Now this is what this hobby as well as this site should be about. Crudo’s to you fsmithjack! I have even offered up pieces of gear for free auditions to members on here many times in the past. I wish we would see more of this as that is what moves the train forward vs nonsensicle debates.
Mea culpa for Uptone Iso Regen USB
Recently I was negotiating to buy a USB cable from a fellow Audiogon member @fsmithjack and he offered in addition to the cable to sell me an Uptone Iso Regen USB with an Uptone linear power supply. I felt a little uncomfortable with the conversation as I was just trying to buy a cable, not a bundle with something else that I hadnt even inquired about. We agreed to go our separate ways, no harm no foul right?
I began reading about the product, skeptically, and became more curious. With the return policy Uptone offers, I thought I would check it out and ordered a new Iso Regen Usb and their new companion 1.2 LPS. Holy moly @fsmithjack was right and I should have listened to him. Single biggest upgrade I recall with my digital front end, instantly upon inserting it into my system!
Long story short, I wanted to publicly acknowledge @fsmithjack as the gentleman that he is, he was just trying to enlighten me and I wasn’t ready to believe the radical improvements he said I would experience. This isn’t a review of the product, this is intended to recognize and thank @fsmithjack for his sage advice, even though I was not very trusting, I now recognize he was just trying to share his experience. Thanks @fsmithjack! He has no affiliation with Uptone, just a fellow Audiogoner that makes this community special. Peace.
I began reading about the product, skeptically, and became more curious. With the return policy Uptone offers, I thought I would check it out and ordered a new Iso Regen Usb and their new companion 1.2 LPS. Holy moly @fsmithjack was right and I should have listened to him. Single biggest upgrade I recall with my digital front end, instantly upon inserting it into my system!
Long story short, I wanted to publicly acknowledge @fsmithjack as the gentleman that he is, he was just trying to enlighten me and I wasn’t ready to believe the radical improvements he said I would experience. This isn’t a review of the product, this is intended to recognize and thank @fsmithjack for his sage advice, even though I was not very trusting, I now recognize he was just trying to share his experience. Thanks @fsmithjack! He has no affiliation with Uptone, just a fellow Audiogoner that makes this community special. Peace.
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And kudos to you ghasley, as well, for having the courage to post about it. As @chrshanl37 said THIS is what the forums ought to be about - not some of the crap we see daily where some of us criticize and bash each other. After you have a little experience with the equipment, tell us what you're hearing! Dick |
My experience is that the results realized with the ISO Regen/LPS-1 (and I suspect all reclocking devices) are highly dependent on the digital source and DAC they are paired with. I don’t dispute ghasley’s results in his setup but I had a very contrary experience in mine, preferring the sound without the UpTone devices in the digital signal path. Happy to hear that they are working well for you ghasley and peace to you as well. Dave |
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I’m a bit curious about the reclockers in general, in addition to that, if you buy an "audiophile" usb cable, where would it go, from the source to the reclocker, or the reclocker to the dac?Asynchronous USB does not need reclocker, but can benefit from clean supply or electrical noise removed from the signal (conditioned). I would always placed the best cable on the clean side: reclocker to DAC. |
Asynchronous USB does not need reclocker, but can benefit from clean supply or electrical noise removed from the signal (conditioned). I would always placed the best cable on the clean side: reclocker to DAC.I think most modern dacs are asynchronous. Just wondering if either a reclocker, or isolator (like the Intona) or a D-D converter like the EITR could improve the signal at all. |
Thanks for the kind words but any paise belongs to those among us like @fsmithjack who provide honest advice and counsel to others. As far as I’m concerned the “courage” to post this is much akin to the famous quote attributed to the late golf great Bobby Jones who while competing in a major championship committed an infraction not witnessed by any other and recorded a penalty on himself, costing him a chance at winning. The press was paraing his character and he replied, “thats like congratulating someone for not robbing a bank”. For the better part of the last 2 decades I have used Audiogon as a resource, a database of valuable experiment and anecdotal results of others. Ive not posted much over that time unless I really believed I had something pertinent to add. We have all learned through the years how to differentiate the posts from fanboys and those posting for some wierd kick they get by fabricating a fantasy system they dont actually own that they then expound as best ever. We have also learned to distrust some sellers by just examining that they joined Audiogon on the day they just so happen to list a perfect item for sale for pennies on the dollar with zero feedback. Too good to be true right? Naturally, through our lives we move from automatic trust to, as we age and experience life, automatic cynicism. During my interaction with @fsmithjack I neglected to suspend my cynicism during a transaction on Audiogon with a fellow member who has extensive, perfect feedback as I do. My bad. He deserved better. |
ghasley03 Hello ghasley, I just had a gentleman who is buying a device from me email me the link to this thread. It was very kind of him to do that and I wanted to thank you for your kind words. I realize it was several years ago but it is never to late to show my appreciation and say Thank you. You made my day! |
@fsmithjack My honor. In retrospect, you were just further along in your understanding of the digital chain. I enjoyed the ISO Regen and then moved on to the Innuos Zenith. I then enjoyed the MSB Pro-USB interface and I have now moved on from usb entirely. I’m presently using ethernet into a Boulder 866 and the Aqua Linq w/HQPlayer in another setup. In retrospect though, the ISORegen was a real eye opener. Most of us don’t realize what the next level is until we hear it. Your advice then was very helpful and I’m grateful to you for that. Have a great day and I’m sure, whatever you are selling to the gentleman you refer to, that he will enjoy improvements in his system. |
Thanks my friend. I am about to do you another solid audio favor. My newest hidden gem is the best yet! if you are running Ethernet anywhere in your audio system I give you my word this will absolutely blow your mind. It will be an upgrade nothing else you have ever done will match and it’s not expensive based on how much it improves your system. Your system has come a long way by the way! You need to have Ethernet as part of your system. If you don’t use Ethernet this upgrade won’t work. You also need to own an Uptone Audio EtherREGEN. I recently become the North American Distributor for AfterDark audio products. We specialize in OCXO 10MHZ Master Clocks and Linear Power supplies. We designed a OCXO 10MHz Master Clock specifically to work with Uptone Audio EtherREGEN. It takes the EtherRegen which is great little upgrade on its own and blows your system up. You just plug this clock via a BNC cable to your EtherRegen. That’s it. I have just today had 2 guys going bananas over it. It is the biggest improvement you will every make for cheap money. My clock sells for $535 plus shipping. My buddy who can’t believe how good it is owns the Lampizator Golden Gate DAC, Innuos Statement player, Magico S7’s he can’t believe it. This is a 10,000 better then ISO Regen. I know that was years ago but if today anyone uses Ethernet anywhere is their system I promise with all my heart this is the biggest improvement to be had anywhere at any price. Here is the website below to check it out. I have had it in my system maybe 3 weeks. I still can’t believe how good it sounds. I was all excited at my new amp I bought took me 8 weeks to get. It’s the best I’ve ever owned. Ypsilon Phaethon Integrated Amplifier. It’s $25,000 Integrated. It is such a beautiful sounding amp. This $535 clock was a bigger upgrade? How it’s possible. I guess it’s because it effects the source. It changes the source. Read about. I promise you will thank me. This is the best upgrade I’ve ever come across. I love it so much I became the North American Distributor! All you do is hook a BNC cable from this clock to the EtherRegen and plug it in and bam. It’s instant. There is no wait. No hmm I think I hear something. It’s instantly oh my holly - are kidding me? How is that possible type of upgrade! Check it out. I promise you will thank me! https://ctronicmusic.com |
Hey Guys - it reclocks everything in the EtherRegen. The AFTERDARK OCXO clock requires 12VDC/2A power supply. If you do not own one we sell an excellent 2 rail Linear Power Supply that can power both the EtherRegen and clock for $245 plus shipping. It comes with DC Cables with 2.1 barrel connectors and the clock comes with a great sounding 75Ohm BNC cable to connect to clock to the EtherREGEN. I will share details below for the clock, LPS and thoughts on this new approach. You can message me if you want any further info or check the website as well. https://ctronicmusic.com/ ——————————————————— AFTERDARK. PROJECT CLAYX GIESEMANN OCXO 10MHZ REFERENCE QUEEN MASTER CLOCK Features
Phase Noise Measurements By: Symmetricom 5125A Phase Noise@ 10Hz - 132Phase Noise@ 1Hz - 103 ———————————————————- AFTERDARK. BLACK MODERNIZE LPS X2 GIESEMANN OCXO 10M EDITION AfterDark. Black Modernize LPS x GIESEMANN OCXO 10M Edition Highlight of the AfterDark. Black Modernize Linear Power Supply:
The Heart of AfterDark. Black Modernize Linear Power Supply The circuit design of LPS is referenced and improved of the well-known Walt Jung Super Reg. The performance is first in the class I must say. Output voltage stays VERY stable with 0.01VDC tolerance despite I'm driving it almost at full load. It only gets a bit warm after a 48hrs of stress test. —————————————————— Mastering the time domain in network-based hi-end audio focusing this tremendous level of concentrated precision and exacting time accuracy has never been done before. Not like this it has not. This approach, with these unique specialty devices (OCXO Clock and EtherREGEN) doing what they do has absolutely changed streaming audio forever. The result is a staggering level of improvement no one ever could have foresaw? A ridiculous amount of improvement you need to hear for yourself to understand. It’s not hyperbole if it’s the truth. This is the definition of the truth. Prepare to have your mind blown! The concept behind mastering the network-based time domain is grounded in solid science, it is measurable and verifiable. Yet it runs contrary to how traditional audio upgrades paths have come forth. The bottom line is this kind of increased sound quality has always cost a lot more money! Much more! Not only is this an incredible upgrade path standing on its own, but it is disproportionately inexpensive. If we based our prices on actual audio improvement our prices would increase 10-fold. The good news our products price for performance are industry bests and we only charge based on the device. This combination of very different, specialty devices has produced a result that has far exceeded what anyone thought possible. Our devices along with those of our friends and colleagues over at Uptown Audio are the best bang for buck components you can buy on the market today bar none! Our Master Clocks and Linear Power Supplies vastly improve upon the excellent Uptone Audio EtherREGEN! You just cannot get this kind of Improvement anywhere else. CTronic Music of Boston, the North American Distributor for AfterDark Audio Products and Services. We are proud to offer their full line of OCXO Master Clocks and Linear Power Supplies. These incredible audio devices have exploded onto the US audio scene and recording studios. Offering true, reference level performance at prices formerly unimaginable. The Editors of Stereotimes, The Absolute Sound, and other well-known magazines in Germany, France and Italy have all requested demo units. The secret is out, nothing comes even close to delivering this type of improvement. Plug this master clock into your Uptone Audio EtherREGEN with the included BNC cable and prepare to have your mind blown! We guarantee it! Featured: AfterDark Project CLAY GIESEMANN OCXO Queen Master Clock is an audiophile-grade reference master clock that generates 10MHz signals with vanishingly low jitter to considerably enhance digital playback systems with remarkable clarity and dynamics. The Queen Master unlocks the transparency and full dynamic range of your soundstage with incredible dimensionality and detail, free from digital blurring. Ideal for high-end studios, mastering suites, and home Hi Fi audio playback systems, the Queen Master delivers the precision and audio purity your digital playback chain has been missing. We believe and the test data shows one of the most commonly under-resourced yet critically important aspects in the audio chain is the network time domain. Mastering the network time domain and how it relates to the overall quality of the musical presentation has not been thoroughly exhausted or solved up until this point. Not until now that is. This combo changes everything! It's impact will change your system like nothing you have ever known before it. |
It’s reclocking the network signal in front of the DAC. It is making the signal sent to the DAC as pristine as possible. Now if your DAC is slaved to incoming signal then yes that would be huge. Even if it is not the improvement is gigantic. I have buyers with very serious system that can’t believe in the level of improvement. Many of the guys are buying upgrades BNC cables that cost more then the clock and EtherRegen combined. BNC cables offer big upgrades. The biggest loss is in the cable. The cable we provide for free sounds great but there is much more improvement to be had with an upgraded cable. Regardless if your DAC is slaved to the incoming signal or reclocks it after the important is nothing less then fantastic. I am emails daily by folks that love it and can’t believe the improvement. |
I just received the Queen master clock with the After Dark LPS as well. I have to say that these products are the real deal, and sound quality is noticeably enhanced right out of the box. I understand that it takes a while for the clock to settle in. In the meantime, I look forward to enjoying the ride. Thank you fsmithjack. |
I have to say I purchased a 432 evo standard from Dave and at the same time an etheregen and the queen master clock and upgraded ps along with his better bnc cable from Afterdark. I've had these all connected since day one maybe 6 or 7 months ago. Never tried the server without the other items until Sunday and what a difference the Queen clock made. I literally couldn't listen to the evo without the Queen clock plugged into the ETheregen. I was very skeptical all along thinking I could've saved a lot and purchased a twice as expensive server without the clock and Ethergen, I thought it wasn't needed but now I see it is. The difference is night and day I tell you. I believe that these two items could allow any of us to save on a server and perhaps with a more expensive server the ext clock is even that much better. I wish now I would've bought the best clock from AD! |
