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Uptone Ether Regen - English Electric 8Switch Comparison


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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm interested in this comparison too.  In Austinpop's review of the Etherregen, he does compare it to other network switches from TLS, SOtM and Melco.   I also own the Etherregen and I like the changes it has brought about in my system.  I'm wondering if adding a switch like the English Electric in front of the Etherregen would be additive and bring further improvements in SQ.  In Austinpop's review, he liked the SOtM ($1700) switch in front of the Etherregen.  I was wondering if the EE 8switch at $595 could bring similiar results.   I called 2 dealers in the USA that are listed on the English Electric webpage and asked them for an opinion.  Both of them didn't think that adding the EE 8switch in front of the Etherregen would bring further improvements.  I would be interested if anyone has actually tried the EE 8switch with the Etherregen. 

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10 hours ago, MarkusBarkus said:

Here is an old post re: EE Switch, FYI...

 

ThunderData is a small OEM manufacturer in Guangdong, China.  

They designed a basic switch.  Here is the board. It is pretty simple, nothing fancy, probably not more than about $30 assembled (for comparison, we spend 2.5 times that just on voltage regulators for the EtherREGEN):

895256200_ThunderDataOEMswtichboard.jpg.b1fa4730228275a7a2c82081feb7a676.jpg

 

Then offer it themselves--with an inexpensive upgraded clock replacing the $0.30 oval crystal--as the Silent Angel Bonn N8.  Here is a pic of it:

813374202_BonnSilentAngelN8.thumb.jpg.e176611aa1ac9d81bf031f6c95c65063.jpg

 

They also offer it in a nicer case to other manufacturers, still with exact same circuits and clock. Here it is as the Nuprime Omnia SW-8:

1435788467_NuprimeOmniaSW-8int..thumb.jpg.bbbd5d6b83f82482190640c572cbbf67.jpg

 

And the outside:

1941233124_NuprimeOmniaSW-8ext.thumb.jpg.17df684382a65da658b9ce5b19c8f615.jpg

 

And then as here it is branded by EnglishElectric as the 8Switch:

193634715_EnglishElectric8Switch.thumb.jpg.19b72c25a48959818ebf9933dbb12359.jpg

 

How do I know all this? Because Ethan W., ThunderData's V.P. Sales & Marketing e-mailed me in January asking if UpTone would like to label and sell this same switch. (I of course demurred.) 

Out of respect and propriety I won't tell you the pricing I was quoted.  Let's just say that if I bought in volume and sold them for the same $500 that Nuprime and English Electric are, our profit percentages would be about 3 times the margin we make on the EtherREGEN! Call me a fool, but I simply have no interest in selling other people's generic designs--even if they come in a nicer box. 9_9

 

It's very inappropriate and unprofessional to disclose private information about trade offers. I'm disappointed to see this to be honest.

Happy Emm Labs/Viola/Karan/Rockport audiophile

 

Fidelizer - Feel the real sound http://www.fidelizer-audio.com

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3 hours ago, plissken said:

This looks exactly like the Bonn switch I had. They are a small manufacturer that is taking something like a $18 Zyxel or TP-Link switch...

That is incorrect Mark. Reread above and at  http://www.thunder-data.com/about Thunder Data did the actual board themselves.

They market their product themselves as the Silent Angel Bonn N8.  And they sell the same board to NuPrime and English Electric.

 

But yes, there are no innovations on it and it is very low cost piece. I spend more on voltage regulators for each EtherREGEN than the likely total cost of the N8 board. But I already know how you think about all this stuff so don't bother going there again...9_9

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3 hours ago, plissken said:

 

WOW!

The links and quotes get a little circular from there--to the Naim forum and elsewhere--but Googling for the ZyXEL GS-108B v3 with images does turn up a German  modification thread with photos: https://www.aktives-hoeren.de/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=11581

And indeed looking closely at the white part number stickers on the board pics above does show ZYO-GS208.  

$20 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TT128YC

 

So I guess Thunder Data was trying to pull the wool over my eyes as well when they offered to sell UpTone those for about $100 (with whatever unknown spec clock board mod they have). Perhaps NuPrime and English Electric ought to have looked a little closer! x-D

 

Of course we will only ever 100% roll our own:

786141253_EtherREGENTech.Highlightsweb.thumb.jpg.d1b9117aeb304bdc6511620ddf4af097.jpg

 

Now if only our back-order of 2,000 Silicon Labs clock buffer chips would arrive. Darn worldwide computer chip shortage! >:( They say it's due to automaker demand combined with Covid19 fabrication slowdown.

 

Anyway @plissken, thanks for getting to the bottom of the ThunderData/SilentAngel Bonn/NuPrime/English Electric mystery.

 

Funny thing is, there are now a bunch of other new Asian firms getting into the act of putting stock designs into fancy cases with power supplies and charging over $1,200. They just do a better job of hiding their actual pre-made Ethernet switch.

Here's a new one that ranges from $900 to $1,400. Whose standard switch is under the blue box? 9_9

e8ce4e1cc5e9de9ce665e1de0b3cdd66.jpg.7fbc7296f169077bd73e1e81bcb121ee.jpg

 

 

 

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11 hours ago, Superdad said:

So I guess Thunder Data was trying to pull the wool over my eyes as well when they offered to sell UpTone those for about $100 (with whatever unknown spec clock board mod they have). Perhaps NuPrime and English Electric ought to have looked a little closer! 

 

But what does it matter if someone has one of these vs another and they say it sounds better?

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49 minutes ago, Windows X said:

 

That's your misunderstanding. My point stands for not agreeing with:

 

1. Disclosing person's name and his position in company in public and now that person is going to have issues from this defamation.

2. Slandering other products with product model so clients buying those products will strongly be offended from that.

 

He could have worded it better like receiving offers from famous OEM company that he can build $500 network switch under his brand for 3 times profit but he still choose to build EtherRegen. At least no person or company is directly offended from this kind of announcement.

 

Anyway, this is not my business and I pry onto this more than I should have already so I'll stop here and have a nice day.

Yet snake oil haters do this defamation every day on all social media and forums and noone cares. So why not expose an OEM company selling a 20 usd switch as a high end design? It is more transparency and ultimately customers win.

1. WiiM Pro - Mola Mola Makua - Apollon NCx500+SS2590 - March Audio Sointuva AWG

2. LG 77C1 - Marantz SR7005 - Apollon NC502MP+NC252MP - Monitor Audio PL100+PLC150+C265 - SVS SB-3000

3. PC - RME ADI-2 DAC FS - Neumann KH 80 DSP

4. Phone - Tanchjim Space - Truthear Zero Red

5. PC - Keysion ES2981 - Truthear Zero Red

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52 minutes ago, Windows X said:

1. Disclosing person's name and his position in company in public and now that person is going to have issues from this defamation.

On that point I agree that I could have been more discreet. Though Ethan is a top executive there and I used only his first name. He was just doing his job. And apparently he has done it well since he got two other marketing-based companies to buy and package what he was offering—though using the very same casework does show a lack of imagination all the way around. 9_9

 

52 minutes ago, Windows X said:

2. Slandering other products with product model so clients buying those products will strongly be offended from that.

The word “slander” means to make false statements about something or someone. I have done no such thing here.  And all images and info were right there on the web to see. It is not as if I bought those products, opened them up, and revealed something proprietary.

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I couldn't find one post in this thread that addresses sound quality comparisons.  The cost of materials / badge-engineering discussion is interesting, but ultimately I would find a performance comparison more important.

Tidal / Qobuz--> Roon--> Fios Gigabit--> Netgear Prosafe GS105 --> Supra 8-->EtherRegen --> Fiber--> opticalRendu / CI Audio LPS --> Curious Evolved Link --> Chord Qutest--> AQ Water --> Belles Aria Integrated--> AQ Robin Hood--> Kudos Super 20's

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2 hours ago, OldBigEars said:

I couldn't find one post in this thread that addresses sound quality comparisons.  The cost of materials / badge-engineering discussion is interesting, but ultimately I would find a performance comparison more important.

 

I would propose we take two of these 'enhanced units' and then another plain Zyxel and board swap one of them. Security tape the units so they couldn't be opened without detection and send them out for a round and see what the consensus is.

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On 4/15/2021 at 2:04 AM, Superdad said:

 

WOW!

The links and quotes get a little circular from there--to the Naim forum and elsewhere--but Googling for the ZyXEL GS-108B v3 with images does turn up a German  modification thread with photos: https://www.aktives-hoeren.de/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=11581

And indeed looking closely at the white part number stickers on the board pics above does show ZYO-GS208.  

$20 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TT128YC

 

So I guess Thunder Data was trying to pull the wool over my eyes as well when they offered to sell UpTone those for about $100 (with whatever unknown spec clock board mod they have). Perhaps NuPrime and English Electric ought to have looked a little closer! 

 

Of course we will only ever 100% roll our own:

 

Now if only our back-order of 2,000 Silicon Labs clock buffer chips would arrive. Darn worldwide computer chip shortage!  They say it's due to automaker demand combined with Covid19 fabrication slowdown.

 

Anyway @plissken, thanks for getting to the bottom of the ThunderData/SilentAngel Bonn/NuPrime/English Electric mystery.

 

Funny thing is, there are now a bunch of other new Asian firms getting into the act of putting stock designs into fancy cases with power supplies and charging over $1,200. They just do a better job of hiding their actual pre-made Ethernet switch.

Here's a new one that ranges from $900 to $1,400. Whose standard switch is under the blue box? 

 

 

 

The photos don’t show on my iPad.  Is there a way to see them?

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