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Article: SOtM sNH-10G Network Switch Review


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1 minute ago, incus said:

Never said it was parallel. I just stated what I have in my system.

I believe he was referring the this statement in the review:

 

"May Park just sent me a note.  Having done some internal testing they found that under this parallel  configuration there was a dramatic sonic improvement."

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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11 hours ago, firedog said:

I don’t know if devices like this make a difference or not. If you look at Archimago’s blog, he’s measured similar stuff that audiophiles think is important and found it to have no measurable effect. 
In any case, the SOTM devices and accompanying PS are quite pricey. If I was going to try this stuff, I’d go with less expensive products from Sonore or Uptone first. Assuming they do make a difference, I’d bet the result per dollar on them is a lot better than for the SOTM ones. Audiophilia is a classic area of diminishing returns, You get a lot of performance for lesser sums, and improving that performance tends to cost lots of money for very small increases in performance. And the more upscale a component is, the more you spend on cosmetics instead of performance. Nothing against cosmetics, but they don’t contribute to performance. 

 

Oh my...

 

There's this article from awhile back looking at the "noise" when plugging a Pi/DAC into a router vs. just WiFi.

 

Hmmm, maybe I'll try that one more time with my even better RME ADI-2 Pro FS ADC to see if I can detect any noise or distortions out to near 200kHz plugged into my 10GbE-capable switch ($200) in the next few weeks.

 

I have yet to see any company release data to back up claims that there's any extra noise being produced by a DAC when plugged into a wired ethernet (other than my experiment above which shows very minimal difference). Would be nice if SOtM produced some information as to what issue a >$1000 switch actually addresses? Then we can talk about facts and consider actual benefits instead of ruminate over vague claims?

 

Nonetheless, I do like the music suggestions used for the evaluation though...

 

Archimago's Musings: A "more objective" take for the Rational Audiophile.

Beyond mere fidelity, into immersion and realism.

:nomqa: R.I.P. MQA 2014-2023: Hyped product thanks to uneducated, uncritical advocates & captured press.

 

 

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11 hours ago, firedog said:

If you look at Archimago’s blog, he’s measured similar stuff that audiophiles think is important and found it to have no measurable effect. 

 

I have found that whatever he measures has no measurable effect. I am starting to think that whatever is measuring, with whatever measuring tool he is using, is totally irrelevant in Audio. To use a crude analogy: does measuring the sperm count matter for a patient with a heart disease?

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If you follow the various threads on this forum about clocking, re-clocking, phase noise, etc. I think you'll see that a) John Swenson appears to be building a measuring device capable of showing what he and the folks at Uptone are addressing with their switch and why, and b) this goes beyond the current ways one understands "noise" in a system. The way I look at it, streaming-based digital audio has ushered in a new era of research - subjective and objective - that cannot really be equated to older analog ways of looking at noise.

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7 minutes ago, incus said:

If you follow the various threads on this forum about clocking, re-clocking, phase noise, etc. I think you'll see that a) John Swenson appears to be building a measuring device capable of showing what he and the folks at Uptone are addressing with their switch and why, and b) this goes beyond the current ways one understands "noise" in a system. The way I look at it, streaming-based digital audio has ushered in a new era of research - subjective and objective - that cannot really be equated to older analog ways of looking at noise.

 

Bring it on.

 

Did Swenson even produce any of the promised measurements that he said he was going to from back in the day of the USB Regen (mid-2015)???

 

 

Archimago's Musings: A "more objective" take for the Rational Audiophile.

Beyond mere fidelity, into immersion and realism.

:nomqa: R.I.P. MQA 2014-2023: Hyped product thanks to uneducated, uncritical advocates & captured press.

 

 

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30 minutes ago, lasker98 said:

This is a new review from Hans Beekhuyzen:

 

Let's just say that after his ignorant posts about MQA (and I'm not referring to his sonic opinion of MQA), I wouldn't trust anything he says. 

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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15 minutes ago, firedog said:

There's a difference between making mistakes and posting a long "in depth" video where you arrogantly  explain the technical aspects of MQA and why it is superior - where it's clear you don't  know what you are talking about. And then defending his ignorance. That's not a "mistake", it's incompetence at best, something else at worst. 
I don't ever remember you doing something like that. And you seem to be willing to admit factual technical mistakes, and don't pretend to be an expert about stuff you aren't expert on. 

Understood. 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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7 minutes ago, incus said:

Actually pretty corroborated if you read up on switches.

 

And as for opinion, well it's all "just" opinion, isn't it? One opinion says only currently-existing measurement devices tell the truth.

 

I'm willing to bet you money you fall apart in a single blind evaluation.

 

 

 

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Single blind evaluation of the TP-Link switch I used to have vs. the SOtM switch?? Ha. You obviously don't know the difference in sound or you would not offer to pay me for my time like that. Same goes for generic CAT6A cable vs. the SOtM LAN cables...

 

Anyway, I am going to move on from trying to prove to you or anyone that what I hear is there. Doubt all you want, please. Doubt is good. Just don't let it kill your curiosity!

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5 hours ago, incus said:

Then you by no means need to buy from them! But I don't see how this kind of comment is helpful in any way. I have bought and rejected MANY components and accessories and cables, etc. over the years based on poor performance relative to expectations. In the end, you keep the ones that enhance your system. In the end, we're all just chasing a certain sound relative to an ideal, so your ears are the true measure. If it gives you peace of mind to buy on specs alone, then totally go for it. Doesn't mean that it sounds better.

In your opinion of course...just like I stated mine.  Your ears aren't the objective device which is science based.  That's fact.  If it was, then I'm sure every network switch company would use audio to "design" their network equipment.  Guess what, they don't because it's total BS!  

W10 NUC i7 (Gen 10) > Roon (Audiolense FIR) > Motu UltraLite mk5 > (4) Hypex NCore NC502MP > JBL M2 Master Reference +4 subs

 

Watch my Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMw_bZWBMtRWNJQfTJ38kA/videos

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