Tír Na HiFi

Reckon its time to start a thread here for the new Amber USB Regen from Uptone Audio.
http://uptoneaudio.com/products/usb-regen
It really does what it says despite my initial scepticism on what it would do with a highly optimised audio PC chain.
I had some difficulty getting it seen on my audio PC initially and a tip for anyone connecting for the first time with USB cables over 1 metre:
Connect to your PC with the short USB cable provided first!!!

The reason for this tip is as follows, I reset my main Audio PC back to GUI mode based on advice over on CA for Server 2012 R2 and when I connected using my 1.2 metres PPA Red USB cable I got the following:
Unknown USB Device (device descriptor request failed) with the usual window error symbol on the USB device list.

I then booted up my Win 8.1 laptop and tried it using an Ultraviolet 1.5 metre USB cable and the same problem occurred!!

I tried all kinds of reboots and uninstalls and attempts at generic driver installs but no luck until I tried the short USB cable that came with the Regen and straight away I could see in Device Manager it picked up the device fine.
Then I tried the long Ultraviolet cable again and all OK.

Back to my main Audio PC with Server 2012 R2 and same procedure got the device recognised straight away.

Have to say after installing JPlay 6.1 on the audio pc while setting up core mode again and having the Regen on the short USB adaptor into the Big7 and the PPA Red USB cable feeding the Regen it makes a surprising difference to the sound in all the right ways.
I am still feeding it with the supplied SMPS and still the difference is apparent from the first track.

Hope to make up a 12v supply to it in the coming days from the Paul Hynes supply but as it stands it is one of the best bang for buck improvements you can make to your audio chain for PC based playback, has to be in the top 2 cost effective improvements you can make for great sound.

Cheers, Pearse.

I have one coming from the next batch...mid to late August. I wait with eager anticipation!

Thanks for the report.

You will not be sorry Clive, one of the best investments I have made in many years and a necessary addition to any Audio PC chain.

I put the Paul Hynes 12v supply on it last night tee-d off the 12v supply to the Mobo 12v and it is working great.
Not sure if it has added nothing, a little or a lot as I had not taken enough time to get used to the dramatic change over the first 24 hours with the supplied smps.
It really is amazing how much more you hear after adding this unit to the system, the best way I can explain it is that it is like going from a day 1 smps powered basic PC to a fully tricked out linear powered PC the change is that substantial.

I have added a lot of relatively expensive mods and hardware to my audio PC over the past 4 years and a lot of the changes are difficult to hear for me most of the time but this one just jumps out from the first track.

Just when I thought I was nearing an end to substantial improvements in my system this little unit has really shocked me and I am so looking forward to listening to a lot of music over the weekend.
Cheers, Pearse.

Hi Pearse,

I have also ordered one some time ago, with delivery estimated for early July.

Is yours Green or Amber already?

My friend in Poland did not like it - I guess one of 3-5 voices in the sea of praise across the globe. He thought it brought edginess to the sound and that it lost a bit of musicality in favor of details but the details presented the wrong way (he has Lampi Big 7 like you and Avantgardes Duo omega plus Aurender w20). He said in contrary to many that changes in his system were minor and for untrained ear undetectable.

I mean I still ordered knowing his opinion :) - there is no better opinion than your own after all, but just wondering if you have not noticed any of mentioned by him drawbacks / tradeoffs.

I have also ordered Teradak X1/X2 LPSU for the regen ;) It has already arrived so just waiting for the regen now.

I am tempted to try out corning optical USB with regen as there is supposedly a good synergy going-on between the two ^^

Cheers,
seb

Hi Seb,

Its the Amber i have and I have experienced the polar opposite with a real big increase in musicality and as one happy punter put it lots more AIR.
No a trace of edginess in fact it may have taken away and residual edginess i had on some tracks.
I listened to Jazz at the Pawnshop last night and the reality of the recording with instruments very present in the room and clinking of glasses and hand clapping is amazingly real.

I have had the Corning for over a month now but I am in no hurry to try it out given what I am hearing.
I tried the Corning before I got the Regen and I struggled with it with Drivers, etc, so i put it away and it does get hot as others mentioned.
You are welcome to take it and try it out if you want anytime.

I still have those Maxwell Supercaps that Nige told us about sitting around for the memory but never got around to trying those yet.
I just want to sit back and listen to music at the moment now that everything sounds so good.

Cheers,
Pearse.

I thought the main benefit of the Corning turned out to be due to the 3R resistance of the ground wire and this has now been incorporated in the Amber Regen.

Tested a loaned Green Regen two weeks ago, but didn't really like it. Though it tightened the bass there was also a slight harshness in the highs.
Last wednesday I got my own Amber Regen. And this is now what I thought it to be. No harshness even with the standard SPS. Tighten bass, nice mids and all this paired with much musical flow.

Will test now with different LPS and voltages. And with and without JCAT USB card.

Really an interesting device.

Pearse, have you tried the Regen at standard USB ports as well?

My friend was basing his opinion on green version so maybe that is why he had such and not different view on the subject. Glad that Amber is making it all worthwhile.

My pc is in bits again as few days ago another raid controller has arrived. I am not giving up on PPA CF yet... but close to it. Few more combinations to try with this one but it does not look like it if going to work.

Pearse I would certainly like to try your corning in this case. I will give you a call tomorrow to chat about the details.

With all such a good opinions from you guys I actually start to look forward to the delivery date.

Did not realize regen requires drivers. Have you managed to install it in core in the end or did you have to do clean standard version install theme regen and only then AO? Also do you this plastic stiff adapter which comes with regen to connect it to Dac. Have you maybe tried different cables connections on Dac side?

Cheers,
Seb



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was a bit sceptical of how useful this would be on the highly modded pc

like to hear one a -b'd sometime if we can work out a meet up date/venue

mobo port vs usbcard will also be an interesting one
12 v battery would be interesting aswell to assess whether ps has an influence too

nige2000 wrote:was a bit sceptical of how useful this would be on the highly modded pc

like to hear one a -b'd sometime if we can work out a meet up date/venue

mobo port vs usbcard will also be an interesting one
12 v battery would be interesting aswell to assess whether ps has an influence too

Of course PS has an influence :)