Hi Jason - let me help.
To date the BEST network switch I have heard - bar none - is the Telegartner M12 Premium switch.
It's pricey for sure, but I've yet to hear something that to my PERSONAL tastes can come close to it.
Best audiophile switch
- Thread starter Frankie67
- Start date
To date the BEST network switch I have heard - bar none - is the Telegartner M12 Premium switch.
It's pricey for sure, but I've yet to hear something that to my PERSONAL tastes can come close to it.
Good to see we are back to the topic :-D
What was your „switch journey“ so far and what other switches did you compare it to?
What was your „switch journey“ so far and what other switches did you compare it to?
After literally hundreds of switch combination experiments (I've tried over 25 switches), I've found that ANY high end switch, which I have by my systems, benefits from a trifecta of 3 inexpensive D-link switches by the wall. I did several videos on the journey and this really launched my obsession with tweaks.
For people not looking to spend a lot, I suggest getting the trifecta along with the AQ $199 power conditioner and for $400 they have a killer set up (and it's all returnable at Amazon if they don't like it!).
On the more expensive side I've tried a bunch including the Paul Pang Quad switch. The TG was so much more musical, organic, less digital, better definition and a much more palatable midrange and vocals than any other so far.
I also run the Telegartner OPTICAL BRIDGE which is fantastic and complement the
However, regardless of how good my main switch is, the cheap trifecta - at least in my system - has noticeable positive sonic results. BUT BUT BUT - get the trifecta wrong and there will be significant negative sound changes (brittle, bright, metallic sounding - just very digital).
I find that the pre streamer (network) side of things is like a firehose of noise that is being injected into the system. As soon as that little devil of an ethernet cable gets plugged into any component things go to sh*t. I try to encourage anyone who will listen not to plug an ethernet cable into anything that doesn't absolutely need it. This particularly pertains to CH Precision owners.
Switches are like noise buffers. That is why more in series work better. Each switch buffers a certain percentage of the noise. But like I said, it is like a firehose of noise. I can't find the bottom. Multiple Reiki switches with CAD ethernet controls, ground controls, Aardvarks, Raku cable, etc. Everything I add buffers more noise.
Of course, there are those who still don't believe that it's more than just 1 and 0's and the network is just transmitting data and that none of it matters at all. Just get the cheapest stuff from Amazon and plug it in. If I can just get them to let me do one switch demo it's all over. The Reiki is so profound that I believe anyone could hear the major changes that just took place in their sound.
I have tried the Reiki against many of the highbrow switches and to my ears it has a much lower noise floor. I have not had the chance to try it against the Telegartner but would love to. The other two I would like to compare it with are the Ansuz and the Taiko Extreme switch.
Switches are like noise buffers. That is why more in series work better. Each switch buffers a certain percentage of the noise. But like I said, it is like a firehose of noise. I can't find the bottom. Multiple Reiki switches with CAD ethernet controls, ground controls, Aardvarks, Raku cable, etc. Everything I add buffers more noise.
Of course, there are those who still don't believe that it's more than just 1 and 0's and the network is just transmitting data and that none of it matters at all. Just get the cheapest stuff from Amazon and plug it in. If I can just get them to let me do one switch demo it's all over. The Reiki is so profound that I believe anyone could hear the major changes that just took place in their sound.
I have tried the Reiki against many of the highbrow switches and to my ears it has a much lower noise floor. I have not had the chance to try it against the Telegartner but would love to. The other two I would like to compare it with are the Ansuz and the Taiko Extreme switch.
Have you tried fiber optic cable? There is no ethernet connection from the network side to my audio system, just 15m of singlemode fiber.
I've found depends on the converters. Some sound significantly better than others.
To me not all fiber is equal - nor better than traditional. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.
Republicoftexas69
Well-Known Member
So the bottom line is there is no one switch that is The Best, and it is system and ISP dependent. Trial and error….
Is there ever "The Best" that everyone can agree upon?
Hmm... With that list it sounds link the "bottom line" is a minimum $3,000 ($6,900 being average of the 5)
Thanks for helping me with the new pricing strategy for our forthcoming EtherREGEN Gen2.
I will look forward to the review on ASR.Hmm... With that list it sounds link the "bottom line" is a minimum $3,000 ($6,900 being average of the 5)
Thanks for helping me with the new pricing strategy for our forthcoming EtherREGEN Gen2.
Emile from Taiko has a different view on this. He believes that the reason some perceive a benefit from multiple switches in series is because less offensive noise will mask more offensive noise. Kind of like how white noise pumped into a office can make voices less distracting (my paraphrase). I don’t have a way to validate his hypothesis, but it does seem to address what had perplexed me about this. Specifically, how can it be possible that more noisy switches can be perceived of as sounding better than fewer noisy switches. I’m not sure I buy the buffering argument.
There are some switches that do aim to pass less noise than they produce, but it still seems counterintuitive to use more than one of them in series.
They will produce measurements incapable of showing how it could be providing benefits and then declare that their poorly chosen measurements prove that it provides no benefits.
I once bought a headphone amp - the Rupert Neve headphone amp after reading them declare it was such a terrible measuring unit they wouldn't even listen to it.
I figured opposite of ASR is a good thing.
After owning 30+ headphone amps it's the single best headphone amp I've ever owned. LOL
A good friend of mine, as well as a respected member of the audio community has had a write up of multiple switches actually being detrimental. Take that for what it's worth.
Tom
Tom
I’m just thankful that they have given a forum to those who care more about measurements than sound. That has reduced the noise on forums such as this one.
I could picture in certain systems that may be the case.
There are just sooooo many variables to take into consideration which is why it may be true in his case.
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