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

[bpcans]

@bluenight, this is the exact $100 router that my cable company supplied us for our condo. . It sits on the floor plugged into its own wall socket using a stock SMPS. I have iFi iPower Elite PSUs for both of my network switches, and they are a big improvement over their stock wall-warts IMO. You’d think that putting an iFi PSU on the router itself would make a difference. So I called every dealer I knew who puts together streaming systems and asked if upgrading the PSU on my router was a good idea. Nobody said it wouldn’t help by itself. But nearly all said that because my router was already somewhat isolated that it shouldn’t make a noticeable difference because of how my listening chain is setup.

Maybe I will give one of these a try sometime this year. iFi iPower X Low Noise Power Supply DC Adapter – Upgrade Your Audio/Video/Electronics (5V) https://a.co/d/4WTY1a4.

 

[dougms3]

@bluenight, this is the exact $100 router that my cable company supplied us for our condo. . It sits on the floor plugged into its own wall socket using a stock SMPS. I have iFi iPower Elite PSUs for both of my network switches, and they are a big improvement over their stock wall-warts IMO. You’d think that putting an iFi PSU on the router itself would make a difference. So I called every dealer I knew who puts together streaming systems and asked if upgrading the PSU on my router was a good idea. Nobody said it wouldn’t help by itself. But nearly all said that because my router was already somewhat isolated that it shouldn’t make a noticeable difference because of how my listening chain is setup.

Maybe I will give one of these a try sometime this year. iFi iPower X Low Noise Power Supply DC Adapter – Upgrade Your Audio/Video/Electronics (5V) https://a.co/d/4WTY1a4.

That looks like a decent router. The router that the isp gave me at my apt and at my 2 stores have been really old cheap routers, definitely nothing with wifi6. I was having issues with the VOIP latency and changed the routers to asus gaming routers. I also didn't like that they can be completely controlled by isp and limited access to alot of basic features, I was unable to change some settings on them like the DNS. I use cloudflare for DNS, because I don't want the ISP collecting and selling data on all the websites I visit.

I have the ifi power x connected to my loxjie p20 amp and it made a very noticeable difference in the sound quality from the stock PS. I bought another one for my JCAT usb card and it made a significant difference there too. I wanted to try a linear PS but didnt want to spend alot of money so I bought this linear PS from aliexpress after reading some positive reviews on them. The link is not working atm, it looks like the store is on vacation.

The sound quality improved a good step further with this linear PS on the jcat usb card vs the ifi ipower x. Not huge but I'd say it was well worth the price since its about the same price as the ipower x.

I really wanted to try swapping out to a linear PS for my router as well but unfortunately, my router is 19v and I can't seem to find a similar linear PS at that voltage.

 

[bpcans]

@dougms3, you could always by a decent of your own router from BestBuy or somewhere. They’re not that expensive at all these days. I had to buy one when I lived in the suburbs and it helped noticeably from the cheap tower Xfinity had given us to use.

 

[dougms3]

@dougms3, you could always by a decent of your own router from BestBuy or somewhere. They’re not that expensive at all these days. I had to buy one when I lived in the suburbs and it helped noticeably from the cheap tower Xfinity had given us to use.

Thanks for the suggestion but the router I have is the asus gs-ax5400 at home. I bought it well before I had considered the LPS.

It was pricey and really don't want to spend money on a new router, perhaps when the time comes for need to upgrade the router, I will make sure to pick one that uses a more commonly used voltage.

 

[bluenight]

@bpcans

They can be wrong, i guess you never really know until you try it yourself.

I changed both at the same time. Also for my piece of mind i wanted to exchange both both are in my electric grid/chain and can possibly make less noise dumped in the grid. I guess an overall lower noise floor in the grid/chain helps.

Also router/switch are using a different wall outlett in the otherside of the room compared to my audio component's. Makes a difference anyway.

 

[Mark200]

@bpcans

They can be wrong, i guess you never really know until you try it yourself.

I changed both at the same time. Also for my piece of mind i wanted to exchange both both are in my electric grid/chain and can possibly make less noise dumped in the grid. I guess an overall lower noise floor in the grid/chain helps.

Also router/switch are using a different wall outlett in the otherside of the room compared to my audio component's. Makes a difference anyway.

I have all my router and switch power supplies (and also OOMA VOIP box) plugged into a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). My desktop computer is in a different room on a different UPS.

 

[bluenight]

I have all my router and switch power supplies (and also OOMA VOIP box) plugged into a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). My desktop computer is in a different room on a different UPS.

So not connected to grid? Thats battery powered right? It could be a good solution.

 

[Roybenz]

I have Orbi mesh with wifi 6. what would bring inn less noise to streamer, use Ethernet wall outlet- cable goes 12 meters with unshielded cat6 to Main Orbi. Or use a wifi connected Orbi unit next to streamer with Ethernet out from it to streamer?

 

[Mark200]

So not connected to grid? Thats battery powered right? It could be a good solution.

The UPS is connected to the grid, but has a built-in battery backup to counter any momentary grid voltage drops, and surge protection to guard against any grid spikes. Unless one wants to buy an expensive power conditioner, a UPS is reasonable way (for about $75-100) to stabilize and clean the voltage to low power AC to DC power converters, which don't draw a lot of power. If you have a high power speaker amp, something more robust may be needed like a power conditioner, or a larger UPS.

There are more sophisticated UPS devices known as a "pure sine wave UPS", but they cost about twice as much, but a lot cheaper than many other audio tweaks, and probably a lot more effective.

 

[Mark200]

I have Orbi mesh with wifi 6. what would bring inn less noise to streamer, use Ethernet wall outlet- cable goes 12 meters with unshielded cat6 to Main Orbi. Or use a wifi connected Orbi unit next to streamer with Ethernet out from it to streamer?

WiFi cannot transmit wire noise, but Ethernet (hard wired) is a more reliable TCP/IP connection. I had a choice and used Ethernet to my streamer, because I have no reason to believe that any noise is being passed to the streamer than it cannot filter out. I certainly have not heard any background noise whatsoever through my headphones.

 

[Roybenz]

WiFi cannot transmit wire noise, but Ethernet (hard wired) is a more reliable TCP/IP connection. I had a choice and used Ethernet to my streamer, because I have no reason to believe that any noise is being passed to the streamer than it cannot filter out. I certainly have not heard any background noise whatsoever through my headphones.

Apparently it’s supposed to be noise you cannot hear, that when removed will provide cleaner sound with less sharp sound. That what’s makes it difficult because I don’t know if I have noise ordered the FMC and will see if it makes a difference.

 

[Currawong]

The thing with switching power supplies is that they can inject noice both ways, including back into the AC mains. Some years ago, I plugged my computer into an AC mains filter to see if it made any difference, couldn't detect anything, and removed it. Then my system sounded worse! So, the differences can definitely be subtle.

A similar thing came up with people swearing blind that the Chord Hugo 2 and TT2 were improved with a better PSU. But, after investigation, it was the switching PSU affecting the downstream amplifier, not the DAC. As a result, I have all my PSUs going into a power filter board. I've also resorted to using DC filters on the switching power supplies, rather than buying a linear PSU for every device. This, partly because a linear PSU can pass on noise as well, albeit of a different type.

 

[griff500]

I think using the word ‘noise’ creates confusion as people automatically think they should be able to hear a noise. You only notice improvement when the interference is removed.

 

[Roybenz]

@Currawong Thanks for contributing. Been following you for several years on YouTube.

What DC filters do you use?

I been searching a lot, and can’t seem to find anything about another thing that’s been bothering me. I wonder if my Wi-Fi mesh connected orbi do provide a real Ethernet signal out from it, (when it’s only Wi-Fi connected) I could of course also connect a sattelite with Ethernet from wall but then it would be the same as just using the wall outlet. what do you think?

My theory is that it will bring in less noise than my wall cable does? Which is coming from orbi main unit 10-12 meters away which again is connected to isp FMC from fibre into our house.

 

[Currawong]

@Currawong Thanks for contributing. Been following you for several years on YouTube.

What DC filters do you use?

I been searching a lot, and can’t seem to find anything about another thing that’s been bothering me. I wonder if my Wi-Fi mesh connected orbi do provide a real Ethernet signal out from it, (when it’s only Wi-Fi connected) I could of course also connect a sattelite with Ethernet from wall but then it would be the same as just using the wall outlet. what do you think?

My theory is that it will bring in less noise than my wall cable does? Which is coming from orbi main unit 10-12 meters away which again is connected to isp FMC from fibre into our house.

I found, quite by accident, a Japanese company that makes inline DC filters. In the attached picture, the bottom one is a capacitor bank, most useful for amplifiers that have minimal power supplies, such as the Drop CTH. The top one is a noise filter. Unfortunately they don't ship overseas.