iFi audio ZEN Stream - Streaming elevated to a higher plane

[greenblured]

If the problem its the power supply it can be solved by plugging the router to another plug on the wall and not on my hifi power line extender. Is electrical noise being transferred to the streamer from the lan cable?

You can try it, but in my case i had the router on a seperate power line from my hifi set up. The noice from the router follows the ethernet cable. An LPS isolates the router from AC noice, a switch isolates and reclocks the signal. The wifi chip in the streamer introduces noice. In theory the switch will also introduce noice, but in practice there is a benefit in SQ ime and many others.

 

[jjazzy]

You can try it, but in my case i had the router on a seperate power line from my hifi set up. The noice from the router follows the ethernet cable. An LPS isolates the router from AC noice, a switch isolates and reclocks the signal. The wifi chip in the streamer introduces noice. In theory the switch will also introduce noice, but in practice there is a benefit in SQ ime and many others.

The noise by a wifi chip has no influence, none at all. That’s not how tcp/ip data works. Either you get hiccups and dropouts, if the connection is unstable. In all other situations tcp data packages are retransmitted if a crc check notice a missing data package.

The only thing thet could introduce noise, is electrical one through the network cable.

Read into the technical data of the osi layers, my advice

 

[greenblured]

The noise by a wifi chip has no influence, none at all. That’s not how tcp/ip data works. Either you get hiccups and dropouts, if the connection is unstable. In all other situations tcp data packages are retransmitted if a crc check notice a missing data package.

An active wifi connection means more prossesing going on in the streamer. More prossesing means more self made noice. Yes, not introduced noice.

 

[jjazzy]

An active wifi connection means more prossesing going on in the streamer. More prossesing means more self made noice. Yes, not introduced noice.

That is minimal because the streamer is the receiving part, not the sender, that makes a huge difference.

 

[greenblured]

That is minimal because the streamer is the receiving part, not the sender, that makes a huge difference.

The wifi antenna will pick up RFI together with the wifi signal. A wired connection with a shielded ethernet cable less so.

 

[jjazzy]

The wifi antenna will pick up RFI together with the wifi signal. A wired connection with a shielded ethernet cable less so.

If you want a perfect connection use optic fiber, which I use between my 3 vmware home servers, but for now that is unavailable for hifi. What you can use is optic fiber to tcp converters. Than you have a 100% galvanic disconnect. But a ‘real’ decent one doing those are not cheap. Ifi supports optic fiber on one of there more expensive streamers, but that is rather unique.

Regarding decent IT, and that is in software, firmware and hardware as well, a lot of hifi companies still live in the stoneage. And the reason is mainly it costs a lot of money to develop, way way more than some amplifier or dac.

(But some companies with extreme prices that would not be a excuse, the pathetic lcd interface from the chord dac Dave for example, what A joke! (Sound wise it sounds amazing, but the price it almost should have had a 3d holographic touch screen, but this my IT background talking now )

 

[Maxpain]

You can try it, but in my case i had the router on a seperate power line from my hifi set up. The noice from the router follows the ethernet cable. An LPS isolates the router from AC noice, a switch isolates and reclocks the signal. The wifi chip in the streamer introduces noice. In theory the switch will also introduce noice, but in practice there is a benefit in SQ ime and many others.

My previous setup was using the wifi and the router was in a completely different position away from my hifi setup.

But damn....the ethernet helps tidal connect so much...I mean no dropouts...with wifi zen stream just looses connection every 2-3 mins its kinda unusable.

I would guess that introduced electrical noise coming from the cheap and not hifi oriented power supply of the router is more severe than the electrical noise coming from the lan cable. I think ifi offers a ''lan silencer'' which is kinda cheap (if it works)...has anyone tried it?

 

[Flm09]

I also agree. I am owning a Zen Stream for almost one and a half years now and it had already taken some time for me to find out the tricks for the right settings of the software that ensure trouble-free operation. If it should get stuck in the playback now I know where to look first to fix it. But it was a little challenge to come to this point.

The ZS rewards me with fantastic sound. I connected it to a Zen One Signature DAC via iFi-Mercury 3.0 USB cable and high-res tracks via Qobuz come so close to vinyl playback in my system.

However, an update of the software and especially the unstable iFi app would be urgently needed! Will something finally happen in this regard in the near future?

Greetz

I agree! I use Mconnect app do you use Roon?

 

[sabloke]

My previous setup was using the wifi and the router was in a completely different position away from my hifi setup.

But damn....the ethernet helps tidal connect so much...I mean no dropouts...with wifi zen stream just looses connection every 2-3 mins its kinda unusable.

I would guess that introduced electrical noise coming from the cheap and not hifi oriented power supply of the router is more severe than the electrical noise coming from the lan cable. I think ifi offers a ''lan silencer'' which is kinda cheap (if it works)...has anyone tried it?

I would suggest you fix your wireless network by using a proper wireless router. My Stream has been running without any issues for months on Wi-fi.

 

[Maxpain]

I would suggest you fix your wireless network by using a proper wireless router. My Stream has been running without any issues for months on Wi-fi.

what would be the cost of a proper router? Is it easy to set it up and replace the original from my internet provider? Is it something that they are going to do remotely? or I would have to do it?

 

[sabloke]

Not sure what your ISP setup is but it should be easy enough to add a wireless router. This is the one I use. So fast and powerful, it easily covers a household with dozens of devices connected. My phone connects to is at 2.2Gbps and PCs are hooking up at 1.9Gbps to it. The Stream runs stable and smooth on 5GHz networks and the 2.4GHz one, no dramas. https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/routers/rax80/

 

[ProgNose]

I agree! I use Mconnect app do you use Roon?

No, I don‘t use Roon.

 

[Maxpain]

Since yesterday I have tried both wired and wifi with the zen stream. I can't decide what sounds better but they kinda sound different.

Over wifi everything sounds more forward and more...over lan it sounds more relaxed like you take things down a notch.

I can't say which is best...but I guess more relaxed means cleaner signal?

Thanks for your suggestion...it's cool looking too...but out of my budget for now.

 

[jjazzy]

Since yesterday I have tried both wired and wifi with the zen stream. I can't decide what sounds better but they kinda sound different.

Over wifi everything sounds more forward and more...over lan it sounds more relaxed like you take things down a notch.

I can't say which is best...but I guess more relaxed means cleaner signal?

Thanks for your suggestion...it's cool looking too...but out of my budget for now.

The only thing that could have influence is noise, either wifi chip noise from the zen stream, or noise through network cabling (noise caused by some dirty switch or dirty switch PSU. Mostly more relaxed means less noise most of the time

 

[Maxpain]

The only thing that could have influence is noise, either wifi chip noise from the zen stream, or noise through network cabling (noise caused by some dirty switch or dirty switch PSU. Mostly more relaxed means less noise most of the time

I have decided to go with ethernet...but ifi's lan cable that came with the zen stream is very very short.

I am inclined to order a new lan cable and a new psu for my router.

I keep reading about specs on lan cables for sound....what are those specs? Are like 50 euros enough for a decent lan cable with the specs we are talking about?