Auralic Aries & Sonore microRendu listening impressions

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Yes, I have noticed that Aries is caching the files from Tidal in exactly the same way as from my NAS.

 

Thanks for the confirmation!

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It should be possible to force 100Mbps speed without using a Fast Ethernet switch. An Ethernet cable can be modified by disconnecting at least one of the cable twisted pairs used at gigabit speed but not at 100Mbps. If done correctly this should prevent successful gigabit negotiation between switch and device so the link speed becomes 100Mbps. Insulating some of the contacts at the RJ-45 connectors of a cable may be easier than actually cutting the twisted pairs. I may try this myself to see how well it works.

I just achieved 100Mbps link rate between a PC motherboard gigabit Ethernet port and a Netgear GS108 gigabit Ethernet switch using a modified CAT5 cable. I used some superglue gel to insulate pins 4,5,7,8 of one RJ45 connector on the cable. The link speed as reported on the PC side and indicated on LEDs on the switch is now 100Mbps, whereas prior to this mod it was consistently 1Gbps.

 

It looks like the use of a Fast Ethernet (100Mbps) switch is not the only way to force Aries down to 100Mbps. A modified Ethernet cable with connectivity on two out of four twisted pairs can work as well.

 

I did notice that with this modified Ethernet cable the link negotiation took around 10 seconds to complete, whereas prior to the modification the cable took about a second to complete negotiation at gigabit speed. This may be because the ports on both PC and switch are inherently gigabit and will negotiate at this speed, but actual data transfer will fail at gigabit with the modified ("crippled") cable, and the fallback mechanism takes a while to lock in at 100Mbps.

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Here are some AC power consumption measurements for Aries Femto in various network configurations:

 

* Wireless 5GHz (high band): Playback: 11.4-12.3W, Track preload peak: 15.8W

* Wired Gigabit: Playback: 11.3-12.2W, Track preload peak: 15.4W

* Wired 100Mbps: Playback: 10.4-11.3W, Track preload peak: 14.2W

 

All power figures are AC side consumption as measured with a Kill-a-Watt meter and Aries Femto powered by Auralic LPS. The same 24/88 album from NAS was played in all configurations. Aries was power cycled for each selected network mode before measurements were taken. Power consumption fluctuated constantly (within 1 watt) and high network activity for track preloading lasted only a few seconds each time so I kept changing tracks to force Aries to spend more time preloading into memory for me to take the power readings.

 

Aries power consumption measured lowest in wired 100Mbps mode.

 

I also observed a few other things:

* Power consumption is highest in Standby mode (OLED displaying dim "Auralic"), more than any on/quiescent (non-playing) mode: up to 13.4W!

* OLED on vs. off power difference is within 0.2W

* In wireless mode, the wired Ethernet port appears off (link indicator on Aries RJ45 jack and Ethernet switch jack are both off), no power difference between Ethernet link partner present (cable plugged) vs. absent (cable unplugged) when in wireless mode

 

If one subscribes to the theory of lower device power consumption contributing to improved SQ, then running Aries in 100Mbps wired mode should deliver the best SQ among the possible networking configurations. The results of the most recent listening session with 100Mbps wired mode certainly agree with this.

 

I will further explore the 100Mbps wired configuration for Aries Femto using a modified "2x twisted-pair" Ethernet cable instead of inserting Fast Ethernet switch, and also the EN-70HD isolator.

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These recent tweaks have not resulted in loss of warmth in the sound. Some of the SQ changes my friend and I noticed are: thicker & more engaging vocals, deeper soundstage yet smaller (better defined) instrument and vocal sizing, longer reverb tails, more micro details and more prominent bass (e.g. cellos and double basses heard more clearly in orchestral recordings). If anything, many of the vocal recordings sounded somewhat warmer and more lively than before, and the emotions in the performances came through more clearly.

 

My friend and I regularly attend orchestral performances at a local concert hall with great acoustics, partly to help calibrate our ears. We believe we have good sonic memory of what a real live orchestra sounds like, and our goal has been to make our systems sound like a good concert hall as much as possible. Until recently, my friend's system produced treble & upper midrange (e.g. violin) sounds that were perceived as louder, brighter and more edgy than what we heard in the concert hall, but lately the realism of the sound has been stepped up to another level. Overall tonal balance got darker and more closely matching the concert hall sound, i.e. more realistic overall. My friend's wife recently commented that their home system sound has become quite concert hall-like. So I would say there was really no perception of the sound being cold and sterile (or even analytical). These SQ gains have been most gratifying for us.

 

My friend has also recently added several sound-absorbing foam panels into his listening area. The panels were mostly applied to the back wall behind the listening chairs. This was something my friend had wanted to do for a long time, as he heard some unnatural sound bouncing within the room especially at higher listening levels, that affected sonic imaging and clarity. The panels by themselves yielded SQ improvements separate from all the tweaks to the system. The descriptions above included both physical and electrical tweaks as a whole.

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Thanks for this, something I am wrestling with. I have just dropped a friend who works in pro-audio and email to see if I can borrow a transformer tomorrow!

 

M

My friend and I are using Jensen PI-2XX transformers with our Vega DACs.

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I also tried the FS105 V2 using my 22 year old "golden-ears" son as the test subject after I struggled to hear any clear cut gains, I have learned that if he doesn't hear a difference then there is a very good chance that there isn't one. His conclusion was that perhaps there was a bit more clarity on mids/highs on some tracks but nothing he would call definitive. In a way I am relieved as the last thing I need is another powered option in my setup. I have read in another thread that you felt that the V3 was better than the V2 but at this stage I think I will just see how the EMO goes when it arrives and perhaps even look at passively choking down to 100mbps after you have done all your testing and sent me the detailed instructions (LOL)

 

I actually don't have a FS105 v2. The comparison was between FS105 v3 and original FS105, which has a lower DC input voltage (7.5V) and a different AC adapter (much larger).

 

The other day I opened up my FS105 v3 and found a small switching regulator circuit powering the Realtek 5-port switch IC. I'm a bit tempted to look into replacing that switcher with a small linear regulator as another tweak to determine if the system SQ can be further improved.

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Hi Scan,

 

Did you pick these after some listening tests? Being in the UK Jensen appear to be less available than other UK and DE options.

 

Thx

 

I've been relying largely on my friend's recommendation for transformers. He has had a Jensen for several years and used it for balanced <> unbalanced signal conversion. We settled on the Jensen PI-2XX after listening to one at my friend's place, and were satisfied enough to not go shopping around. As far as I can tell, Jensen transformers have a reputation for being "clean sounding", though the models are not all the same. I also like them for their ease of use.

 

My friend currently uses a total of three PI-2XX, with one directly after Vega. Mine is placed between Vega and Taurus MkII headphone amp. Our setups have balanced analog signals all the way to the final amplification stage, and my HD800 headphones also run balanced with an aftermarket cable.

 

I have no experience with other transformer brands like Lundahl, so can't comment on how they may compare with Jensen.

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Quick heads-up. I just posted to the "Auralic Aries Mini" thread to describe playback interruption trouble I've encountered with my Mini using a 100Mbps Ethernet connection. My testing so far indicates my Mini is not completely happy working with 100Mbps Ethernet. Changing to gigabit or wireless will make the problem symptoms disappear.

 

My Aries Femto has been rock solid playing high-res content (up to 352.8K DXD) with 100Mbps Ethernet, so my Mini exhibits different behavior here. The playback interruptions were observed with both 4.0.0 production firmware and 4.1.beta2 firmware running on my Mini.

@austinpop: If you try 100Mbps Ethernet with your Mini I'd be interested to hear whether you encounter the same issue.

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@wanta911, thanks for sharing your SQ impressions for CAT6 and CAT6a.

 

I'm going to predict the effects of EN-70HD isolator will be very audible to you.

 

The following is mostly speculation on my part.

 

Since CAT6a has twice the bandwidth rating as CAT6 as well as lower alien crosstalk, signal integrity (waveform shape, skew, etc.) at the receiving end should theoretically be better with CAT6a. On the other hand, a higher bandwidth cable suggests a lower capacitive component of the differential impedance (due to different dielectic material?), which can make an unshielded cable more susceptible to picking up electromagnetic interference. Bandwidths of 250MHz and 500MHz for CAT6 & CAT6a respectively are overkill for gigabit link speed, and the cable optimizations to achieve these bandwidths may result in compromises for audio use, like BJC has indicated. Imagine a higher level of high frequency noise being carried into the renderer/streamer via the Ethernet cable...

 

I now wonder if BJC CAT5e (also with bonded pairs) is also worth exploring from the SQ perspective relative to CAT6 or CAT6a.

 

I suspect EMO EN-70HD isolator helps by acting as an additional barrier for common mode noise, essentially supplementing the common mode rejection capability of the receiver. Pulse transformers can act as low-pass (band-pass?) filters to reduce unwanted noise. My friend and I heard SQ improvements with EN-70HD while using unshielded Ethernet cables, so the benefit does NOT come from EN-70HD disconnecting cable shields as there weren't any. Whatever is affecting the SQ is riding on the cable twisted pairs along with the intended Ethernet signals.

 

All this is a long-winded way of saying I'm a firm believer of signal integrity affecting SQ. My big thanks to John Swenson for highlighting the significance of this aspect of digital audio.

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Hi Scan,

 

I picked up an ART transformer from eBay for £30 and slotted it in before committing to a Jensen. And? YESSSSS.

 

Over the last couple of months I have been concentrating on the positives of the microRendu over my Naim NS01. The detail has been great, but with each step I have increased clarity whilst, I now realise, losing what I will call ....timbre? For instance I have been hearing more clearly the bass line, and what the player is doing, but in some way it feels as though it has lost weight. Additionally some tracks, particularly Rock and Pop, have gained aggressive S & Ts, and overall the music has become sharper. This sharpness can be positive, additional detail and attack.

 

Over the past six weeks I have been trying to address this as the brightness has spoiled my enjoyment of the positives I have been hearing. I have:

 

1. Swapped in alternative amps;

2. Swapped in alternative cables;

3. Played with my speaker positioning;

4. Swapped in alternative speaker stands;

5. Cabled in alternative mains power;

6. Amongst others!

 

All of which did not address the issues. Things which did assist in a minor way:

 

1. Removing SMPSs in favour of LPSUs;

2. Adding ferrites to cables - perhaps, not convinced but it didn't hurt;

3. Adding FMCs and E70-HD;

4. Adding Jitterbuster;

5. Adding USB > RJ45 > USB bridge.

 

These things generally cleaned the signal without removing the brightness.

 

Adding the ART REALLY hit the spot. The general brightness has GONE. The specific issue on S & Ts is greatly reduced.

 

This now leaves me with one issue - I have an option on a Jensen at a good price, although not dirt cheap; will this further improve things, or just prove to be a waste of moolah. Of course I could go the mad route and contact Tim de Paravicini, who makes my amps and is famous for the quality of his transformers, and get a quote for a hand made isolator!

 

Anyway - THANK YOU for the side note, you have returned enjoyment to my listening, and doubled down in the advantages of the mR.

 

M

Hi M,

 

It's great to hear the ART transformer is working for you.

 

I don't know how to predict whether adding a Jensen can bring additional SQ improvement. It's probably one of those things that need to be auditioned to gauge its effectiveness.

 

Adding a balanced transformer to the analog side is what I would call a counterintuitive move, and contradicts the "less is better" common wisdom. I really have my friend to thank for this one. The sonic benefits of transformers used properly can be quite amazing.

 

Another counterintuitive example is how my friend has been using a Behringer DCX2496 crossover to drive his KEF LS50 and Lyngdorf subs. The DCX2496 is not very well regarded sonically, and it adds additional A-to-D and D-to-A conversions to the music chain, so one would think it would introduce audible sonic degradation. In reality at my friend's place, the degradation heard is quite small (we tested DCX2496 in flat mode in & out of the system to compare) and is more than offset by the time alignment achieved between the main speakers and subs, some EQ for flatter frequency response and to compensate for the Allison effect, and a 1dB treble reduction that my friend prefers.

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I am on the fence on what unit to buy. I have it narrowed down to the 2 listed in this thread. The Aries is about 1600 and the microrendu ia $650 but after you upgrade the power supply, add either an

Intona or w4s recovery, your now hitting the same price as the Aries with less in line between the unit and dac.

 

It sounds like the Aries is edging out the microrendu. Am I reading this correctly?

There is no hard and fast rule. Aries Femto running 4.0.0 firmware with Auralic LPS was compared to microRendu with LPS-1, EMO EN-70HD isolator, and 100Mbps Ethernet for both (using a Netgear FS105v3 switch) and same Auralic Vega DAC. My friend and I both preferred the sound of the Aries Femto. With a different setup, for example another DAC, the microRendu with tweaks may deliver better SQ. In other words, YMMV.

 

Yesterday, I replaced the SMPS wall wart for the Netgear FS105v3 switch with a modified Teradak X1/X2 LPS (adjusted to 12V output) for the Aries Femto setup at my friend's place, and there was a distinct SQ improvement. The Teradak LPS was plugged through a TrippLite isolation transformer just like the SMPS wall wart before it. I plan to modify a FS105v3 switch to replace the remaining switching regulator sitting on its circuit board.

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There is no hard and fast rule. Aries Femto running 4.0.0 firmware with Auralic LPS was compared to microRendu with LPS-1, EMO EN-70HD isolator, and 100Mbps Ethernet for both (using a Netgear FS105v3 switch) and same Auralic Vega DAC. My friend and I both preferred the sound of the Aries Femto. With a different setup, for example another DAC, the microRendu with tweaks may deliver better SQ. In other words, YMMV.

 

Yesterday, I replaced the SMPS wall wart for the Netgear FS105v3 switch with a modified Teradak X1/X2 LPS (adjusted to 12V output) for the Aries Femto setup at my friend's place, and there was a distinct SQ improvement. The Teradak LPS was plugged through a TrippLite isolation transformer just like the SMPS wall wart before it. I plan to modify a FS105v3 switch to replace the remaining switching regulator sitting on its circuit board.

With the Teradak LPS powering the FS105vs switch, the soundstage got deeper, instrument sizes became smaller and more focused, voices became richer and more expressive. Most recordings sounded more lively and engaging. This tweak is just the latest in a series with astonishing SQ improvements.

 

I agree the Aries Femto with firmware 4.0.0 (or latest 4.1.0) and LPS is an impressive sounding piece of equipment.

 

There also appears to be more new features released through firmware for the Aries series than the microRendu.

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I'd vote for Aries from SQ perspective, especially considering the sonic improvements enabled by 4.0.0 firmware. The downsampling feature in 4.1.0 firmware allows me to play high-res PCM up to 24/384 or DXD to my KEF X300A speakers with internal 24/96 DAC.

 

I also like the ease of switching between local content and internet radio stations with Lightning DS.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

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One more question, does it sound better if I run the drive locally? usb hard drive into the aries or better through the nas? My nas is on another floor of the house along with my router. If I was going to go Ethernet, I would need to get a range extender that has Ethernet out. Would that make a difference or should I just keep it wireless? From reading, you have preferred hard wire over wireless but, I am not sure if your router is actually around the unit?

In my experience, Aries sounds better streaming from NAS than from local USB hard drive. I suspect this is because Aries is electrically quieter with no local USB storage attached.

 

I don't recommend WiFi range extenders as they often don't work that well and also cuts the WiFi bandwidth in half by design. My friend uses a second wireless router configured as a wireless bridge to link his Aries to the first wireless router where his NAS is connected. The networking link between NAS and Aries does not need to be 100% wired. My previous posts in this thread indicate Aries can deliver better sound when receiving from wired Ethernet, especially at 100Mbps, vs. wireless, so having a wireless bridge to feed Aries makes a lot of sonic sense.

 

I have just received a Netgear Orbi (router & satellite pair) and will be using it to enable my downstairs Aries to stream via wired (it is currently using wireless), among other purposes. My wireless router and NAS are both upstairs. There will be a Netgear FS105v3 Fast Ethernet switch (powered by linear PS) and an EMO Systems EN-70HD Ethernet isolator sitting between the Orbi satellite and Aries, all located downstairs. Proximity of the Orbi satellite to Aries will allow me to use very short (1-foot) Ethernet cables. I may also try a modified (100Mbps only) CAT6/6a cable to see how it compares SQ-wise with using the FS105v3 switch to force Aries to 100Mbps.

 

Just for my education and to satisfy my curiosity, I'll replace the switching regulator inside one FS105v3 switch with a linear regulator for a comparison with a stock switch. Since the use of external linear PS replacing the Netgear wall wart delivered a substantial SQ improvement in two separate venues, getting rid of that switching regulator within the switch may yield another incremental improvement.

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I also have a Vinnie Rossi MINI PURE-DC-4EVR power supply on order as yet another power supply option for my Aries Femto. Auralic's LPS and SBooster BOTW LPS, being great PSU options for Aries Femto, lack the ability to break leakage current loops that the VR LPS provides.

 

If your DAC does not require USB +5V bus power to work, I recommend adding a SBooster VBus2 isolator for Aries. My friend reported a small but definite SQ improvement when the VBus2 was added. He tried taping up the +5V contact on the USB cable first, but the VBus2 yielded better SQ. I suppose another step would be a USB cable with a detachable ground connection, which I currently do not have.

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Where are folks buying their EN-70HD's from? The EMO Systems website says the account is suspended and not working.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Strange. I successfully ordered from them a second time just two weeks ago.

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Is the EMO EN-70HD directional or can it be inserted either way?

 

 

Also, would it matter where the FS105 is in the chain? For example, if using a wireless bridge could it be used between the NAS and the main router instead of between the bridge and the renderer?

Good question. I've been putting the black end of EN-70HD towards my Aries. There are surge components on one side of the transformers, but I don't know whether they are located on the black end. I'm not going to disassemble a EN-70HD just to find out.

 

For FS105 Fast Ethernet switch, mine are placed ahead of Aries. My current networking setup for audio looks like this:

 

NAS <> GS108 Gigabit Switch <> FS105 Fast Ethernet Switch <> EN-70HD <> Aries Mini

 

With my recent acquisition of Netgear Orbi router, the setup for the Aries downstairs now looks like this:

 

NAS <> GS108 Gigabit Switch <> Orbi router <wireless> Orbi satellite <> FS105 Fast Ethernet Switch <> EN-70HD <> Aries Mini

 

My friend has just confirmed that the FS105 switch can be replaced by a custom Ethernet cable with connectivity in just two twisted pairs (pins 1/2, 3/6). Such a "100Mbps only" Ethernet cable eliminates the need for the FS105 switch, and thus the need for another linear power supply as a replacement for the Netgear wall wart. SQ comparison between FS105/LPS and this custom Ethernet cable has begun, and a report may be posted later.

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My current setup looks like this:

 

NAS <> Netgear R7000 router <wireless> Netgear R7000 wireless bridge <> FS105 Fast Ethernet Switch <> EN-70HD <> Aries

 

And I might try this:

 

NAS <> FS105 Fast Ethernet Switch <> Netgear R7000 router <wireless> Netgear R7000 wireless bridge <> EN-70HD <> Aries

 

Effectively it should be doing exactly the same thing (reducing gigabit to 100mbps) albeit much earlier in the chain. The attraction is to get another powered device away from my setup and into another room that is on a different circuit. I'm not sure if it will affect anything as far as bandwidth etc is concerned? I guess I will find out

 

BTW: I am finding a difference with both the FS105 and EMO in the chain.

The second setup will not force Aries to talk at 100Mbps. This is assuming the LAN ports of the Netgear R7000 wireless bridge are gigabit capable. This arrangement limits the networking throughput between NAS and Aries to 100Mbps, but the Ethernet link rate of Aries talking to R7000 (through the EN-70HD) will still be gigabit. I will venture a guess that this setup may not sound quite as good as your current setup, with Aries talking to a FS105 at 100Mbps. Per my previous report, Aries delivered the best SQ for me when forced to talk 100Mbps on its Ethernet port. It would be interesting to hear which setup sounds better to you, though.

 

I'm not surprised about a difference resulting from both FS105 and EN-70HD being used. Each of these options was evaluated by itself at my friend's place, with best results coming from both being in use.

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Scratch that first link I think the orbi is the eay to go.

Yes, my Orbi satellite allows my downstairs Aries to stream via Ethernet, and my NAS upstairs can remain where it is, with the Orbi router sitting next to it.

 

I just did a throughput test using a PC connected to the Orbi satellite downstairs via gigabit Ethernet, copying a large (4GB) file from the upstairs NAS. The transfer rate was between 400 and 600 Mbps (megabits per second), averaging about 550 Mbps. This is way more bandwidth than is needed to stream DSD256 or 24/384 or DXD PCM. The Orbi backhaul channel is quite well implemented.

 

I also listened to my Aries streaming through Orbi at 100Mbps (with custom "100Mbps only" dual twisted pair Ethernet cable) using my headphones setup, and the sound is better than ever!

 

Orbi can be a great solution for those with NAS and streamer/renderer located on different floors. I much prefer the Orbi solution than having to mess with a wireless bridge (or another router or extender configured as bridge). The Orbi setup was also quite friendly and painless.

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Has anyone compared Orbi, Eero and the new Google wireless meshes?

Orbi was evaluated against Eero and Luma over at SmallNetBuilder:

 

NETGEAR Orbi Reviewed - SmallNetBuilder

 

As for SQ in audio streaming setups, I doubt many of us have more than one of these new-fangled routers.

 

BTW, Orbi is strictly speaking not implementing true mesh protocol (typical marketing distortion to call it mesh). It's one router plus one or more satellites linking via high bandwidth backhaul channel. The satellites do not communicate with each other. I do find the Orbi router/satellite pair quite optimal for my needs, though, and should not need to purchase a second satellite.

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I got a prompt response from EMO:

Hi,

The network isolators are bidirectional, there is not a specific input/output side.

 

 

Thank you for contacting us.

 

Yesterday I suggested to a couple of audio friends to try reversing the orientation of the EN-70HD isolator. Both of them reported a SQ improvement that was not subtle. The better sound resulted from the EN-70HD oriented with the black side not directly cabled to Aries.

 

To quote my friend: "I got a yet deeper sound stage and a more realistic combination of recorded direct and reflected sound. The expression of the performance and the emotion of music are surprising. For example, Wong Fei's expression is now even more convincing and attractive, with the whole track seeming to progress at a faster pace."

 

EMO is right in that for general networking operation, the EN-70HD orientation should not matter, but for audio purposes one of the two orientations can yield better sound, so I recommend folks using the EN-70HD to try both orientations and pick the one that sounds better.

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Hi Scan,

 

I've been going over this thread - it is such excellent info! I see I missed some things on the first pass - like these Jensen isolators. I think when you first mentioned these, I thought you were talking of power isolators, since some of the other threads were abuzz (or humming ) with talk of Topaz and Elgar, and what have you.

 

No, what I missed was that these are in the analog domain. I too use a fully balanced path from my Codex DAC to my Cavalli Liquid Gold amp to my HD800s!

 

So - question for you. I'm assuming you're using XLR to XLR. I have some not inexpensive XLR interconnects (Ayre Signature XLR) already between my Codex and the LAu. The isolator necessitates another pair of interconnects. Do you use the identical interconnects on both sides of the isolator? Or can one side be cheaper? Wondering if you've experimented.

 

I must add these Jensens to my list to audition.

I use Mogami Gold Studio XLR-to-XLR 2' cables on both sides of the Jensen PI-2XX transformer. I also have a pair of WireWorld XLR cables but they are too long and thick to support the Jensen insertion. For my HD800 I use Endorphin balanced cable (non-hardwired) by Stefan AudioArt.

 

My next tweak is to replace the SMPS wall wart for my Netgear Orbi satellite with a linear power supply, perhaps a Teradak 30W 12V model. The Orbi wall wart is plugged into the same power strip as my Aries Femto, Vega DAC and Taurus headphone amp, so I'm motivated to go SMPS free on that power strip with just one power supply change. The Orbi itself provides of galvanic isolation between my NAS and Aries Femto.

 

This coming Saturday I hope to spend some time at another friend's place to assess Aries Mini SQ using wireless, gigabit Ethernet and 100Mbps Ethernet networking options. I've already shared auditioning results for such an exercise with Aries Femto, but want to determine whether Aries Mini can benefit from the same tweak.

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Thanks. I currently have Ayre Signature XLR between my DAC and amp, and Moon Audio Black Dragon balanced for the HD800.

 

I am curious whether, with all your other ground leakage loop efforts in place, with FMCs, LPS-1, Intona, etc, the Jensen's still have an impact? Or was it inserted pre-digital tweaks? I always ask myself that question when I cascade tweaks upon tweaks - what am I hearing - or not hearing - because of other isolation efforts in my overall system?

 

Would you be willing to add this to your list of experiments next time you do a listening session at your friend's? BTW - you've made him/her sound like a real man/woman of mystery!

 

I guess the questions on the table for me are:

• Will the Jensen help or hinder in my setup?
  
• Does the quality of the XLR cable from the DAC to the Jensen input matter (i.e. another expense!)?
  
• Does the benefit of my Ayre Signature cable over cheaper cables hold once I have the Jensen?
  

 

Guess I'm putting a Jensen PI-2XX on my wish-list! Not sure when the coffers will allow.

As always, eagerly awaiting your findings!

Believe it or not, I'm currently not using every single tweak evaluated with my Aries Femto. For example, there is no Intona, W4F RUR or Regen, FMCs, LPS-1 in my setup. There's a custom CAT5e cable with connectivity in only two twisted pairs, to force Aries Femto to talk at 100Mbps, and an EN-70HD isolator, connecting to my Orbi satellite. On the USB side I have an SBooster VBus2 isolator and WireWorld Platinum Starlight USB cable, but that's it. The Vega DAC balanced XLR outputs run through Mogami Gold XLR cables to the Jensen PI-2XX, then to my Taurus headphone amp. Power supply for Aries Femto is UpTone JS-2.

 

Regarding the Jensen, I don't believe there's a sure way to determine ahead of time whether it will be beneficial or detrimental. I am one of three people within my local audio circle of friends using the PI-2XX and we are all pleased with the results. Admittedly adding the Jensen is more counterintuitive than common sense, and its adoption was based almost completely on listening tests.

 

One thing about the PI-2XX. Its datasheet mentions the requirement of cable length to be kept within 1 meter to preserve the rated high-frequency bandwidth. The PI-2XX has a Faraday shield responsible for extremely high noise rejection but unavoidably makes their outputs sensitive to capacitive loading. The cable length on the output side of PI-2XX therefore needs to be carefully managed. If longer cable lengths are required, different Jensen ISO-MAX models can be selected.

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So you have Mogami Gold on both sides of the Jensen?

Yes, 2-foot Mogami Gold cables on both sides.

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Thanks for your comments, Larry!

 

I may be increasingly in favor of using a "100Mbps only" Ethernet cable to force networking speed to 100Mbps, instead of using an additional 100Mbps switch. All things equal, I prefer a passive solution than an active one. The cable solution is also way cheaper. I hacked one CAT5e cable by insulating pins 4,5,7,8 at one RJ45 plug with superglue gel.

 

Having said that, I will still put in the effort to replace the switching regulator inside a Netgear FS105v3 Fast Ethernet switch with a linear regulator. Completing this mod will make the switch a "no-SMPS" solution, when powered with an external LPS. I may also do the same for one downstream FMC. I'm eager to determine how a modded FS105v3 switch compares in SQ with the "100Mbps only" Ethernet cable, so there will be some listening tests scheduled for these.

 

It's a shame products like Aries or microRendu do not support Ethernet settings adjustments. I suppose such settings can only be controlled by the Linux driver of the NIC within the products? My friend and I have used 100Mbps on Aries Femto with great results, but we may never know if disabling NIC offload functions can yield even better SQ.