The Linear Solution OXCO router

[BigAlMc]

Hi All, 

 

Just wondering if any of the CA community have tried the below and have any feedback? 

 

http://thelinearsolution.com/ocxo_router.html

 

The reports on their OXCO network switch seem to be glowing. So the obvious questions are how the router stacks up? And how it compares on its own versus with an OXCO or Audiophile switch? 

 

I asked similar over on the Novel Way thread:

 

 

 

But just wondering if any people have experiences to share?

 

A Google search of "The Linear Solution OXCO router" generated 9 results and two of those are from this forum!

 

I struggle to believe that hardly anyone has given one of these a spin. 

 

Many Thanks, 

Alan 

[BigAlMc]

16 hours ago, TheAttorney said:

I'm also interested in this router - primarily because my broadband modem/router is positioned too far away from my hifi stack for me to connect an ethernet cable in any WAF-accepting manner. So I'm looking for a wifi extender/access point that can effectively bridge my broadband modem via wifi to my hifi stack via ethernet. And romaz' rave review of the LS OCXO switch on head-fi (where I normally reside) had me intrigued.

 

As this is my first post on CA , I thought I'd better contribute by adding what I've found so far on this router:

 

1. The LS website's spec of the Linear Power supply states only US voltage, but Adrian from LS has replied that he can configure it for other voltages, so ok for UK and Europe etc.

2. I was hoping to use one of the rails of my recently delivered Paul Hynes SR7 (finally!), but Adrian is unwilling to sell without its dedicated LPS, saying that this LPS has been carefully designed to perfectly match his switches and routers.

3. As of a few days ago, there's an introductory price of $849 for the OCXO router, compared to $659 for the OCXO switch (both including the LPS).

4. Adrian's view is that the OCXO router would be a better solution than an OCXO switch + non-audiophile accesspoint/extender.

5. Because I need to be absolutely sure that this router can work for me as an access point, I went in search of a user manual. I put on my Sherlock Holmes deerstalker and eventually deduced that the underlying model is most likely a D-Link DIR-867 (or 869). The former definitely works as accesspoint and wifi extender. The latter appears to be an older model for which the user guide is ambiguous on those functions.

 

If I was in the US, I'd be ordering one of these by now. I don't know of any other company that sells a standalone OCXO router. From the UK, I'm a bit more hesitent until I see more feedback.

 

Hi @TheAttorney, thanks for the detailed response and info. Also welcome to CA.

 

As a long time lurker over at Head-fi, I've read quite a few of your posts. So it's nice to 'meet' you! 

 

Funnily enough Malcyg ( @MNG on here) from some of the same Head-fi threads popped on a thread about the sCLK-OCX10 here the other day so it kinda feels like a few long running epic threads coming together! 

 

Nice work with the deerstalker. Your usecase is somewhat different to mine but I'm also intrigued by this:

 

"4. Adrian's view is that the OCXO router would be a better solution than an OCXO switch + non-audiophile accesspoint/extender." 

 

I'd like to get Adrians view on this. But am wondering if the implication is that the non audiophile extender does some damage that the switch cannot undo. I think I've saw Adrian post here before so with any luck he will clarify. 

 

But meantime that brings me back to my usecase and my motivation for starting this thread. 

 

I have the Aqvox SE switch and it's done wonders for the SQ of streaming Tidal. But upstream of it is a (crap!) Sky router and I cannot help wondering if its limiting what the switch can do. 

 

I'm pondering two schools of thought and have no idea which one is more likely:

 

A. The Aqvox or (an OXCO) switch reclocks the ethernet/Internet signal, tidies it up nicely and is pretty immune to upstream clocking/noise issues. 

 

B. An OXCO router would reclock the Internet signal and generate a lower noise ethernet signal that further benefits the signal the audiophile switch gets and therefore allows it to perform even better. 

 

My more cautious side would bet on rapidly diminishing returns, IF there is any improvement by investing in both. 

 

But then a lot of people scoff at the science of how an audiophile switch could make a difference to SQ because packets are packets, bits are bits, yada yada! 

 

Adrian - if you are reading, your thoughts would be very welcome. 

 

I'm tempted to try but at $849 have to be able to understand better whether there is any real benefit. Is it a case of recommending switch or router versus switch and router? 

 

Cheers, 

Alan