Uptone Ether Regen - English Electric 8Switch Comparison

[Superdad]

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...

[Superdad]

3 hours ago, plissken said:

From Roon forum....

 

It is actually the same as a ZYXEL GS-108B v3

 

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? 

 

 

 

[Superdad]

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. 

 

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.