The Ethernet cables, Switches and Network related sound thread. Share your listening experience only.

[OCC7N]

@OCC7N There's an occassional poster on the R26 thread who has the JCAT XE USB & XE Network cards along with a SoTM motherboard. From memory he seems very happy with the combo to the extent the quality of the USB out easily beats his OCK-2 clocked R26 LAN input/ renderer (v hard to beat IME) and renders his U18 redundant - and now goes USB direct to the DAC.

If you search that thread you'll find his posts and could PM him.

Thanks

I think JCAT NET Card XE changed to first priority…uptone etherregen have to wait a little

My plan is to get both JCAT NET and Uptone.

JCAT USB XE is night and day difference between motherboard usb. Like blurred gets focus. Depth in image etc

 

[gimmeheadroom]

The differences between digital cables in my system mostly vanished after I added a power conditioner and put the wall-warts from various devices on a noise-filtering power board. I guess it's time to find an appropriate 'scope and find out what is going on. Anyone want to suggest one to me that doesn't cost a fortune and can deal with a very large range of frequencies, that also has a good degree of resolution?

I have some Siglent bench gear and I'm very happy with it. It has a big user community and a lot of hacks but most of all, the company even has service manuals for free download. I am not into electronics like I was in the 1970s so I looked around and this brand seemed to have the most fans and honest appraisals of what's good and what could be improved. I'm away from my main setup now but there is a good website for electronics run by (I think) an Australian guy. In the forums you can see what scopes people recommend. Sorry I can't remember the name, I'm in the middle of a lot of stuff right now.

 

[shogo33]

For what its worth - This is my current home network setup:
ISP (1000 D / 50 U) -> Asus AC5300 -> Netgear GS108 (iPowerX) -> TPLink M9Deco (iPowerX) -> 5GHZ wifi -> TPLink M9Deco (iPowerX) -> TPLink MC220L (iPowerX) -> SFP input EtherRegen (iPowerX) -> iFi ZenStream (iPowerX)

In order of perceived improvement:
1. TPLink Mesh network - this solved my electrical noise problem and also removed drop outs via wifi to the ZenStream
2. TPLink MC220L - adding fibre improved the noisefloor compared to straight ethernet cable connect direct to the ZenStream
3. Adding the Netgear GS108 and the EtherRegen to the network and using the EtherRegen's B output to the ZenStream. Again, lowered the noisefloor, improved spacial info and clarity, removed a bit of high freq harshness. Also width and depth improved. I thought I was done here and was happy for a while...until...
4. Added a series of iPowerX SMPS's across the board. Slight improvement across noisefloor, clarity, smoothness, soundstage width and depth, but what i noticed the most was how cohesive the sound was. I incrementally introduced the iPowerX to the EtherRegen first and worked backwards up the chain. Each step compounded and brought some noticeable differences for the better, but somewhat made you want more.
Previously using the SMPS for the M9Decos, GS108, EtherRegen etc, I felt that there was a bit of haze around the soundstage and spot lighting effect with how instruments were positioned and highlighted. There was a bit of high freq harshness and sibilance that were present with female vocals, now almost gone. I had a difficult time understanding this but, did the painful exercise of removing all the iPowerX psu's back in with the provided SMPS. I noticed the stage was flatter, depth reduced, that bit of harsh highs was back and spot lighting effect of instruments to the stage.

** Something I forgot to add - came to me this morning**
- I tried out using the iPower mk1 (9v) versions on the EtherRegen and TPLink FMCs, and they were not as good as the iPowerX equivalents. The sound was thinner, leaner, and the highs were not as refined. My suggestion is dont skimp out, if you can afford LPS's across the board, yeah go for it, think twice about ROI, but for me, the iPowerX is more realistic cost vs benefit wise.

Whats next on the list:
- ISP DOCSIS modem (iPowerX 12v DC)
- ISP DOCSIS modem (eth - fmc - fibre cable - fmc - eth) Asus router
- 19V 5A DC LPS for the Asus router.

What fun this hobby is

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I have some Siglent bench gear and I'm very happy with it. It has a big user community and a lot of hacks but most of all, the company even has service manuals for free download. I am not into electronics like I was in the 1970s so I looked around and this brand seemed to have the most fans and honest appraisals of what's good and what could be improved. I'm away from my main setup now but there is a good website for electronics run by (I think) an Australian guy. In the forums you can see what scopes people recommend. Sorry I can't remember the name, I'm in the middle of a lot of stuff right now.

This is the site https://www.eevblog.com

Excellent forums and a huge collection of great videos

https://www.youtube.com/@EEVblog

Scope fundamentals playlist

How not to blow up your oscilloscope is a must-watch

 

[OCC7N]

2 hours of long listening session on great speaker:

Stream vs local files.
JCAT NET XE vs Onboard.
SSD vs JCAT FEMTO
System disk Windows vs foobar on seperate disk and dedicated disk for files

..... One conclusion.

I mean I can not believe my ears, I always knew that it was good to seperate disks/work in music production because of performance. I never to this day thought I would ever hear the difference - Data is data right? - in the stored location yeah. But how is it processed?

The conclusion is:

1. Install audioplayer(foobar) on a seperate disk other than system/windows, it can be internal ssd or maybe a usb stick plugged to the JCAT USB XE.
2. Music files stored locally sounded better than from NAS into JCAT NET XE and Onboard.
3. Shockingly Foobar2000 installed on Intel SSD(files on jcat femto) sounded better than Foobar2000 installed on JCAT Femto(files on intel)

Long story short. Separate the music from system disk, and if you have files, use a seperate disk dedicated. Locally is better than NAS into the JCAT NET XE. YES I SAID IT!

I am shocked what I heard today. It feels so unreal. The music was in the room.

 

[OCC7N]

Great idea for DIY NAS or streamer?

Or straight up connect the DAC into it

https://www.sonnettech.com/product/mcfiver-pcie-card/overview.html

 

[camrector]

Hey guys quick question for ya
Shopping between the LHY sw10 and the awaited EtherRegen2. The sw10 has really caught my eye because it could potentially eliminate/upgrade 3-4 current boxes.
1 eliminate first FMC and linear ps.
2 eliminate/upgrade master clock
3 upgrade current Netgear switch

Cool stuff

My current switch is connected on the “dirty” side of my network. All network stuff and cpu connects to it along with the first fiber module that runs to my second fiber module and then to my R26.

My question concerns the SW10 and it’s master clock implementation as well as its placement in the network chain.

1. If the sw10 replaces my switch on the “dirty” side of my network, why would I connect its master clock to my R26 on the “clean” side? Bridging a BNC over my fiber convertors would negate my FMCs, and especially with how prone clocks are, add noise and jitter to my R26.
2. If the switch is connected to the “clean” side of my network, by becoming the last FMC, why would I connect all of my noisy “dirty” network components to its Ethernet ports? I would also then be connecting the R26 to that same switch, again negating the FMCs and most likely adding noise to the DAC.

If the answer is a second switch, why the heck does the sw10 have 17384917 Ethernet ports?!
This doesn’t make any sense.

The EtherRegen has a similar issue but let’s start here first.

 

[sajunky]

Hey guys quick question for ya
Shopping between the LHY sw10 and the awaited EtherRegen2. The sw10 has really caught my eye because it could potentially eliminate/upgrade 3-4 current boxes.
1 eliminate first FMC and linear ps.
2 eliminate/upgrade master clock
3 upgrade current Netgear switch

Cool stuff

My current switch is connected on the “dirty” side of my network. All network stuff and cpu connects to it along with the first fiber module that runs to my second fiber module and then to my R26.

My question concerns the SW10 and it’s master clock implementation as well as its placement in the network chain.

1. If the sw10 replaces my switch on the “dirty” side of my network, why would I connect its master clock to my R26 on the “clean” side? Bridging a BNC over my fiber convertors would negate my FMCs, and especially with how prone clocks are, add noise and jitter to my R26.
2. If the switch is connected to the “clean” side of my network, by becoming the last FMC, why would I connect all of my noisy “dirty” network components to its Ethernet ports? I would also then be connecting the R26 to that same switch, again negating the FMCs and most likely adding noise to the DAC.

If the answer is a second switch, why the heck does the sw10 have 17384917 Ethernet ports?!
This doesn’t make any sense.

The EtherRegen has a similar issue but let’s start here first.

Master clock on SW10 is optional and not related to the master clock of your DAC. Both master clocks can run unsychronised. So leave your SW10 on dirty side. Is solves your ground loops concern.

 

[camrector]

Master clock on SW10 is optional and not related to the master clock of your DAC. Both master clocks can run unsychronised. So leave your SW10 on dirty side. Is solves your ground loops concern.

It being a master clock is one of the main reasons to buy it.

 

[sajunky]

It being a master clock is one of the main reasons to buy it.

Master clock start real work in the place where synchronous audio stream is created and continue downstream. SW10 don't need to be synchronised to this clock, as it operate on asynchronous frames. Plain and simple. But it can be another master clock.


I really don't understand why there is master clock input on this device. I can't argue whether adding master clock is beneficial either. Some say it does, tested it works, super... One things is for sure: synchronising SW10 with the audio master clock do not make any sense.

 

[JjB067]

Just changed out a basic tpLink network switch for a LHY SW-8, and I have to say the difference in audio quality is very obvious. I had previously added an iFi LAN Silencer between router and switch and was pleasantly surprised at the effect, so one more step down the rabbit hole seemed in order. The LHY switch is very well built and I have kept the LAN Silencer in the chain as well. The overall effect is a very clean precise soundstage, I am using a Cambridge Audio MXN10 streamer and Denafrips Pontus Ii 12th ed DAC incidentally. So the concept of noise coming into the audio chain via Internet cabling seems to be a real thing as far as my ears judge anyway.

 

[Jake2]

Just changed out a basic tpLink network switch for a LHY SW-8, and I have to say the difference in audio quality is very obvious. I had previously added an iFi LAN Silencer between router and switch and was pleasantly surprised at the effect, so one more step down the rabbit hole seemed in order. The LHY switch is very well built and I have kept the LAN Silencer in the chain as well. The overall effect is a very clean precise soundstage, I am using a Cambridge Audio MXN10 streamer and Denafrips Pontus Ii 12th ed DAC incidentally. So the concept of noise coming into the audio chain via Internet cabling seems to be a real thing as far as my ears judge anyway.

+1 from a fellow SW-8 + iSilencer user. Suggest you try inserting your old switch between router and Ifi/SW-8, I have a Netgear GS108E there, or even better FMCs

 

[Roybenz]

How does the ifi iSilencer alter sound? Does it get brighter?

 

[JjB067]

How does the ifi iSilencer alter sound? Does it get brighter?

The iFi LAN Silencer in my system placed between router and switch resulted in slightly more punch and increased clarity overall, not really brighter I would say. A small but definite change which was immediately apparent. The LHY SW-8 switch moves everything up another level , more clarity everywhere. Some people on forums I have seen talk about deploying multiple LAN Silencers and getting slightly better results over one device. There is a HeadFi forum for the iFi silencer incidentally. So block out the router noise with the LAN Silencer, then keep extra noise down by using a good switch after that seems to be the working hypothesis.

 

[OCC7N]

Im just gonna leave this here, if you only have one isolator and don't know where to put it. This is the best practice and purpose of the isolator, however your ears decide. I personally placed my Baaske on the endpoint/source/streamer.

I would not use one if I had a good audiophile switch. I would put the audiophile switch closer like I would with the isolator.

No need for isolator if you have a good audiophile switch, Im pretty sure even without trying the SW8