Regen and USB Converters

[Nikhil]

I have been asked by a friend who has a Berkeley Alpha converter, if the Regen would make a difference to his setup. In theory I know that John Swenson mentioned that the Regen will improve the SI but has anyone on here used a Regen with a USB Converter like the Berkley or Hiface Evo? Have the results been as good as for those of us with USB DACs?

 

With a USB DAC the Regen would sit right at the DAC USB port so no doubt the Regen will help improve things. With a USB converter, the Regen is going to be on the converter's USB port with the converter then feeding the DAC via SPDIF. Both the BADA and HiFace Evo have separate power and supply a fresh clock so I was wondering of the extent of the change in sound quality possible with the USB Regen in such setups.

[Superdad]

I have been asked by a friend who has a Berkeley Alpha converter, if the Regen would make a difference to his setup. In theory I know that John Swenson mentioned that the Regen will improve the SI but has anyone on here used a Regen with a USB Converter like the Berkley or Hiface Evo? Have the results been as good as for those of us with USB DACs?

 

With a USB DAC the Regen would sit right at the DAC USB port so no doubt the Regen will help improve things. With a USB converter, the Regen is going to be on the converter's USB port with the converter then feeding the DAC via SPDIF. Both the BADA and HiFace Evo have separate power and supply a fresh clock so I was wondering of the extent of the change in sound quality possible with the USB Regen in such setups.

 

Hi Nikhil:

Yes, there are a great many REGEN owners using it with considerable success into various USB>S/PDIF converters. Those converters have the same PHY chips and USB processors as DACs do (only their output is an S/PDIF signal instead of an I2S signal), so they are still quite susceptible to variances in signal integrity at their inputs.

 

Here is a sampling of posts by users of what are three among the best USB>S/PDIF converters on the market (the Hydra, the Berkeley Alpha, and the Audiophileo):

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/uptone-audio-regen-listening-impressions-24078/index37.html#post447013

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/uptone-audio-regen-listening-impressions-24078/index12.html#post425590

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/uptone-regen-and-your-digital-analogue-converter-what-digital-analogue-converter-do-you-use-24410/index15.html#post451246

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/uptone-regen-and-your-digital-analogue-converter-what-digital-analogue-converter-do-you-use-24410/index15.html#post453275

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/uptone-regen-and-your-digital-analogue-converter-what-digital-analogue-converter-do-you-use-24410/#post424379

[satfrat]

The Regen with the supplied MeanWell SMPS does wonders for my Empirical Audio Off-Ramp 3 USB processor. Because of the additional clarity gains, I'm finally able to crank up the volume an additional 8-10 db into headbanging range without listeners fatigue. Fact is I just can't appreciate much of my good hard rock without that volume. Thanks to the Regen, that issue is now a nonissue.

 

But down the road, I would like to upgrade the MeanWell so to get the most out of what the Regen has to offer. I think there's a couple more db's in the Regen to be realized,

 

I'll also add that I ordered my Regen after talking to another member who had his Regen connected with positive results to an Empirical Off-Ramp 5, Steve Nugent's latest USB converter, but soon to be replaced with the Off-Ramp 6.

[Nikhil]

Thanks Alex! The links are exactly what I was looking for.

 

Satfrat thanks for weighing in with your Off Ramp experience. I used the MeanWell for about a month before adding the HDPlex LPS and the improvement was very noticeable. The LPS was a tough purchase for me because of the price in comparison to the Regen. After plugging the HDPlex in it was a no brainer. However as we all say ... YMMV.

[orgel]

I used the MeanWell for about a month before adding the HDPlex LPS and the improvement was very noticeable. The LPS was a tough purchase for me because of the price in comparison to the Regen. After plugging the HDPlex in it was a no brainer. However as we all say ... YMMV.

 

Nikhil, are you referring to this LPS?

 

--David

[Nikhil]

Nikhil, are you referring to this LPS?

 

--David

 

 

David, yes that's the one.

[Lancelock]

My Regen arrived a couple of days ago. I have a little burn in time on it now and I must say it's quite an improvement using it in between my PC and my Berkley Alpha USB device. Well worth the small investment, in fact the biggest bang for the buck amongst tweaks I've ever experienced.