Jerryfan
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UpTone Audio USB REGEN
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mwhals
Headphoneus Supremus
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Superdad
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foreverzer0
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What happened to the Intona + Regen device?
guzmanatm
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To the best of my knowledge it's still coming. There just aren't many details about what it does, or when we can expect it to be released.
On the other hand, even if Alex did have updates to share, he wouldn't be able to post them here. Apparently he's prohibited from discussing UpTone's new products openly on this site . . .
Superdad
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Announcement coming VERY soon. This important leap is certainly about 6 months overdue. Just squashed the elusive last bug. Going into final beta shortly.
Please no PMs about it.
Many thanks,
--Alex C.
It is easy to combine intona and regen or recovery.
I have one intona feeding my RUR and a second intona with a USB voltage booster which cost a few dollars (because I need 9V and usb output is 5V) feeding the power on the RUR.
I now have galvanically isolated power combined with ultra low jitter.
Smoothest sound I ever heard from a computer.
By the way- which as lower jitter- RUR or ifi iUSB 3.0?
I have one intona feeding my RUR and a second intona with a USB voltage booster which cost a few dollars (because I need 9V and usb output is 5V) feeding the power on the RUR.
I now have galvanically isolated power combined with ultra low jitter.
Smoothest sound I ever heard from a computer.
By the way- which as lower jitter- RUR or ifi iUSB 3.0?
Superdad
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Yes, placing a REGEN or Recovery after an Intona to improve signal integrity is a good combination. But be advised that, unless you power your USB SI improvement device with either a battery supply or another 100% isolated from AC leakage current/loop supply such as our UltraCap LPS-1, you are defeating part of the Intona's galvanic isolation by reintroducing a leakage current loop (between the PS of the REGEN/Recovery and your computer source and rest of your audio gear).
It's like building a house with a moat but having an open footbridge across the moat around back.
As for your jitter question:
While jitter in the USB signal (as seen in the eye-pattern) is not nearly the same as jitter on the DAC audio master clock (USB clock is always round number--24MHz or 25MHz--and not related to audio clocking), it still does, rather surprisingly, have a sonic impact.
The W4S Recovery--and our forthcoming ISO REGEN--use the Crystek CCHD-575. That is an expensive ($10/ea at 1,000 pieces), ultra-low-phase-noise clock--one worthy of being and often used as a DAC master clock. (Current production of this clock is measuring better than Crystek's published graphs---better than their own $30 CCHD-957, and better than typical NDK that many like.)
It is not clear what clock the iFi iUSB uses, but from high-res photos it is clearly not a Crystek.
Ciao,
--Alex C.
I'm not sure I explained myself well. I have my Mac mini via USB to Intona via USB to RUR via USB to my DAC. To power my RUR I have my Mac Mini connected via USB to a second Intona which then connects to an inexpensive USB voltage booster I bought on E bay (to increase the intona usb output from 5 to 9 volts) which then powers my RUR. Therefore my power is galvanically isolated all the way through and I have the RUR clock which is according to you and others one of the very best available.
I actually tried to power the RUR with a 9 volt lithium battery pack and it was no where near as good as powering it through my second intona with voltage booster. Even lithium batteries make noise; no comparison to totally galvanically isolated power.
Superdad
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Okay. That sounds like an expensive way to go--two Intona units... And still the USB voltage booster likely uses a noisy switching regulator to give your RuR it's VBUS power.
I am trying to avoid getting banned by management (from the thread about our own product). [And yet despite 6+ attempts to contact anyone in Head-Fi mgmnt. about sponsorship and advertising, they never reply.]
But as hinted at above (I uttered the name), soon there will be one small box that does it all. You would be able to sell both your Intonas and the RuR, buy the new thing and have $$ leftover for a year's streaming subscription or some nice dinners with your significant other.
First- my voltage booster has NO switching regulators and is dead silent.
Regarding how much I spent on two intonas and a RUR;- well- your product is not available yet nor did I know it would be.. If it was- I would of bought it instead and achieved a very similar result.
My two intonas and RUR is nevertheless certainly cheaper and I would guess better than a RUR or Regen and a $1000 power supply.
I wish you luck on your project. I know it will sound incredible because I already have it in my own made up way. An all in one box solution will be preferred.
Regarding how much I spent on two intonas and a RUR;- well- your product is not available yet nor did I know it would be.. If it was- I would of bought it instead and achieved a very similar result.
My two intonas and RUR is nevertheless certainly cheaper and I would guess better than a RUR or Regen and a $1000 power supply.
I wish you luck on your project. I know it will sound incredible because I already have it in my own made up way. An all in one box solution will be preferred.
Superdad
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Hi:
Sorry if I gave any offense. I meant none at all. I was just surprised, as you are the first person I have ever seen using a second Intona just to provide voltage to step-up to power an RuR. Very creative!
I am guessing your DAC does not draw any current from the VBUS of the RuR. Because a linear boost converter has to trade off current to boost the Intona's voltage from 5V to 9V. And the Intona (unless you are feeding it from a separate 1A allowing USB VBUS) only offers 300mA at 5V. The RuR, with no load on its VBUS output probably draws only about 80mA at 9V, thus the large current loss through the booster is not a problem.
In any case, it does work well for you and I think that is great!
Not sure where you comment about a $1,000 power supply comes in. Our UltraCap LPS-1 sells for $395. (Yes, our big choke-filtered, dual-output, 5-7 amp JS-2 LPS is $925--but that is generally used for other applications.)
All the best,
--Alex C.
Hi:
Sorry if I gave any offense. I meant none at all. I was just surprised, as you are the first person I have ever seen using a second Intona just to provide voltage to step-up to power an RuR. Very creative!
I am guessing your DAC does not draw any current from the VBUS of the RuR. Because a linear boost converter has to trade off current to boost the Intona's voltage from 5V to 9V. And the Intona (unless you are feeding it from a separate 1A allowing USB VBUS) only offers 300mA at 5V. The RuR, with no load on its VBUS output probably draws only about 80mA at 9V, thus the large current loss through the booster is not a problem.
In any case, it does work well for you and I think that is great!
Not sure where you comment about a $1,000 power supply comes in. Our UltraCap LPS-1 sells for $395. (Yes, our big choke-filtered, dual-output, 5-7 amp JS-2 LPS is $925--but that is generally used for other applications.)
All the best,
--Alex C.
I am using a USB dac which is completely powered by the USB port. I do NOT use USB cables but rather USB ultra short adaptors to make sure there is enough current. So mac via USB cabe to intona vial USB adaptor to RUR via USB adaptor to dac. If I switch those adaptors for one meter or even half meter cables- I then do not have the power to get my dac to make music in this setup. Again- your way of doing things should be better- as my way was just a makeshift solution until someone finally came out with what I wanted. In the meantime- I have in theory at least- completely galvanically isolated power and data with one of the best clocks out there feeding my dac. It's funny. My dac is worth about $200 and with this usb filtering setup behind it (worth about $700) it sounds substantially superior to my old yggy without this setup and very very very close to equal to the yggy with this USB filtering system setup behind it. I'm pretty sure in a blind test I would not be able to tell the difference. Just goes to show that ultra-clean clocked power means more than the dac IMHO. Needless to say, I sold my yggy.
Superdad
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Wow. Fascinating to hear that. And quite consistent both with what we hear here and what our clients (and beta testers of our new ISO REGEN) tell us. But there are so many people who would and do deny such sentiments as heresy. And a manufacturer of devices that aim to improve galvanic isolation (our UltraCap LPS-1 being a recent significant example), if we put forth such a claim we would be drawn and quartered. But I have heard many inexpensive DACs transformed to punch way above their price points--after proper attention is paid to signal integrity, power supply, and isolation.
Of course a great DAC--with excellent clocking, its own internal isolation, good topology, and superior analog output stage--should still carry the day.
Have a great weekend,
--Alex C.
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