[semeniub]

No doubt many other companies/individuals are watching iFi's product moves closely now, so I would understand if they felt the need to provide a bit of "misdirection" regarding their product development.
 
Of course, they may just want to be taking their time to get things just right...

 

[JuleZ3C]

Disclaimer : I'm not a Schiit fanboy at all, never owned any of their products. (but I'm gonna receive a Regen in the coming days)
 
The launch of the Yggdrasil a couple months back, promising (and apparently really offering) REAL TRUE NATIVE PCM conversion for 2k$ and change may have rattled a bit our favorite Englanders (and German born designer in chief).
USB interfaces have also progressed a lot these last few months (signal reclocking and impedance matching, see Uptone Regen for instance)
 
A full product reevaluation was to be done I guess. Wish the resulting products will be worth the wait!

 

[KritiKal]

Disclaimer : I'm not a Schiit fanboy at all, never owned any of their products. (but I'm gonna receive a Regen in the coming days)

Just out of curiosity, you do know that the Regen is made by Uptone Audio and not Schiit, right?

 

[ClieOS]

  Disclaimer : I'm not a Schiit fanboy at all, never owned any of their products. (but I'm gonna receive a Regen in the coming days)
 
The launch of the Yggdrasil a couple months back, promising (and apparently really offering) REAL TRUE NATIVE PCM conversion for 2k$ and change may have rattled a bit our favorite Englanders (and German born designer in chief).
USB interfaces have also progressed a lot these last few months (signal reclocking and impedance matching, see Uptone Regen for instance)
 
A full product reevaluation was to be done I guess. Wish the resulting products will be worth the wait!

 
Can't see either as a game changer. The DAC chosen by Schiit is certainly interesting, but only 20bits plus no native DSD decoding makes it a more limited choice, probably more appealing to those who are looking for a ladder DAC. As for Uptone Regen - I'll say there are just too much claim but not enough (scientific) proof.

 

[semeniub]

   
Can't see either as a game changer. The DAC chosen by Schiit is certainly interesting, but only 20bits plus no native DSD decoding makes it a more limited choice, probably more appealing to those who are looking for a ladder DAC. As for Uptone Regen - I'll say there are just too much claim but not enough (scientific) proof.

I think that you'll be waiting some time to see your scientific "proof" as to how the Regen is really working. Compared to other large industries, the audiophile world is minor and there is limited research funds available to carry out real scientific work. And no, blind testing and measuring tweaks with an analyzer or scope doesn't really count as real science.
 
My own experience with the Uptone Regen powered by a LPS (and used in combination with a Corning Optic USB cable, iFi iUSB and micro iDSD and LPS powered iCAN) is that there was a satisfying improvement. True high-end sound for not that much money. Since I understand that full scientific proof as to why may not ever come, this is good enough for me.

 

[ClieOS]

 
I think that you'll be waiting some time to see your scientific "proof" as to how the Regen is really working. Compared to other large industries, the audiophile world is minor and there is limited research funds available to carry out real scientific work. And no, blind testing and measuring tweaks with an analyzer or scope doesn't really count as real science.
 
My own experience with the Uptone Regen powered by a LPS (and used in combination with a Corning Optic USB cable, iFi iUSB and micro iDSD and LPS powered iCAN) is that there was a satisfying improvement. True high-end sound for not that much money. Since I understand that full scientific proof as to why may not ever come, this is good enough for me.

 
I am not actually asking for a full blown engineer report, just some basic explanation why / how it works. Apparently that is also not provided as well and it is not like we don't understand how electronics, or just USB works.. Unfortunately for me, just saying 'it works!' is not enough of an evidence... but enough of that, as this is not a Uptone Regen thread.

 

[semeniub]

   
I am not actually asking for a full blown engineer report, just some basic explanation why / how it works. Apparently that is also not provided as well and it is not like we don't understand how electronics, or just USB works.. Unfortunately for me, just saying 'it works!' is not enough of an evidence... but enough of that, as this is not a Uptone Regen thread.

Sorry for offending you with my response. If you are really interested in how it works, look for comments from one of the developers, John Swenson. His descriptions are all that are really available for now.
 
The setup I currently have with the Regen feeding into my micro iDSD is really bulky and cumbersome. It would be a  masterstroke if iFi could improve their USB inputs for the upcoming iDSD Pro so that all of this wouldn't be needed.

 

[ClieOS]

I am not offended in anyway. Just not quite understanding how a company can produce an fairly expensive product (*consider that it is an USB hub technically, even if it is a very good one) and doesn't bother to put some time to write it up properly on its product's page. If the developer has the time to explain it in the forum, he should have time to write a basic white paper, or just the basic tech in the product's introduction. I am sure more people will appreciate a tech product if it has a sound black ground info clearly listed in plain sight. I won't even call that marketing, but good business practice.

 

[semeniub]

  I am not offended in anyway. Just not quite understanding how a company can produce an fairly expensive product (*consider that it is an USB hub technically, even if it is a very good one) and doesn't bother to put some time to write it up properly on its product's page. If the developer has the time to explain it in the forum, he should have time to write a basic white paper, or just the basic tech in the product's introduction. I am sure more people will appreciate a tech product if it has a sound black ground info clearly listed in plain sight. I won't even call that marketing, but good business practice.

My guess is that the lack of information is intentional, so that the exact functionality of the device is not as easily copied.

 

[ClieOS]

...and I'll guess someone just being lazy, but what do I know, right? In any case, I'll let those interested in Uptone Regen worry about it and go back to my regular (iFi) program.

 

[JuleZ3C]

Just out of curiosity, you do know that the Regen is made by Uptone Audio and not Schiit, right?

Yup, of course.
As I was also citing Uptone Audio products, I thought it was fair to imply that I was a bit infatuated with it...
 
The main difference of the Regen is impedance matching, nothing else to explain.
From their website : "It accomplishes this by combining a carefully chosen USB hub chip with an ultra low-noise regulator and low-jitter clock.  Importantly, it does so with ideal impedance matching—right at the input of your DAC."
 
No offense intended but do you want a scientific proof that most other companies haven't explored this way of improving signal integrity between interfaces? (while impedance matching has been debated time and again when coaxial is the interface of choice)

 

[ClieOS]

... The main difference of the Regen is impedance matching, nothing else to explain.
From their website : "It accomplishes this by combining a carefully chosen USB hub chip with an ultra low-noise regulator and low-jitter clock.  Importantly, it does so with ideal impedance matching—right at the input of your DAC."
 
No offense intended but do you want a scientific proof that most other companies haven't explored this way of improving signal integrity between interfaces? (while impedance matching has been debated time and again when coaxial is the interface of choice)

 
I assume this is mainly for me? I think what Uptone's claim (*assuming that's what they are claiming, the impedance matching is the main function of the Regen) should be addressed in two questions: First, is impedance mismatch a common problem for typical USB DAC connection (*which, by typical, I mean a solid, built-to-USB spec, no-fancy 1 meter or less USB cable between the PC and USB DAC)? Secondly, how is impedance mismatch on a typical USB DAC connection affects SQ and is Regen helps to address this issue? Now impedance matching is fairly well known issue on digital transmission and I'll think some simple explanation on the product's page is more than enough. It is not like impedance matching is a new thing and Uptone has just discovered it, so I don't think there will some sensitive trade secret they can't tell us. Also, I am not saying Regen can't work - I can see how it will help if you have a particularly long USB connection where impedance mismatch can become a serious issue, though that won't be a 'typical' USB connection, so to speak.

 

[Sergiusz OMD]

Am I only fed up of waiting?!

 

[weerapats]

iFi, Any update about the iDSD Pro please!

 

[Franatic]

The last line of ifi's last post on July 15th read:
" This is not a 'standard' iFi product. It is our flagship - so if it never sees the light of day because we are not 110% happy with it, it will not. But fingers crossed that it does."
 
That statement seems to make any release of the idsd pro "IFFY". I'm at the point where I don't know what to think. My impression is that the whole prior development has been scuttled and they are restarting. Of course, we can only make conjectures because anything ifi says these days is cryptic at best and possibly misleading.
 
I have been asking for updates for months and each statement seems to lead further and further from release.