Tweak for DAC users

[Mr Peabody]

My friend bought a device from Uptone Audio called Regen, it sounds like it re-clocks or something. I haven't heard it in his system yet but rumor has it Frenchmon has. It's like $175.00. The friend who has it has the Lampi L7 so if it helps a DAC of that level it may be worth giving it a listen, I believe he said there is a generous audition period.

[frenchmon]

Yes I've heard it. Seems to give a darker background from what I heard. The REGENerator is all the buzz right now over at Computer Audiophile. That and the HD Plex PSU.

[harley .guy07]

Very interesting. I have seen several companies that have come out with these products of late. Audioquest and a few others have their own versions, not sure of the spec details of each though. It would be interesting if these products at their price points would all but eliminate the need for very expensive USB cables.

[frenchmon]

From what I've seen,as I helped my friend move it around, this thing plugs into the usb port, and your USB cable would come out the back side. What it does is cut off the digital stream coming from the digital source and regenerates it and gives you a better stream of digital.

[Feanor]

My friend bought a device from Uptone Audio called Regen, it sounds like it re-clocks or something. I haven't heard it in his system yet but rumor has it Frenchmon has. It's like $175.00. The friend who has it has the Lampi L7 so if it helps a DAC of that level it may be worth giving it a listen, I believe he said there is a generous audition period.

The Uptone Regen sounds a lot like the Schiit Audio WYRD, (see HERE (http://schiit.com/products/wyrd)), that I recently acquired and mentioned in an earlier thread. The Wyrd definitely seems to work for me to reduce a USB signal drop problem that I was having. Possibly it helped the sound a tiny bit but I'm not sure; (it certainly did no harm).

All (?) USB hubs "regenerate" the signal as I understand; the difference with the Regen and Wyrd is that they do with a lower noise power supply.

Interestingly Uptone insists that the Regen improves the sound; Schiit, OTOH, is coy: they say that they (Schitt) don't insist that the Wyrd improves the sound but that some users have said it does.

[frenchmon]

Thanks for that heads up, Feanor! I never even knew that little device was around! And they both seem to do the same thing. Thanks again!

[blackraven]

A friend of mine just got the Regen and he states it made a noticeable improvement in sound. He is going to bring it over so I can try it out some time in the next 2-3 weeks.
He felt that there is a blacker background, bass is cleaner and the sound is smoother.

[frenchmon]

Great! What computer does he have?

[blackraven]

Great! What computer does he have?

It is my friend that is using the Vensmile computer and a $600 usb cable and Hugo Chord DAC and Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 DSDse with the Femto Clock upgrade. He is using an AVA 400R amp and the newer FET Valve Preamp with Magnepan 1.7's and a Rhythmic sub.

[Mr Peabody]

I was over to my friend's house with the Regen. I didn't get to hear the system with & without the Regen. However, I did find another digital tweak that is incredible. He put a battery power supply on the Regen and USB board. The same supply ran both. I knew immediately there was a difference but I didn't know right off which I preferred until we played a female vocalist with only piano. With the battery it was like an entire different performance, her voice had more soul and human emotion to it, the piano notes were some smoother but you got more of the wood body sound. On Lorina McKinnett the hand drums and other percussion and fine detail were brought out more and you got more of a coherent sense of melody. It was quite an interesting experience. He says it's also possible to battery power your hard drive but he hasn't tried it yet. The battery pack he did have was only like $100.00, I'd say that would be the best $100.00 spent on your audio system you could do.

[Feanor]

I was over to my friend's house with the Regen. I didn't get to hear the system with & without the Regen. However, I did find another digital tweak that is incredible. He put a battery power supply on the Regen and USB board. The same supply ran both. I knew immediately there was a difference but I didn't know right off which I preferred until we played a female vocalist with only piano. With the battery it was like an entire different performance, her voice had more soul and human emotion to it, the piano notes were some smoother but you got more of the wood body sound. On Lorina McKinnett the hand drums and other percussion and fine detail were brought out more and you got more of a coherent sense of melody. It was quite an interesting experience. He says it's also possible to battery power your hard drive but he hasn't tried it yet. The battery pack he did have was only like $100.00, I'd say that would be the best $100.00 spent on your audio system you could do.

Sounds good. Of what provenance the battery PS?

[blackraven]

A friend of mine has loaned me his Regen while he is out of town for 3 weeks. I had a holy $hit moment when I first played it. The improvement in sound was readily apparent. The background was blacker, the sound was slightly warmer and darker. There was more definition and clarity. I am placing an order for one today.