Best audiophile switch
- Thread starter Frankie67
- Start date
Reiki audio. I already had a good audiophile switch. The Reiki totally killed it. It is transformative.
Do you happen to know if this an original design and manufacture?
From what I can tell from the pics it certainly doesn't appear to be a "modded" one...
Hello everyone. I will try to answer as best as I can. However, Roy Gregory recently wrote a review about the Reiki Products which goes into a lot of detail. You might find that interesting to read. https://gy8.eu/review/magnificently-minimalist/
Yes, the products are CE certified.
Reiki takes noise supression to the Nth degree. The case is CNC aluminum lined with copper. There is one input and one output and one IEC plug. There are no other holes in the case. There are no LED's. The board is designed to minimize noise. Everything is about miniizing the noise as much as possible. This is an original design. He is not simply modding some other switch.
The switch I was using prior to the Reiki is the Silent Angel NX. This is a good switch. I wasn't sure what to expect from the Reiki but a friend told me I needed to check it out as it was "the real deal". When I plugged it into the system I was pretty shocked at what it did. The noise floor dropped very dramatically. The music picked up a lot of body and smoothness. In my main room I use the Wadax server/streamer. For the most part I listen to ripped files. As such I really didn't think changing things in the network would affect my listening. I was wrong about that. Appartently, noise is getting into and affecting the server through the network. (I guess I should not be too surprised by that.) Playing ripped files sounds better with network improvements and streaming is a whole different thing.
Yes, the products are CE certified.
Reiki takes noise supression to the Nth degree. The case is CNC aluminum lined with copper. There is one input and one output and one IEC plug. There are no other holes in the case. There are no LED's. The board is designed to minimize noise. Everything is about miniizing the noise as much as possible. This is an original design. He is not simply modding some other switch.
The switch I was using prior to the Reiki is the Silent Angel NX. This is a good switch. I wasn't sure what to expect from the Reiki but a friend told me I needed to check it out as it was "the real deal". When I plugged it into the system I was pretty shocked at what it did. The noise floor dropped very dramatically. The music picked up a lot of body and smoothness. In my main room I use the Wadax server/streamer. For the most part I listen to ripped files. As such I really didn't think changing things in the network would affect my listening. I was wrong about that. Appartently, noise is getting into and affecting the server through the network. (I guess I should not be too surprised by that.) Playing ripped files sounds better with network improvements and streaming is a whole different thing.
When talking about best in class Ansuz D-TC Supreme and GOLD Signature as well as Network Acoustics Tempus are to name.
What one prefers also depends on personal preferences.
What one prefers also depends on personal preferences.
Its hilarious that adding three boxes and four power supplies would be called "minimalist".
Republicoftexas69
Well-Known Member
I will stick with my Optical Isolation. Tera-Dak works fantastic and it did not cost me $1600 plus US.
I think he means the design of the switch is minimalist. Adding two switches and an optical bridge on our side is hardly minimalist.
I know, but he should have come up with a more appropriate title for the review.
Minimalist refers to the design of each box via the art definition of minimalism that is defined as “extreme simplification of form and color”. He used this to contrast with the design of competitor products he referenced to which this descriptor could not be applied. That these boxes each have a minimalist design doesn’t change when someone employs several different boxes into their system because it remains true that each box “extreme simplification of form and color”.
A minimal approach would be something very different in that maybe a single device is employed that aggregates all the functionality that each of those single boxes provide. Had he used that word instead, it would be hilarious in light of all the boxes.
A downside of minimalist designs is that they tend to lead to more boxes. The advantage though is that they often allow a user to upgrade the power supply. Some people prefer non-minimalist designs to reduce the count of boxes. At one point I had an insane number of boxes and swore off minimalist products, with the exception of the EtherRegen.
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IME the best I've heard (or maybe better stated not heard) was the Nordost qnet with Sort cones. Grounds up design made of solid aluminum with six dedicated power supplies providing unencumbered current to all switch parts while minimizing noise cross-contamination and ensuring clean, interference-free operation.
The problem is that the EE8 sets such a low bar. It’s a cheap switch with a $20 clock upgrade and a nice case. They are made by a company in China that brands them for numerous suppliers.
I tried an EE8 and sent it back. I do use a switch for the benefit of a seriously good clock. These are designed and made by Fidelity Audio.
Rather than elaborate casework, they put a bit of protective EMI/FRI tape over the gateways. That’s probably all that’s needed. Because it cost me nothing, I lined it with some copper tape I had in the shed. £455 and £180 for a linear power supply. Money is not an object here, I just don’t see the point in spending thousands of pounds on a switch.
For me, there are far more critical things, for example I have fibre optic cabling running through the house and supplying this switch.
I also use a gateway and VLAN so the only internet or ethernet traffic that gets to my streamer are two ports from the switch and my network music store.
I tried an EE8 and sent it back. I do use a switch for the benefit of a seriously good clock. These are designed and made by Fidelity Audio.
Rather than elaborate casework, they put a bit of protective EMI/FRI tape over the gateways. That’s probably all that’s needed. Because it cost me nothing, I lined it with some copper tape I had in the shed. £455 and £180 for a linear power supply. Money is not an object here, I just don’t see the point in spending thousands of pounds on a switch.
For me, there are far more critical things, for example I have fibre optic cabling running through the house and supplying this switch.
I also use a gateway and VLAN so the only internet or ethernet traffic that gets to my streamer are two ports from the switch and my network music store.
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There are quite a few articles on the Reiki website, which speak a lot of sense to me. Whether this justifies the cost of the products as a matter of personal preference.
www.reikiaudio.com
For example, they seek to dispel myths about low jitter external clocks. I’m no expert, but they do make the point that what is probably more relevant is having a low noise and highly voltage stable power supply for the clock.
Reiki don’t actually explain how they implement this in their own products. They only go on about external power supplies, not the internal power regulation.
Most of the components on the clock card in the photo above is the power regulation. that supplier also takes the view that There’s not much point in replacing the clock, so they have designed and manufacture a range of low voltage regulators, ranging between £60 and £300.
www.fidelityaudio.co.uk
The issue with the EE8 branded switch is probably simply that they take a standard zyxel switch board and replace the clock, but don’t upgrade the internal power supply. (They also supplied with a low noise external switch mode power supply.) That may be why I sent mine back.
Reiki Audio — Reflections
www.reikiaudio.com
Reiki don’t actually explain how they implement this in their own products. They only go on about external power supplies, not the internal power regulation.
Most of the components on the clock card in the photo above is the power regulation. that supplier also takes the view that There’s not much point in replacing the clock, so they have designed and manufacture a range of low voltage regulators, ranging between £60 and £300.
Voltage Regulators & Bridges
lsquo Hearing is believing rsquo ndash The new and improved MKII SPower regulators both have revised low noise v ref circuits with the SPower lsquo D
The issue with the EE8 branded switch is probably simply that they take a standard zyxel switch board and replace the clock, but don’t upgrade the internal power supply. (They also supplied with a low noise external switch mode power supply.) That may be why I sent mine back.
Lumin L-2 is by far the best switch I have ever heard on my system.
Qobuz just sounds amazing!
Not to mention its local server that easily outperforms all the ridiculously expensive gear from other brands.
Qobuz just sounds amazing!
Not to mention its local server that easily outperforms all the ridiculously expensive gear from other brands.
The $1,400 Reiki switch uses the Zyxel GS-108B v3 board, in elaborate casework. English Electric, NuPrime and Silent Angel, all use that same board, sometimes with a power supply mod and/or slightly upgraded clock.
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I have one of those, cost me £20.
According to the graphic, the board is unmodified by Reiki. So it's a $25 switch in a $1400 box?
I presume the other 6 ports are still there, they've just been covered up by the casework. Perhaps I should have covered mine with copper tape.
I rather like the look of the LHY SW-8 : quality AC supply, DC voltage regulation and a decent Linksys switch.
Ethernet Switch SW-8 | Beatechnik
www.beatechnik.com
I have compared the EtherRegen and Pardo MiniTeddy supply vs. the Silent Angel N16 and LHY SW-10, and it beats both, in my system and in a friend's more expensive system. IMO, the ER doesn't get the respect it deserves because of its low cost and humble casework.
The transformer-based galvanic isolation that is behind every RJ45 Ethernet jack in the world is not the same as the active-differential digital isolator chips and reclocking flip-flops of the EtherREGEN. No other switch contains this technology. I believe the upcoming EtherRegen V2 with your favourite external PSU will be the best switch in the world.
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