EtherREGEN - Formal Video Imaging and Audio Review

[DarqueKnight]

Introduction

Figure 1. EtherREGEN A and B port sides. Photo from UpTone Audio website.

 

An audible improvement in clarity, detail, and spatiality was achieved by placing a Cisco SG110D-08 Ethernet switch ($100 list price, $36 street price) between my two channel stereo system's digital music player and NAS, thereby isolating them from the wireless access point they were previously connected to. Based on those results, I began looking for a formal solution for a noise-reduced, audio grade Ethernet switch. That search lead me to the UpTone Audio's EtherREGEN audiophile Ethernet switch ($649). I was intrigued by the concept of an Ethernet switch designed specifically for computer audio, rather than a modified data communication switch. Ethernet is an inherently low noise transmission protocol that provides excellent noise filtering for data communications. However, the electrical noise that get past standard Ethernet noise cancelling techniques can negatively impact the performance of high resolution computer audio and computer video systems.

 

Figure 2. Cisco SG110D-08 Ethernet switch under evaluation in May of 2019. The Cisco switch's performance was improved by replacing its switch mode power supply with a TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply. A blue filter was placed over the TeraDak LPS's LED to tone down its brightness.

 

Basically, the EtherREGEN is an Ethernet switch with filtering apparatus that addresses noise modes that affect audio (and video) quality. Video performance is parenthetically mentioned  because the EtherREGEN is marketed strictly as a computer audio device. The EtherREGEN's design is based on an "Active Differential Isolation Moat ("ADIM"), which filters noise between the input "A" ports and the single "superclean" "B" output port.

 

Over a six week period. On the day of the EtherREGEN's arrival, after a warm up of three hours, a "sneak peek", "quickie" listening session was conducted before taking it to the home theater system. I was very impressed by what was heard.

 

The top center of the EtherREGEN’s case reached a constant temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit when idle. The temperature ranged from 116 to 126 degrees Fahrenheit when working. Temperatures were measured by a Fluke model 561 infrared thermometer.

 

UpTone Audio recommends a break in period of 100 hours. I heard an improvement in clarity, detail, bass performance, and tactile sensation after 24 hours of playback. I did not perceive further improvements in these areas with additional hours of playback.

 

A lot of information pertaining to the environment and circumstances of this evaluation are provided. Results are summarized in the "Discussion of Video Results" and "Discussion of Audio Results" sections.

 

Video Trials

The home theater system is configured as follows:

 

Video files are served from a Synology DS918+ NAS to an Oppo UDP-205 universal disc player. The video display is an LG OLED65E8PUA 65” OLED television. The television has not been professionally calibrated, but has been tweaked using recommended settings found online. The DS918+ and UDP-205 were connected to an Amped Wireless AC 2600 Athena-EX range extender via generic “Cable Matters” brand (Amazon) Cat6a Ethernet cables. The range extender also provides wireless connectivity to my home’s 5 GHz wireless network. The Oppo player is connected to the OLED TV via an AudioQuest Cinnamon HDMI cable. The Oppo’s stock internal switch mode power supply was replaced with an upgrade Oppomod linear power supply. The home theater system is served by two dedicated 20 amp AC circuits. All electronics are fed ultra pure AC power by a PS Audio P5 AC regenerator and a PS Audio P10 AC regenerator.

 

Experimental Setup

A Nikon D800 36.3 megapixel digital camera was placed 49” from the center of the TV screen. Multiple pictures of the paused first scene from the ultra high definition Blu-ray disc “Alien Covenant” were taken with various equipment configurations. The first scene of the movie is a tight close up of the character David’s eye at 00:01:17. I often use this scene to evaluate differences in digital equipment performance. The lens was a Nikkor 24mm-70mm zoom lens. All pictures were taken at ISO 1000, with an exposure of 1/100th second at F3.2.

 

Figure 3. Camera setup

 

In one experiment, picture quality differences from the following six equipment configurations were evaluated (Ethernet cables in each case were Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a):

 

1. DS918+ NAS with its stock switch mode power supply; NAS and Oppo player connected to the Amped Wireless range extender.

 

2. DS918+ NAS with a TeraDAK DC-200VA linear power supply; NAS and Oppo player connected to the Amped Wireless range extender.

 

3. NAS and Oppo player connected to a Cisco SG110D-08 8-port Ethernet switch, with the Cisco’s stock switch mode power supply. An Ethernet cable was connected from one of the Cisco’s ports to one of the Athena range extender’s ports.

 

4. NAS and Oppo player connected to a Cisco SG110D-08 8-port Ethernet switch, with the Cisco’s stock switch mode power supply replaced by a TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply. An Ethernet cable was connected from one of the Cisco’s ports to one of the Athena range extender’s ports.

 

5. NAS and Oppo player connected to The EtherREGEN switch, with the EtherREGEN’s stock switch mode power supply. An Ethernet cable was connected from one of the EtherREGEN’s ports to one of the Athena range extender’s ports. The NAS was connected to one of the A ports. The Oppo player was connected to the B port.

 

6. NAS and Oppo player connected to The EtherREGEN switch, with the EtherREGEN’s stock switch mode power supply replaced by a TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply. An Ethernet cable was connected from one of the EtherREGEN’s ports to one of the Athena range extender’s ports. The NAS was connected to one of the A ports. The Oppo player was connected to the B port.

 

 

Figure 4. Left - picture with NAS and stock switch mode power supply. Right - picture with NAS and TeraDak DC-200VA linear power supply.

 

There were drastic differences in detail, color saturation, and clarity between pictures with the NAS's stock switch mode power supply and replacement upgrade linear power supply.

 

Figure 5. Left - picture with Cisco switch and its stock switch mode power supply. Right - picture with Cisco switch and TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply.

 

Figure 6. Left - picture with EtherREGEN switch and its stock switch mode power supply. Right - picture with EtherREGEN switch and TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply.

 

In these small, lower resolution pictures, the differences, particularly the perception of depth, among the images in figures 5 and 6 are not as apparent as when looking at the video display or at the original, higher resolution pictures. Examining enlargements at pixel levels provides more insight. Figures 8 through 10 show the differences in a section of the rim of the eye’s iris. The specific section is shown in figure 7.

Figure 7. Section of pixel level comparisons for equipment configurations 1 - 6.

 

Figure 8. Left - NAS pixel level detail with stock switch mode power supply. Right - NAS pixel level detail with TeraDak DC-200VA linear power supply.

 

Figure 9. Left - Cisco switch pixel level detail with stock switch mode power supply. Right - Cisco switch pixel level detail with TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply.

 

Figure 10. Left - EtherREGEN switch pixel level detail with stock switch mode power supply. Right - EtherREGEN switch pixel level detail with TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply.

 

Figure 11. Worst to best: Left - Pixel level detail, NAS with stock switch mode power supply and Oppo player connected to wireless range extender. Right, NAS with TeraDak DC-200VA linear power supply and Oppo player connected to EtherREGEN with TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply. The overall result of using equipment with increasingly better electrical noise abatement was a picture with increasing detail, depth, sharpness, and color accuracy.

 

Ethernet Cable Trials in Home Theater System

Prior to this experiment, two Ethernet cable trials were conducted in my two channel stereo system. In March of 2019, the five Ethernet cables shown in figure 12 were evaluated with the cables plugged into a wireless range extender.  In May of 2019, the experiment was repeated with the placement of the Cisco switch between the digital source components and the wireless range extender. In both trials, no difference in any aspect of stereophonic performance was heard with a change of Ethernet cable. Improvements in clarity, detail, and spatiality were heard with the Cisco switch.

 

Figure 12. In March and May of 2019, five Ethernet cables were evaluated, with no perceived difference in audible or tactile sensation among them. Left to right: AudioQuest Cinnamon Cat7 ($100 - 5 feet), Bluejeans Cable Cat6a ($18.50 - five feet), Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a ($3.40 - 5 feet), Synology stock Cat5e cable that came with the NAS ($0 - five feet), Belkin Cat5e ($1.87 - five feet).

 

Ethernet cable trials were conducted again in March of 2020 with the five cables shown in figure 13. An Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a cable ran from the NAS to one of the EtherREGEN's "A" ports. Another Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a cable ran from the wireless range extender to one of the EtherREGEN's "A" ports. The cable between the EtherREGEN's "B" port and the Oppo's Ethernet port was the only change. The NAS and EtherREGEN stock switch mode power supplies were used in the Ethernet cable trials.

 

Figure 13. Top to bottom: Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Cat8+ ($599 1.25 m), AudioQuest Vodka Cat7 ($450 1.5 m), AudioQuest Cinnamon Cat7 ($100 1.5 m), Blue Jeans Certified Cat6a ($18.50 5 ft), Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a  ($3.40 5 ft).

 

Figure 14. Pixel level pictures, left - Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a, right - Blue Jeans Certified Cat6a.

 

Figure 15. Pixel level pictures, left - AudioQuest Cinnamon Cat7, right - AudioQuest Vodka Cat7.

 

Figure 16. Pixel level pictures, worst to best, left - Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a, right - Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Cat8+.

 

Figure 17. Pixel level pictures, side by side. Left to right: Amazon Cable Matters Cat6a, Blue Jeans Certified Cat6a, AudioQuest Cinnamon Cat7, AudioQuest Vodka Cat7, Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Cat8+.

 

Figure 18. Were it not for the EtherREGEN's 100 Mbps output limitation, I would have ordered a second unit for my home theater system.

 

The EtherREGEN had great performance with DVD and Blu-ray source material. On 4K material that exceeded the 100 Mbps limitation, the audio would drop out, but the video would continue unscathed. The audio would return immediately after the bit rate fell below 100 Mbps. The intro theme of "Quantum of Solace" spent a significant amount of time above 100 Mbps, which meant frequent and annoying audio dropouts. But of course, I was using the EtherREGEN for a purpose it wasn't designed for.

 

Discussion of Video Results

Picture quality, particularly the perception of depth improved significantly as I went from the wireless range extender, to the Cisco switch, to the EtherREGEN. Improvements in color rendition, fine detail, and dynamic range were easily discernible. Improvements in these areas were extended when the switch mode power supplies of the Synology DS918+ NAS and EtherREGEN were replaced with linear power supplies. In the audio area, the clarity and detail of dialog was closer to the sound of actual people speaking in front of me. The rumble and growl of low frequency effects was more finely detailed, and there was greater tactile sensation from the front stage. On Blu-ray movies with well-recorded surround tracks, I found myself noticing more information and details in the side and rear channels. A thicker, more immersive sound stage was realized with multichannel music.

 

Further improvements, in both home theater audio and video performance, were realized with better Ethernet cables. The exception to this was the AudioQuest Cinnamon cable. It outperformed the Blue Jeans cable in audio performance, but the Blue Jeans cable outperformed the Cinnamon in video performance. Compare figure 14-right to figure 15-left and the second and third pictures of figure 17.

 

Figure 19. The Cisco SG110D-08 Ethernet switch was moved from my two channel system to the home theater system. Its stock switch mode power supply was replaced with a TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply.

 

Audio Trials

The digital front end of my two channel stereo system consists of a Bryston BDP-3 digital player, Synology DS718+ NAS, dCS Puccini word clock (master clock), and dCS Debussy DAC. The BDP-3 does not have a word clock input. However, the Puccini word clock is able to lock on to and synch the BDP-3's output via USB cable connection. Therefore, both the digital player and DAC are locked to the same master clock.

 

Most music files are in DSD64 format. All vinyl records were converted to DSD64 format with a PS Audio NuWave Phono analog to digital converter and VinylStudio software. Three 20 amp AC circuits serve the two channel system: one each for the Pass Labs X600.5 monoblock power amps, and one for the source components. Each AC line is terminated with a PS Audio Soloist SE in-wall passive power conditioner. The power amplifiers are plugged into the wall. The source components are powered by a PS Audio P10 AC regenerator. The NAS's stock switch mode power supply was replaced with a TeraDak DC-150VA linear power supply. The EtherREGEN's stock switch mode power supply was replaced with a TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply.

 

Critical listening evaluation of the EtherREGEN commenced after over four weeks and over 500 hours of playback had been logged.

 

Figure 20. Block diagram of two channel stereo system digital front end.

 

Figure 21. Revelation Audio Labs split leg USB 2.0 cable. After the USB connection between the BDP-3 and the U-Clock has been set up, the power signal is typically not required any longer. Separating the audio signal wires and power signal wires allows the power leg, and its associated electrical noise, to be disconnected.

 

Stereophonic Performance Evaluation Methodology

My critical listening methodology is based on the sensory science concept of descriptive analysis. It consists of:

1. Repeated listening to the same familiar, well-recorded, songs.

2. Mapping the placement and relative size of sounds, voices, and instruments

(sound images) in the sound stage.

3. Making notes of the quality and characteristics of the sound images within the sound stage (image weight, tactile sensation, sound level, clarity, detail, articulation, etc.).

4. Comparing before and after listening notes and sound stage maps and noting differences, if any.

 

Figure 22. Lateral sound stage chart.

 

Figure 23. Aerial sound stage chart.

 

Figure 24. Example of completed sound stage charts.

 

Figure 25. View of two channel stereo system from listening position.

 

Figure 26. The room is 21 feet by 17 feet, with speakers along the long wall. The listening position is 12 feet from the front plane of the speakers. The digital player is controlled via its Internet interface by the docked tablet computer on the table.

 

Figure 27. Amplification and AC regenerator.

 

Discussion of Audio Results

Even with standard computer-grade Ethernet cables, the noise isolation provided by placing the audio components on a separate, dedicated Ethernet switch provided improvements in stereophonic holography, more ambient information retrieval, and deeper, more articulate, and more tactile bass. This was true with the Cisco SG110D-08 switch, and is true to a much greater extent with the EtherREGEN switch.

 

With the progression from the Cable Matters cable, to the Blue Jeans, to the AQ Cinnamon, to the AQ Vodka, to the RAL, increasing clarity, detail, and sound stage depth were heard. The qualities that separated the RAL from the other four was the RAL’s greater conveyance of tactile sensation, greater sense of three-dimensional space, and greater image weight. Unlike the other Ethernet cables reviewed, the RAL cable initially caused a small loss in image weight, clarity, and detail. Those losses had disappeared after 48 hours of playback. RAL recommends a break in period of 250 hours prior to critical listening. Further improvements in image weight, bass performance, clarity at the rear and sides of the sound stage, and tactile sensation were realized when the Blue Jeans Ethernet cable between the NAS and the EtherREGEN was replaced with the AQ Vodka cable. Since the RAL outperformed the Vodka, a second RAL Ethernet cable was purchased.

 

On Gregg Karukas' "Healing Song" ("Heatwave" CD), Gregg Karukas' piano notes acquired a more percussive quality and there was more sustain and decay of the notes. Kirk Whalum's tenor saxophone notes acquired an enhanced clarity and enhanced "reedy" quality with more vibrato. There was more detail in the background percussion instruments.

 

On E.S. Posthumous' "Isunova Pi" ("Cartographer" CD), the thunderous bass notes at the beginning were more thunderous, with greater vibration against my legs and chest. The drum beats were placed about 2 feet further back in the sound stage, yet produced more tactile sensation. There was more vibration from bass notes coming through the seat and armrests. The choir had greater detail and there was more separation between the choir and the other sound images.

 

On Sheila E and The E. Train's "Bahia" ("Heaven" CD), the bird chirps at the beginning were "faster", more detailed, and the echoes of the chirps were more defined. The electric bass had more weight and growl. The electric piano notes had more weight. The clarity and detail of vocals was enhanced as evidenced by more chest and breathing sounds.

 

On George Howard's "Diane's Blues" ("Attitude Adjustment" CD), electric bass notes acquired more rumble, growl, and articulation. The principle instrument, the soprano saxophone, had more space around it and the notes had more of a "reedy" edge. Drum notes were more articulate and produced more tactile sensation.

 

On Isaac Hayes' "Cafe Regio" ("Shaft" soundtrack CD), I was drawn to the sound of the tambourine while in another room. This is a song of average recording quality that I do not use for critical evaluation. It is part of one of the playlists used during the break in period. The tambourine had greater space around it, sounded louder, and the sounds of the individual metal jingles ("zills"), and the natural decay of those metal jingles, was very clearly defined.

 

On Sonny Rollins' bebop classic "Strode Rode" ("Saxophone Colossus" SACD), this marked the first time I heard true depth in a mono recording. As with previous listenings of this song, all the sound images were confined to the center of the sound stage. The difference now was that, rather than everything being jumbled together in a "big ball" in the center of the sound stage, Rollins' tenor saxophone was in front. Behind him was Tommy Flanagan's piano, which was wider than the other three sound images. Behind the piano were Max Roach's drums. Behind the drums was Doug Watkins' double bass. All instruments had increased image weight. Even though the musicians were all playing at a fast pace, individual notes were clearly articulated within individual images and were clearly distinct from the other instruments.

 

Figure 28. Snakebitten...twice. One RAL Ethernet cable was great. Two were fantastic. I didn't mind the snake bites though, because the snakes enhanced the production of Such Good Sound.

 

The EtherREGEN's manual states (page 7):

 

"If you are going to hear a difference with an Ethernet cable, it will more likely be with the 'B'-side cable. This is also a good one to keep short."

 

Unfortunately, for my long-suffering wallet, I heard a difference between Ethernet cables on both the "A" and "B" sides.

 

Associated Equipment - Home Theater System

LG OLED65E8PUA OLED TV

Oppo UDP-205 Blu-ray Player With Oppomod Linear Power Supply Upgrade

Bryston BDP-1 Digital Music Player

Synology DS918+ NAS With TeraDak DC-200VA Linear Power Supply

Yamaha CX-A5100 Surround Sound Preamp/Processor

Adcom GFA-565se Power Amp (325 Watts Per Channel/4 Ohms)/Front Speakers

Adcom GFA-565se Power Amp (325 Watts Per Channel/4 Ohms)/Center Channel Speaker

Adcom GFA-565se Power Amp (325 Watts Per Channel/4 Ohms)/Surround Speakers

Polk Audio LSiM 706C Center Channel Speaker

Polk Audio LSiM 707 Front Speakers

Polk Audio LSiM 702 F/X Surround Speakers

SVS PB12 Ultra/2 Subwoofer

PS Audio P5 AC Regenerator (Plasma TV, Blu-ray Player, Tivo, Digital Music Player)

PS Audio P10 AC Regenerator (Preamp/Processor, Power Amplifiers)

PS Audio AC-5 Power Cords For AC Regenerators

PS Audio Statement SC Power Cords For All Electronics

Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Dual Conduit USB Cable (BDP-1 To UDP-205)

AudioQuest Cinnamon HDMI Cables (UDP-205 To CX-A5100, CX-A5100 To OLED TV)

Douglas Connection DCF-92 Speaker Cables, Front, Center Speakers

DSR Silverline (Amp To Wall), Monster UL/CL3 (In-Wall) Speaker Cables, Surround Speakers

Blue Jeans LC-1 In-Wall Subwoofer Cable

Blue Jeans Cat6a Ethernet Cables For NAS And Oppo Blu-ray Player

Cisco SG110D-08 Ethernet Switch For NAS And Oppo Blu-ray Player With TeraDak DC-30 Linear Power Supply

Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR Interconnects (Preamp To Power Amps)

Two Dedicated 20 Amp AC Circuits Terminated With PS Audio Soloist SE In-Wall Passive Power Conditioners

Salamander Synergy Quad 30 Audio Credenza

Dell Venue Pro 11 7140 Docked Tablet Computer For System Control

Logitech Harmony One Remote

 

Associated Equipment - Two Channel Stereo System

Bryston BDP-3 Digital Player

dCS Puccini U-Clock word clock

dCS Debussy DAC

Synology DS718+ Network Attached Storage With TeraDak DC-150VA Linear Power Supply

Pass Labs XP-30 Three-Chassis Line Level Preamplifier

Pass Labs X600.5 Monoblock Power Amplifiers (1200 Watts Per Channel/4 ohms)

PS Audio PowerBase Isolation Platforms For DAC, BDP-3, U-Clock, And P10 AC Regenerator

22 Pound Granite Slabs For Coupling Source Components To Isolation Platforms

Black Diamond Racing Isolation Mini Pits And Mk IV Cones

AudioQuest Sky Gen2 XLR Interconnects

AudioQuest Everest Speaker Cables

Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Digital Coaxial Cable - RCA connectors

Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Digital Coaxial Cable - BNC connectors

Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver USB 2.0 Dual Leg Cable

PS Audio PerfectWave AC-12 Power Cords

PS Audio PerfectWave P-10 AC Regenerator

Polk Audio SDA SRS 1.2TL Loudspeakers (Heavily Modified)

Salamander Synergy Triple 30 Audio Credenza

Dell Venue Pro 11 7140 Docked Tablet Computer For System Control

Logitech Harmony One Remote

[DarqueKnight]

40 minutes ago, lxgreen said:

VERY NICE. I wanted to try this out with video also. Can you tell us a little more about the Oppomod? I see there is also an SE version. 

I have the SE version. I did this modification in March 2019. Installation was easy. An installation guide was downloaded from the Oppomod website.

My immediate results with the Oppomod Linear Power Module Special Edition (LPM SE) were:

1. Brighter, clearer, more detailed picture, with better color rendition.
2. Sound was apparently much louder, due to the significantly lowered noise floor. I actually had to turn the volume of my home theater pre-pro down 4 dB.
3. More tactile sensation.
4. Sound stage size didn't change, but image weight increased significantly.
5. I notice more small details, both with video and audio.

 

Figure 1. The Oppomod LPMSE is a drop in replacement, but a fair amount of disassembly is required. First, the video output board must be removed.

 

Figure 2. Next, the noise shield surrounding the switch mode power supply must be removed.

 

Figure 3. The switch mode power supply board can then be removed.

 

Figure 4. Close up of switch mode power supply.

 

Figure 5. Oppomod LPM SE installed.

 

Figure 6. Stock switch modes power supply on left, Oppomod LPM SE on right.

 

Figure 7. Close up of Oppomod LPM SE.

 

Figure 8. Underside of Oppomod LPM SE.

 

Figure 9. The reward. Better detail and color accuracy. Left - before mod. Right - after mod.

 

The screen captures in figure 9 were photographed with a Nikon D800 36.3 megapixel camera and Nikkor 24-70 zoom lens. The television was an LG 65" OLED, model OLED65E8PUA. The front of the camera lens was 42" from the TV screen. The camera was setup and the "before" picture was taken. The Oppo UDP-205 player was removed and modified, then reinstalled and the "after" picture was taken.

 

Oppomod LPM SE installation guide:

Oppo UDP-205 LPM Install Guide.pdf

[DarqueKnight]

9 hours ago, Summit said:

Nice report!

 

I could not help but noticing that you are using the Polk Audio SDA SRS 1.2TL (modified), not many seems to do that anymore.

 

 

Yes. It is the lone survivor from my many equipment upgrades through the years. I have not been able to find a better imaging loudspeaker.

 

A summary of the modifications can be found here:

 

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/148092/improvements-to-the-sda-srs-1-2tl-summary-of-modifications

 

 

[DarqueKnight]

7 hours ago, plissken said:

 

When you did this did you simply pause the video and swap out cables? If not how did you get to the exact same frame?

 

What jib had the camera locked in place? Were the pictures snapped on remote or actuated on body?

 

 

1. The video was restarted each time after a cable change and allowed to run to 01:01:14, then paused with the remote control. While still in pause mode, the fast forward button was pressed which cased the video to advance in slow motion at 1/16th speed. I held my breath beginning at 00:01:16 and and paused via the player's remote control as soon as the player's display timer changed to 00:01:17. The picture below was taken with my cell phone to give an idea of what the player's timer display looks like.

 

2. Since the UDP-205 player does not measure time in terms of frames, I had some concern about frame to frame variation with my manual stop method. I examined a series of photographs from from 00:01:16 to 00:01:18 to look for pixel level consistencies and variations in sharpness, blooming, black level, and detail. I was confident that my manual frame stops gave an accurate assessment of the picture quality changes in the different cable trials. Therefore, if my manual frame stops at 00:01:17 for the different trials weren't exact to the same nano-pico-femto second, they were close enough for the purposes of this exercise.

 

3. The camera was mounted on a Manfrotto BG468MGRC4 Ball Head camera mount. The Manfrotto ball head was mounted on a Slik AMT PRO700DX tripod.

 

4. The camera shutter was activated with a Nikon MC-30 cable release.

 

5. The lens autofocus was turned off. Focus, exposure, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed were set manually: All photos taken at f/3.2, ISO 1000. Room lights were turned off.

 

6. The rear of the OLED TV screen is braced against the rear wall with a cardboard tube. The brace is secured to the wall and to the TV with packing tape.

 

7. Photos were cropped using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 software.

 

7 hours ago, plissken said:

Why not do this with a 4K HDR photo?

 

Because I don't watch photographs. I watch movies.

 

6 hours ago, pkane2001 said:

 

 

The photographs of the screen show a likely focus shift or possibly different frames, as well as, exposure differences that have nothing to do with ethernet. A more careful experiment is needed, with much better stabilization of the equipment (TV and camera), an exact frame fix, as well as completely fixed focus and exposure.

 

All the Ethernet cable trial photos were taken at the same exposure and same fixed focus. See response to plissken above. In which photographs are you seeing a difference in focus?

 

5 hours ago, plissken said:

That's why I suggest a high resolution picture instead of video just as a start.

 

 

That would be an interesting exercise. Thanks for the suggestion.

[DarqueKnight]

40 minutes ago, pkane2001 said:

 

This is comparing two photos used in Figure 11, Worst to best. As I said, possibly different frame, or frame in transition, not necessarily focus difference. Obvious exposure and color balance differences, though.

 

 

Make sure your browser can show loop GIF image animations and click on the image to see the larger version:

 

 

 

There is no difference in exposure. The TV put out different amounts of light depending on the power supply attached to the NAS. The camera settings remained constant. The color balance also changed when the NAS's power supply was changed. All the pictures were cropped and then resized to the same size, so there are small aspect differences due to the cropping and resizing. That is why the two white flecks and the two eye lashes alternately move toward and away from each other in the circled portion of a screen capture from your looped video.

 

[DarqueKnight]

31 minutes ago, plissken said:

 

But you posted photos's not videos....

 

Does your camera record videos like I've seen some others?

 

With a photo you don't have to guess what frame you are on. There is only one.

Yes, my Nikon D800 records high definition video.

 

You are correct that a static image alleviates guessing which frame to stop on. I could have also used some of the static test patterns from my Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark calibration disc.

[DarqueKnight]

6 minutes ago, pkane2001 said:

 

You are missing all the other parts of the eye moving and changing relative positions and sizes between the two shots. It's much more than the two flecks you circled.  These are just not comparable exposures. You need much better controls on your 'measuring' equipment before declaring that the reason for these differences is the ethernet switch. 

 

You missed my point with regard to my comment about the circled area.

Thank you for your advice and for sharing your opinions and insights.

 

3 minutes ago, plissken said:

Is the Oppo even capable of stopping on the same frame out of 60FPS with the remote control?

 

That would be a good question to ask Oppo. The player indicated that this movie's frame rate was 24FPS though.

[DarqueKnight]

The part that you ar

3 minutes ago, plissken said:

 

He's being actively helped out to improve a testing regimen. DK even agrees:

 

1. That using a video he's guessing that it's on the correct frame

2. That using a static pic (hopefully 4K with wide color gamut) would solve some issues

 

For the things I was looking for, I did not need to be on the exact same frame. If there was a critical need to compare exact frames, I would have done so. As I said before, I could have used static test patterns.

 

For a tight camera shot focused on an actor's eye, how much difference would you expect would occur in less than one second of 24FPS video in such areas as pixel sharpness, blooming, and black levels?

 

Other attributes, such as differences in the amount of perceived depth in the video image, would remain constant even from scene to scene.

[DarqueKnight]

***Addendum***

 

A second EtherREGEN unit was purchased for my pure overkill two channel stereo system at work. The speakers in this system are a pair of large bookshelf speakers: highly modified ("hotrodded") Polk Audio Stereo Dimensional Array - Compact Reference System + (SDA-CRS+) speakers, 1989 version with the "TL" tweeter modification, modified crossovers, Cardas internal wiring, cabinet modifications, and Dreadnought AI-1 isolation transformer.

 

Figure 29. The little stack on the desk: Top to bottom - Bryston BDP-2 digital player, Bryston BDA-3 DAC, Bryston BP-26 preamplifier. Foreground: docked Dell VenuePro 11 7140 tablet computer for controlling the BDP-2 digital player.

 

Figure 30. Digital source components block diagram. After the USB connection is established between digital player and DAC, the power leg of the USB cable is disconnected for better sound quality.

 

Figure 31. The big stack under the desk: Top left - TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply for EtherREGEN switch, top middle - TeraDak DC-150VA linear power supply for Synology NAS, top right - Synology DS718+ NAS, Bryston MPS-2 power supply for BP-26 preamp, Bryston 4B3 power amplifier, PS Audio P10 AC regenerator. The foam padding protects the components' corners from damage.

 

Figure 32. The EtherREGEN is placed behind the little stack.

 

Figure 33. Music files were previously stored on a 5 TB hard drive connected to the BDP-2 digital player. The hard drive was held in a Rosewill RX304-APU3-35B hard drive enclosure. Middle right: TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply for Rosewill enclosure. Rear: Signal Cable MagicPower cord for DC-30 linear power supply.

 

Figure 34. Replacement music storage system. Front row: Signal Cable MagicPower cord and NAS switch mode power supply. Middle row: Western Digital Red Pro 6 TB NAS drive, EtherREGEN, and TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply for EtherREGEN. Rear: Signal Cable MagicPower cord for DC-30 linear power supply.

 

I had to tolerate the NAS's switch mode power brick for a few weeks until the TeraDak LPS arrived. I had planned to use a RAID 1 configuration with two 6 TB Red Pro drives, but one of the drives was defective. The NAS could not access and initialize the drive and the NAS was seeing high internal temperatures in the drive. Western Digital's diagnostic tool indicated the drive had many bad sectors. I decided to go with a single drive JBOD configuration. The defective drive was sent back for a refund.

 

Figure 35. Left: replacement TeraDak DC-150VA linear power supply and Signal Cable MagicPower cord for the NAS. Right: the NAS's stock switch mode power supply. The DC-150VA power supply is larger (and heavier) than the NAS: 0.146 cubic feet compared to the NAS's 0.133 cubic feet.

 

Figure 36. View of speakers from my desk. The room is 11' x 12" with the speakers on the shorter wall. The listening position is 7' from the center of the speaker plane. The loudspeakers are spaced 6'-10" apart center to center

 

Computer audio has made my entire music collection, including my digitized vinyl records, available at work. Low level musical detail is very important in this office environment. The EtherREGEN, NAS, upgrade power supply for the NAS, and higher performance Ethernet cables, resulted in a substantially lower noise floor.  The lowered noise floor made the music sound apparently louder, although the actual sound level was the same.

 

Ethernet Cable Trials

 

Figure 37. Ethernet cables evaluated in work system, bottom to top: (inside cable loop) generic Cat5e cables that came with the Synology NAS ($0), Bluejeans Cat6a ($16 - 3 feet), Monoprice Cat8 ($7 - 3 feet), modified Monoprice Cat8 ($7 - 3 feet), RAL Cat8+ ($599 - 1.25 meters).

 

Figure 38. Ethernet cable plugs, bottom to top: generic Cat5e cable that came with the Synology NAS, Bluejeans Cat6a, Monoprice Cat8, RAL Cat8+.

 

Two Monoprice Cat8 cables were modified by insulating the shield from the metal shell on one end. On the cable that runs from the B port of the EtherREGEN to the Bryston BDP-2 digital player, the shield was disconnected at the digital player end. On the cable that runs from the NAS to one of the EtherREGEN's A ports, the shield was disconnected at the EtherREGEN end. The EtherREGEN to digital player cable was replaced first.

 

Compared to an unmodified Monoprice Cat8 cable, there were no differences heard in spatial rendering or mid and high frequency aspects. The bass became more detailed and articulate, with more rumble and growl. It wasn't a huge difference. On a scale of 1 - 10, the improvement was like going from a 5 to a 5.5.

 

The NAS to EtherREGEN Monoprice Cat8 cable was replaced next. There were no apparent sonic differences with that replacement.

Uptone Audio does not advise against using shield-tied Ethernet cables on the B side of the EtherREGEN (page 7 of the user guide). However, it's always good to experiment.

 

Figure 39. In the two channel work system and in the home theater system, breaking the shield tie at one end resulted in greater clarity and detail. It's an easy modification (on this brand of cable). Push back the rubber boot, carefully pry up the metal grips from the cable jacket and the flat grips on the plastic plug. Push back the metal shell.

Figure 40. Wrap the metal shield wires as flat as possible around the jacket and completely cover with electrical tape. The shield wires can also be snipped off and the remaining stub taped over...if you are sure you won't want to revert back to the shield-tied configuration.

 

Figure 41. Pull the metal shell over the plug, crimp, and pull the rubber boot back on.

 

Figure 42. Lots of listening notes. The tape measure was used to measure the distance of sound images from the listening position.

 

Ethernet Cable Performance Rankings

 

 

 

With the NAS's stock power supply, going from Cat5e to Cat6a to Cat8 to modified Cat8, there were improvements in bass definition, image weight, overall clarity and detail, and detail and clarity in background instruments such as synthesizers and percussion instruments.  There were no spatial differences among those cables. The RAL cable provided additional clarity and detail plus enhanced sound stage depth.

 

With the NAS's upgrade linear power supply, spatial differences, in addition to sound quality differences, among all the cables were heard.

 

With the much smaller speakers used in this system, the large improvements in bass performance and tactile sensation heard in the home two channel and home theater systems were not available. The home two channel system has very large full range tower speakers. The home theater system has large tower speakers plus a very large subwoofer.

 

Work Two Channel Stereo System Associated Equipment

 

Bryston BDP-2 digital player with IAD sound card upgrade
Bryston BDA-3 digital to analog converter
Bryston BP-26 preamp with MPS-2 power supply
Bryston 4B3 power amp (300 wpc 8 ohms/500 wpc 4 ohms)
Synology DS718+ NAS
TeraDak DC-150VA linear power supply for NAS
Monoprice Cat8 Ethernet cables (shield-broken)
Uptone Audio EtherREGEN audiophile Ethernet switch
TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply for EtherREGEN switch
PS Audio xStream Transcendent XLR interconnects for DAC and preamp
Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver split leg USB 2.0 cable
Revelation Audio Labs 6pin XLR Power Umbilical cable for MPS-2/BP-26
PS Audio Premier SC power cords for DAC, digital player, power amp and preamp
Signal Cable MagicPower cords for TeraDak power supplies
PS Audio P10 AC regenerator
PS Audio AC-12 power cord for P10 AC regenerator
Polk Audio SDA CRS+ loudspeakers, 4 ohms nominal-post modification (1989 version) (heavily modified)
Douglas Connection CDF92 speaker cable (9 AWG)
HiFi Tuning Classic Gold fuses for amp, preamp, AC regenerator
HiFi Tuning Silver Star fuse for DAC.
Dell Venue Pro 11 7140 tablet computer, with dock, for digital player and DAC control
Logitech Harmony One universal remote for preamp and DAC

 

Revisiting Video

 

In the home theater system, a dedicated Cisco SG110D-08 Ethernet switch is placed between the Synology DS918+ NAS and the Oppo UDP-205 player. The SG110D-08 switch's stock switch mode power supply was replaced with a TeraDak DC-30 linear power supply. Improvements in picture and sound were realized by replacing the Bluejeans Cat6a cables with Monoprice Cat8 cables. Smaller improvements were realized by replacing the Monoprice Cat8 cables with shield-broken Monoprice Cat8 cables.

 

The initial trial of installing the office two channel stereo system's modified Monoprice Cat8 cables in the home theater system provided some performance improvements. When a pair of Monoprice Cat8 cables were modified for the home theater system, the dangling shield wires were snipped off and the little stub remaining was taped over, since I knew I wasn't going to revert back to the shield-tied cable configuration.

 

Figure 43. Scene from "Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith". The stock and modified Monoprice Cat8 cables provided increased rumble, growl, and tactile sensation from the Venator class star destroyer's engine sounds.

 

Figure 44. Sharper and clearer howl, whine, whiz, and zing as the sound of the Jedi fighters entered the sound stage from the upper right rear and swooped down toward the front lower center.

 

Summary Of Results

 

Uptone Audio's EtherREGEN audiophile Ethernet switch was evaluated in three of my systems: home two channel stereo system, home theater system, office two channel stereo system.

 

The performance of the EtherREGEN was enhanced by replacing the stock switch mode power supply with a linear power supply.

Replacing the media storage units' (NAS, hard drive enclosure) stock switch mode power supplies resulted in significant improvements in sound and picture quality, particularly in the areas of color rendition, dynamic range, and depth for video, and particularly in the areas of bass definition and articulation, image weight, and three-dimensional spatial rendering for audio.

 

Breaking the shield tie connection on the Cat8 cable resulted in small improvements in audio and video.

 

The best sound and picture quality was achieved with Ethernet cables built to Category 8 standards.

 

The more electrical noise reduction deployed in a system, the greater the differences in Ethernet cables were seen and heard, and the better the resulting audio and video quality. All three of the systems discussed in these evaluations use AC regenerators, linear power supplies for media storage units, linear power supplies for the EtherREGENs, and a linear power supply for the dedicated Cisco Ethernet switch between the NAS and Oppo media player in the home theater system. The home two channel stereo system is served by three dedicated 20 amp AC circuits. The home theater system is served by two dedicated 20 amp AC circuits. The Oppo UDP-205's stock switch mode power supply was replaced with an Oppomod LPM SE linear power supply.

 

If my video media did not include uncompressed Ultra High Definition (UHD) video (commonly, but inaccurately referred to as "4K"), a third EtherREGEN would have been purchased for my home theater system. This is something to hope for in the future.

 

[DarqueKnight]

The Supra Cat8 costs 7X the price of the Monoprice Cat8, and facilitated more information retrieval, but it was not 7X better in any aspect of stereophonic performance in my office system.A member of this forum suggested the Supra Cat8 ($49 - 1meter) cables as a higher performance alternative to the shield broken Monoprice Cat8 ($7 - 3 feet) cables. I found his advice to be correct.

 

Both the stock and shield broken Supra Cat8 cables revealed a little more fine detail and spatial information than the shield broken Monoprice cables. I did not evaluate the Supra cables in my home two channel audio and home theater systems.

 

Figure 45. The Supra Cat8 cables come in a resealable plastic case, which is nice in case you want to return them.

 

Figure 46. Distinctive ice blue jacket.

 

Figure 47. Each cable comes with a tag denoting the assembler.

 

Figure 48. Monoprice Cat8 and Supra Cat8 plugs.

 

Monoprice Cat8 specs:
outer shield: aluminum-magnesium alloy braid
inner shield: aluminum foil
resistance = 93.8 ohms per km
capacitance </= 3.3 pF per meter
conductor size: 24 AWG

 

Supra Cat8 specs:
outer shield: oxygen free 5N pure copper braid, tin plated
inner shield: aluminum foil
resistance = 145 ohms per km
capacitance </= 43 pF per meter
conductor size: 26 AWG
conductor material: oxygen free 5N pure copper
insulation: air injected low capacitance polyethylene
impedance: 100 ohms

 

Figure 49. The Supra's metal shell is retained by four tabs and is more difficult to remove than the Monoprice's.

 

Figure 50. The Supra's metal shell makes contact with the braid shield via a metal tab, shown broken off here.

 

Figure 51. The metal shell was put back on the plug. I initially was going to use the Supra cables with the metal shell removed from one end. However, I did not like the plug's looser fit in the jack with the metal shell removed.

 

Figure 52. If I ever want to return the cables to stock condition, plug kits are available for$6.

 

Figure 53. The Supra Cat8 costs 7X the price of the Monoprice Cat8, and facilitated more information retrieval, but it was not 7X better in any aspect of stereophonic performance in my office system.

 

I read a review where the reviewer, and others, commented that the Supra Cat8 cables caused a loss of high frequency detail in their systems. I did not experience that in this system. On high frequency content such as cymbals, tambourines, shakers, and female voices, I actually heard more high frequency detail with the Supra cables compared to the Monoprice cables.

 

Speaking of diminishing returns, I ran across a deal on a pair of 1.5 meter AudioQuest Vodka Ethernet cables. The 2020 retail on these is $600. When I evaluated a loaner pair of Vodka cables in my home two channel stereo and home theater systems, I found their spacial properties to be in a class above that of the other Ethernet cables, except for the Revelation Audio Labs Cat8+.

 

Figure 54. I ran across these while shopping for something else. Purchased from an authorized AudioQuest dealer.

 

Figure 55. The Vodkas, like all of AudioQuest's Ethernet cables, are Cat7.

 

Figure 56. In the distant future, when I am more dedicated to audio than I am now, I might splurge on some higher performance, higher diminishing returns Ethernet cables for my work system, but for now, these will do.

 

 

 

[DarqueKnight]

On 8/6/2020 at 11:09 AM, kerisabe said:

 @DarqueKnightHave you had any experience with the latest Sablon Audio Ethernet 2020 cable? I need to purchase 2 more ethernet cable for my multiple switch setup and been trying to finalize my choice between the RAL, Shunyata Sigma, Pachanko Aphelion or the Sablon 2020. 

No experience with the Sablon Ethernet cable.