The Uptone Audio EtherRegen audiophile switch
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
Hello, and thanks for the welcome. My system is in the sig block. It's ONE of the reasons I held off. The other is because two reputable sources said it wasn't necessarily an upgrade, but more a matter of preference than one a clear winner over the other.
As of the EtherREGEN I'm running my server, NAS (SFP), and LAN from the 'A' side, and the 'B' side into the Renderer. Swenson said this kind of setup will benefit most from ER.
Last edited:
OK, I will forward the initial impressions on ER from frds of mine here.
Please note that their ER may improve after burn-in and I have asked them to reassess after a few days
The first friend had a SOtM switch, the fully upgraded version. His digital frontend is a CH C1.1 with the new ethernet card. Musical files are stored in a NAS.
He bought an ER because he wanted to adopt a dual-switch config.
Here is what he whatsapped me :
" ... Had a brief audition and some findings
1) LPS1-1.2 unable to power Etherregen ... its led turned red immediately after plugged into Etherregen. So, I power it with HDplex
2) I tried etherregen -> sotm switch.... didn’t notice advantage vs just sotm
3) when connect sotm first and then via optical cables connect to etherregen. It is better. But I feel the sound of Etherregen is not as delicate as sotm switch. I would think two sotm should sound better ..."
Please note that their ER may improve after burn-in and I have asked them to reassess after a few days
The first friend had a SOtM switch, the fully upgraded version. His digital frontend is a CH C1.1 with the new ethernet card. Musical files are stored in a NAS.
He bought an ER because he wanted to adopt a dual-switch config.
Here is what he whatsapped me :
" ... Had a brief audition and some findings
1) LPS1-1.2 unable to power Etherregen ... its led turned red immediately after plugged into Etherregen. So, I power it with HDplex
2) I tried etherregen -> sotm switch.... didn’t notice advantage vs just sotm
3) when connect sotm first and then via optical cables connect to etherregen. It is better. But I feel the sound of Etherregen is not as delicate as sotm switch. I would think two sotm should sound better ..."
The Uptone LPS 1.2 can definitely power the EtherREGEN. Maybe your friend had it on the wrong voltage setting. It is recommended that the LPS 1.2 be set to 9V or 12V (recommrended).
He should also try just using the EtherREGEN and no other switch. I don't see why the data has to be re-clocked twice.
He should also try just using the EtherREGEN and no other switch. I don't see why the data has to be re-clocked twice.
Last edited:
Here is another friend of mine who went to pick up his ER. We group-ordered ER and all of them were mailed to another frd's place.
" ... Had only very brief listening for me. When I arrived at 10pm, LS was listening ER on its own playing a Beethoven cello sonata. The sound was quite raw and the piano seemed dominant with good presence and energy while the cello a bit lean and anemic. More like a piano solo if I exaggerate a bit.
We then changed back to Sotm alone. Now the sound is more smooth and the cello more beautiful sounding but the piano lost body and speed.
We then tried SotM + ER together. There was some hiccups during the connection with an optical cable and the sound was stuttering such that we have to change back to a conventional LAN cable. Stuttering persisted for a while then they played normally.
Now both the cello and piano has full body and sang beautifully and the background is much more quiet that the ambience was naturally reproduced.
That was only 10 minutes after they played normally and the sound seemed getting even better when I left at 10:50.
With Sotm or ER alone it seemed that we were listening to two different recordings and with both we were listening live ..."
The cello sonata he mentioned was Beethoven played by Fournier & Gulda on DG.
The combo they listened to consisted of a diy server running HQPlayer. The dac was a Denafrips Terminator.
Again, they both own a SOtM switch already and buying ER is for installing a dual-switch config.
Please note that I am merely a reporter for these two posts.
I haven't picked up my ER yet.
" ... Had only very brief listening for me. When I arrived at 10pm, LS was listening ER on its own playing a Beethoven cello sonata. The sound was quite raw and the piano seemed dominant with good presence and energy while the cello a bit lean and anemic. More like a piano solo if I exaggerate a bit.
We then changed back to Sotm alone. Now the sound is more smooth and the cello more beautiful sounding but the piano lost body and speed.
We then tried SotM + ER together. There was some hiccups during the connection with an optical cable and the sound was stuttering such that we have to change back to a conventional LAN cable. Stuttering persisted for a while then they played normally.
Now both the cello and piano has full body and sang beautifully and the background is much more quiet that the ambience was naturally reproduced.
That was only 10 minutes after they played normally and the sound seemed getting even better when I left at 10:50.
With Sotm or ER alone it seemed that we were listening to two different recordings and with both we were listening live ..."
The cello sonata he mentioned was Beethoven played by Fournier & Gulda on DG.
The combo they listened to consisted of a diy server running HQPlayer. The dac was a Denafrips Terminator.
Again, they both own a SOtM switch already and buying ER is for installing a dual-switch config.
Please note that I am merely a reporter for these two posts.
I haven't picked up my ER yet.
Last edited:
That is incorrect! While an UltraCap LPS-1.2 can definitely power an EtherREGEN, it can do so only at 9V or 12V (12V recommended as this presents lowest load). At 7V the EtherREGEN will draw about 1.35A--just able the LPS-1.2's 1.1A limit.
There is a good chance that his power supply connections--with the HDPlex are defeating the isolation of the EtherREGEN. He should power it with either the stock SMPS we include or the UltraCap LPS-1.2 set to 12V.
Yes I know.
That friend's SOtM switch is a 12V input version and he had been using the LPS1.2 to power it with no problem.
I shall ask him to check the settings and connection again.
Really too many variables going on and without a system diagram it is impossible to say if set up is optimum or it proper environment for EtherREGEN's special differential isolation is being maintained.
Best to keep things simple.
Also, everyone reports a lot of improvement over the course of 50 hours use.
Looking forward to your first-
Thanks,
--Alex C.
BTW my two friends (post #65) also mentioned that replacing the included psu of ER by an Uptone JS-2 gave sonic improvement.
Not big, but clearly audible.
So the etheregen and sotm switch is doing different things. I take it the report for chaining 3-4 of this device is incoming. Very promising.
Since we are at it, why not both ways. Thank you so much CK. Really appreciate the effort sir.I think that’s an interesting question....also in which order SoTM —-ER or the reverse. . Sometimes its quite fun, being anal.
I asked.
My frds all said that they preferred SOtM being upstream (nearer to router).
The comments on #65 :
My friends had supplied the SOtM and ER with Cybershaft Limited2 OP20.
Clock cables were Habst 5N Silver Cryo.
Last edited:
CK, I would also be very interested to know if an external clock improves EtherRegen (especially with the Mutec clock). Alex Crespi thinks not, since his XO is of very high quality and is millimeters away from the chip, but he certainly states that until tests are done, it cannot be affirmed in one way or another.
It seems people are enjoying some character change with really good external clocks--and that's great.
My point was that an external clock is not required in order to realize/enjoy/appreciate the major benefits of the EtherREGEN and its active differential isolation moat technology. And that has certainly been shown based on the many reports in the Listening Impressions thread at our forum.
Or massively over complex, depending on your point of view and the sound quality levels achieved. . With that level of complexity i would expect a room chock full of highly realistic 3 dimensional music that sounds like it originates directly from the instruments, with all the clues that musicians and their instruments are present and no anomalies what-so-ever and I would expect to be fully transported to the size, shape, type, atmosphere and ambience of the recording venue. Its not worth complicating matters to this degree unless the results are utterly stellar....moving you to tears if you’re the emotional sort and sounding quite frankly the best you’ve ever heard, ever...speakers and room included. If your system doesn’t sound like that or as a minimum very closely approaching that, you’re overcomplicating some parts of your set-up compared to other parts, very typically speaker placement and room tend to fall behind. This is not a criticism....for all I know, your friend’s system IS stellar and fully deserving the extra detail and complexity. Just saying what my expectations would be when those measures are in balance and harmony with the rest of the system.
Similar threads
