[rb2013]

   
Do you know where you can purchase it instead of the 599 PS Audio LanRover?

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFGQESY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
This is the version with the Xilinx SPARTAN 6 FPGA's.  Icron OEM's this for Startech - but I believe they are not supply additional units with the Xilinx FPGA's.
 
There is the ICRON ASIC version as well:
Just a note of caution - ICRON has many different version of this unit.  You want the GB LAN USB extender version that can do iso audio
 
http://www.icron.com/products/icron-brand/usb-extenders/lan/usb-2-0-ranger-2304ge-lan/
http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/00-00335.html
 
Both have four USB ports and are cheaper then the LanRover.

 

[rb2013]

   
My thoughts exactly....
 
Then I tried the LPS-1 with a Regen -> Ayre QB-9 DSD.  It replaced an UpTone JS-2.
 
My Regen path started with the stock SMPS.  With the SMPS, the Regen added a naturalness to the music.  Wouldn't have called it a night and day difference, but I wouldn't have called it just a subtle difference either.
 
The stock SMPS was upgraded to the JS-2.  I was surprised by the magnitude of the change.   Upgrading to the JS-2 was a larger change than initially adding the Regen with the stock SMPS.
 
I had originally ordered the LPS-1 to use in my transportable rig, but just for laughs tried it powering the Regen in my main system.  I was not expecting much of a change as I was already using a top linear PS (JS-2)  to power the Regen - color me surprised.  Switching from the JS-2 to the LPS-1 was a larger improvement than going from the SMPS to the JS-2.  Not what I expected at all.
 
The choice between a $200 linear power supply and the LPS-1 might not be so easy after all.  My experience might have the LPS-1 being the better value for the money.
 
I was already sold on clean power with the JS-2.  The LPS-1 just make me more sold....
 
YMMV.

I also heard an improvement feeding the Regen with a LPS - not a $925 one like the lovely JS-2.  The SMPS really doesn't do the Regen justice.
 
Execellent feedback on the LPS-1! Are you selling your JS-2?

 

[rb2013]

   
Hi Rob:
 
Check the clock speed on the Starch/ICRON receive end and I think you will find that clock is for the Spartan FPGA.  It has been a while since I read ICRON's developer kit notes, but I recall that they synthesize the USB clock--either in the FPGA or in a USB PHY chip.  If you don't see more than one XO on the board than that is what is happening.  Maybe it does not matter too much since ICRON embeds an entire USB protocol engine into the FPGA--though I thought they still had some PHYs.
 
Signal integrity is not the Startech/ICRON's strong suit--galvanic isolation is (especially if you power the receive end in a way that does not again give a path for AC leakage currents). Hopefully PS Audio chose to add a dedicate USB clock to their LANRover version as that would seem obvious.  
 
We've been toying with ICRON's SO-DIMM form-factor version for a while but have not made a decision about making a REGEN-like baseboard (great clock, impedance match, ultra-low-noise power network--all the obvious stuff) and offering it to market.  ICRON's OEM prices are not low, so a product of that sort would end up priced similarly to the $600 LAN Rover.

Hi Alex I see only one clock in both the REX and the LEX - and of course use a Recovery - with Crystek CCHD -957 clocks post the REX.  The REX and LEX do benefit from LPS's.

 

Check the clock speed on the Starch/ICRON receive end and I think you will find that clock is for the Spartan FPGA.  It has been a while since I read ICRON's developer kit notes, but I recall that they synthesize the USB clock--either in the FPGA or in a USB PHY chip.  If you don't see more than one XO on the board than that is what is happening.  Maybe it does not matter too much since ICRON embeds an entire USB protocol engine into the FPGA--though I thought they still had some PHYs. 

I see that the Chord Hugo DAC has only one clock as well.  It uses Xilinx SPARTAN 6 FPGA - that is must be how they use the FPGA's as well.

Would love to see you guys build that GB LAN Ethernet USB solution.
 
I do use a Recovery post the REX to good effect - with a iPur2 directly plugged into the F-1 DDC.  The Recovery feeding it.
 
PS I have good success filling those other three open USB slots in the REX with 256GB USB 3.0 PNY sticks - so a total of 750GB of solid state storage - completely galvanically isolated from the PC USB.  Sounds excellent!  If we get another iteration in USB 3.0 stick prices - I could swap in 3 - 512GB's down the road - for 1.5TB total.  I paid $120 total for all three PNY 256GB USB sticks - Best Buy!
 
I'm only using a noisy LT1083/R-core cheap LPS on the REX - it needs 2A/24VDC. 
Unfortunately not something the LSP-1 could power - even if I could get away with 18VDC or even 12VDC.  So I'm looking to build something better myself.
 
So if you guys build that - put four USB slots in there!  Not one like PS did.

 

[Superdad]

 
Hi Alex I see only one clock in both the REX and the LEX - and of course use a Recovery - with Crystek CCHD -957 clocks post the REX.  The REX and LEX do benefit from LPS's.
 
 
I see that the Chord Hugo DAC has only one clock as well.  It uses Xilinx SPARTAN 6 FPGA - that is must be how they use the FPGA's as well.
 
Would love to see you guys build that GB LAN Ethernet USB solution.
 
I do use a Recovery post the REX to good effect - with a iPur2 directly plugged into the F-1 DDC.  The Recovery feeding it.
 
PS I have good success filling those other three open USB slots in the REX with 256GB USB 3.0 PNY sticks - so a total of 750GB of solid state storage - completely galvanically isolated from the PC USB.  Sounds excellent!  If we get another iteration in USB 3.0 stick prices - I could swap in 3 - 512GB's down the road - for 1.5TB total.  I paid $120 total for all three PNY 256GB USB sticks - Best Buy!
 
I'm only using a noisy LT1083/R-core cheap LPS on the REX - it needs 2A/24VDC. 
Unfortunately not something the LSP-1 could power - even if I could get away with 18VDC or even 12VDC.  So I'm looking to build something better myself.
 
So if you guys build that - put four USB slots in there!  Not one like PS did.

 
Hi Rob:
 
Sorry, I know you hate it when I correct you, but I know that facts and details are important to you.  

a)The W4S Recovery uses the Crystek 575, not the 3 times the price 957.  (That's okay as the 575 is the better clock anyway.)
b) That's not a Chord Hugo in the photo you posted. It is the QBD76 from 2008, and I count a total of five clocks in it, include a cheap oval-can crystal for the USB input--next to the TI USB processor.
 
I am curious about your use of USB sticks in the REX end of the Startech.  I guess the advantage is just that it is not a USB or SATA drive, power supply, etc. hanging off your computer and contributing to more processing and more PS leakage currents.  Because it is not as if the data on those sticks all of a sudden has a short path to the DAC connected in the port next to it. That data has to be called by the computer, sent back up and through the USB>Ethernet>USB line, then back down from the computer along the same path.  Not very efficient.
 
I don't doubt that you hear a positive difference. I just want to be sure that nobody thinks that the DAC is somehow getting a more direct feed by those thumb drives being plugged into the same hub that it is.  USB DACs are not hosts (except for streamer/DACs and units like the Oppo that have USB "A" host ports and computing to directly read drives with).
 
Ciao,
 
--Alex C.

 

[maul]

Edit: Changed my mind.

 

[Audio Addict]

 
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFGQESY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
This is the version with the Xilinx SPARTAN 6 FPGA's.  Icron OEM's this for Startech - but I believe they are not supply additional units with the Xilinx FPGA's.
 
There is the ICRON ASIC version as well:
Just a note of caution - ICRON has many different version of this unit.  You want the GB LAN USB extender version that can do iso audio
 
http://www.icron.com/products/icron-brand/usb-extenders/lan/usb-2-0-ranger-2304ge-lan/
http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/00-00335.html
 
Both have four USB ports and are cheaper then the LanRover.

 
This is probably a dumb question but you run ethernet from the Local to Remote and connect by USB into the Local and USB out of the Remote.  That means still running wires.  

 

[Hi Rez]

 
I also heard an improvement feeding the Regen with a LPS - not a $925 one like the lovely JS-2.  The SMPS really doesn't do the Regen justice.
 
Execellent feedback on the LPS-1! Are you selling your JS-2?

 
Probably not.  The JS-2 is currently still in the system.  I would need another LPS-1 to completely replace it.  
 
We'll have to see if I eventually go down that route, but in that case I would probably use the JS-2 in another system.

 

[motberg]

Quote:

   
Probably not.  The JS-2 is currently still in the system.  I would need another LPS-1 to completely replace it.  
 
We'll have to see if I eventually go down that route, but in that case I would probably use the JS-2 in another system.

This is what I am worried about... I only have 1 LPS-1 on order and could easily use 3 
Many thanks for the comments, much appreciated....

 

[motberg]

.  
I know about the whole "close to the dac" philosophy, but this is working for me. I was considering selling the Regen soon, but this has changed my mind. I noticed that the converter isn't in the best shape, it has some blackish marks around the connectors - maybe that is the cause, or maybe a quality USB cable simply performs better than the cheap converter. Either way, I recommend trying this yourself, maybe you'll get similar results. Maybe I'll change my mind in a week, we'll see.

I have 3 different adapters and tried 5 different brands of short cables, the cables always win... not even close in my system. That goes for the Regen, Recovery and Intona...
You could try even shorter, like 6 inches.. there may be some of the high-end style "Regen-Link" stuff like from PPA, Curious, Elijah, etc available on the used market and in my experience they would be a worthwhile investment, especially between the Regen and the DAC where short and high quality is beneficial.

 

[elviscaprice]

I find as I've eliminated all electrical interferences/ground loops in my USB stream, that cables/adapters matter the least.  Just a good data line connection is all that is needed, no 5V.  Since 5V is needed with the Intona, make this a short run from USB card with an adapter.  Longer run between Intona to Regen, eliminate the 5V vbus wire and pins, for further safety to ensure against ground loops, cut into the shielding, remove a portion and allow the ground wire  to be disconnected after handshake.
From Regen to DAC it is important to keep this distance as short as possible to ensure the impedance reset by the Regen remains as good as possible. 

 

[rb2013]

   
Hi Rob:
 
Sorry, I know you hate it when I correct you, but I know that facts and details are important to you.  

a)The W4S Recovery uses the Crystek 575, not the 3 times the price 957.  (That's okay as the 575 is the better clock anyway.)
b) That's not a Chord Hugo in the photo you posted. It is the QBD76 from 2008, and I count a total of five clocks in it, include a cheap oval-can crystal for the USB input--next to the TI USB processor.
 
I am curious about your use of USB sticks in the REX end of the Startech.  I guess the advantage is just that it is not a USB or SATA drive, power supply, etc. hanging off your computer and contributing to more processing and more PS leakage currents.  Because it is not as if the data on those sticks all of a sudden has a short path to the DAC connected in the port next to it. That data has to be called by the computer, sent back up and through the USB>Ethernet>USB line, then back down from the computer along the same path.  Not very efficient.
 
I don't doubt that you hear a positive difference. I just want to be sure that nobody thinks that the DAC is somehow getting a more direct feed by those thumb drives being plugged into the same hub that it is.  USB DACs are not hosts (except for streamer/DACs and units like the Oppo that have USB "A" host ports and computing to directly read drives with).
 
Ciao,
 
--Alex C.

Hi Alex - please correct me - as always I respect your knowledge.  I see the one clock on the MB and the small oval clock for USB (but was not figuring that into the DAC equation) - I do see the two clock now on the small board to the left.  In any event - the SPARTAN 6 FPGA - can't be all bad - in terms of noise and jitter as Chord uses it in their totl DAVE.
(I think I have that picture correct)

 
No I agree with you on those USB sticks not being a more direct path to the DAC - but they sound better.  My thinking for the reason  - a lower noise environment during the conversion from solid state to electrical digital stream is somehow better.  Less lost packets?  Higher SI?  And data throughput seems very robust.  No problem with 352k DxD files.  I don't even see any latency increases with Foobar, although there must be some.  My next experiment is to load the WIN10 on them and boot and run it from there.  Should be interesting.
 
Cheers!
Bob

 

[rb2013]

   
This is probably a dumb question but you run ethernet from the Local to Remote and connect by USB into the Local and USB out of the Remote.  That means still running wires.  

I haven't tried wifi - but did try a fiber FMC in between.  Not much of an improvement.  So I suppose you could run fiber instead.

 

[rb2013]

  I find as I've eliminated all electrical interferences/ground loops in my USB stream, that cables/adapters matter the least.  Just a good data line connection is all that is needed, no 5V.  Since 5V is needed with the Intona, make this a short run from USB card with an adapter.  Longer run between Intona to Regen, eliminate the 5V vbus wire and pins, for further safety to ensure against ground loops, cut into the shielding, remove a portion and allow the ground wire  to be disconnected after handshake.
From Regen to DAC it is important to keep this distance as short as possible to ensure the impedance reset by the Regen remains as good as possible. 

I agree - I had the 200mm Curious - and replaced it with the Recovery's 6in USB - no change in sound.
 
I use a LH Labs 2G split cable - data leg only.  I also modded a Jitterbug into a +5VDCVBUS blocker.  I have this at the PC USB port.
 
But last night moved it to the Startech REX - before feeding Recovery.  Nice improvement in SQ.  The Startech likes one JB.

 

[maul]

  I have 3 different adapters and tried 5 different brands of short cables, the cables always win... not even close in my system. That goes for the Regen, Recovery and Intona...
You could try even shorter, like 6 inches.. there may be some of the high-end style "Regen-Link" stuff like from PPA, Curious, Elijah, etc available on the used market and in my experience they would be a worthwhile investment, especially between the Regen and the DAC where short and high quality is beneficial.

 
Well I'm glad to hear that it's not just me, I do recommend other people try this. Unfortunately I can't go shorter than 1 foot each in my setup - around $100 is my limit for both cables, going to be seeing how the Wireworld Ultraviolets are tomorrow. 

 

[zilch0md]

  I agree - I had the 200mm Curious - and replaced it with the Recovery's 6in USB - no change in sound.
 
I use a LH Labs 2G split cable - data leg only.  I also modded a Jitterbug into a +5VDCVBUS blocker.  I have this at the PC USB port.
 
But last night moved it to the Startech REX - before feeding Recovery.  Nice improvement in SQ.  The Startech likes one JB.

 
For those who have a DAC that requires 5V power from the USB Regen, try testing this $5.00, 6-inch Belkin USB cable as an alternative to the hard adapter or anything else you've tried using between the USB Regen and your DAC.
 

 
 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067RMY
 
It's only five dollars. Try it and draw your own conclusions, with an open mind and diligent listening.
 
I am thrilled with this cable, personally.
 
YMMV, but if it doesn't make an improvement, you can always post a reply saying, "Thanks a lot for talking me into wasting five bucks, Mike!"  
 

 
Mike