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

[wwaldmanfan]

6 minutes ago, drjimwillie said:

 I have three questions for a reality check please  

 I have a caps pipeline within HD Plex ATX LPS  which means that everything in my computer including the SOTM USB card get clean power.   I have a shunyata USB cable connected to an eastern electric mini max DAC supreme.  All of my components are plugged in to a Shunyata hydra. 

1.  Would the ISO regen help me?

2.  Would it defeat the ground isolation if I powered it with my HD Plex ATX ?

3.  Slightly off-topic,  I am assuming that with my set up a micro Rendu would not be a benefit is this correct?

 What do you suggest I do, please. 

 Thank you 

Bill

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[satfrat]

8 hours ago, R1200CL said:

 

You may tell us a little how your setup is. As the LPS-1 won't help you much unless it's feeding something. 

 

But for sure you should use your money on the ISO regen, if you today run only a USB cable between your PC and DAC.

 

 

Sure, my source is a week old HAL MS-3 music server w/Windows 10 feeding a Regen/Meanwell SMPS to an Empirical Off Ramp 3 USB Converter which in turn feeds via Crystal Cable digital cable to a modified Havana 44.1 khz Dac. My whole 15,000+ library iis all 44.1 khz is that's as far as I'll be going it in my declining lifetime. My whole a/v system's foundation is on a dedicated circuit into a Pi Audio UberBuss that feeds a BPT 2400w balanced power conditioner. I have Acoustic Revive RGC-24 Grounding Devices on all my components which has me questioning the need for the isolation aspects of the ISO Regen other than the ISO Regen itself is a better build. What I do have are tons of SMPS's in my system, from the Regen itself to the hard drives, powered RCA cables, the HAL MS-3 mini-pc itself. This all doesn't seem to affect my system like some folks, maybe because all the SMPS's are on power strips to a separate circuit from my system's dedicated circuit.

 

So my gut feeling is my system would see the most improvement from the LPS-1 for my Regen. I would be interested in comparing the LPS-1 between both Regens but given the choice of purchasing 1 component, I think I'd go with the more expensive LPS-1 but ask Alex if I could audition the ISO Regen at the same time in my system for future consideration. The HAL MS-3 set me back some so I can't afford anything for the foreseeable future anyways.

 

The bottom line here is the Regen w/Meanwell SMPS transformed my PC audio into a non-fatiguing system when I had my 2002 HTPC and now that I have a dedicated for 'music use only' fanless mini-pc music server, things have only gotten better. I have no pressing need for either Uptone Audio component but,,,,, well you know how that usually plays out.

 

Robin

[R1200CL]

1 hour ago, satfrat said:

So my gut feeling is my system would see the most improvement from the LPS-1 for my Regen.

 

My feeling is sell the regen asap ?

Order the ISO regen !

 

Then later order two (or 3) LPS-1 for powering your Empirical Off Ramp 3 USB Converter, (and the possible the ISO regen) 

 

Or sell that Empirical Off Ramp 3 USB Converter, and use a Singxer F1, and use the rest of the money on a LPS-1....

[JohnSwenson]

Several days ago I mentioned that I had no way currently to listen to the ISO REGEN that Alex sent me, well that has changed!

 

I was very annoyed at not being able to listen to this so I got on to Amazon and orederd an inexpensive DAC so I could try out the ISO REGEN. My sister had sent me an Amazon gift card, I had to use it , right?

 

I finally settled on the Micca OriGen+ DAC. It came in two days ago, I hooked it up to the SBT and it was recognized right away, no problems. I was very relieved because I was concerned the LPS-1 would not be able to power both the SBT and DAC. Well it worked fine. I wanted to let it burn in for a day before listening much, so I just listened enough to properly set levels etc and walked away.

 

Yesterday I started listening to it plugged in directly to the SBT. It was kind of interesting, it has better bass, but it wasn't as "open", the subtleties, intonation etc were not quite as good as the SBT.

 

Then on to the ISO REGEN. Well I couldn't do it, I just had one LPS-1 and I didn't have a different supply to run the SBT. So I cobbled together a Y cable with both 2.1 and 2.5 on the ends (using the Canare starquad of course), and set the LPS-1 to 5V (for the SBT, it is famous for getting fried at higher voltages), but that meant the ISO REGEN was running at 5V, which means the VBUS regulator feeding the DAC was not regulating.

 

Well I plugged it all in and turned it on and the SBT just started playing music. With the USB REGEN I had to do an extra reboot to get the SBT to figure out that the DAC was behind a hub, but with the ISO REGEN it just worked right off.

 

Well it was a big difference, the sound was so "smooth", edginess that I didn't even know was there, was now gone. But the ambiance, reverberation etc was not where it should be. So I left it alone for several hours, came back and was blown away!

 

It is still smooth, but not in a bad way, the artificial edginess is all gone and the music is just there. This is phenomenal performance from a $109 DAC. The music is just there, there is no "sound" to listen to. I'm pretty darned impressed with what this little thing did with an inexpensive DAC..

 

Alex said the production version was significantly better than the prototype, he was right. I'm not quite exactly sure why, the prototype had an ESD chip tack soldered on with very tiny wires, and it is now connected with proper impedance traces, that is about the only thing I can think of.

 

Well anyway, back to listen to music.

 

John S.

[Superdad]

The 250 production ISO REGEN boards arrived today!  Now I can lock them up in a vault and head to Hawaii! 

 

Have been spending days lining up parts and logistics for the early-June second batch, and nights trying to reply to some of the 100+ e-mails that have been tormenting me.    Impossible to beat back that tide.  Always happy to answer the easy questions or the logistical requests--those get replied to first.  But for those folks who write a half dozen paragraphs asking about the benefits of this or that permutation of their system...sorry, those are going to linger in my inbox for another week or so.   All the unanswerable questions is what the forums are for!

 

The USPCB boards are also here.  They are really tiny and cute!  I had to revise down--by a lot--the size of the heat shrink tubing we are having custom cut and printed.

 

A few more hours of work to go and then it's SURF'S UP!

In preparation, I bust a "hang-60", dead-REGEN surfboard!  (Photoshopping courtesy of our computer-wiz son.)  Why did I make this thing?  You'll have to guess...

(Out of over 3900 USB REGENs, this project ended up taking every last failed, damage, abused board we have ever had--a long while ago an early version had a bad batch of hub chips that fried).

 

 

 

 

[satfrat]

5 hours ago, R1200CL said:

 

My feeling is sell the regen asap ?

Order the ISO regen !

 

Then later order two (or 3) LPS-1 for powering your Empirical Off Ramp 3 USB Converter, (and the possible the ISO regen) 

 

Or sell that Empirical Off Ramp 3 USB Converter, and use a Singxer F1, and use the rest of the money on a LPS-1....

I actually have a Paul Hynes power supply for the Empirical Off-Ramp 3,, HUGE audio difference from the SMPS wallwart. I like Meanwell PS's and I really think they alone are an upgrade from the normally supplied wallwarts. 

 

When I was working, money wasn't as much of an issue as it is when you're retired on a fixed income. I simply don't have the disposable income to spend on merry-go round component upgrades every 1-2 years as is the case of Empirical which has had 5 Off-Ramp upgrades for their customers to spend money on every other year or so. Just can't do it anymore so I need to pick & choose my purchase "wallet battles" and be happy til such time I can afford another wallet battle. But keeping up with yearly new technology component upgrades is no longer possible.

 

But thanks for the input! I'll keep it in mind.

 

Robin

[greenleo]

10 hours ago, drjimwillie said:

 I have three questions for a reality check please  

 I have a caps pipeline within HD Plex ATX LPS  which means that everything in my computer including the SOTM USB card get clean power.   I have a shunyata USB cable connected to an eastern electric mini max DAC supreme.  All of my components are plugged in to a Shunyata hydra. 

1.  Would the ISO regen help me?

2.  Would it defeat the ground isolation if I powered it with my HD Plex ATX ?

3.  Slightly off-topic,  I am assuming that with my set up a micro Rendu would not be a benefit is this correct?

 What do you suggest I do, please. 

 Thank you 

Bill

Why don't you buy, take your free trial time and return for refund if IsoRegen doesn't fit?  Hearing is believing and virtually nobody have the production version yet.

[asdf1000]

7 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

Well anyway, back to listen to music.

 

John S.

 

Great stuff John ! It sounds like your'e very proud of your newest baby.

I bet you can't wait for everyone else to start enjoying it :-)

 

[Jud]

9 hours ago, satfrat said:

I actually have a Paul Hynes power supply for the Empirical Off-Ramp 3,, HUGE audio difference from the SMPS wallwart. I like Meanwell PS's and I really think they alone are an upgrade from the normally supplied wallwarts. 

 

When I was working, money wasn't as much of an issue as it is when you're retired on a fixed income. I simply don't have the disposable income to spend on merry-go round component upgrades every 1-2 years as is the case of Empirical which has had 5 Off-Ramp upgrades for their customers to spend money on every other year or so. Just can't do it anymore so I need to pick & choose my purchase "wallet battles" and be happy til such time I can afford another wallet battle. But keeping up with yearly new technology component upgrades is no longer possible.

 

But thanks for the input! I'll keep it in mind.

 

Robin

 

Makes good sense.  In situations like this, where a product hasn't been released yet, I think it's probably best to wait until people can give you listening impressions in systems similar to yours, rather than working with hypotheticals.  I'm sure you know this too, but like all of us, you're anxious.

[Superdad]

11 hours ago, Superdad said:

Why did I make this thing?  You'll have to guess...

 

 

What, so nobody's going to guess about the purpose of my "hang-60" dead-REGEN surfboard?

[firedog]

9 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

What, so nobody's going to guess about the purpose of my "hang-60" dead-REGEN surfboard?

An attempt by you to risk your life at the beach?

[spacexpert]

13 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

What, so nobody's going to guess about the purpose of my "hang-60" dead-REGEN surfboard?

  To tinker with mid flight...  Just to see the worried looks from fellow passengers?

[Middy]

It wouldnt be to do with listening to the beach boys? Testing the regen?

[Superdad]

5 minutes ago, Middy said:

It wouldnt be to do with listening to the beach boys?

 

Wouldn't it be nice?  

 

5 minutes ago, Middy said:

Testing the regen?

 

No, try again.  

[Middy]

1 minute ago, Superdad said:

 

Wouldn't it be nice?  

 

 

No, try again.  

Hey i do the bad puns  ?

[esmit]

You are testing it with leakage (sea) currents, by playing it as Air Guitar?

[pl_svn]

go get on that plane, Alex! 

 

and enjoy

[tboooe]

58 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

What, so nobody's going to guess about the purpose of my "hang-60" dead-REGEN surfboard?

Is it to impress the ladies while you are strolling on the beach rockin your yellow speedo?

[watercourse]

A fretboard for a koa-bodied zither?

[watercourse]

1 hour ago, Superdad said:

 

Wouldn't it be nice?  

 

God only knows?

[Middy]

Zee fink ve should start at your early muzical experiences heir Zuperfarter....

Being born in Das 1960's. ...

California and surfing hmm...

A need to go back to your first love...

??? Surfing??

 

 

 

 

[Middy]

Hang 10 the Surfer term for wiping out...

Those 60 boards wiped out enough to make a surf board for the Hawaiian holiday ???

 

[Jud]

Not sure I can say this in a family forum, but: Foreplay?

 

If not that, to see how many Regens can dance on the head of Amir?

[Daudio]

4 hours ago, Superdad said:

so nobody's going to guess

 

The ultimate Regen AC6 Cascade - 60 stages of SI (Signal Improvement), resulting in AZN (Absolute Zero Noise), due to enhanced zE (zero electricity). Uniquely useful for bridging large gaps between source and DAC. Limited Edition - as advertised on TV.

 

 

[Middy]

Last guess 60 would be 60 toes or 6 people. Hang 60....I searched for Hovland amp references...

But Daudio's guess very nice...?