Choice switch audiophile network

[cpasmoi]

Hi all

I want to improve the audio quality of my system by adding an audiophile switch behind my streamer

Here's my installation
 

• Lumin D1 Network Reader
• Sbooster BOTW ECO 12 V MKII
• Ampli HEGEL H80 - Gigawatt Power LC1 MK3
• Pregnant COLUMN DALI Opticon 5
• LIFATEC toslink optical cable
• Cable HP ATLAS Hyper 2
• Barrette Secteur GIGAWATT PF-1 MK2
• Network link ethernet Supra Cat 8

For the etherregen,the price is out of reach at least I think for the audio set I own unless it makes a real difference compared to the other solutions proposed


I have chosen these four solutions

 

 

• Netgear GS908 tweaked by an English: 320 euros: Lately I discovered that an English handyman proposes to tweak a basic switch: This tweak plus a linear power supply would achieve the rendering of an Aqvox SE:

 

• SILENT ANGEL BONN N-8: 400 euros (comparative between Bonn andAqvavox SE

 

• Fidelizer EtherStream: 400 euros

 

• Switch Cisco SG110D-08 modified by Clones Audio: 440 euros

Which solution do you recommend me for mi. System in this budget of 400-450 -

Thank you for your answers

 

cpasmoi

[Blackmorec]

I can’t give you specific advice as I’ve tried none of the alternatives you mentioned, but my experience may be worthwhile. 

 

Originally I bought an AQVox SE to go in front of an Innuos Zenith SE. It brought a worthwhile improvement in sound quality that I thought was worth the money, so it stayed in place. AQVox were at pains to note that the wall wart with Shuko to UK plug adapter SMPS they supply was specifically engineered for the SE and could not be bettered even by their superior LPS. They said that certain LPSs actually made the sound worse.  OK. Anyway, the Zenith SE was producing fantastic sound that I was utterly delighted with so I thought I’d try a Linear Power Supply from Dr Sean Jacobs, the guy who designed the Zenith SEs LPSs. I duly ordered and installed a DC2, not his best but non-the-less an excellent PS.  I could not believe the level of improvement. The sound was already great but it got a whole lot better, to the point i traded back the DC2 and bought a DC3 with Mundorf caps. Wow, the jump in performance vs the DC2 was around the same as adding the DC2 in the first place....namely large.

More recently I added a new DC cable..,..built by Ghent Audio in China its made from 15AWG Neotech Ohno Continuous Cast, 7N purity cable, with top connectors and JSSG360 screens...its also 50cm instead of 100cm.  And its the cherry on the top. In summary, the careful addition of high quality power supplies and DC cable to the network switch has delivered a far greater uplift in terms of sound quality than the network switch itself delivered. The combination of switch with DC3 provides a very significant uplift in SQ, at least in my system.    

[pvanosta]

Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know of an audiophile ethernet switch with more than 8 ports? I would look at the Bonn N8 but I need at least 11 ports...

 

Is it possible to concatenate 2 Bonn N8 by sacrificing 1 port on each for the connection between them?

[bos]

Where can I buy Sean Jacobs power supply in U.K ?

[Iving]

1 minute ago, bos said:

Where can I buy Sean Jacobs power supply in U.K ?

 

http://www.custom-hifi-cables.co.uk/home

[bos]

thank you

[plissken]

There is no such thing as an 'Audiophile' switch. If you are that concerned just go with wireless. WiFi 6 (802.11ax) is now on shelves and much more affordable, and in some cases, much quicker than audiophile switch solutions.

 

 

[charlesphoto]

Try and find a used Cisco Catalyst 2960L-12 or 2960L-16. Both are fanless and offer 12 or 16 ports and will be considerably better sounding than a Netgear etc switch. I got my 2960L-16PS (PS can supply poE) for $155 used, though I think they generally run in the $2-400 range for used or open box ($1k new). 

[FredM]

Just to share: this Saturday ~10 switches will be used for a double blind test.

 

Live stream and article will appear later. More info (translate from Dutch):

https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&nv=1&rurl=translate.google.nl&sl=auto&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://www.alpha-audio.nl/2019/11/alpha-audio-switch-test-met-live-stream/%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0kcAn2I0JCe2hLnKkl8q4kFlzC6wdpEo7o0wJQOcM69SuXwp78wbaDWdI&xid=17259,15700021,15700186,15700190,15700256,15700259,15700262,15700265,15700271,15700283&usg=ALkJrhh2x3O9_o14ThVTKVTRgWnJhRBTJg

 

Edit: You can find some additional background information on the test here:

 

 

[Superdad]

30 minutes ago, FredM said:

Just to share: this Saturday ~10 switches will be used for a double blind test.

 

Hi Fred:

Do you know if the EtherREGEN is going to be included in this test? Almost a dozen Netherlands users received one from the first batch earlier this month, so it seems possible one of them would share it for the day. 

Thanks,

—Alex C.

[FredM]

1 hour ago, Superdad said:

 

Hi Fred:

Do you know if the EtherREGEN is going to be included in this test? Almost a dozen Netherlands users received one from the first batch earlier this month, so it seems possible one of them would share it for the day. 

Thanks,

—Alex C.

I don’t know (based on the info on the website and FB), it would be great if an unit would be available.

[FredM]

10 minutes to go!

https://www.alpha-audio.nl/2019/11/alpha-audio-switch-test-met-live-stream/?fbclid=IwAR0ckHGuqvi8iTBWpwfgSm3_vupb6-L4SY0Av_z6G4u3jUK_DkjdxU_Xmsg

[FredM]

“ On Saturday 30 November 2019 we held a switch test at Alpha Audio with ten readers. Blind ... This purely to determine whether readers can hear a difference and if there is a difference, how they are valued compared to a normal standard switch. “

 

One room, two reader groups, seven tested scenarios:

Silent Angel Bonn N8

Ansus PowerSwitch

Meraki 8-port managed

Netgear GS724T v3

Fiber converter

SOtM sNH-10G

Fidelizer EtherStream

(Unfortunately one reader -with his switch- couldn’t attend)

 

Videos on:

https://translate.google.nl/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alpha-audio.nl%2Fachtergrond%2Flive-stream-alpha-switch-test%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2lbHam7scUs2A2cZBUGIspilJNSmxMmzbH-AlJkj6BRmv9REjeMqWI1mc

 

The preliminarily results are interesting, to say the least. More details next week.

[McNulty]

The results are in: 

https://www.alpha-audio.nl/review/zeven-switches-voor-streaming-audio-getest-blind/2/

[Superdad]

1 minute ago, McNulty said:

The results are in: 

https://www.alpha-audio.nl/review/zeven-switches-voor-streaming-audio-getest-blind/2/

 

Oh good, they left 1.5 points above the top for the elephant left outside of the room. 

[charlesphoto]

They really should have thrown in a Cisco Catalyst 2960 as well. 

[Tecnik1]

+1 Blackmorec and have done almost the identical set up. The DC cables make a noticeable improvement along with the Aqvox switch. I used a Audioquest Diamond USB cable that I had laying around and made it into the dc cable.

 

Everything in the chain makes a difference.

[FredM]

News flash, the Dutch site now has a English version in place: Alpha-Audio.net

Here you can find the English version of the blind switch test.

https://alpha-audio.net/review/zeven-switches-for-streaming-audio-tested-blind/

 

Ps This is my favourite audio site, great that they’re also available abroad. Highly recommended!

[The Computer Audiophile]

Clean up done. Stop creating another pissing match people. Start your own thread if you can’t stop yourself from pissing in the punch bowl. 

[jabbr]

Very nice guys. I have no way of determining based on the writeup but strongly suspect these results are not statistically significant. Unfortunately, the less the differences, the more subjects/samples needed to be statistically significant. Since you have preliminary results perhaps its worth expanding/repeating.