Jump to content
IGNORED

REGEN Amber Impressions


Recommended Posts

Forgive me for starting another thread, but figured we could focus on impressions and tips.

 

Got home from a trip last night and AR had been delivered. Plugged it in and set the Aries on repeat to burn in a bit. Made a really cool support (pic).

 

Initial impression is consistent with better clarity and bass articulation. Will get around to A/B later. Set the VEGA to exact mode and no skips - have not had that work before. In the other room now and Ringo's bass drum is kicking like I have not noticed before.

 

ImageUploadedByComputer Audiophile1434060248.232551.jpg

 

Playback chain is Aries>AQ Diamond>Regen>solid USB>VEGA

Link to comment

I'll bite. I just received my REGEN amber yesterday, and I am enthralled. Following advice by others here, I listened to some old favorites like Miles Davis: Kind of Blue and Bill Evans' Village Vanguard recordings, and I just couldn't turn them off, even though I've listened to them both a thousand times before, they sounded fresh and new and compelling. I also did a "stress test" by playing a flute ensemble album of Henry Threadgill's and, by Gum, it was actually listenable! I also have noted some of the improved bass performance that the REGEN amber is said to impart. I have much more to explore, but I will wrap this up by saying that the addition of the REGEN has sparked me to want to listen to my entire collection of music, enthusiastically, to hear what it might uncover. I am not a fan boy and tend to be skeptical of various tweaky improvements, but the REGEN really has made a difference, and I say this based on how much it makes me want to explore my music library and hear what it does.

 

MI0000141950 (1).jpg

 

(Crazy all-flute recording that proves the REGEN can tame a wild beast)

Link to comment

Tpiddy looks like you have Merlin's w/ pic of that Bam. Isn't the Bass nice? Great definition

Russ

27x17x10 Golden Ratio room,EtherRegen>Melco N1A EX H60 server/streamer >T+A Dac 200>Coda CsIB > Paradigm Personas 5f, Combak Harmonica Footers, Townshend Podiums, Custom swarm sub system , Iconoclast 4x4 UPOCC XLR cable, Townshend F1 Fractal speaker cables  SoTM dBl7 Ethernet cable, Puritan 156, Farad 3 LPS,  Synergistic, Audience,and Triode wire labs power cabling ,Stillpoints, SR fuses,GIK Slatfusors

 

 

Link to comment
Tpiddy looks like you have Merlin's w/ pic of that Bam. Isn't the Bass nice? Great definition

Russ

 

They are Merlin MXM's and yes very nice and articulate bass. The BAM presents an easy load to the amplifier and is a good match for my 22 watt SET...

 

Spent time listening with the REGEN Amber in the system and I am very impressed. Things in familiar recording that were there before, but now are really obvious and this lends a sense of realism that is spooky (good spooky, but I was finding myself looking around). I listened to Uncle Tupelo's Sandusky and there is a guitar that comes in about half way through the song and has always stood out a bit, but now you can hear very clearly that it was recorded n a different acoustic.

 

Not sure this counts as a measurement, but close as I can get - without the REGEN I could not use exact clock mode on my VEGA DAC (skips and drop outs) and with the REGEN it works with everything I tried (44.1, 96 & 192, 64 & 128 DSD.

 

Like others, I can see no sense to do an A/B. If there are any negatives to discover they will be outweighed by the positives.

Link to comment
Tpiddy looks like you have Merlin's w/ pic of that Bam. Isn't the Bass nice? Great definition

Russ

 

Just FIY:

You guys know that the Merlins use film-and-foil MusiCaps in their crossovers? I've been producing (well, a specialized winding house does them to spec and with leads I provide) and selling MusiCaps--to high-end speaker and electronics OEMs and DIY distributors--continuously since 1988 (prior to 2010 as Hovland MusiCaps). Most of the BAM modules also use them.

 

Bobby at Merlin is a great guy and we go waaaay back--to when CES was in the smoke filled Sarhara (in the same building as the "adult video" exhibits; those "exhibits" were what really brought the attendees--at least the lecherous, drunk ones;)). THOSE were the bad old days of high-end audio. Guess I'm showing my age...

Link to comment
Just FIY:

You guys know that the Merlins use film-and-foil MusiCaps in their crossovers? I've been producing (well, a specialized winding house does them to spec and with leads I provide) and selling MusiCaps--to high-end speaker and electronics OEMs and DIY distributors--continuously since 1988 (prior to 2010 as Hovland MusiCaps). Most of the BAM modules also use them.

 

Bobby at Merlin is a great guy and we go waaaay back--to when CES was in the smoke filled Sarhara (in the same building as the "adult video" exhibits; those "exhibits" were what really brought the attendees--at least the lecherous, drunk ones;)). THOSE were the bad old days of high-end audio. Guess I'm showing my age...

 

Bobby is a great guy and not surprised to hear you get along well - your energy and enjoyment are similar. Merlins and the REGEN seem to be a match too - both excel in realism and transparency.

 

The CES mix when the shows crossed was pretty entertaining - people watching at the airport was memorable...

Link to comment
... selling MusiCaps--to high-end speaker and electronics OEMs and DIY distributors--continuously since 1988...

 

Alex,

 

Did you have any relationship with Richard Marsh ? I initially learned the importance of capacitor type from his letters and articles in the old Audio Amateur mag.

 

And now I need to get in contact with him, re: a blown channel in my A400s. So far no response to my inquiry from the marshsounddesign.com site contact...

Link to comment

Well I got home before any local audiophiles stole the Regen from my "doorstep". I installed it in my system, using the solid adapter, and began listening. Right away I could hear this was something special. I didn't know what to expect, given I already have an SoTM card in my CAPS server, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

 

There's more of everything. Clarity, bass, separation of instruments, and realism. I've only been listening for an hour or so, but I want to keep listening. A sure sign that the Regen is doing its job. I've had my disappointments with audio equipment over the years, but I can tell you this one doesn't disappoint one bit. And it doesn't cost thousands of dollars.

 

Thanks Alex and John. Fantastic product!

 

Colin

Link to comment

Hi TPiddy, a bit off-topic here, but the idea of using a block of paper as part of your support solution is just great. You can fine tune the total height of the support by simply ripping off individual sheets of paper. Thanks for that!

Link to comment

Think they be Sonic Stabilisers there as well?

macmini M1>ethernet / elgar iso tran(2.5kVa, .0005pfd)>consonance pw-3 boards>ghent ethernet(et linkway cat8 jssg360)>etherRegen(js-2)>ghent ethernet(et linkway cat8 jssg360) >ultraRendu (clones lpsu>lps1.2)>curious regen link>rme adi-2 dac(js-2)>cawsey cables>naquadria sp2 passive pre> 1.naquadria lucien mkII.5 power>elac fs249be + elac 4pi plus.2> 2.perreaux9000b(mods)>2x naquadria 12” passive subs.

Link to comment
Hi TPiddy, a bit off-topic here, but the idea of using a block of paper as part of your support solution is just great. You can fine tune the total height of the support by simply ripping off individual sheets of paper. Thanks for that!

 

Guys, be careful with regen support choice if you are giving a thought to components support/isolation issue. The same rule applies here. I believe regen responds to different types of support system/material as any other critical component.

Link to comment
Guys, be careful with regen support choice if you are giving a thought to components support/isolation issue. The same rule applies here. I believe regen responds to different types of support system/material as any other critical component.

 

I agree, and hang my Regen/USB cable with a couple of Velcro cable straps and a rubber band, from a small plastic spring clamp on the back of the shelf above.

 

I didn't want to override my vibration control system either. And it was so easy :)

Link to comment

I was just concerned with the weight hanging off the USB input of the DAC and fashioned a temp solution and the post its are super handy (the diamond cable is already a bit heavy on its own). I would guess that "proper" isolation will yield benefit, but will worry about that later - the experience has been so positive that I can let the tweaks wait :)

 

My neighbor is an audio engineer and a woodworker, so we will get our geek on at some point.

Link to comment

Even with all the rave reviews that I've read about the REGEN, after receiving and installing mine I'm absolutely stunned by the level of improvement it provides. Mine is connected from a laptop PC which has been optimized as a dedicated music server running into the Bricasti M1 DAC. I'm using the Oyaide Continental 5S USB Cable on the input side and the solid USB adapter provided directly into the M1. I also have a PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport (PWT) which I use as an alternative source for PCM file playback up to 24/192 via the AES/EBU DAC input.

 

Before adding the REGEN I greatly preferred the sound quality of files played back from the PWT compared to the same files played via USB from the laptop running JRiver. They had a fuller and more natural quality to them, it wasn't hard to choose a preference between them. Since I can only play DSD files via JRiver on the laptop I was less than thrilled with their sound quality. After adding the REGEN it's an entirely different story, as all file types sourced via USB now sound superb! There is a newly discovered quality that I can best describe as being effortless, relaxed, and very musically engaging.

 

Yes you can say that the bass is clearer, the midrange smoother, the highs much cleaner, more extended and have greater sparkle (more similar to analog playback.) However the improvement from the REGEN is really much more significant than that, as it just adds an overall level of refinement that was previously missing. It's difficult to put into words but easily heard without the need for any lengthy A/B comparisons, it's really just that obvious.

 

Easily and by far the biggest bang for the buck improvement I've ever heard in my many years of listening. If I spent many thousands of dollars more on a new DAC and heard this level of sonic gains I would be happy, but for only $175 this is value beyond comprehension. Great work John and Alex, my sincere thanks for bringing out this fine product and at such a reasonable price! Keep it up, as you have set the expectations very high for your future products.

Link to comment

I neglected to mention how easy it was to install the REGEN. After connecting it as described in the instructions I booted my PC. The PC automatically recognized the new USB hub and installed a new driver for it. It then instructed me to reboot and that was it. From that point there was nothing more I had to do - no setting changes in JRiver, no manual loading of other drivers, nothing else at all was required. I wish more PC hardware was so painless to install.

Link to comment

Damn it, Bill - you're sending expectation bias through the roof!!

 

... If I can't get a selfie with Jimi after his set at Woodstock, I'll be spewing ?

TF cards - USB  -> GentooPlayer in RAM on Rpi4b, Ian’s PurePi II, FIFO Q7, HDMI-pro  -> Audio GD R-27 -> S.A.T. Infinity monoblocks -> Gallo Stradas + TR-3 sub / Erzetich Phobos

Link to comment

Long days of agony ahead... I am condemned to read all raving impressions about Regen when my REGEN is currently in San Francisco. Such a long way to arrive here in Italy.

« Information is not knowledge / Knowledge is not wisdom / Wisdom is not truth / Truth is not beauty / Beauty is not love / Love is not music / MUSIC IS THE BEST. » FZ

Link to comment
Long days of agony ahead... I am condemned to read all raving impressions about Regen when my REGEN is currently in San Francisco. Such a long way to arrive here in Italy.

 

+1

Worst, mine is not even in production yet. July, to be delivered by August if brazilian customs helps.

Audio system: APL Streamer-> APL DSD-MR MK2 DAC -> Audiopax Maggiore L50 Pre and M100 Monoblocks -> Tidal Contriva G2 speakers

Link to comment
+1

Worst, mine is not even in production yet. July, to be delivered by August if brazilian customs helps.

 

Sorry about the wait. But don't feel too bad, July production of 300 just sold out and today I will change the web notice and confirmation e- mails to indicate that new orders won't ship until early-August. I'm scaling this up as fast as can guys! ;)

Link to comment
Just FIY:

You guys know that the Merlins use film-and-foil MusiCaps in their crossovers? I've been producing (well, a specialized winding house does them to spec and with leads I provide) and selling MusiCaps--to high-end speaker and electronics OEMs and DIY distributors--continuously since 1988 (prior to 2010 as Hovland MusiCaps). Most of the BAM modules also use them..

 

Sorry for being off topic, but part of what Alex is referring to are the pretty blue parts I put in those BAM things.... :-)

 

SuperBAM-1.jpg

 

The Regen Amber is a amazing little device. I have not had a lot of time to spend listening to it, but clearly better in weight and texture in the bass than the green (which could leave some recordings sounding a bit thin though with improved clarity) which results in me for a very clear and tonally balanced result.

---------------

Rich Brkich

Owner, Signature Sound

Liverpool, New York USA

Website: http://www.sigsound.com

FaceBook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Signature.Sound.HiFi

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...