13-Jul-2020, 07:07
My digital streaming experience over the past twenty-four months has evolved from Sonos to Sonos with an external optical connected Parasound zDac to a Coax driven Chord Hugo. All feeding into various Hegel and BelCanto amps, and most recently a rare Line Magnetic tube integrated. I hit audio happiness when I brought in some Zu Druid V speakers and moved to a Roon and PS Audio DirectStream DAC. The box count was sky high, and Tubes are a spontaneous music listening experience killer. So I decided I’d give Devialet a shot.
I was really underwhelmed. The same networking stack (Orbi mesh WiFi) didn’t change. But the sound through the Devialet 140 (and later a 250) was just unpleasant compared to the DirectStream. A lot of piano music in the middle registers would sound like it was recorded with the microphone too close to the instrument. That is the sound was harsh and unpleasant. I basically gave up on streaming with the setup and was only listening to vinyl.
I was seriously doubting the Devialet brand, and about ready to ditch the Devialet experiment altogether and accept the high box count, probably moving on to Pass Labs or the like.
On a random late night browsing session I ran across the UpTone EtherRegen. I’m not a big audio woo-woo guy. Audio power cables or RCA cables have rarely made a noticeable difference to me. But I’d invested enough in Devialet to give it a shot.
Essentially, if you aren’t aware, the EtherRegen is a box that sits between your router and the Devialet. It addresses jitter and reclocks the signal and isolated a bunch of noise. It’s relatively inexpensive at under $700.
I have now haBe the UpTone EtherRegen in my setup, with the Roon Nucleus hard wired to an Oorbi router, and then the same router serving as Ethernet output to the Devialet, but now with the EtherRegen in between.
The sound has absolutely and fundamentally improved. The clarity that was present with the DirectStream has returned to my system. The harshness in upper registers and in guitar is absent, and the sense of musicality has returned. I am overjoyed with this result. Such a simple purchase ha allowed me to keep the Devialet and now I feel like I can let the DirectStream go and settle on just enjoying my Devialet with Roon.
Highly recommended people give this a try if they feel like streaming sound quality on their Devialet is overly harsh, hard, aggressive or just not musically satisfying.
Caveat emptor...different configurations in network setup, room setup, speakers, in house electrical wiring, etc apply. This just reflects my own experience and results in my unique situation.
Link to UpTone Ausio site:
https://uptoneaudio.com/products/etherregen
I was really underwhelmed. The same networking stack (Orbi mesh WiFi) didn’t change. But the sound through the Devialet 140 (and later a 250) was just unpleasant compared to the DirectStream. A lot of piano music in the middle registers would sound like it was recorded with the microphone too close to the instrument. That is the sound was harsh and unpleasant. I basically gave up on streaming with the setup and was only listening to vinyl.
I was seriously doubting the Devialet brand, and about ready to ditch the Devialet experiment altogether and accept the high box count, probably moving on to Pass Labs or the like.
On a random late night browsing session I ran across the UpTone EtherRegen. I’m not a big audio woo-woo guy. Audio power cables or RCA cables have rarely made a noticeable difference to me. But I’d invested enough in Devialet to give it a shot.
Essentially, if you aren’t aware, the EtherRegen is a box that sits between your router and the Devialet. It addresses jitter and reclocks the signal and isolated a bunch of noise. It’s relatively inexpensive at under $700.
I have now haBe the UpTone EtherRegen in my setup, with the Roon Nucleus hard wired to an Oorbi router, and then the same router serving as Ethernet output to the Devialet, but now with the EtherRegen in between.
The sound has absolutely and fundamentally improved. The clarity that was present with the DirectStream has returned to my system. The harshness in upper registers and in guitar is absent, and the sense of musicality has returned. I am overjoyed with this result. Such a simple purchase ha allowed me to keep the Devialet and now I feel like I can let the DirectStream go and settle on just enjoying my Devialet with Roon.
Highly recommended people give this a try if they feel like streaming sound quality on their Devialet is overly harsh, hard, aggressive or just not musically satisfying.
Caveat emptor...different configurations in network setup, room setup, speakers, in house electrical wiring, etc apply. This just reflects my own experience and results in my unique situation.
Link to UpTone Ausio site:
https://uptoneaudio.com/products/etherregen
