USB Regen from UpTone

[Hifi_swlon]

I am not sure why the people who purvey highly expensive answers to the terrible effects that USB and Network systems cause to the very low bitrate of an Audio signal are unable to sell the same equipment to people sending gigabytes of data to aid with the terrible losses and errors that they must also be getting.

I haven't even received mine yet, but did a lot of reading around the subject before ordering.  

From everything I've read over at CA and other forums (and even in their notes to Waldrep posted above), Uptone categorically state that the REGEN does not fix any signal losses or errors, because they simply aren't there.  

From what I understand the role of the REGEN is solely to better the Signal Integrity into the DACs USB input, and that by doing so it lowers the noise generated within the input itself - this noise apparently caused by the extra processing the receiver has to do to decipher the 'unclean' signal.  It is this internally generated noise, they argue, that is often passed through to the DAC circuits regardless of things like galvanic isolation, and this is one of the things that we humans pick up on when we listen.  They also state that with a better source (i.e. if it already has a USB output with good SI), and a better designed DAC, the REGEN will make less of a difference.

So it could perhaps be they've actually found a solution to a weakness in USB audio data transmission that wasn't really known about until recently, or it could be total BS. But audiophiles are a tricky bunch to please and there don't seem to be too many complaints over at CA.

To me, ordering one to try seemed like a no brainier (I use a Mac Mini source).  I have to say I think Uptone are pretty open about the science behind it and also engage with their customers quite well.  It's also $175, which is a fraction of the price of some USB cables that get mentioned frequently here. Surely not highly expensive to any Devialet owner?

Will report my findings (imagined or otherwise) when mine arrives - hopefully this month….

A link to the designer's notes on how the REGEN works and the SI subject are here: http://uptoneaudio.com/pages/j-swenson-tech-corner