slush' inside the instrument instead of grains of something. The background singers receded somewhat and the 'moog' was less apparent.
In fact, transient sounds are better resolved altogether. The Hok-Man Yim Album discussed recently in these forums is spectacular with the Regen in place. You can feel the bass in your chest and the higher, more percussive sounds are quite startling.
The Regen cost me roughly £120. - Around the cost of a nice dinner for two. For that price I am more than happy with the improvement in sound.
I will be trying the Regen in my Valve-based system soon to see what the improvements are with the Chord Qute DAC and will report back in due course.
Whether anyone reading this believes me is entirely up to them, but for those who don't summarilty dismiss devices such as this without hearing them, and who want to explore maxing out what their expensive kit is capable of delivering, it might be worth checking this device out for themselves.
andyjm said:
In my case, the Devialet 200 has its own internal very high quality DAC. The Regen plugs directly into the USB socket on the Devialet and feeds it with a regenerated data feed from the source. The theory is that the DAC on board the Devialet gets the purest data stream possible.
Infiniteloop said:
I have absolutely no idea what "gets the purest data stream possible" means.
The Devialet 200 is mains powered, and supports asysnc USB. If you are not using the Devialet in its async mode, you should be.
So lets assume you have got it set up right, then then Devialet is completely immune from the USB clock - it uses its own. The Devialet is mains powered, so is completely immune from the USB power supply.
The Devialet is therefore completely unaffected by anything that little USB box can do, short of it corrupting the data. At the risk of being inflamatory, my best guess is that expectation bias is the most likely reason for your perceived 'improvements'.
Covenanter said:
Was not aiming at anyone just stating that rightly or wrongly on here lots negative about these types of products only for lots of people also using them. Maybe the cable was a bad example but could not think of anything else.
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