Uptone Audio USB Regen

[Nikhil]

Yes. The Regen does help improve things with the Lampi as well.

 

[Nikhil]

Update:

It's been some time since the Uptone Audio Regen has been launched and there are now some competing products available now from other suppliers. Two products have emerged and have been tried by a few users on CA. Results have been positive with regard to the new products but there still seems to be some problems of connectivity for some.

Intona USB High Speed Isolator
Intona is a German electronics company that primarily works in the industrial signal processing industry. Their product "USB High Speed Isolator" offers the solution to galvanically isolate the USB 2.0 bus in all speed modes. Low Speed, Full Speed and High Speed.

Initial reports are that this is the now the benchmark.
First users have reported remarkable improvements in sound.

Wyred 4 Sound - Recovery USB Reclocker
W4S needs no introduction and those already using their products may be the first to try out the "RUR" as it is now being called.
Some users have reported that the RUR is better than the Regen

The current opinion by the people who have tried all three is:
Intona > W4S RUR > UA USB Regen

I would like to point out again that some users have reported problems with connectivity. Some of it is due to their DACs needing a little more than the 5V supplied. I would recommend some caution in purchasing these items simply because unlike other markets the hassle of returns and customs charges if any can be quite a bother. I would recommend waiting for the two companies sort out the minor niggles that come with a new product.

**Please do your research before buying.

 

[sidvee]

My experience - only limited to the Uptone - has been that in a system which uses an external usb/spdif converter, the improvement is very minimal, however when the computer is connected directly to the DAC, then there is noticebale increase in SQ. Hence I have moved the Uptone to my second system with the Northstar Impulso DAC. Here I feel it is making much more difference than my first system.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[keith_correa]

And then there is this and this. Available for the past 3+ years at least - before USB audio became very popular and before folks discovered that they could develop similar products, for USB audio, give it a fancy pants name and hence charge crazy prices. There's one born every minute so more power to them.

 

[Nikhil]

And then there is this and this. Available for the past 3+ years at least - before USB audio became very popular and before folks discovered that they could develop similar products, for USB audio, give it a fancy pants name and hence charge crazy prices. There's one born every minute so more power to them.

Do you recommend buying these over the USB Regen or any of the other products?

Maybe we should all listen to you and save ourselves a lot of money.
What else do you know about that is out there and we have been missing?

 

[regeHA]

Yes. The Regen does help improve things with the Lampi as well.

Interesting, for that price the Lampi benefits from the Regen.

I gave up trying to tame my Schiit. Jitter was the norm and not the exception. Now I prefer optical especially with glass, the Lifatec Glass Toslink Cable is what I use.

 

[Nikhil]

Interesting, for that price the Lampi benefits from the Regen.

I gave up trying to tame my Schiit. Jitter was the norm and not the exception. Now I prefer optical especially with glass, the Lifatec Glass Toslink Cable is what I use.

Problem is that Toslink is limited to 24/96
USB is the only interface that works for high res formats like DSD/DXD.
At the moment a USB conditioner/reclocker is recommended for USB DACs.

The next thing on the horizon looks like ethernet and optical networks (with their inherent galvanic isolation)

 

[keith_correa]

Do you recommend buying these over the USB Regen or any of the other products?

Not maybe over the USB Regen because that one claims to do more than just galvanic isolation. But for products that claim just galvanic isolation, yes!!!

Maybe we should all listen to you and save ourselves a lot of money.

Maybe. But then again, maybe not! I'm giving out options so that people have a choice and not everyone wants to or can spend a lot of money on expensive stuff when there are cheaper out there. Like you posted about other products, so did I. Should we then all listen to you? Maybe. Maybe not!

What else do you know about that is out there and we have been missing?

Maybe plenty! Some legit. Some weird. Some downright loony. But that's food for another thread.

 

[Nikhil]

Maybe. But then again, maybe not! I'm giving out options so that people have a choice and not everyone wants to or can spend a lot of money on expensive stuff when there are cheaper out there. Like you posted about other products, so did I. Should we then all listen to you? Maybe. Maybe not!

They should listen to you because you are able to get equivalent or better stuff for fifty bucks including spare change for beer.

 

[reignofchaos]

And then there is this and this. Available for the past 3+ years at least - before USB audio became very popular and before folks discovered that they could develop similar products, for USB audio, give it a fancy pants name and hence charge crazy prices. There's one born every minute so more power to them.

These are based on ADuM4160 which means 12mbps full speed only. These are not compatible with Async USB Class 2 devices like the xmos based ones discussed here. I have one of these somewhere in my attic - absolutely useless for audio purposes.