A novel way to massively improve the SQ of computer audio streaming

[str-1]

On 5/27/2020 at 12:49 AM, kennyb123 said:

Really amazing what both of these power supplies have brought to the table.  Timber is being reproduced to a level that has had me gobsmacked.  The improvements are across the board and maybe close to being on par with what one might typically get from upgrading to a better DAC.  Better power cords can further improve the Super3, so I will likely be investigating that further at some point.

I have also had very good experiences upgrading power cords to my SR4-12, SR4T-19 and Super3 15v, but I have yet to try upgrading the IEC inlet.  Has anyone had experience hearing a difference between standard and upgraded IEC inlets (e.g. one or other of the Furutech options) with any of these or similar power supplies?

[cat6man]

On 6/3/2020 at 7:53 PM, CJH said:

Following up on my previous post. I received mini USB adapter to power my MP SR with a double regulated MP Audio 5V supply. This completely solved my sonic problems running HQP Control from a second Laptop. Sound is now consistent with or without HQP Control. Experiencing improvements in bass control, depth and width of soundstage, spacing between instruments and tonality resulting in a more natural, less mechanical presentation. One surprise was how good upsampled PCM now sounds, though sampling to DSD 256 still edges it out. One of my favorite test tracks is Zigeunerweisen, from Uncommon Ritual--Edgar Meyer.

 

since the MP SR are currently classified as unobtainium, i've ordered an alternate version which does not permit replacing the Vbus power via micro connector (ala monoprice slimrun).

 

has anyone found an adapter for usb A female to usb A male that includes the ability to insert the Vbus power?

i've searched/googled with no success.

[MagnusH]

16 minutes ago, cat6man said:

has anyone found an adapter for usb A female to usb A male that includes the ability to insert the Vbus power?

i've searched/googled with no success.

This one is what you want I think: https://ifi-audio.com/products/idefender3-0/

[auricgoldfinger]

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Background

 

My first audiophile switch was a modified consumer-grade Linksys SE3008.  SOtM changed capacitors, replaced the switching regulator with a linear regulator, and enabled the switch to be re-clocked by the sCLK-EX board in my tX-USBultra.  Later, the sCLK-EX was re-clocked by their sCLK-OCX10 master clock.  As others have noted, the result was a nice improvement in sound quality.

 

At some point, we were told that a particular Netgear switch could shunt upstream noise to ground, so I added one before the modified SE3008.  Although I could never hear any difference, I left it in place.  Much later, I tried a Cisco Catalyst 2960.  I heard no change, so I removed it.

 

I purchased the SOTM sNH-10G audiophile switch a few months after it was released.  To be honest, I was put off by the price and was skeptical of its value.  I knew from prior experience with my tX-USBultra and sMS-200ultra that I could get much better sound quality using 20AWG solid core Neotech silver wire with JSSG 360 shielding rather than the generic 22AWG stranded silver offered as an upgrade by SOtM.  The Neotech upgrade increases openness, transparency, and detail.  Importantly, it also adds body to the sound signature.  Consequently, my sNH-10G does not suffer much from the thinness that others have noted.

 

Along the way, I acquired a Mutec REF 10 to re-clock the tX-USBultra and sNG-10G.  The REF 10 is a marked improvement over the sCLK-OCX10.

 

I purchased an EtherREGEN soon after its release to chain with the sNH-10G.  During this time, I removed the Netgear switch from my network and noticed an uptick in sound quality.  I ran this configuration for a few months before deciding to part with the EtherREGEN and try a re-clocked Melco/Dela S100 instead. 

 

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

I would like to give credit to @seeteeyou for the idea of modifying an S100 and to @Nenon for giving me his thoughts and suggestions during my due diligence process.

 

Topology

 

A simplified representation of my system excluding grounding and power is as follows (apologies for the lack of an easy-to-read flow chart):

 

NUC7i7DNKE Euphony/Roon Server > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Synology DS218j > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

 

SOtM sNH-10G SE* > Single Mode Fiber > Modified Melco S100** > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF Ethernet > NUC7i7DNHE StylusEP > Habst USB Ultra III > tX-USBultra SE* > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF USB > Chord Hugo M-Scaler > Synergistic Research Galileo SX Digital BNC (2) > Chord DAVE > 12AWG 16-wire UniCrystal silver custom headphone cable > HE1000se headphones

 

* Re-clocked by Mutec REF 10 (Habst Digital BNC)

 

** Powered by a Farad3 12v and a JCAT Optimo Duo 5v rail.  A 100Mbps port is used to connect to the NUC7i7DNHE endpoint.

 

(Note:  A particular Finisar SFP recently has become popular for its added transparency and air.  In my system, I found the perceived improvement to be the result of a recessed midrange.  I went back and forth several times to confirm this impression.  In my system, for this particular application, the Planet Technology SFP is clearly superior.)

 

Listening Impressions

 

In a nutshell, the modified S100 has profoundly affected my listening experience.  I have implemented many changes during the past few years, upgrading sources, all types of cables, signal regeneration and re-clocking, power, grounding, and RAM.  In a few instances, a tweak or modification resulted in the perception of having acquired an upgraded version of a particular piece of gear.  Others were less dramatic but provided welcome improvements in sound quality.  None had the transformative effect of the modified S100.  Replacing my DNA Stratus headphone amp and Auralic VEGA DAC with the Chord DAVE was the most significant upgrade that I have made to my audio system.  The modified S100 is probably the second most important.

 

I am not a professional reviewer, and finding the words to properly describe what I am hearing has been challenging.  To begin, the background is very black.  Low level detail is jaw dropping.  I hear much more subtle elements in voices and instruments.  Reverberation and decay are more apparent.  The sound signature is smooth with an extended high frequency response that is not the least bit fatiguing.  Images and soundstage are more focused and coherent.  The acoustical space is more easily discerned.  Tonality, density, and resolution are outstanding.

 

I consider the sNH-10G to be my baseline switch.  Adding the ER modified the sound, primarily adding body while sacrificing some of the transparency, detail, and spatiality which are the hallmarks of the sNH-10G.  The net result was to tune my system rather than take a major step forward.  Replacing the ER with the modified S100 is an entirely different experience.  As I have attempted to describe above, the modified S100 elevates the sound quality to dramatic new heights.

 

 

[austinpop]

9 minutes ago, auricgoldfinger said:

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Background

 

My first audiophile switch was a modified consumer-grade Linksys SE3008.  SOtM changed capacitors, replaced the switching regulator with a linear regulator, and enabled the switch to be re-clocked by the sCLK-EX board in my tX-USBultra.  Later, the sCLK-EX was re-clocked by their sCLK-OCX10 master clock.  As others have noted, the result was a nice improvement in sound quality.

 

At some point, we were told that a particular Netgear switch could shunt upstream noise to ground, so I added one before the modified SE3008.  Although I could never hear any difference, I left it in place.  Much later, I tried a Cisco Catalyst 2960.  I heard no change, so I removed it.

 

I purchased the SOTM sNH-10G audiophile switch a few months after it was released.  To be honest, I was put off by the price and was skeptical of its value.  I knew from prior experience with my tX-USBultra and sMS-200ultra that I could get much better sound quality using 20AWG solid core Neotech silver wire with JSSG 360 shielding rather than the generic 22AWG stranded silver offered as an upgrade by SOtM.  The Neotech upgrade increases openness, transparency, and detail.  Importantly, it also adds body to the sound signature.  Consequently, my sNH-10G does not suffer much from the thinness that others have noted.

 

Along the way, I acquired a Mutec REF 10 to re-clock the tX-USBultra and sNG-10G.  The REF 10 is a marked improvement over the sCLK-OCX10.

 

I purchased an EtherREGEN soon after its release to chain with the sNH-10G.  During this time, I removed the Netgear switch from my network and noticed an uptick in sound quality.  I ran this configuration for a few months before deciding to part with the EtherREGEN and try a re-clocked Melco/Dela S100 instead. 

 

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

I would like to give credit to @seeteeyou for the idea of modifying an S100 and to @Nenon for giving me his thoughts and suggestions during my due diligence process.

 

Topology

 

A simplified representation of my system excluding grounding and power is as follows (apologies for the lack of an easy-to-read flow chart):

 

NUC7i7DNKE Euphony/Roon Server > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Synology DS218j > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

 

SOtM sNH-10G SE* > Single Mode Fiber > Modified Melco S100** > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF Ethernet > NUC7i7DNHE StylusEP > Habst USB Ultra III > tX-USBultra SE* > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF USB > Chord Hugo M-Scaler > Synergistic Research Galileo SX Digital BNC (2) > Chord DAVE > 12AWG 16-wire UniCrystal silver custom headphone cable > HE1000se headphones

 

* Re-clocked by Mutec REF 10 (Habst Digital BNC)

 

** Powered by a Farad3 12v and a JCAT Optimo Duo 5v rail.  A 100Mbps port is used to connect to the NUC7i7DNHE endpoint.

 

(Note:  A particular Finisar SFP recently has become popular for its added transparency and air.  In my system, I found the perceived improvement to be the result of a recessed midrange.  I went back and forth several times to confirm this impression.  In my system, for this particular application, the Planet Technology SFP is clearly superior.)

 

Listening Impressions

 

In a nutshell, the modified S100 has profoundly affected my listening experience.  I have implemented many changes during the past few years, upgrading sources, all types of cables, signal regeneration and re-clocking, power, grounding, and RAM.  In a few instances, a tweak or modification resulted in the perception of having acquired an upgraded version of a particular piece of gear.  Others were less dramatic but provided welcome improvements in sound quality.  None had the transformative effect of the modified S100.  Replacing my DNA Stratus headphone amp and Auralic VEGA DAC with the Chord DAVE was the most significant upgrade that I have made to my audio system.  The modified S100 is probably the second most important.

 

I am not a professional reviewer, and finding the words to properly describe what I am hearing has been challenging.  To begin, the background is very black.  Low level detail is jaw dropping.  I hear much more subtle elements in voices and instruments.  Reverberation and decay are more apparent.  The sound signature is smooth with an extended high frequency response that is not the least bit fatiguing.  Images and soundstage are more focused and coherent.  The acoustical space is more easily discerned.  Tonality, density, and resolution are outstanding.

 

I consider the sNH-10G to be my baseline switch.  Adding the ER modified the sound, primarily adding body while sacrificing some of the transparency, detail, and spatiality which are the hallmarks of the sNH-10G.  The net result was to tune my system rather than take a major step forward.  Replacing the ER with the modified S100 is an entirely different experience.  As I have attempted to describe above, the modified S100 elevates the sound quality to dramatic new heights.

 

 

Fantastic report! Your self-deprecating remarks notwithstanding, your listening impressions are wonderful, and really make me want to hear this mod.

 

It’s also interesting to read your remarks about the Finisar transceivers, as I am also finding that I like the Planet Tech ones better. To be fair, I’ve only had them in my system only a few days, so these are just preliminary.

[auricgoldfinger]

23 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

It’s also interesting to read your remarks about the Finisar transceivers, as I am also finding that I like the Planet Tech ones better. To be fair, I’ve only had them in my system only a few days, so these are just preliminary.

 

It's good to know I'm not crazy (preliminarily). 

[KMan]

On 6/5/2020 at 5:28 PM, John769 said:

I think it is used, which is why Romaz disabled it via the jumper on his USB card.  And why I used the vbus 2 isolator into my NUC. Failing that, a USB A male to USB A female adapter, with the 5V pin broken might do the trick? You are happy with the sound anyway, so probably not worth sweating over.-)

Can you please refer me to that post? But you are also right, for the price I am already happy with the sonic benefit.

[Nenon]

1 hour ago, auricgoldfinger said:

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Background

 

My first audiophile switch was a modified consumer-grade Linksys SE3008.  SOtM changed capacitors, replaced the switching regulator with a linear regulator, and enabled the switch to be re-clocked by the sCLK-EX board in my tX-USBultra.  Later, the sCLK-EX was re-clocked by their sCLK-OCX10 master clock.  As others have noted, the result was a nice improvement in sound quality.

 

At some point, we were told that a particular Netgear switch could shunt upstream noise to ground, so I added one before the modified SE3008.  Although I could never hear any difference, I left it in place.  Much later, I tried a Cisco Catalyst 2960.  I heard no change, so I removed it.

 

I purchased the SOTM sNH-10G audiophile switch a few months after it was released.  To be honest, I was put off by the price and was skeptical of its value.  I knew from prior experience with my tX-USBultra and sMS-200ultra that I could get much better sound quality using 20AWG solid core Neotech silver wire with JSSG 360 shielding rather than the generic 22AWG stranded silver offered as an upgrade by SOtM.  The Neotech upgrade increases openness, transparency, and detail.  Importantly, it also adds body to the sound signature.  Consequently, my sNH-10G does not suffer much from the thinness that others have noted.

 

Along the way, I acquired a Mutec REF 10 to re-clock the tX-USBultra and sNG-10G.  The REF 10 is a marked improvement over the sCLK-OCX10.

 

I purchased an EtherREGEN soon after its release to chain with the sNH-10G.  During this time, I removed the Netgear switch from my network and noticed an uptick in sound quality.  I ran this configuration for a few months before deciding to part with the EtherREGEN and try a re-clocked Melco/Dela S100 instead. 

 

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

I would like to give credit to @seeteeyou for the idea of modifying an S100 and to @Nenon for giving me his thoughts and suggestions during my due diligence process.

 

Topology

 

A simplified representation of my system excluding grounding and power is as follows (apologies for the lack of an easy-to-read flow chart):

 

NUC7i7DNKE Euphony/Roon Server > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Synology DS218j > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

 

SOtM sNH-10G SE* > Single Mode Fiber > Modified Melco S100** > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF Ethernet > NUC7i7DNHE StylusEP > Habst USB Ultra III > tX-USBultra SE* > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF USB > Chord Hugo M-Scaler > Synergistic Research Galileo SX Digital BNC (2) > Chord DAVE > 12AWG 16-wire UniCrystal silver custom headphone cable > HE1000se headphones

 

* Re-clocked by Mutec REF 10 (Habst Digital BNC)

 

** Powered by a Farad3 12v and a JCAT Optimo Duo 5v rail.  A 100Mbps port is used to connect to the NUC7i7DNHE endpoint.

 

(Note:  A particular Finisar SFP recently has become popular for its added transparency and air.  In my system, I found the perceived improvement to be the result of a recessed midrange.  I went back and forth several times to confirm this impression.  In my system, for this particular application, the Planet Technology SFP is clearly superior.)

 

Listening Impressions

 

In a nutshell, the modified S100 has profoundly affected my listening experience.  I have implemented many changes during the past few years, upgrading sources, all types of cables, signal regeneration and re-clocking, power, grounding, and RAM.  In a few instances, a tweak or modification resulted in the perception of having acquired an upgraded version of a particular piece of gear.  Others were less dramatic but provided welcome improvements in sound quality.  None had the transformative effect of the modified S100.  Replacing my DNA Stratus headphone amp and Auralic VEGA DAC with the Chord DAVE was the most significant upgrade that I have made to my audio system.  The modified S100 is probably the second most important.

 

I am not a professional reviewer, and finding the words to properly describe what I am hearing has been challenging.  To begin, the background is very black.  Low level detail is jaw dropping.  I hear much more subtle elements in voices and instruments.  Reverberation and decay are more apparent.  The sound signature is smooth with an extended high frequency response that is not the least bit fatiguing.  Images and soundstage are more focused and coherent.  The acoustical space is more easily discerned.  Tonality, density, and resolution are outstanding.

 

I consider the sNH-10G to be my baseline switch.  Adding the ER modified the sound, primarily adding body while sacrificing some of the transparency, detail, and spatiality which are the hallmarks of the sNH-10G.  The net result was to tune my system rather than take a major step forward.  Replacing the ER with the modified S100 is an entirely different experience.  As I have attempted to describe above, the modified S100 elevates the sound quality to dramatic new heights.

 

 

Excellent report. 

I was trying to avoid learning how to work with tiny little SMD parts, but it seems like the time has come. I was able to acquire a couple of Buffalo switches that use the same board as the Melco. Hopefully I won't destroy them all while working on the clock :). 

[Marcin_gps]

1 hour ago, auricgoldfinger said:

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Background

 

My first audiophile switch was a modified consumer-grade Linksys SE3008.  SOtM changed capacitors, replaced the switching regulator with a linear regulator, and enabled the switch to be re-clocked by the sCLK-EX board in my tX-USBultra.  Later, the sCLK-EX was re-clocked by their sCLK-OCX10 master clock.  As others have noted, the result was a nice improvement in sound quality.

 

At some point, we were told that a particular Netgear switch could shunt upstream noise to ground, so I added one before the modified SE3008.  Although I could never hear any difference, I left it in place.  Much later, I tried a Cisco Catalyst 2960.  I heard no change, so I removed it.

 

I purchased the SOTM sNH-10G audiophile switch a few months after it was released.  To be honest, I was put off by the price and was skeptical of its value.  I knew from prior experience with my tX-USBultra and sMS-200ultra that I could get much better sound quality using 20AWG solid core Neotech silver wire with JSSG 360 shielding rather than the generic 22AWG stranded silver offered as an upgrade by SOtM.  The Neotech upgrade increases openness, transparency, and detail.  Importantly, it also adds body to the sound signature.  Consequently, my sNH-10G does not suffer much from the thinness that others have noted.

 

Along the way, I acquired a Mutec REF 10 to re-clock the tX-USBultra and sNG-10G.  The REF 10 is a marked improvement over the sCLK-OCX10.

 

I purchased an EtherREGEN soon after its release to chain with the sNH-10G.  During this time, I removed the Netgear switch from my network and noticed an uptick in sound quality.  I ran this configuration for a few months before deciding to part with the EtherREGEN and try a re-clocked Melco/Dela S100 instead. 

 

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

I would like to give credit to @seeteeyou for the idea of modifying an S100 and to @Nenon for giving me his thoughts and suggestions during my due diligence process.

 

Topology

 

A simplified representation of my system excluding grounding and power is as follows (apologies for the lack of an easy-to-read flow chart):

 

NUC7i7DNKE Euphony/Roon Server > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Synology DS218j > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

 

SOtM sNH-10G SE* > Single Mode Fiber > Modified Melco S100** > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF Ethernet > NUC7i7DNHE StylusEP > Habst USB Ultra III > tX-USBultra SE* > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF USB > Chord Hugo M-Scaler > Synergistic Research Galileo SX Digital BNC (2) > Chord DAVE > 12AWG 16-wire UniCrystal silver custom headphone cable > HE1000se headphones

 

* Re-clocked by Mutec REF 10 (Habst Digital BNC)

 

** Powered by a Farad3 12v and a JCAT Optimo Duo 5v rail.  A 100Mbps port is used to connect to the NUC7i7DNHE endpoint.

 

(Note:  A particular Finisar SFP recently has become popular for its added transparency and air.  In my system, I found the perceived improvement to be the result of a recessed midrange.  I went back and forth several times to confirm this impression.  In my system, for this particular application, the Planet Technology SFP is clearly superior.)

 

Listening Impressions

 

In a nutshell, the modified S100 has profoundly affected my listening experience.  I have implemented many changes during the past few years, upgrading sources, all types of cables, signal regeneration and re-clocking, power, grounding, and RAM.  In a few instances, a tweak or modification resulted in the perception of having acquired an upgraded version of a particular piece of gear.  Others were less dramatic but provided welcome improvements in sound quality.  None had the transformative effect of the modified S100.  Replacing my DNA Stratus headphone amp and Auralic VEGA DAC with the Chord DAVE was the most significant upgrade that I have made to my audio system.  The modified S100 is probably the second most important.

 

I am not a professional reviewer, and finding the words to properly describe what I am hearing has been challenging.  To begin, the background is very black.  Low level detail is jaw dropping.  I hear much more subtle elements in voices and instruments.  Reverberation and decay are more apparent.  The sound signature is smooth with an extended high frequency response that is not the least bit fatiguing.  Images and soundstage are more focused and coherent.  The acoustical space is more easily discerned.  Tonality, density, and resolution are outstanding.

 

I consider the sNH-10G to be my baseline switch.  Adding the ER modified the sound, primarily adding body while sacrificing some of the transparency, detail, and spatiality which are the hallmarks of the sNH-10G.  The net result was to tune my system rather than take a major step forward.  Replacing the ER with the modified S100 is an entirely different experience.  As I have attempted to describe above, the modified S100 elevates the sound quality to dramatic new heights.

 

 

@auricgoldfinger thanks for the report. How do you like the Optimo?  

 

Regards,

Marcin

[kennyb123]

11 hours ago, str-1 said:

I have also had very good experiences upgrading power cords to my SR4-12, SR4T-19 and Super3 15v, but I have yet to try upgrading the IEC inlet.  Has anyone had experience hearing a difference between standard and upgraded IEC inlets (e.g. one or other of the Furutech options) with any of these or similar power supplies?

I found a positive improvement from upgrading the IEC in a modest Onkyo receiver with one from Furutech.  These do matter but how much they matter depends on what was swapped out.  
 

I would also suggest trying to avoid dissimilar metals for metal to metal contact.  Shunyata recommends avoiding rhodium when using their power cords and I think that may be the right call.  But if using a power cord with rhodium contacts, then a rhodium IEC might be the better way to go.

[Nsxturbo]

2 hours ago, auricgoldfinger said:

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Great report!

 

I recently received my 2nd Buffalo BS-GS2016 to add to my 1st one, which currently is just running on a 12v linear supply and connected to a EtherRegen clocked with the Mutec REF10. I’m actually liking the Finisar transceivers over the Planet Tech’s.(more air and delicacy without loss of detail or dynamics.)

 

Looks like I’ve got more experimenting to do besides the 2nd linear supplied Buffalo😉 I might as well try replacing one of the Buffalo’s 25Mhz clocks with a sCLK-EX 25Mhz synthesized output fed by the REF10, since I already those two pieces in the stable. That will give us all another data point!

[kennyb123]

2 hours ago, austinpop said:

It’s also interesting to read your remarks about the Finisar transceivers, as I am also finding that I like the Planet Tech ones better. To be fair, I’ve only had them in my system only a few days, so these are just preliminary.

I came away thinking that there was a subtraction as well - but there was a sameness in that area that got in the way of the music.  You have both advanced your upstream much further than I have, so I will hang onto my Planet Tech SFPs and check back from time to time.  Appreciate you both sharing your thoughts.

[cat6man]

5 hours ago, MagnusH said:

This one is what you want I think: https://ifi-audio.com/products/idefender3-0/

 

thank you muchly!

just ordered.

[Superdad]

2 hours ago, auricgoldfinger said:

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

Wow Brian, that is quite a switch set up!  Leaving aside your SOtM switch and clocking, and leaving out whatever Pink Faun charged you in labor to perform the mods, as well as custom DC and Ethernet cables, shipping, etc., it looks like the Melco, plus upgraded clock and two power supplies came to about $5,900.  Am I in the ballpark here?

At that level I am truly glad you realized the sonic gain you did! 

Cheers,

--Alex C.

[auricgoldfinger]

1 hour ago, Marcin_gps said:

@auricgoldfinger thanks for the report. How do you like the Optimo?  

 

Regards,

Marcin

 

Hi Marcin,

 

The Optimo has certainly met my expectations for a clean sounding, quiet power supply that is well-constructed and offers good value for the money.  I can't offer a comparative assessment which many readers of this thread might appreciate because I don't have any other 5v PSU rails at the moment.

 

Best regards,

Brian

[auricgoldfinger]

1 hour ago, Nsxturbo said:

I might as well try replacing one of the Buffalo’s 25Mhz clocks with a sCLK-EX 25Mhz synthesized output fed by the REF10, since I already those two pieces in the stable. That will give us all another data point!

 

I considered that option for similar reasons, especially since I had an unused Habst clock cable on hand.  Both approaches seem equally valid.  Looking forward to an additional data point!

[auricgoldfinger]

18 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Wow Brian, that is quite a switch set up!  Leaving aside your SOtM switch and clocking, and leaving out whatever Pink Faun charged you in labor to perform the mods, as well as custom DC and Ethernet cables, shipping, etc., it looks like the Melco, plus upgraded clock and two power supplies came to about $5,900.  Am I in the ballpark here?

At that level I am truly glad you realized the sonic gain you did! 

Cheers,

--Alex C.

 

Hi Alex,

 

This setup is definitely over the top.  I was initially hesitant to write about it publicly, but ultimately, I felt there might be others who would be interested in something similar.  The marginal cost to me was around $4500 since I already had purchased the Farad3 12v to power the EtherREGEN.  The Optimo has dual outputs and includes two 1.2m DC cables in the price, leaving me with an unused rail at the moment.  I could have bought a less expensive single-rail PSU, but I have plans to use both Optimo outputs elsewhere down the road.  There was no need for additional cabling other than the fiber and two transceivers, but again, I had already purchased them to use with the EtherREGEN.  For someone starting from scratch, the cost could easily be $4500 to $5000, depending on which power supplies are used.

 

Best regards,

Brian

[beautiful music]

 

4 hours ago, auricgoldfinger said:

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Background

 

My first audiophile switch was a modified consumer-grade Linksys SE3008.  SOtM changed capacitors, replaced the switching regulator with a linear regulator, and enabled the switch to be re-clocked by the sCLK-EX board in my tX-USBultra.  Later, the sCLK-EX was re-clocked by their sCLK-OCX10 master clock.  As others have noted, the result was a nice improvement in sound quality.

 

At some point, we were told that a particular Netgear switch could shunt upstream noise to ground, so I added one before the modified SE3008.  Although I could never hear any difference, I left it in place.  Much later, I tried a Cisco Catalyst 2960.  I heard no change, so I removed it.

 

I purchased the SOTM sNH-10G audiophile switch a few months after it was released.  To be honest, I was put off by the price and was skeptical of its value.  I knew from prior experience with my tX-USBultra and sMS-200ultra that I could get much better sound quality using 20AWG solid core Neotech silver wire with JSSG 360 shielding rather than the generic 22AWG stranded silver offered as an upgrade by SOtM.  The Neotech upgrade increases openness, transparency, and detail.  Importantly, it also adds body to the sound signature.  Consequently, my sNH-10G does not suffer much from the thinness that others have noted.

 

Along the way, I acquired a Mutec REF 10 to re-clock the tX-USBultra and sNG-10G.  The REF 10 is a marked improvement over the sCLK-OCX10.

 

I purchased an EtherREGEN soon after its release to chain with the sNH-10G.  During this time, I removed the Netgear switch from my network and noticed an uptick in sound quality.  I ran this configuration for a few months before deciding to part with the EtherREGEN and try a re-clocked Melco/Dela S100 instead. 

 

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

I would like to give credit to @seeteeyou for the idea of modifying an S100 and to @Nenon for giving me his thoughts and suggestions during my due diligence process.

 

Topology

 

A simplified representation of my system excluding grounding and power is as follows (apologies for the lack of an easy-to-read flow chart):

 

NUC7i7DNKE Euphony/Roon Server > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Synology DS218j > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

 

SOtM sNH-10G SE* > Single Mode Fiber > Modified Melco S100** > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF Ethernet > NUC7i7DNHE StylusEP > Habst USB Ultra III > tX-USBultra SE* > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF USB > Chord Hugo M-Scaler > Synergistic Research Galileo SX Digital BNC (2) > Chord DAVE > 12AWG 16-wire UniCrystal silver custom headphone cable > HE1000se headphones

 

* Re-clocked by Mutec REF 10 (Habst Digital BNC)

 

** Powered by a Farad3 12v and a JCAT Optimo Duo 5v rail.  A 100Mbps port is used to connect to the NUC7i7DNHE endpoint.

 

(Note:  A particular Finisar SFP recently has become popular for its added transparency and air.  In my system, I found the perceived improvement to be the result of a recessed midrange.  I went back and forth several times to confirm this impression.  In my system, for this particular application, the Planet Technology SFP is clearly superior.)

 

Listening Impressions

 

In a nutshell, the modified S100 has profoundly affected my listening experience.  I have implemented many changes during the past few years, upgrading sources, all types of cables, signal regeneration and re-clocking, power, grounding, and RAM.  In a few instances, a tweak or modification resulted in the perception of having acquired an upgraded version of a particular piece of gear.  Others were less dramatic but provided welcome improvements in sound quality.  None had the transformative effect of the modified S100.  Replacing my DNA Stratus headphone amp and Auralic VEGA DAC with the Chord DAVE was the most significant upgrade that I have made to my audio system.  The modified S100 is probably the second most important.

 

I am not a professional reviewer, and finding the words to properly describe what I am hearing has been challenging.  To begin, the background is very black.  Low level detail is jaw dropping.  I hear much more subtle elements in voices and instruments.  Reverberation and decay are more apparent.  The sound signature is smooth with an extended high frequency response that is not the least bit fatiguing.  Images and soundstage are more focused and coherent.  The acoustical space is more easily discerned.  Tonality, density, and resolution are outstanding.

 

I consider the sNH-10G to be my baseline switch.  Adding the ER modified the sound, primarily adding body while sacrificing some of the transparency, detail, and spatiality which are the hallmarks of the sNH-10G.  The net result was to tune my system rather than take a major step forward.  Replacing the ER with the modified S100 is an entirely different experience.  As I have attempted to describe above, the modified S100 elevates the sound quality to dramatic new heights.

 

 

 

Thanks Brian for your feedback regarding this new experiment.

 

Just out of curiosity did you tried to use one NUC after adding additional switches.

 

Also it will be fun if you post some photos of modified S100.

[auricgoldfinger]

58 minutes ago, beautiful music said:

Just out of curiosity did you tried to use one NUC after adding additional switches.

 

I haven't had a chance to do any experimentation other than the transceivers, but I don't anticipate trying only one NUC.  I will be moving to a one-box solution in the next few months, but it will be a custom server rather than a NUC.

 

1 hour ago, beautiful music said:

Also it will be fun if you post some photos of modified S100.

 

I had originally intended to post some photos, but I was trying to get the review out today and ran out of time.  I'll try to upload a couple in the next few days.

[elan120]

1 hour ago, auricgoldfinger said:

I will be moving to a one-box solution in the next few months, but it will be a custom server rather than a NUC.

Looking forward to learn more about what the new server is like.  👍

[auricgoldfinger]

2 minutes ago, elan120 said:

Looking forward to learn more about what the new server is like.  👍

 

The new server is essentially a replica of the first build in @Nenon's DIY thread.  The main difference is I will be using the HDPLEX 800W DC-ATX converter to power the ATX rather than separate PSU rails as he did.  I will have a 19v/10A SR7t rail powering the HDPLEX and a second 12v/12A SR7t rail directly powering the EPS.  I'm sure you are a generation or two ahead of me there.  😏

[elan120]

3 minutes ago, auricgoldfinger said:

The new server is essentially a replica of the first build in @Nenon's DIY thread.  The main difference is I will be using the HDPLEX 800W DC-ATX converter to power the ATX rather than separate PSU rails as he did.  I will have a 19v/10A SR7t rail powering the HDPLEX and a second 12v/12A SR7t rail directly powering the EPS.

That sounds like a great setup and I am sure it will sound outstanding.  I am working on the ATX power supply currently, it has similar setup like the EPS supply but without the current boosters, which allow me to use all Mundorf solid silver wires.  Based on the experience from the EPS supply I just completed, and now with about 250hrs of burn-in time, I highly recommend taking Sean Jacobs power supply as another viable option.

[austinpop]

52 minutes ago, auricgoldfinger said:

 

The new server is essentially a replica of the first build in @Nenon's DIY thread.  The main difference is I will be using the HDPLEX 800W DC-ATX converter to power the ATX rather than separate PSU rails as he did.  I will have a 19v/10A SR7t rail powering the HDPLEX and a second 12v/12A SR7t rail directly powering the EPS.  I'm sure you are a generation or two ahead of me there.  😏

 

Yeah, that should be an outstanding-sounding server. As you know, I've been vocal in considering the PHD SR7TMR2 19v/10a+12v/12a  with HDPlex 800W DC-ATX as a particularly good PSU solution for a music server, but I'm curious to get first hand reports of it.

 

Remind me again if this build was with AMD 3700X or Intel i9-9900K? And I'm assuming JCAT USB XE and Net Card Femto?

[Marcin_gps]

5 hours ago, auricgoldfinger said:

 

Hi Marcin,

 

The Optimo has certainly met my expectations for a clean sounding, quiet power supply that is well-constructed and offers good value for the money.  I can't offer a comparative assessment which many readers of this thread might appreciate because I don't have any other 5v PSU rails at the moment.

 

Best regards,

Brian

 

Hi Brian, 

 

Thank you. 

 

Yes, I was curious how much of the overall effect comes from the optimo alone, but I guess you will find out eventually. Knowing how much it brings with my NET / USB cards or the m12 switch, I trust that you will be pleased. 

 

Thank you again for sharing. 

 

Best regards, 

Marcin

[matthias]

12 hours ago, auricgoldfinger said:

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Background

 

My first audiophile switch was a modified consumer-grade Linksys SE3008.  SOtM changed capacitors, replaced the switching regulator with a linear regulator, and enabled the switch to be re-clocked by the sCLK-EX board in my tX-USBultra.  Later, the sCLK-EX was re-clocked by their sCLK-OCX10 master clock.  As others have noted, the result was a nice improvement in sound quality.

 

At some point, we were told that a particular Netgear switch could shunt upstream noise to ground, so I added one before the modified SE3008.  Although I could never hear any difference, I left it in place.  Much later, I tried a Cisco Catalyst 2960.  I heard no change, so I removed it.

 

I purchased the SOTM sNH-10G audiophile switch a few months after it was released.  To be honest, I was put off by the price and was skeptical of its value.  I knew from prior experience with my tX-USBultra and sMS-200ultra that I could get much better sound quality using 20AWG solid core Neotech silver wire with JSSG 360 shielding rather than the generic 22AWG stranded silver offered as an upgrade by SOtM.  The Neotech upgrade increases openness, transparency, and detail.  Importantly, it also adds body to the sound signature.  Consequently, my sNH-10G does not suffer much from the thinness that others have noted.

 

Along the way, I acquired a Mutec REF 10 to re-clock the tX-USBultra and sNG-10G.  The REF 10 is a marked improvement over the sCLK-OCX10.

 

I purchased an EtherREGEN soon after its release to chain with the sNH-10G.  During this time, I removed the Netgear switch from my network and noticed an uptick in sound quality.  I ran this configuration for a few months before deciding to part with the EtherREGEN and try a re-clocked Melco/Dela S100 instead. 

 

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

I would like to give credit to @seeteeyou for the idea of modifying an S100 and to @Nenon for giving me his thoughts and suggestions during my due diligence process.

 

Topology

 

A simplified representation of my system excluding grounding and power is as follows (apologies for the lack of an easy-to-read flow chart):

 

NUC7i7DNKE Euphony/Roon Server > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Synology DS218j > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

 

SOtM sNH-10G SE* > Single Mode Fiber > Modified Melco S100** > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF Ethernet > NUC7i7DNHE StylusEP > Habst USB Ultra III > tX-USBultra SE* > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF USB > Chord Hugo M-Scaler > Synergistic Research Galileo SX Digital BNC (2) > Chord DAVE > 12AWG 16-wire UniCrystal silver custom headphone cable > HE1000se headphones

 

* Re-clocked by Mutec REF 10 (Habst Digital BNC)

 

** Powered by a Farad3 12v and a JCAT Optimo Duo 5v rail.  A 100Mbps port is used to connect to the NUC7i7DNHE endpoint.

 

(Note:  A particular Finisar SFP recently has become popular for its added transparency and air.  In my system, I found the perceived improvement to be the result of a recessed midrange.  I went back and forth several times to confirm this impression.  In my system, for this particular application, the Planet Technology SFP is clearly superior.)

 

Listening Impressions

 

In a nutshell, the modified S100 has profoundly affected my listening experience.  I have implemented many changes during the past few years, upgrading sources, all types of cables, signal regeneration and re-clocking, power, grounding, and RAM.  In a few instances, a tweak or modification resulted in the perception of having acquired an upgraded version of a particular piece of gear.  Others were less dramatic but provided welcome improvements in sound quality.  None had the transformative effect of the modified S100.  Replacing my DNA Stratus headphone amp and Auralic VEGA DAC with the Chord DAVE was the most significant upgrade that I have made to my audio system.  The modified S100 is probably the second most important.

 

I am not a professional reviewer, and finding the words to properly describe what I am hearing has been challenging.  To begin, the background is very black.  Low level detail is jaw dropping.  I hear much more subtle elements in voices and instruments.  Reverberation and decay are more apparent.  The sound signature is smooth with an extended high frequency response that is not the least bit fatiguing.  Images and soundstage are more focused and coherent.  The acoustical space is more easily discerned.  Tonality, density, and resolution are outstanding.

 

I consider the sNH-10G to be my baseline switch.  Adding the ER modified the sound, primarily adding body while sacrificing some of the transparency, detail, and spatiality which are the hallmarks of the sNH-10G.  The net result was to tune my system rather than take a major step forward.  Replacing the ER with the modified S100 is an entirely different experience.  As I have attempted to describe above, the modified S100 elevates the sound quality to dramatic new heights.

 

Thanks for sharing.

Did you compare standard S100 vs modified S100?

Thanks again

 

Matt