The DXE-ISO-PLUS filter thread for various network, cable experiments

[WuBai]

Just ordered two of these units and had a chance to open them up.  There was still a lot of uncleaned flux on my unit.  Also, I was expecting to see some sort of filter but instead what you see is what you get.  Strangely enough, it does work to bring forth a lot of missing detail and resolution, but for me I lost some musicality.  Meaning, the bass was tighter with the DXE but the notes being so tightly defined made them feel like distant and distinct little instances with zero total interaction.  All music felt extremely precise and each instrument and vocalist was its its own little bubble, like each person was recorded independently and then put together in post.  It didn't feel like multiple people in a room playing in harmony.  Took these units out, which again shouldn't make any difference because, well, just look at them, and now all of a sudden everything got softer and rounder and slightly blurrier.  This sounds like a bad thing, but actually the slight bleeding of the bass and the instruments gave everything a sense of togetherness and presence again.  I guess another way of putting it, since I'm already knee deep is that listening with the DXE is like being out at night with zero percent humidity in the air, clear as hell but also dry as hell.  I gave them a shot, but not for me.  I'll still keep them for further experimentation down the line, just thought I'd share my findings.  Thanks to the OP for starting this discussion, wouldn't have know about them otherwise and it was worth the purchase just to learn and experiment with.

 

[WuBai]

5 minutes ago, One and a half said:

Thanks for the impressions, can I ask where the DX were fitted in the chain? 

Sure thing, but just note that my system is far from ideal here.  In my office where I have my computer, I have a small network switch (nothing special) where I connect my laptop, NAS as well as RPI4 music server.  This switch is connected directly to my main router that provides Wifi to other nodes around the house.  In the living room I have my music setup and I have an Asus AC-1900 as an access point and I hardwire to my Allo USBridge.  While I am technically running the Allo USBridge client side player as 'ethernet' much of the run is wifi due to circimstances.

 

I first tried one filter directly at my main router and another directly at my office switch, on the router side.  I felt the noise was extremely sharp and unnatural this way.  All life was sucked out of it, very little bass and was just shrill.  I took both of them out and then installed only one between my RPI4 music server and the switch.  This was a lot better, the shrillness went away and I just got a lot more resolution.  I then took the other one and went to the living room and placed it between the AC-1900 and the Allo USBridge.  Once again, this was much better than the first position and really gave things a lot of resolution.  The only thing is, things felt digital and filtered.  There was a quietness, but something was just off about it.  My mind had to work too much when I was listening, like I was constantly in analyzing mode.  

 

But truth be told, what I could have been hearing is my actual system and that lack of life and digital nature is exactly what my system may sound like once you rip away all distortion and junk.  But this was the first time ever where I actually went back on sound quality from a subjective perspective.  Meaning, I know that with the DX it was more accurate and clear and that I am consciously choosing to go back to something blurrier because it just sounds better to me.  I thought I was a resolution at all cost type of person, but evidently not.  

[WuBai]

Update to my initial observations.  I moved my server to the same room as my streamer instead of relying on the wifi.  At first I had both my server and streamer connected to an Asus AC-1900 that is also feeding my Nvidia Shield in my living room.  It was a definite downgrade compared to having both boxes in separate rooms.

 

Thinking that Asus pulling double duty as Wifi and switch was a bad idea, I found a cheap TrendNet 5-port 10/100Mps switch that operates on 5Vdc.  This was great for a couple of reasons.  First it allowed me to force both my streamer and server to connected at a low speed which always sounds much better in my system.  Second, I could use my extra rail on my Shanti LPS to power the switch.  Now things really improved and were better than when the boxes were in different rooms.

 

I then took out the DX filters and attached one between the server and the switch.  Got very digital sounding and bothered my ears and I could feel a headache starting.  I am very sensitive to certain levels of filtration.  I don't know if it has to do with the bass or not, but although it might not sound too different to everyone, if it is wrong then I can immediately feel it and it gives me a headache.  So the DX filter wasn't doing too good here...but wait...

 

I reversed the direction just to check.

 

Yup, that digital feeling was gone and my ears could relax and there was a definite improvement in clarity across the board.  So then I decided to remove it from that location and connect it between the streamer and switch.  Immediately this was a better location for it.  I reversed the directions again, and one side definitely had that more strained 'digital' sound to it that bothered my ears, so in the end I felt only one DX filter on between the switch and the streamer.

 

I tried another one between the server and switch as well, this configuration having two DX filters in it.  It was a downgrade and I lost a lot of dynamics.  So for me, one was good and an upgrade and I'm happy I kept these little things!

 

As a side note:  I've heard of people on other forums making fun of EtherRegens or DX filters or all sorts of things with a super smug attitude saying something like "We swapped out the cable back and forth and nobody could hear a difference"  or "We put a EtherRegen in and it sounded exactly the same."  Then they laugh it up and think everyone is an idiot.

 

It makes me cringe because it shows that they don't even know the basics of how this stuff works.  You can't just pause the music, put in a filter, then press play again.  It will sound exactly the same!  You can take it out and put it back in a thousand times, and it will sound the same and you will sit there with a smug attitude thinking you're a genius.

 

No.  In order to test it you have to play a track.  Stop the track, add/remove the switch.  Then you need to play a new track for one second then go back to the original track that you were playing.  You need to wipe the memory of that song and have it reload again in memory through the switch.  You can't just press pause and play again.  You also can't press pause, put in the switch then rewind to the beginning.  The song is already in the streamer's memory and no matter what you add or take away at that point will make zero audible difference.  You have to force the player to completely refresh the bits through whatever device you've added or removed, and you can only do that by changing tracks and then going back to the original track.  Just makes me shake my head when these genius scientists with their expensive equipment don't even know the basics.  But then again, I didn't quadruple blind underwater A/B multiple dimension test it in a controlled laboratory in Switzerland to be sure, so my mind just must be playing tricks on me. 

 

DX Filter ended up being a very inexpensive tweak and definitely worthwhile.  Very system/setup dependent so don't be like me and pass judgement too soon.  Play around and experiment with it and you might find it a worthy tool in your arsenal.

 

Cheers