ISO REGEN launch thread! (product web page up; photos, etc.)

[octaviars]

2 minutes ago, Tone Deaf said:

 

Ayre QB-9 DSD - see signature for full system details.  IMO the QB-9 is better with PCM than with DSD.

 

No upsampling.  Played with it a number of times, but didn't perceive any benefits with my system.

 

Thanks for your answer.

[No Disc]

On 7/7/2017 at 6:46 AM, spacexpert said:

Sigh.  I wonder if a micro USPCB is on the cards?  Perhaps not enough demand?  I'd love to place my ISO REGEN closer to my Hugo2.

+ 1

[R1200CL]

12 hours ago, octaviars said:

I have a question regarding using an ISO Regen between a computer and DAC.

 

First my plan was to run something like a microRendu as Roon endpoint and be done with that but then Roon launched ROCK and I plan to build a NUC7i7 to run that. So my qustion is how much more performance will I get runing a microRendu to my DAC vs. just using the USB on the NUC and run that to a ISO Regen? I know Roon recomends to use endpoints with their RAAT but with the ISO Regen perhaps this does not matter that the audio output is on the computer motherboard?

 

Loking at the pictures of what a ISO Regen does to the USB signal does it really matter what the signal comes from?

 

I think a SonicTransporter i5 may serve you better than ROCK. Why purchase a noisy PC, with less options.... 

 

The SonicTransporter allows you to do USB direct as well. ( I suppose ROCK can do to, just verify), so you can use ISO Regen direct. 

 

Since I own all these products, I will test later, but my guess is that you will be very happy to start withe the ISO regen and a LPS-1. Which more or less comply/answer your last sentence. 

 

But we may soon have st start discussing how well your DAC or DCC handle that perfect USB signal as well ?

 

I just exchanged my F1 with a modified SU-1, and that did a lot in my setup. 

And I still have left to feed the SU-1 with an LPS-1. 

 

 

 

And 

[octaviars]

43 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

 

I think a SonicTransporter i5 may serve you better than ROCK. Why purchase a noisy PC, with less options.... 

 

The SonicTransporter allows you to do USB direct as well. ( I suppose ROCK can do to, just verify), so you can use ISO Regen direct. 

 

Since I own all these products, I will test later, but my guess is that you will be very happy to start withe the ISO regen and a LPS-1. Which more or less comply/answer your last sentence. 

 

But we may soon have st start discussing how well your DAC or DCC handle that perfect USB signal as well ?

 

I just exchanged my F1 with a modified SU-1, and that did a lot in my setup. 

And I still have left to feed the SU-1 with an LPS-1. 

 

 

 

And 

 

A sonicTransport is still a computer please do explain why you think that it has less noisy than a NUC? 

 

Roon ROCK will work with USB out from the NUC. 

 

My plan is not to get crazy and have tons of boxes I would like to keep it simple. I have not yet decided what path I will choose. When my dac arrives I will try some different products with it to see if I will use the USB input or any of the others.

[octaviars]

1 hour ago, R1200CL said:

 

I think a SonicTransporter i5 may serve you better than ROCK. Why purchase a noisy PC, with less options.... 

 

The SonicTransporter allows you to do USB direct as well. ( I suppose ROCK can do to, just verify), so you can use ISO Regen direct. 

 

Since I own all these products, I will test later, but my guess is that you will be very happy to start withe the ISO regen and a LPS-1. Which more or less comply/answer your last sentence. 

 

But we may soon have st start discussing how well your DAC or DCC handle that perfect USB signal as well ?

 

I just exchanged my F1 with a modified SU-1, and that did a lot in my setup. 

And I still have left to feed the SU-1 with an LPS-1. 

 

 

 

And 

 

I suppose you mean noise from the fan in a NUC? In my previous post I was more thinking of electrical noise.

 

I dont need to have the NUC in the same room even if I run USB to my DAC as I have access to the back of my rack from the room behind it so fan noise is not a issue. 

[R1200CL]

2 hours ago, octaviars said:

I suppose you mean noise from the fan in a NUC?

Yes

[R1200CL]

3 hours ago, octaviars said:

A sonicTransport is still a computer please do explain why you think that it has less noisy than a NUC? 

 

https://www.audiostream.com/content/intel-nuc-sonictransporter-tale-two-mini-computers-running-roon-core

 

You maybe can change the HD on the SonicTransporter and install ROCK. 

 

I have a project ongoing that maybe, and and say only maybe, you will be able to power a SonicTransporter from 2 LPS-1.

 

There is of cause no logical reason to expect the SonicTransporter to perform better with a dual LPS-1 ?

 

[scan80269]

None of the NUCs are fanless, but the fan noise levels differ a lot depending on the exact NUC model.

 

For example, the NUC6i7KYK Skull Canyon is by far the noisiest with a 45W i7-6770HQ mobile Skylake CPU inside.  At the opposite end, my NUC6CAYS (with Celeron J3455 Apollo Lake CPU) has a fan running so quiet that I have to press an ear against the case top to hear it.  Most of the other NUCs, such as NUC5i5MYBE, NUC6i5SYH, or NUC7i5BNH are somewhere in between in terms of fan noise, and are usually audible enough to disqualify them from being in the listening room.

 

I'm preparing to transplant the motherboard of my NUC6i7KYK into an Akasa Galactico fanless case, as the fan noise is intolerable in any room even for non-audio purposes.  I'm hoping this NUC can support HQPlayer upsampling my music library to DSD512 (it's looking encouraging with a few adjustments in place).

 

My NUC6CAYS is being used as NAA for HQPlayer, and its quietness allows it a place next to one of my DACs.

 

Over the past 2 years, I have installed several NUCs into Akasa fanless chassis to use as silent NAS or NAA.  My main music NAS is a D54250WYB NUC board in an Akasa Newton case, along with a couple of Samsung SSDs.  It runs Windows Server 2012 R2 and MinimServer, and sips just 4.3W of AC power when idling.  Absolutely one of the best things I've done for distributing digital audio within my home.

 

[ElviaCaprice]

If you use an embedded low power NUC or Pico-ITX, you can power it with 2 LPS-1's and no fan.  My current Jetway NUC is such and it only cost me $100 total, EBAY used.  Works great with Windows 10 JRiver.  You don't need anything more for bit perfect playback.  It even does most video well.

 I am waiting on a Paul Hynes SR7 12V to power my server along with my DAC, although 2 LPS'1's would work for either.  Just more cost effective and better with the Paul Hynes. 

Here I posted some shots of it.

 

 

[jamesg11]

On 08/07/2017 at 2:21 AM, Superdad said:

 

I do, among other DACs.  I'll measure again with calipers when I have time.

I ended up investing in a 'special' Curious usb cable for the iso regen to idsd connect; a bit dearer than usual cost. So, macmini/ js2 - uspbc - iso regen/lps1/clones psu - curious - idsd.

Sounds way better than earlier setup.

 

Bet another uspbc 'idsd' version would be better again!

[No Disc]

If I have an Mac Mini resting on desk in standard horizontal position.  Which USPCB orientation do I want if plugging into the ISO REGEN?   Standard or Rotated?  For me it's a bit confusing since I cannot see the USB B plug in any of the photos.   I ordered the standard, but it was just a guess.  

[octaviars]

1 hour ago, No Disc said:

If I have an Mac Mini with the horizontal USB ports, which USPCB orientation do I want if plugging into the ISO REGEN.   Standard or Rotated?

 

Are you not better of placing the ISO regen at your DAC and use the USPCB there and run a cable to your Mac mini. 

[No Disc]

1 minute ago, octaviars said:

 

Are you not better of placing the ISO regen at your DAC and use the USPCB there and run a cable to your Mac mini. 

 

2012 Mac Mini > USPCB > ISO Regen > Curious Cable > Chord DAC

 

That will be my setup.  

[octaviars]

4 minutes ago, No Disc said:

 

2012 Mac Mini > USPCB > ISO Regen > Curious Cable > Chord DAC

 

That will be my setup.  

 

Dont mind my asking but why do you want to place a cable after the ISO regen? I thougt the main purpose was to keep it as close to the DAC as possible and use the USPCB between ISO regen and DAC so impedance match is keept at it's best. 

[No Disc]

1 minute ago, octaviars said:

 

Dont mind my asking but why do you want to place a cable after the ISO regen? I thougt the main purpose was to keep it as close to the DAC as possible and use the USPCB between ISO regen and DAC so impedance match is keept at it's best. 

 

No Choice, until Alex makes a USB connector to fit the Micro USB connector on the Chord. 

[octaviars]

1 minute ago, No Disc said:

 

No Choice, until Alex makes a USB connector to fit the Micro USB connector on the Chord. 

 

Ok I see, did not think that the input on the DAC was the problem

[No Disc]

41 minutes ago, octaviars said:

 

Ok I see, did not think that the input on the DAC was the problem

 

I just found this little one.  I this I will get one and compare to my Curious cable.  

 

[R1200CL]

11 hours ago, scan80269 said:

Akasa fanless chassis

 

Here is a nice alternative http://atechfabrication.com/

[R1200CL]

3 hours ago, No Disc said:

 

I just found this little one.  I this I will get one and compare to my Curious cable.  

 

 

Don't need female on the normal USB side ?

 

http://www.dx.com/p/usb-female-to-micro-usb-male-adapter-connector-113791#.WWIVYiA8yhA

 

Or this one one is more correct:

 

http://www.dx.com/p/mini-usb-5-pin-male-to-usb-a-female-adapter-26783#.WWIWGiA8yhA

 

(just ordered one myself for my Explorer2 DAC)

[No Disc]

2 hours ago, R1200CL said:

 

Don't need female on the normal USB side ?

 

http://www.dx.com/p/usb-female-to-micro-usb-male-adapter-connector-113791#.WWIVYiA8yhA

 

Or this one one is more correct:

 

http://www.dx.com/p/mini-usb-5-pin-male-to-usb-a-female-adapter-26783#.WWIWGiA8yhA

 

(just ordered one myself for my Explorer2 DAC)

 

No, if going from the ISO Regen, then need a male Micro USB to fit the Chord DAC. 

[kennyb123]

4 hours ago, No Disc said:

 

No, if going from the ISO Regen, then need a male Micro USB to fit the Chord DAC. 

 

This is what I used when I had a Mojo:

 

http://www.audioquest.com/usb-optical-adaptors/usb-b-to-micro-b-adaptor

 

Feed the USPCB into this and you should be good to go. 

[mozes]

15 minutes ago, kennyb123 said:

 

This is what I used when I had a Mojo:

 

http://www.audioquest.com/usb-optical-adaptors/usb-b-to-micro-b-adaptor

 

Feed the USPCB into this and you should be good to go. 

It will be interesting to compare if this is better than a short usb cable like the Curious Hugo link

[kennyb123]

I've been having an occasionally-occurring issue since adding the ISO REGEN.  Occasionally - like maybe once a week - Roon won't be responsive and I'll find a "No Audio Devices" message.   After restarting the microRendu, the DAC Diagnostics page will show no DAC found, so I'll have to cycle power on the ISO REGEN. That gets me back to playing music.

 

Last week I got my first hint as to the cause.  Upon leaving the bathroom adjacent to my listening room, I powered off the light and fan switches in that room.  Music immediately stopped playing and Roon could find no audio devices.  It happened again today.  I got the music started again and tried to reproduce the problem.  As I turned off the fan, music stopped playing again.  Odd.

 

This never occurred before adding the ISO REGEN, so I imagine the isolation it provides may make my configuration more sensitive to the energy emitted when turning off that fan.  It must be airborne as my system is on its own dedicated circuit.  The ISO REGEN is powered by an LPS-1 and the microRendu is powered off the JS-2.

 

No biggie as I use of that fan is optional.  I'm just reporting in case others encounter it.  

[kennyb123]

23 minutes ago, mozes said:

It will be interesting to compare if this is better than a short usb cable like the Curious Hugo link

 

The advantage of that AQ adapter, obviously, is that any cable can be used.  

 

With my Mojo, I found that I preferred my Audience USB to the Curious Link (both cables used with that particular adapter in place.

 

Fast forward to the present and no need to use that adapter with my current DAC (Hugo TT).  I find that I prefer the USPCB to the Audience USB.  So based on extrapolation, I suspect USPCB plus AQ adapter will easily beat the Curious Hugo link - but that's based on my preferences.  Given the affordability of both the AQ adapter and the USPCB, it's not a big reach to for one to let their own ears decide.

[mozes]

8 minutes ago, kennyb123 said:

 

The advantage of that AQ adapter, obviously, is that any cable can be used.  

 

With my Mojo, I found that I preferred my Audience USB to the Curious Link (both cables used with that particular adapter in place.

 

Fast forward to the present and no need to use that adapter with my current DAC (Hugo TT).  I find that I prefer the USPCB to the Audience USB.  So based on extrapolation, I suspect USPCB plus AQ adapter will easily beat the Curious Hugo link - but that's based on my preferences.  Given the affordability of both the AQ adapter and the USPCB, it's not a big reach to for one to let their own ears decide.

Same result with me, USPCB is much better than Curious Regen link.