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Post by MartinT on May 1, 2020 14:17:11 GMT
I got the EtherREGEN up and running without any problems. I've put it on BR Pads and placed a coaster on top as I always do that. Nothing else introduced as yet, just the MeiCord / Acoustic Revive LAN isolator into the A side switch and a 15cm Cat6 link from the B side straight to the Asus streamer. I'm using the supplied SMPS into the P3 regenerator and having a listen while it all warms up.
I shall leave it to burn in like this before playing with the LPSU and grounding box.
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Post by SteveC on May 1, 2020 17:08:10 GMT
Martin,
Re: BR pads underneath and coaster on top of the EtherREGEN:
Be aware that the unit runs very hot and relies on airflow around the casework to dissipate heat!
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Post by MartinT on May 1, 2020 17:11:16 GMT
The source shelf. Coherent QP-1 LPSU on the left powers the streamer and Mutec reclocker. EtherREGEN at rear-right, accepts ethernet from the TP-Link router via a MeiCord ethernet cable and Acoustic Revive LPI-1 LAN isolator into the A side. A very short 12cm Cat6 ethernet link from the B side jumps to the Asus Tinker Board S streamer at front-right, which sends USB via an AudioQuest Carbon USB cable to the Mutec reclocker. The EtherREGEN is powered from the stock SMPS connected to the P3 regenerator while I'm acquainting myself with what it does for sound quality. The Black Ravioli Eflos grounding box at front-centre is connected to the streamer.  |
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Post by MartinT on May 1, 2020 17:12:54 GMT
Re: BR pads underneath and coaster on top of the EtherREGEN: Be aware that the unit runs very hot and relies on airflow around the casework to dissipate heat! Thanks, Steve, well aware and it's reached a nice 'cooking' temperature. I've ordered a heatsink for it. Meanwhile, the coaster is warming up too, and being black it'll dissipate the heat. |
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Post by julesd68 on May 1, 2020 17:15:30 GMT
I didn't realise the Eflos was so small - I wonder what on earth they put in it!
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Post by MartinT on May 1, 2020 17:25:43 GMT
It's too early to talk about what I'm hearing in detail, but I made my first discovery earlier. I have two 12cm links, both Cat6, one is SFTP (Shielded Foil Twisted Pair) with metal surround plugs and the other is unshielded TP with plastic plugs. Naturally, I started with the shielded link cable and I was somewhat underwhelmed with the sound, which had a slightly hard edge. I switched to the unshielded cable on a whim and the sound was immediately smoother, less harsh but still with great detail and transient attack.
I believe the shielded cable was tying the EtherREGEN and Asus ground planes together, with their power supplies also being grounded to mains earth. This was negating the moat within the EtherREGEN. The unshielded cable is preserving the isolation of the reclocked side. That's just my supposition but, regardless, the cheaper cable wins.
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Post by MartinT on May 1, 2020 17:26:13 GMT
I didn't realise the Eflos was so small - I wonder what on earth they put in it! Why, black ravioli I guess  |
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Post by MartinT on May 2, 2020 11:06:58 GMT
Not deliberately holding back on my impressions of the EtherREGEN unit, but everyone is saying that it needs a goodly amount of warm-up (it has now settled to nicely warm) and burn-in (about 18 hours so far, at least 100 required). It has a Crystek 575 clock and I know from the LKS how long that takes to burn in. A quick listen this morning reveals that it is pulling away from the baseline sound without the ER, so all good and I'll give it a proper review after I think it's settled into its sound. SteveC have you reviewed yours anywhere? |
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Post by SteveC on May 2, 2020 13:04:39 GMT
Not deliberately holding back on my impressions of the EtherREGEN unit, but everyone is saying that it needs a goodly amount of warm-up (it has now settled to nicely warm) and burn-in (about 18 hours so far, at least 100 required). It has a Crystek 575 clock and I know from the LKS how long that takes to burn in. A quick listen this morning reveals that it is pulling away from the baseline sound without the ER, so all good and I'll give it a proper review after I think it's settled into its sound. SteveC have you reviewed yours anywhere? Hi Martin No. It's a bit of a moving target at the moment as so many variables have been added in a short space of time (Mutec Ref10 upgrade to SE-120 oscillator and new board, now had three weeks of constant burn-in; new Sablon Audio 75 Ohm BNC Clock cable - one week of burn-in; one of Tony's Coherent-fettled Chinese LPSU's - 3 weeks of burn-in). Each component added to the EtherREGEN, which has been constantly powered, since it arrived in March, has seen a significant uptick in performance! Next to arrive will be a Coherent dual-rail 12v QP-1 LPSU, which Tony is putting the final touches to. It will power the EtherREGEN and the BT Smart Hub. I have to say, that streaming Qobuz Studio, sounds very good indeed and way better than pre-EtherREGEN in the signal chain. I have experimented with an Acoustic Revive LAN Isolator in the chain, prior to the EtherREGEN and to my ears, it doesn't really make any improvement. I can wholeheartedly endorse and recommend Mark Cole's excellent range of Sablon Audio cables. He operates a direct to customer business model and his cables are very competitively priced and exceptional performers. I have two of his 1m LAN cables, a USB cable and a 75 Ohm BNC clock cable. |
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Post by MartinT on May 2, 2020 13:22:56 GMT
Great stuff, and thanks for the Sablon Audio tip, I've not come across them before.
What's good for me is the sound quality I'm already hearing, knowing that I still have an MCRU PC-OCC/Carbon DC cable to arrive for powering the ER, I have yet to fettle my two LPSUs (my QP-1 is busy powering the two 5V components: Asus and Mutec), and there's the Mutec Ref 10 on the horizon for when I want to superclock the ER and MC-3. Right now, I'm smiling every time I grab a quick listen.
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Post by MartinT on May 3, 2020 11:31:29 GMT
I moved on last night, hooking up the Chinese LPSU in place of the ER's SMPS. I decided that things sounded sufficiently promising that I wanted to put some more hours on the LPSU. The latter is on BR Pads but using the stock DC cable for the moment. The mains side uses a 1m Supra LoRad power cable with AMR Gold fuse into the P3.
I started playing a track and realised I had forgotten to demagnetise the LPSU toroid by running a quick Cleanwave from the P3. Blimey, that's the most obvious improvement I've ever heard with this function, an instant clearing of a slight murkiness.
Listening today after 48 hours on the ER and with the LPSU in circuit, my system is revealing background space, reverb and decay like never before. It's astounding on tracks like Joan Armatrading's Willow. The shimmer of cymbals and lessening of fatigue are also things that are creeping into my consciousness.
The burn-in continues, but I already know there is no going back from this.
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Post by John on May 3, 2020 11:46:31 GMT
This is good to hear I have a spare 12v PSU so not to complex a route for me to follow
I am still trying to figure out how it connects to the Mutec world clock directly from the ethernet regan unit
From your picture you not doing that at present
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Post by MartinT on May 3, 2020 11:55:56 GMT
I can't use the Mutec word clock output, John. The ER is set for internal clock. I would only be able to use an external clock if/when I were to get a Mutec Ref 10 as the ER requires a consistent 10MHz clock, not one locked to the sampling rate.
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Post by John on May 3, 2020 13:15:47 GMT
Cheers for the explanation Martin
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Post by MartinT on May 3, 2020 16:56:49 GMT
This is almost correct as of now - just waiting for the MCRU PC-OCC carbon loaded DC cable to be delivered.  |
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Post by tarzan on May 3, 2020 17:11:43 GMT
That has lost me that has Martin.  |
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Post by MartinT on May 3, 2020 20:00:38 GMT
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Post by MartinT on May 3, 2020 20:01:43 GMT
That has lost me that has Martin. Follow the main signal flow as the thicker coloured arrows and coloured boxes. All the other lines are power. |
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Post by MikeMusic on May 4, 2020 9:35:57 GMT
Martin
Is that granite coasters on the kit with Sorbothane jobbies on top ?
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Post by MartinT on May 4, 2020 15:33:08 GMT
Yes, granite coasters on everything and I have four big sorbothane feet jobbies that act as weights and damping.
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