Good mid-price audiophile switches

Ron Resnick · Jul 6, 2024

The rabbit has been digging!

What is the current consensus on a natural sounding ethernet distribution bus in the US$600 price range?

What about the English Electric 8Switch?

And with another few hundred dollars for a linear power supply I guess the package exceeds US$1,000.

Does it make sense, then, just to get the Silent Angel Bonn N16 "switch" + linear power supply combination?

And what's the point of re-clocking the internet signal before the streamer, if someone already is using an external re-clocker between the streamer and the DAC?

agisthos · Jul 6, 2024

The LHY SW-6 seems to be a good choice under 1k. It has a custom ethernet board, not just a repurposed commercial board + clock.
It's actually a higher dac than the SW-8, despite the lower numbering.

Ron Resnick · Jul 6, 2024

agisthos said:
The LHY SW-6 seems to be a good choice under 1k. It has a custom ethernet board, not just a repurposed commercial board + clock.
It's actually a higher dac than the SW-8, despite the lower numbering.

Thank you for the suggestion. Do you have any idea how it compares to the EtherRegen?

agisthos · Jul 7, 2024

Ron Resnick said:
Thank you for the suggestion. Do you have any idea how it compares to the EtherRegen?

Sorry I have not had the EtherRegen or any other boutique switch to compare to. I did run various Netgear switches with various different LPS. The SW-6 is better than them but how it really compares to other switches in its $700-$1000 price category, I do not know.

Basically I have been waiting for EtherRegen v2, and the years have dragged by. But later this year its supposedly coming.

Ron Resnick · Jul 7, 2024

Thank you!

pjwd · Jul 7, 2024

Ron Resnick said:
Thank you!

Ron
Can you put an lps on your router .. not a bad start

audiobomber · Jul 7, 2024

Ron Resnick said:
Thank you for the suggestion. Do you have any idea how it compares to the EtherRegen?

Ron Resnick said:
Does it make sense, then, just to get the Silent Angel Bonn N16 "switch" + linear power supply combination?

I have directly compared the EtherRegen to the Silent Angel Bonn N16, in my system. Even with a Zero-Zone 2020 SS power supply, the ER had better clarity and definition. I was not using fiber optic cable at the time, which brought an extra measure of everything. The ER allows for a fiber connection, the N16 does not. Sound quality, price and upgradeability favour the ER.

I have never heard the LHY SW-6, but I had a loaner SW-10 in-house for two weeks. I replaced the EtherRegen and Zero-Zone 2020 with the SW-10, same power cord on both, fed from my NAS and opticalModule Deluxe v2. Every time I thought I heard something better on one or the other, another song would reverse the comparison. My opinion remains the same as it was after a similar comparison in a friend's higher cost system. They are sonic equals, either can be better than the other, depending on ancillaries (power supply & DC cable for the ER, fuses, AC cables, isolation and clock for either).

The price advantage is clearly in favour of the ER however, because the tie I described above was with a capable but cheap Chinese PSU. I now use a Teddy Pardo supply on the ER, which is a clear step up, for a modest cost upgrade. Even with the Pardo supply, the ER cost less than the SW-10 or N16, and bests both, IME. Note, the ethernet ports on the SW-10 are nothing special, and it needs a better AC cable. The one it came with ruins the sound, causing a mid-bass hump.

Ron Resnick · Jul 7, 2024

pjwd said:
Ron
Can you put an lps on your router .. not a bad start

My streamer is connected to an ethernet port near the audio equipment. That ethernet port is hardwired to a panel in the garage.

So should I put a LPS on the ethernet distribution bus in the garage? Or on the router?

What LPS would you suggest for that?

Ron Resnick · Jul 7, 2024

audiobomber said:
I have directly compared the EtherRegen to the Silent Angel Bonn N16, in my system. Even with a Zero-Zone 2020 SS power supply, the ER had better clarity and definition.

This is what is amazing about WBF. Ask for an impression of a comparison between any two audio components, and someone, somewhere in the world may have an answer for you -- the global crowd-sourcing of information concept is just amazing to me.

Thank you for your impressions!

Do you recall which device you felt had greater tonal density and more natural, organic sound?

audiobomber · Jul 7, 2024

Ron Resnick said:
Do you recall which device you felt had greater tonal density and more natural, organic sound?

Definitely not the N16. It is an improvement over a commercial switch, no doubt, but costly and not quite up to the other two.

Comparing the SW-10 and ER depends on ancillaries, system configuration and personal preference. The SW-10 adds some warmth to the sound, the ER is more incisive, with better transient punch. IMO, the slightly warmed sound of the SW-10 is an euphonic colouration. I prefer the fast transients and clarity of the ER. That is not a universal preference, I know one audiophile who rates the SW-10 higher, but he uses a pricey power cable and fuse with the LHY.

Another friend, who owns both, was running his system with the ER/Pardo Miniteddy at the router and the SW-10 upstream from his K50. (Both switches using upgraded AC cables). I convinced him to swap them around, and he won't be changing back. This indicates to me that the ER wins, because your best gear should be nearest the DAC.

Ron Resnick · Jul 7, 2024

audiobomber said:
Definitely not the N16. It is an improvement over a commercial switch, no doubt, but costly and not quite up to the other two.

Comparing the SW-10 and ER depends on ancillaries, system configuration and personal preference. The SW-10 adds some warmth to the sound, the ER is more incisive, with better transient punch. IMO, the slightly warmed sound of the SW-10 is an euphonic colouration. I prefer the fast transients and clarity of the ER. That is not a universal preference, I know one audiophile who rates the SW-10 higher, but he uses a pricey power cable and switch with the LHY.

Another friend, who owns both, was running his system with the ER/Pardo Miniteddy at the router and the SW-10 upstream from his K50. I convinced him to swap them around, and he won't be changing back. This indicates to me that the ER wins, because your best gear should be nearest the DAC.

Interesting. Thank you!

Republicoftexas69 · Jul 7, 2024

Ron Resnick said:
The rabbit has been digging!

What is the current consensus on a natural sounding ethernet distribution bus in the US$600 price range?

What about the English Electric 8Switch?

And with another few hundred dollars for a linear power supply I guess the package exceeds US$1,000.

Does it make sense, then, just to get the Silent Angel Bonn N16 "switch" + linear power supply combination?

And what's the point of re-clocking the internet signal before the streamer, if someone already is using an external re-clocker between the streamer and the DAC?

Ron the EE switch is a rebadged Silent Angel I do believe.

Gunnar · Jul 7, 2024

I have both the EE8 and the ER. I agree with what was said earlier that the ER is the better one. I compared with and without a LPS, the Farad Super3 LPS. For me the ER is the better one.
I also think Silent and EE8 are more than less identical.

Ron Resnick · Jul 7, 2024

Gunnar said:
I have both the EE8 and the ER. I agree with what was said earlier that the ER is the better one. I compared with and without a LPS, the Farad Super3 LPS. For me the ER is the better one.
I also think Silent and EE8 are more than less identical.

Thank you.

tedwoods · Jul 7, 2024

Ron Resnick said:
My streamer is connected to an ethernet port near the audio equipment. That ethernet port is hardwired to a panel in the garage.

So should I put a LPS on the ethernet distribution bus in the garage? Or on the router?

What LPS would you suggest for that?

Another idea would be to try and optimize your network via isolating it from the rest of the household, something that can also be done through conventional network gear (I believe several other forum members do follow a similar path).
An IT expert could help you with that.
You could then opt for just adding an audio grade isolator just before the streamer (I use the SOtM one) and a decent Ethernet cable from the outlet to it.
I have a totally independent network for my system (with only my streamer and tablet connected) and although I do still use a top-tier audio switch and isolator before my streamer (as well as a more typical non-audio switch after the router), my experience has been that this has been my single most important upgrade networkwise...
BTW, I have tried both the LHY audio SW10 and SW6 and the latter is indeed much better.
I also used to have linear power supplies for all my non-audio network equipment, but after going towards a totally independent network I have found out these were not needed that badly (I do however use the i-fi ipower elite power supplies for the router and switch).
That said, I'm waiting for ER2 myself... (or anything else that comes along...)
Another interesting (and economical...) product I have on order to try is this: https://www.silentpower.tech/products/lan-ipurifier-pro
It basically adds optical isolation and can be used just before the streamer (although I plan to try it in another place first).

Ron Resnick · Jul 7, 2024

Thank you, Ted!

Where does the optical isolator go? Right before the EtherRegen?

tedwoods · Jul 7, 2024

Ron Resnick said:
Thank you, Ted!

Where does the optical isolator go? Right before the EtherRegen?

The ER uses its own method of isolation and accepts optical signals directly.
I am not sure the optical isolator I've mentioned would provide worthwhile benefits if used in conjunction with it, but if one was to try it'd be before it most definitely.
I'm planning on using it after my non-audio switch as a "last line of defense" before the Ethernet signal enters the "audio part" of the system.

Ron Resnick · Jul 7, 2024

tedwoods said:
The ER uses its own method of isolation and accepts optical signals directly.
I am not sure the optical isolator I've mentioned would provide worthwhile benefits if used in conjunction with it, but if one was to try it'd be before it most definitely.
I'm planning on using it after my non-audio switch as a "last line of defense" before the Ethernet signal enters the "audio part" of the system.

Thank you.

audiobomber · Jul 7, 2024

Gunnar said:
I also think Silent and EE8 are more than less identical.

The EE8 and Bonn N8 are very similar. The N16 is two Bonn N8s in a box with a linear power supply. You need an ethernet patch cable to connect the two switch segments together.

audiobomber · Jul 7, 2024

tedwoods said:
BTW, I have tried both the LHY audio SW10 and SW6 and the latter is indeed much better.

Were you using fiber or ethernet cables? I found quite a difference in fiber vs. copper with the SW-10, in favour of fiber.

Good mid-price audiophile switches

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