Uptone Audio's Ether Regen for Real?

Network Audio
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I recently added the Ether Regen between my DirectStream Sr Bridge II and my ethernet cable. I thought, why not, I can always return it if I’m not impressed.

Well, I am not returning it. I posted my impressions on the audiophilestyle forum: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/57519-uptone-audio-etherregen-listening-impressions/page/36/?tab=comments#comment-1048510

I’m just one of many DS Sr owners who have posted very positive results. I included this comment, "'One of the things that amazed me was the way subtle details surfaced and were illuminated to my ears, and I would think, ‘Oh my, that is so sweet and organic’. "

Has anyone with PSA given the Ether Regen a try?

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I haven’t tried the Regen but I do have an AQVOX SE and it made a definite difference.

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I have one. I am not super excited about it. No big deal though, enjoy!

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I’ve got the Regen. Nice improvement worth keeping. Maybe not worlds-away great, but I made a lot of incremental changes in short order and this was a definite keeper.

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Same here, definite improvement and worth keeping. Not the same magnitude as the Matrix tho.

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It definitely made an easily discernible improvement to the SQ of my system

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Curiously, I quickly found that different Ethernet cables going INTO the EtherRegen made a difference in sound. It shouldn’t be that way according to its design, but it was unmistakeable.

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What is a Matrix? I can find a Matrix DAC but I don’t think that’s what you are talking about.

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This

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Were they shielded?

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Update: Tonight I compared the EtherRegen -> Bridge 2 to the Matrix -> RAL HDMI with streams from Qobuz and Tidal plus locally stored Flac files. I was listening to Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets and Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express. I could not hear the slightest difference between the two setups. Damn. I guess it’s time for me to keep quiet.

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Speak up about this audioquackery.

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So the EtherRegen brought the Bridge II up to the level of the Matrix/RAL combo?

I should put my Bridge II back in my DSD Snr and try it with the EtherRegen, nothing to losing except time and I’ve got plenty of that these days.

My current set up, EtherRegen->Innuos->WW Platinum->Matrix->RAL does sound pretty special though.

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Last night was the first time I listened to anything other than the Matrix RAL combo. I still believe that the RAL made a wonderful difference over the Wireworld PS7. Now I also believe the EtherRegen is for real. That is a good thing since I own it.

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It seems to me that the sonic benefits from the Ether Regen are derived from reducing the noise floor of incoming noise carried on the ethernet cable. Could adding more hardware with its own electrical power supplies between the ER and the DAC introduce another source of contamination, thus defeating the benefits of the ER?.

It seems like it would need to be a choice of either the Matrix/RAL or the Ether Regen, but not both.

BTW, I should also note that I heard an improvement from the ER when I replaced a generic ethernet cable on the ‘B’ side of the ER with a better quality ethernet cable (1 meter of Cable Matters SFTP Cat8 Ethernet Cable).

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It’s not either/or with ER, Matrix. After adding the ER to my setup which already included the Matrix there was an additional jump in SQ.

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The Matrix and EtherREGEN are two different kind of animals.

With USB out from my Melco N1ZS10 using the Matrix reclocking/converting to i2S > DSsr the SQ surpasses BridgeII by far.

The EtherREGEN (Audioquest Diamond RJ/E from B-side into the Melco) optimizes Qobuz/Tidal’s SQ in a way that now it’s about equivalent to playing local (Melco-) stored files.

No hurry but still intend testing BridgeII (dismantled but still in the house) directly fed by the EtherREGEN, just for the fun of it.

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This is exactly my situation. :smile:

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I was also in no hurry, and I was very surprised by the results. Very surprised. But then I have consistently been a fan of the Bridge 2…

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I hate to follow a message from me with another message from me but…

In a few short days I am going to be able to try switching my Euphony server that is powered by a Keces P8 at 12v to just being a Roon Server instead of also being an endpoint as well. I will then plug an Sbooster with upgrade thingy into an UltraRendu that is hooked up via an Inakustik ETHERNET cable to the B side of my EtherREGEN powered by a Keces P8 at 7v with an expensive cable, That will hook up via a WWPS7 USB cable to Matrix that is powered at 9v from an LPS 1.2 with some expensive power cable and outputting HDMI via a Revelation Audio Labs cable to a PS Audio DSD Sr. that is connected to a P20, each using Shunyata Sigma power cables. Prior to doing all this I will power down the DSD and yank out my beloved Bridge 2 card. I will then set aside the not required but enjoyable tinfoil cap.

Whew. If it even works I’ll be amused.

I am expecting to hear the best sound I have ever heard.
Grand Funk Railroad will have never sounded better I am hoping.