What are Contenders for Top Audiophile Routers? Routers more Impactful than Switches?

[caesar]

Audiophile Switches seem to be a popular product category in the hobby. But theoretically, shouldn't a Router have more impact than a Switch? Anyone compare?

What are some top Router products that are out there?

Thanks

 

[tony22]

I like this thread, as our neighborhood will finally be getting AT&T fiber. No ONTs - fiber directly to the home into a fiber based router. So I'd like to know if anyone has looked at fiber input routers from an audio POV. I'm still using the Arris that was recommended here years ago and am pleased with its performance.

 

[luca.pelliccioli]

Interesting thread.

I’m using a FritzBox!5530, which I dad to accept from the ISP as mandatory.

This is a dedicated router, with only a RJ45 output used for the system and a fiber optic dedicated line from the external of the house. Yes it means a separa different bill just for music, maybe overkill! Like many other things in this hobby.
I stream from Qobuz 90% of the time and IME the SQ is as good as CDs playback.

I’d consider an audiophile Plug and Play router to replace my current one, but it should be able to sport fiber optic input (GPON) and output, no noisy cooling fans, no wifi (only hard wired connections in my room), no LEDs and a grounding lug available.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I like this thread, as our neighborhood will finally be getting AT&T fiber. No ONTs - fiber directly to the home into a fiber based router. So I'd like to know if anyone has looked at fiber input routers from an audio POV. I'm still using the Arris that was recommended here years ago and am pleased with its performance.

Are you going to pull fiber throughout your house? Other wise it will have FMC's to convert to copper.

 

[tony22]

According to the AT&T rep who spoke to us, it’s a fiber run from the street, through the house, to a fiber input router.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

According to the AT&T rep who spoke to us, it’s a fiber run from the street, through the house, to a fiber input router.

So you will still have copper, they are not pulling FOC throughout the house. That is exactly what Verizon and Frontier do .

 

[Maryland]

I use a Firewalla Gold and have been pleased with the performance, but plan to upgrade the power supply soon to see if there's any benefit.

 

[SuperDave]

So you will still have copper, they are not pulling FOC throughout the house. That is exactly what Verizon and Frontier do .

I'm building a new house in TX with a dedicated room, fiber will be available(don't know which provider yet), any recommendations for fiber implementation? Sorry if this is a novice question, but I'd rather ask it than make a mistake. Thanks

Dave

 

[tony22]

So you will still have copper, they are not pulling FOC throughout the house. That is exactly what Verizon and Frontier do .

I must be getting slow, as this sounds the opposite of what I tried to say. He said they would be running fiber into the home - no ONT - directly into a router that has fiber input. The router outputs I assume will be all copper, unless it’s something that has at least one fiber output.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I must be getting slow, as this sounds the opposite of what I tried to say. He said they would be running fiber into the home - no ONT - directly into a router that has fiber input. The router outputs I assume will be all copper, unless it’s something that has at least one fiber output.

Yep that’s what I was trying to explain. You may hear an improvement.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I'm building a new house in TX with a dedicated room, fiber will be available(don't know which provider yet), any recommendations for fiber implementation? Sorry if this is a novice question, but I'd rather ask it than make a mistake. Thanks

Dave

Most of the ISP are only fiber to the house.

 

[tony22]

So do we know which devices these guys (in my case, AT&T) are using?

 

[Republicoftexas69]

So do we know which devices these guys (in my case, AT&T) are using?

Tony that is a question for ATT.

 

[Blue58]

Last year I moved to G Network here in London and luckily the first recipient in the street. The engineers were happy to forgo the external wall mounted box and run the fibre cable to the internal wall box then fibre jumper to the supplied Nokia router (ONT). From the router, 30m Cat6 to Taiko switch which replaced fibre media converters. All in all a very large upgrade to the system and a stable 600mbs performance and all at half the price of the previous provider.

 

[tony22]

Tony that is a question for ATT.

Based on some searching, it looks like the device they typically use is a Humax BGW320. Fiber in, but all copper out. And built in WiFi. Bummer. I suppose the WiFi could be disabled and the device put into passthru mode.

 

[Coppy777]

Using an eero Max7 with one gig of speed from Frontier. The eero outputs to an 8Switch. All digital is hard wired ethernet. Just moved my dCS DAC out of the 8Switch and now directly into the eero Max7 router. Could hear no difference, both processes were dead silent.

 

[MacF]

Using an eero Max7 with one gig of speed from Frontier. The eero outputs to an 8Switch. All digital is hard wired ethernet. Just moved my dCS DAC out of the 8Switch and now directly into the eero Max7 router. Could hear no difference, both processes were dead silent.

Anyone replace the OEM power supply for Verizon Fios G-3100 router with an LPS? Seems it has an uncommon barrel plug size. Tried many different plugs, but haven't found the exact size yet.

 

[fast.freight]

Great topic! There should be audiophile modems that are easy to select and have the same inherent advantages of an audiophile switch I agree. But between having to use a certain modem per your ISP provider, I have gone the way of audiophile switches.
I will say, however, that adding an excellent linear power supply (in my case a Sean Jacobs DC4 AR6) to my Verizon modem, I perceive a huge uptick in anything coming out of the modem. From there I peal off audio only into both a JCAT M12 Gold switch with same Sean Jacobs power supply, into a GTT DeJitterit switch which creates a ‘clean network’ free of any other wired or wireless traffic.

 

[agisthos]

I have a Cisco Meraki MX64 router/modem. You would expect it to effect Youtube or internet streaming as that all comes in through it, but for my Stereo it only provides DHCP IP duties to the network, as the audiophile switch is downstream. The streamer and NAS I stream local content from are connected to that downstream switch, not the router. And the router and switch are on a separate isolated power lines from each other.

I had a spare iFi Elite switch powering this router, but just now put a 12v Pura Dodo power supply on it. This has had a noticeable impact on my audio/video playback from the local NAS, even though nothing is coming through the router itself.

So the router must be doing one or two things;
the single connected ethernet line going from router > switch must be passing lots of noise
or the SMPS powering the router must be feeding back noise into the houses electrical system effecting things, even though its on an isolated power line.

Either way it shows how upgrading the power supplies on even upstream devices has an effect.

 

[gfroman]

I have ATT U-Verse Fiber to my home.
The photo attached shows where the fiber comes into the house and connects to the small white wall-mounted box. An ethernet cable from that box goes to the ATT router on the floor. From there I have a long run of CAT8 cable routed through the house to my Edison Silent Switch/Fiber Box in the audio room.
***Only upgrade I could do to the ATT Fiber and Router was to replace the standard "wall wort" power supplies with the Zero Zone LPS (far right).