C omputer audio is a cool thing. Most people who switch to a PC or Mac based system always tell me how much music they did not know that they have. So browsing your collection can be an eye- and an ear opener for the many music lovers among us these days.

But the sound quality is not always what people brag about, some tell me of hard, edgy sound, not always associated with HiEnd audio. And as a result thereof big money often can be spent on USB and Ethernet cables, some nice clean power, and not to mention streaming devices or the software itself. Some (very good sounding) software can cost approx. 650 USD.

But why is it that Computer Audio has some weaknesses? The inside of every computer is not designed for that kind of amusement, but to do a whole bunch of tasks simultaneously - and as quick as possible. The power supply and the different boards and chips all add RFI and EMI noise to the system and together with bad impedance mis-matching it is not the best environment for a good sounding computer. Some HiFi lovers try to bypass the most noisy parts of their Mac/PC, and use it solely as a music player. Still there is lots of processing going on under the hood, and the noise travels from you computer to your DAC.

Now there are several manufacturers who address some of these problems. From Holland we have seen the VBus Isolator (https://www.sbooster.com/sbooster-tweaks/sbooster-vbus-isolator) and from the USA Audioquest have come up with their Jitterbug.

UpTone Audio from California do things a little bit different.

On their white-paper (below) they explain more in depth how and why they do what they do. But the short version is, that the small USB REGEN that we have for this review, works like a kind of Hub, but it also separates the 5V power from the music, and last but certainly not least it REGENerates the signal (not just reclocking it), hence the name. The supplied power supply provides a clean and stable power, and together with the low jitter clock the result has low noise and low jitter.

The small unit is to be connected near your DAC, and is really just plug and play. The power supply is a switch mode type (22 watt/7.5V/2.93A), of course you can use a linear PSU if you prefer. Later this year UpTone Audio will come up with an even better power supply, and they give you a four years warranty if something goes wrong.

If you are curious if your DAC can benefit from the REGEN, our friends at Computeraudiophile.com have a long thread about their findings. Lots of DAC's are mentioned. Maybe yours too?

UpTone´s brilliant mind John Swenson explains a little more: link

When I read the threads at Computeraudiophile, some people say that there are no measurements that provide enough information that the REGEN actually works. To these people I can only tell, please use your ears, and then judge for yourself.

"Not everything that counts can be measured. Not everything that can be measured counts" says Albert Einstein. So maybe are we just not good or creative enough to find new ways of documenting scientific stuff? It's the same saying when speaking to no-believers of digital cables. It's only zeroes and ones, they say. And they are wrong, it's electrical current and power going through a digital cable, and the same goes for the REGEN. Enough said, order one of these, listen with an open mind and return it if you can't hear an instant improvement. I am definitely NOT sending this review unit back.

And speaking of return policy, UpTone Audio has a 30 days money back guarantee, so you can try before buy. Alex Crespi kindly informs us that that with more than 2000 units sold, less then 10 of them was returned because "they did not hear a substantial enough difference."

And Alex Crespi also writes in an e mail:

"As for sample rates, the sky is the limit. Whatever USB2.0 and the person's DAC and drivers will support. The REGEN simply functions as a very high-quality, single-port USB hub and produces a new USB signal right at the input of your DAC. It really does not know that it is audio data. You could use it between a computer and hard drive or printer."

Music is all around

But how does it sound. And what does it do to your precious music system?

Place it as close to your DAC as possible, preferably direct into the USB B input. Turn on the power, then your music system and use it just as always. In my Mac based setup it really was plug and play, and not F... and Pray ;)

Let´s play some music then, shall we.

"Tous Ces Combats" with the fabulous Myléne Farmer is a nice example of what the REGEN does. Her beautiful voice can sound a bit edgy and hard without the small REGEN. Try to listen with, and then without, the hard sibilants are clearly audible, and are NOT nice to listen to. The strings are more dominant without the USB REGEN, but also more hard. They are clearly more beautiful rendered with the REGEN inserted.

"Almost Like The Blues" with Leonard Cohen gives you shivers, without the small UpTone device the music does not touch you the same way. Cohens deeeep voice is so powerful, dominant yet soft. And yes, I listen with my feelings and not with my analytical part of the brain sometimes - which is what this hobby should be about, should it not? Evoke feelings, touch your emotions. And if a DAC, Amp, cable or whatever can do exactly that to me, it stays in my system, regardless of price or looks.

My phone rang, I took the call, and forgot all about my swapping the REGEN in and out of my system. I suddenly heard some hardness that I had not noticed before, ROON was randomly picking the very old song: “The Loco-Motion” with Carole King. Ok, I thought it is an old recording, so maybe that´s why it sounds hard to my ears. But when I wanted to remove the REGEN, it already was removed (by me of course, I just forgot that because of my phone call). Back with the REGEN into the DAC, and the hardness was not totally gone, but the song was now listenable.

One of my HiFi colleagues in the industry told me about Dan Fogelbergs song “Tucson, Arizona”. Though I´d never heard of the guy or the song I quickly fired up ROON, and played this beautiful song a couple of times. Why on earth have I not heard about this singer/songwriter before now? Anyway, the music just flows beautifully.

"You Take My Breath Away" with Queen starts in a capella, followed by a piano part, both sounds fabulous with the REGEN - without it it's just not worth to listen to. The sound is just hard, edgy and like a black and white picture compared to a HD movie.

One of this centuries greatest voices belongs to the Dane Isam B. Though also known for his great vocal works with the band Outlandish, he also gives me shivers down my spine with this his track "Undone (Change Will Come)" from the album Help Gaza Today. His voice is just wonderful. I plug out the REGEN and the sound in a second is one dimensional, hard and not beautiful at all anymore. And you don´t need endless listening hours, just listen to a track, pause it, take out/in the REGEN and its VERY clear that the sound has changed. Hopefully to something better and one that better suits your taste.

From last months long awaited album from David Gilmours Rattle That Lock we listened to the title track. And we where set back in time to some old Pink Floyd tracks, just with a different sound quality. Not better, not worse, just different. 2 minutes into the song there is a vocal choir with some lovely percussion details in the background. The Uh and Ah from the choir was way better to follow and softer to listen to, with at much more believable soundstage with UpTones small device. Oh, and I just forget to write more notes, the next song from the same album took over, and the piano at first, the acoustic guitar followed by Gilmours lead vocal took me back to a trip (no, sorry, not THAT kind of trip:=) long ago when enjoying his vocal, guitar and songwriting for the first time. And his Stratocaster just cried again... With the UpTone device, the sound was (I know, I am repeating myself) just more like... music!

Danish Bo Stief Dream Machine's album Heart&Destiny, where the slide guitar of Poul Halberg does some real magic on the track “Heart”, is another song that every HiFi manufacturer should put on demo. There are lots of fine percussion details, deep bass lines, and this wonderful guitar on top of it all. Just beautiful! On this track the REGEN really shines, the sound stage is much deeper, wider, softer and yet more precise. And way more entertaining if I may use that word again. Love-able could also be a good phrase to describe what the REGEN does.

"Appalachia Waltz" composed by Mark O´Connor and performed by Yo-Yo Ma shows how more likable the sound-stage gets with the UpTone device in the chain. The beauty of the song is totally removed together with removing the small REGEN. Strange but true!

Yasmine Hamdans song "Mediya" from her 2013 album Ya Nass can be a tough one for many not so well designed music systems. If her voice or the aggressive hi-hat gets to much digital harshness, or the low frequencies attacks to many standing waves, then you definitely have to do a thing or two about your room, your cabling or just invest in this little gem we have for this review! And yes the album is compressed, but not over compressed, if it was to heavy comped then it would be a no go to listen to - with or without the UpTone device.

"Let It Rain" performed by Patricia Barber is my next example. I have that track in a 88.2/24 version. Oh boy, this is good, fab, cool… “can't you make that liquid fly, bubbles rise, heatwave die, that water slip and slide me away” she sings, right here in my listening room!

Is the sound with the REGEN more precise and do you get more bass or treble for your money? Yes, but what´s that draws me is the entertainment factor, it's just more fun, more enjoyable to listen to music with the REGEN then without it. No listening fatigue anymore, you can listen for hours and hours. And that's what it's all about, isn't my friends?

Thanks for reading and happy listening! I´ll get back to my music system right now. Can´t wait to REGENerate more of my lovely music.