I'm considering getting that battery posted...I can't spend much, but I wouldn't mind squeezing some more improvement out of the system.

Yeah, I skimmed that thread for any of Superdad's posts and saw that.

That apparently isn't useful data. LOL

That whole thread is people telling me I'm delusional for hearing an improvement. I wasn't expecting any, being super skeptical of such devices - but I heard it, and Palomino heard it, and our notes were very similar - so we heard the same changes/improvements.

Just because I'm not a scientist and can't/don't know how to measure it, doesn't mean the changes are in my imagination.

I'm also seeing...I guess I'd call it reverse placebo. It's  "I don't see anything in the measurements, so I don't hear anything when listening. "

I think its great in concept, but very difficult and time consuming to do correctly.  I generally don't get that worked up about somebody disagreeing with me to go to the effort to prove them right or wrong.

Raven and I sometimes do the highly scientific "you first" test.  It's not even single blind.  We both know a change has been made.  But one of us has to go first in terms of describing what difference were heard.  Then the other (on his honor) states what he heard.  Generally, we hit on about 2/3 of the opinion.  He may hear something slightly different than me or vice versa.

Anything we both agree makes a positive difference is generally enough to consider a purchase.  We also do this at CDApS.  Rob and I heard the UFOs in his system and were both slack jawed enough that no conversation was even necessary.  A couple days later, he bought.  I am still contemplating my next move.  I'd like to hear them in a Rachael.

I haven't tried the Regen, because I'm doubtful it will make an improvement on the SOtM USB audio card in my Auraliti
PK90(powered by a Linear PSU) and my DAC doesn't need to see the 5VDC buss power.

Plus when you are quiet it typically means you hear no change or don't like the change.  Way to mess with me.

On the SOtM card, I'm not sure I read anyone over at computer audiophile commenting on it and/or an improvement.  Maybe there is a reason for that.

Well hopefully you'll return mine soon!

So I stopped by Palomino's today, and listened to his Torii III setup in his well treated, and fantastic sounding room. He popped my regen in one last time before I took it home.

Yeah, it's the real deal. The reverb in recordings sounded more focused, instruments a little more natural, imaging was a little sharper and soundstage a little wider. I also felt that tracks where the micro-detail sounded congested when they got loud or really busy, sounded sharper and less congested.

At this point, nobody is going to convince me this is placebo

I was out all week at a conference in Vegas but when I got home, my regen had arrived.  

I wasn't expecting much given it would be cold and the amp was cold, but I was very pleasantly surprised that it sounded really, really good.  

The instruments now have more air around them and seem to float a little more 3D in the soundstage.  The music engulfed me more like a nice warm soft blanket but with more realistic detail.

I played the Chesky soundstage test track I have mentioned before and it was clearly the best I have heard it.  The key difference was that effect where the musicians go behind you is more convincing.

The only change versus my listening sessions with Eric's regen was that I brought home from the cottage one of my better DIY power cords to use with the LPSU for the regen.

I had also heard an improvement with Eric's regen when I did a PC swap before.  So twice now, I have heard an improvement as I moved up the chain in power cord quality.

Anyway, I can say pretty confidently that the LPSU really helps the regen and using a good power cord on the LPSU helps even more.

I think I have seen three flavors in the forums.  

Their high end JS2 at $925, the teradak like I have at about $70 and the "el cheapo" for around $60 that has a nice r-core transformer.  

I think the JS2 is better, but not sure I have read a review of the teradak vs the el cheapo.

Some people are waiting for their new PS.  Not sure of the release date.  I think November at the earliest.

Looks pretty good.  9v setting as well.  How long do you get out of a charge?

My Regen arrived last week and I finally had a chance to get it into the system this weekend.  The one track I listened to was "House of the Rising Sun" from the Opus 3 DSD sampler as I did a few comparisons.

1) Physically, the Regen was smaller than I was expecting based on the pictures.
2) I have it hooked up to my DAC with the small USB cord they provided.  I initially used the direct connection but like others have mentioned I didn't like how it put pressure on my USB input.  I didn't notice much difference between the two connections.  In my system, the short cord was good enough.  
3) When the Regen was connected I noticed blacker backgrounds, more focused imaging and more natural sounding instruments (cymbals/percussion).  Dynamics were very good and transients well defined.  I wouldn't describe these as small differences that you have to 'squint to see'.  
4) My initial sense was that I lost a little bit of depth to the soundstage.  The percussion rear/left of the SS didn't seem set as far back, but I may have been imagining this.
5) I also have a Jitterbug.  When I add this either in parallel or series, transients become less pronounced (softer) and the entire soundstage shifts back (increased depth).  I need to listen further to determine if this is something I like, particularly the softer transients.  The Jitterbug by itself is definitely less of a WOW vs. the Regen.

I have a modest computer setup and I am still navigating my way into computer audio.  MacBook Pro (battery) /SS HD/Audirvana Plus/Generic USB Cable.

Pal...sounds like I have a lot of room to improve.  What is encouraging is that I noticed a difference with the Regen right out of the box.

I didn't have a lot of time last weekend to listen, so hopefully I can squeeze in a few hours this weekend to solidify my observations.  I want to focus a little more on the Regen + Jitterbug.  My initial preference was Regen alone vs. the combination.

Does anyone notice a difference in volume with the Regen in the signal path?

I didn't notice any volume difference, but that said, we've heard an apparent volume difference when we've swapped from a $30 digital cable to a $350 digital cable. So *something* is going on there. I too would chalk it up to clarity and blacker background making it sound louder.

I have my regen in with the solid cord all the time now. It's drooping, but I'm going to cut a nice wood block for it to rest on. I did order that battery mentioned above, but it's coming on a slow boat from Hong Kong. I probalby could have made something in the mean time, but I figure I'll just be patient.

I didn't order a Jitterbug - they were sold out each time I looked to get one, and I'm kinda broke right now. Though it is my birthday in two weeks, so maybe I'll sell something to buy something. Crap, I need new tubes...I've plum wore-out my power tubes on the ZMA. Two years is way too long for me to be beating on them. I also have a preamp tube that's going. Time to offer to sweep floors and sling solder at Decware to afford a tube replacement!

I have been listening casually this evening...streaming Tidal via my computer.   The Regen seems to make Tidal less harsh.  More specifically, it seems to reduce glare/hash in the highs.  For reference, I am streaming Tidal via wireless, web browser only, without an audio shell (e.g. Amarra Tidal).  Prior to the Regen, Tidal was only tolerable for short durations and needed to be either turned down or off.  While not reference quality (yet), I can now listen to Tidal without fatigue.  Encouraging.        

This evening, my gut reaction to adding the Jitterbug is a slight loss of dynamics and transient detail.  This echoes my previous reaction when listening critically last weekend.

More to come...

Another Jitterbug review:

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/blog/audioquest_jitterbug.htm

PS- even though I doubt the Regen will make an improvement on the SOtM USB audio card in my Auraliti PK90 (powered by a Linear PSU), I ordered one to try out.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/11/next-level-usb-audio-with-uptone-regen...

Stereophile JA's measurements of the Regen:

http://www.stereophile.com/content/uptone-audio-usb-regen-measurements#Xvo60FfZ5...

Also, per the stereophile measurements, he's the second person to observe no difference via measurements in the analogue outputs on the DAC.  

Given that literally thousands of people hear a difference, me thinks they are not measuring what is causing the reported difference.

Or maybe this is similar to how so many people report seeing bigfoot and describing the creature in a similar fashion.  Or describe aliens.

Anyway, I will continue to enjoy hearing what can't be measured.

Not much sanity in this hobby

I think uptone didn't help themselves when they said they would measure then they didn't.  Then they said that it would take expensive test equipment with lower jitter than the DAC.  I'll try to find the link.

I doubt there are tests that could show how decware amps do what they do but here I am.  Imaging for example?  Air?  Dimensionality?  Size of soundstage?  What electrical test can measure that?  I suppose you can measure noise and odd/even harmonics and deduce from those measures that you can achieve some of those attributes in their presence or absence.  

Until such measurements come about I will stick to my ears backed up by the high-precision lonely Raven and/or Proggrob test.

"Measuring the signal integrity of the USB signal is something fairly easy to do with a 3–4GHz scope and an eye-pattern test. Jitter measurements are a lot harder[;] at the exceedingly low level we are looking at[,] it takes some rather expensive test equipment."

http://www.stereophile.com/content/uptone-audio-usb-regen-manufacturers-comment#...

Quote:


Again, why make all these detailed claims then explain why you can't prove it with this lame excuse?
Lots of independent test labs out there that can do it and you don't have to buy the equipment.
I've been designing electronic equipment for 30+ years and no company I ever worked for has been able to (or needed to) afford all the equipment required to test some parameter we needed to meet.
I say again, just say it sounds better if it does.
Audiophiles will follow that and try it.
At this point I would say they have sold enough to be able to afford to have an independent lab do the testing if they really wanted to.

Core32,

Great post!

As should you!

I am curious though.  Have you had an opportunity to hear the regen?