Mi2016 saidOne thing that I was thinking (which could be wrong) is that the Regen supplies a clean 5V line for DACs that need it - and the DS doesn’t need the 5V, so that is one feature that is redundant with the DS?
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Can someone please clarify?
I’m not Ted but I searched the forum for Ted’s older comments to get this info:
http://www.psaudio.com/forum/directstream-all-about-it/yale-beta-test/page-3/#p44750
http://www.psaudio.com/forum/directstream-all-about-it/uptone-audio-regen-and-ds/page-2/#p49355
Mi2016
The reason I am asking is because I just received my ISO Regen. I am powering it with a 9V/2.0A iFi iPower - I know the LPS 1 is supposed to be great but beyond my budget right now.
Alex at Uptone said the 9V would be fine. But I find the ISO Regen runs hot to the touch. He then said this may be because the DS draws 5V and the drop from 9V to 4V generates heat. However, you have just confirmed that this isn’t the case. Do chime in here when you get yours to see if it is in fact hot to the touch. In my environment, I find that even when I plug or unplug the XLR connectors on the DS analogue outputs, they are warm when the DS is in standby.
The ISO Regen is an improvement. It is also an improvement over the W4S Recovery I had.
I also find a iFi SPDIF iPurifier to be an improvement over the coaxial input of the DS per se.
I do not know whether there is anything significant at work or if it is just a tone control effect I like more.
yacheah said Alex at Uptone said the 9V would be fine. But I find the ISO Regen runs hot to the touch. He then said this may be because the DS draws 5V and the drop from 9V to 4V generates heat. However, you have just confirmed that this isn't the case. Do chime in here when you get yours to see if it is in fact hot to the touch.Hey yacheah, for sure, I'll test out the Iso Regen with a 9V PSU and post about it. I think I have an iFi 9V around also.
Doesn’t the drop from 9V down to the 3.3V for the 5 x LT3042 linear regulators also generate heat? Their power consumption is very low though, so probably not.
@tedsmith will correct me but the DS only needs the VBUS for the USB handshake - close to 0mA is drawn from the 5V line, as per linked posts.
Looking forward to getting it next week. The iFi SPDIF iPurifier is really good too, plugged directly onto the DS’s digital coax input. It breaks groundloops and leakage current loops and then re-clocks the signal afterwards. It has similar tech to Paul’s legendary Digital Lense with it’s buffer stage (I think). All to provide the DS with the lowest jitter source, which I found can help, in my system.
Hi Mi2016
I have had some time to try out the ISO Regen further now, past the initial cursory listen.
At first, I placed it as Auralic Aries -> Cardas Clear High Speed -> ISO Regen -> USPCB -> DAC
There’s more detail but the sound was also a lot drier, with less body and the flow less musical. In short, I didn’t enjoy it.
I then switched it around ie. Auralic Aries -> USPCB -> ISO Regen -> Cardas Clear High Speed -> DAC
The sound was fuller and more musical but still a little edgy and not as musical as either the W4S Recovery & Curious Regen Link with iFi 9V or even without any USB fixer.
I am trying to guess whether it is the USPCB causing the dryness since switching it the other way around ie. with Auralic Aries -> USPCB -> ISO Regen -> Cardas Clear High Speed -> DAC improved things?
Or that I just do not like the ISO Regen.
Unfortunately, I no longer have the W4S Recovery nor the Curious Regen Link.
Let me know what you find when you get yours.
The Regen sounds a lot better with the LPS-1… even then the dc cable can change the sound immensely.
The ironic thing is the same dc cable I use, Sonore dc4, sounds completely different on the ultrarendu than the IR 
Hi @yacheah
I was going to link you to this thread but then it clicked in my brain, this is you discussing with the Guru himself. Unless this chap has the exact same system as you. You won’t get any better advice on your issue.
It’s not a bad thing at all but I won’t be surprised if you prefer the sound with more leakage currents in the system. Blocking leakage currents (and groundloops) has benefits but I don’t think it’s the be all and end all.
As an example, the iFi DAC2 that I bought my old man (my dad) is entirely powered by the 5V USB line. I tested this with a fiber converter powered by an LPS-1 feeding an ultraRendu powered by an LPS-1. Zero leakage currents (and groundloops) going into the DAC via that path. I wouldn’t say that beats my DirectStream sound which is just fed by a direct USB cable. So the pimped out iFi iDAC2 which sounds incredible for the cost btw, is still bettered to my ears in my system by the better DAC even with potential leakage currents via the direct USB.
Now, when I do block leakage currents (they travel via ground) the DS performance does go up another level - again, to my ears in my system.
John has said that all linear PSU’s he’s tested kick back less leakage current than all SMPS’s he’s tested. He’s not promoting his LPS-1 at all there but you should consider trying one. Alex has a generous return policy.
If you prefer the sound of the Cardas USB cable feeding the DAC I would stick witht that rather than doing things by the book that leave you unhappy with the sound.
This is my first post. I am using a Uptone Audio ISO Regen with the USPCB Adapter powered by their UltraCaps LPS-1 into my very new Directstream. I not using an upgraded DC power cord yet. After ten days of constant play my DS is just now starting to come around a little, but clearly this ISO set up does improve the sound. My Directstream is a clearly a bit raw at this junction. I suspect, when my fully DS finally breaks in, it will more reveal the ISO’s influence. I used think only cheese and red wine benefited from aging. I have say, the DS break in process is clearly not for the impatient or faint of heart.
Welcome!
Many have found the DS responds well to break-in.
Vangelis saidThis is my first post. I am using a Uptone Audio ISO Regen with the USPCB Adapter powered by their UltraCaps LPS-1 into my very new Directstream. I not using an upgraded DC power cord yet. After ten days of constant play my DS is just now starting to come around a little, but clearly this ISO set up does improve the sound. My Directstream is a clearly a bit raw at this junction. I suspect, when my fully DS finally breaks in, it will more reveal the ISO’s influence. I used think only cheese and red wine benefited from aging. I have say, the DS break in process is clearly not for the impatient or faint of heart.
What software are you using to send over USB ?
yacheah saidIn the Hi-Fi system I had until recently moving into an apartment, I had a 90 ohm certified Supra USB cable with the original original Regen and didn't like it - I would describe it as you described above. I switched to the Curious USB cable (many audiophile cables don't publish if they meet USB 2.0 standard but that's not to say they don't by the way) and I really loved it. Everything everyone was saying was dead true - for that system.There’s more detail but the sound was also a lot drier, with less body and the flow less musical. In short, I didn’t enjoy it.
But when I tried the Curious USB cable in my current system the life was sucked out of the music. With the Supra 90 ohm certified, it was so much better and I had more detail than I’d ever heard before without at all being fatiguing and even more bass.
Since that lesson learnt, I’m going to be staying with certified USB cables whenever using USB for audio. I have no plans on changing anything downstream of my DS now but if I change sources, the Supra is what I’ll be using and if it doesn’t sound good with that cable, then I will lay blame to whatever source I’m demo-ing at the time.
I’ll be demo-ing the Iso Regen later this week and will feed it with the Supra USB cable and then use the 90 ohm impedance matched USPCB on it’s output.
In my limited searching of the web about the Cardas, I can’t see mention of it’s nominal impedance but I wonder if you’re having that kind of funny interaction that I had with my Curious USB previously (impedance mismatches). There are so many variables involved it’s very hard to pinpoint but just thought I’d share these previous observations of mine because your experiences sounded very familiar.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences. Keep us posted.
cxp saidThe stock dc cable gave my SGCD an edgy sound… the Sonore cable is very smooth… I’ve heard very good things about the Zenwave being balanced sounding as well.
What software are you using to send over USB ?