UpTone Audio USB Regen Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Powered, single-port USB 2.0 hub.
Dimensions: 2.2" wide by 0.7" high by 1.8" deep.
Price: $175.
Manufacturer: UpTone Audio LLC, Mariposa, CA 95338. Tel: (209) 966-4377. Web: www.uptoneaudio.com

COMPANY INFO
UpTone Audio LLC
Mariposa, CA 95338
(209) 966-4377
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
Venere 2's picture

This is not a criticism, but it would have been informative to include a manufacturer's comment. Maybe the manufacturer of the Regen can offer an explanation, as to how the device can improve the sound, but that these improvements/differences could not be shown in the measurements that were conducted.

I have no trouble believing that this device can improve the sound without the changes being measurable; but an explication as to why would be interesting.

John Atkinson's picture
Venere 2 wrote:
This is not a criticism, but it would have been informative to include a manufacturer's comment.

I have added the Manufacturer's Comment to this reprint.

On the question posed by another reader why a DAC would need to use the 5V USB supply, many designs power the USB receiver chip from the USB bus, to try to minimize contamination of the processor's power supply for the D/A and analog circuitry with RF noise.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

UpTone Audio's picture
Quote:

I have no trouble believing that this device can improve the sound without the changes being measurable; but an explication as to why would be interesting.

Thank you for your interest in learning more. At the beginning of his original review on AudioStream, Michael Lavorgna was kind enough to include our entire condensed "white paper" discussing some of the specific technical limitations of USB audio interfaces and how the REGEN addresses them.
You can find that at this link: http://www.audiostream.com/content/uptone-audio-usb-regen

Regards,
Alex Crespi

music or sound's picture

I guess these devices are becoming quite popular and new ones are announced like iFi purifier2. From the reviews it is not quite clear whether there is a sonic benefit from USB outputs of only computers or also of USB streamers like Aurender (the former is designed for any use and the later is supposed to be audio specific).
Or is the culprit the USB input receiver design of the DAC. So do different DACs (which use different input receivers) have similar benefits of these devices?
Most DACs (except some portable ones) are not powered by USB so why is 5V necessary (except maybe for initial hand shake).

Kal Rubinson's picture

You raise good points. I used the Regen with what I had but, absent engineering specs from Regen and from the USB devices to which one might connect it, one cannot generalize.

You ask who is the culprit here? I don't know but most finger-pointers suggest, as you do, that it is the influence on the DACs rather than out-of-spec USB sources.

As for the 5V, that is necessary to wake-up self-powered DACs.

mrvco's picture

It is hard for me to make the "bits are bits" argument when it comes to USB since it was developed as a general purpose interface that also carries power and has seen significant improvements since its inception twenty plus years ago, so it is not surprising that there would be further room for incremental, application-specific improvements. That being said, there seems to be far more bang-for-the-buck associated with the various regen products than the much maligned and far more expensive high-end USB cables.

Venere 2's picture

Thanks to you both, John and Alex for posting the manufacturer's comment and white paper. Very interesting and informative!

robpriore's picture

I spent a lot of time wrestling with dirty USB power and I concluded the only thing to do is cut it out entirely. It's not reasonable to think that the noise pollution can be cleaned up by adding additional circuitry between the computer and DAC. Those circuits generate noise.

There are other options out there. I suggest folks go on to Google and search for "Dirty USB Power" and you'll find other solutions, better tailored to this problem than adding more circuits to the very important link between computer and DAC.

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