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REGEN by UPTONE AUDIO

Some of you may not have heard about the Regen. IMHO/E this device punches way above its price. You will not be sorry checking this out and almost everyone, regardless of what DAC, should benefit.I have NO affiliation with Uptone Audio. Just an Audiophile passing on info.

HERE ARE MY INITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE REGEN.

First a little background. I turn off all unnecessary items in my Mac Mini. I have a MMK installed and use a JS-2 to power the Mac Mini and my e20 MK III .082 Clock exaSound DAC. I also used my Hynes Power Supply to power the Regen. I use HQ Player and all music files regardless of rate, PCM-DSD, are up-sampled to DSD 256 (quad DSD). My comments are with the TotalDAC USB Cable unless noted.

The Regen is VERY INTERESTING. Think of it as a HEPA Air Filter for Audio. All impurities are removed to 99.97% pure.

At times it is very obvious and at other times it is very subtle. You can hear an improvement right after its been turned on but you can hear it steadily improve the more time it has to run in. Obviously up to a point. So do not take how it sounds right out of the box as how it will ultimately sound.

Better imaging and sound-stage. Attack, transients and instrument tone are improved to the point that it is almost (spooky at times) lifelike with the best recordings. Subtleties can become more noticeable and tonally correct. Drumsticks striking each other actually sound like wood, real wood, like it was live in the room as an example. A clarinet has the air its supposed to have. You just do not know what some instruments should sound like on some recordings until the Regen is in place. Before the Regen you know something is not quiet right subconsciously when hearing the recording...but once the Regen makes it right...my head is a bobbing and my feet are a tapping...I feel the music, and that is what its all about. How the sound moves you, inside. But it first has to sound right.

So it helps all recordings but the better the recordings are the more you get out of it. It is not going to take a mediocre recording and make it stellar but it will allow you to better hear what is really on it. Though the best recordings are stellar.

Now that is with using my TotalDAC USB with it. And I suspect that there may be a better fit to use with the Regen. Then again...

When I tried a VERY generic throw away USB cable (really poor) with and without the Regen it was better with but not as good as using the TotalDAC USB cable just by its self. However can a decent quality USB cable with the Regen give the TotalDAC USB by its self a run for its money, Maybe, I can not say as of yet. If I find one or can borrow one I will let you know.

I was really looking foreword to see how the Regen would sound with the Corning USB vs the Regen with the TotalDAC USB.

But no real luck with my Corning USB Optical Cable. If it works at all (mostly 99% not) it is very short, a few seconds to 10 seconds at best. I will check into getting a replacement this week.

Again this is with only with a short amount of time listening so I will follow up after more time is spent.

However I can say at this point that the Regen is a freaking steal at its price vs performance ratio. But do not tell Alex and John that least they raise the price.

Audiophiles spend thousands of dollars on one piece of equipment to get the kind of improvements that the Regen gives.

As aways YMMV and this is MHO.

2013 Mac Mini i7 2.3GHz Quad-core-16GB RAM-128GB SSD-Boot Camped with W8 and Mountain Lion-J River MC-Pure Music-Audirvana Plus-Seagate HD>Thunderbolt>Mac Mini>USB 3>exaSound e20 MK III .082 clock>Merrill Audio Veritas Ncore NC1200 Mono Amps>B&W 802D>Cabling=High Fidelity CT1E interconnect with Cardas Clear balanced adapters - High Fidelity CT1E with custom CT1E Jumpers for bi-wire-Triode Wire Labs 10 Plus PC for Amps and Mac Mini>The Mac,HD,e20 are all on Synergistic Research Tranquility Base all supported by Stillpoints Ultra Mini-The B&W and Veritas are supported by Stillpoints Ultra SS.

Post #481
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-music-servers/uptone-audio-regen-22803/index20.html

Post #389
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-music-servers/uptone-audio-regen-22803/index16.html#post417237

http://uptoneaudio.com/pages/j-swenson-tech-corner
128x128hifial
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,531 posts
 
I am currently using a iFi power supply which separates the data from the power and a dual headed usb.

I'm also using a iFi usb purifier that is installed right before my Direct Stream Dac.

So, when I get my Regen, I'm going to plug the iFi purifier into the Regen that plugs into the Dac.

I'm not sure if this will be too many of the same type of things and will produce little if no improvement. But, I'm going to try it anyway.

Does anyone have any experience with using both the iFi products with the Regen?
hifial's avatar
hifial OP
332 posts
 
First Impressions of Regen Amber

Alex and John, You SOBs! (LOL) How you du dat!!

As some have said there is more clarity, realism and definition of bass. But it is So MUCH MORE.

Clarity; For sure, but not with any sterility, harshness. There is transparency that must be heard to believe, because for $175.00 the level of transparency is, ridiculous, unheard of.

Realism; For sure again, but the Regen Green had it in spades so how could the Regen Amber be more realistic? I don't know, why are you asking me!! Go ask Alex or John! All I know is the Amber has more realism, so there, just except it and be happy, move on.

Definition of bass; Well hell ya!! The Regen Amber is all over this. Though not just the low bass but the mids down. But I believe there is more definition over the whole spectrum, from top to bottom. It is just that the "bass" area is more improved.

You can hear a difference as soon as you put the Regen Amber in but the opening up of the sound-stage and more is still yet to come. In my system it took about an hour for the sound-stage to open up and all the above to present itself.

If the Regen Amber is anything like the Regen Green than there should be some small gains to come with more hours on it, to a point.

But there is more. There is more body to the sound of each instrument. Instruments like drums, bass etc are very noticeable. But even instruments like the Clarinet, Xylophone, Tambourine, Piano etc have more body, yes, but are also more "fleshed out".

With the Regen Amber the instruments are more palpable. There is a presence.

So, in closing, Alex I have just this to say to you. Hi Ho, Hi Ho its off to work you go building Regen Ambers 24/7 till your finger tips bleed, and then some. LOL

And to John, keep giving, PLEASE.
morningstaraudio's avatar
morningstaraudio
154 posts
 
Fantastic piece of audio gear! Should be nominated for Audio Component of The Year.
You will love what it does to the entire spectrum of your music.
jrodude
8 posts
 
So can you pair an Uptone Audio USB Regen between cable and DAC with an AQ Jitterbug between cable and laptop?
hifial's avatar
hifial OP
332 posts
 
Jrodude, you could but until you try it hard to say if it would help or not.
You might be better off putting the AQ Jitterbug in an unused USB port next to the USB port that the USB cable running to the Regen comes from.

Right now, as far as I know, the combined use of the Jitterbug and Regen is still an unknown.
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