Best audiophile switch

[treitz3]

Please accept my apologies. Duplicate post, with an edit and with limited (sparatic) connection.

Tom

 

[Di-fi]

@TonyW, for your SR Ethernet Switch UEF MKII + SR - AC cable review, you're exclusively streaming from a music streaming service, correct? No local files on the K50 streamer?

Router → LHY SW-8? Grey box switch (in picture) → Short Ethernet cable → SR Ethernet Switch UEF MKII → Short Ethernet cable → Antipodes K50 (Roon as Server, Squeeze as Player) → USB out

First listening impressions of the SR Ethernet Switch UEF MKII: The magic is back! The switch has been up and running over 24 hours now. I sent the loaner, the previous version switch back 6 days ago so I cannot do an A/B comparison nor would I want to. Instead I just sat back and listened to some of my recent favorites from the last couple of months and took note of any differences I heard. The highs are very, very good again. I can't say for sure they are better than with the old switch. They sound smooth, pleasing and leave me wanting more- never stop. The bass is definitely better and even clearer than with the old version switch. The difference was apparent to me. This is based on hearing some songs with acoustic bass and also electric bass. One song I listened to had an acoustic bass on the right and an acoustic guitar on the left. The guitar was about a foot lower than the bass. I could almost see the stool the guitarist was sitting on and I could almost see the front of the acoustic bass.

And that leads into the sound stage. I believe the sound stage is even more defined and airy than before. Ever get startled by a sound in the room and realize it was in the recording? Yeah, more of that. The presence is more real, clearer. I was listening to a track by Blues Company. Been on a kick with that band for a few months now. Love their music. I was marveling at the return of the large sound stage with this network switch. I looked to see what the file type was playing expecting it to be a hi res file and much to my surprise it was a 44.1/16 file. I need to get over my past generalizations/biases about std res vs hi res.

My cousin brought. "I'd Love to Change the World" by Ten Years After (2023 Mix) to my attention a couple of weeks ago. I remember listening to that song on the AM radio in the car back in the 70s. I put that song on just now. The large sound stage made me feel like I was lost in an ocean of music. Combine that with nostalgia and reconnecting to a song that I had connected to some 50 years before and I became overwhelmed. That's the rush I get from my audio system. It makes it all worthwhile to me.

 

[TonyW]

@TonyW, for your SR Ethernet Switch UEF MKII + SR - AC cable review, you're exclusively streaming from a music streaming service, correct? No local files on the K50 streamer?

Router → LHY SW-8? Grey box switch (in picture) → Short Ethernet cable → SR Ethernet Switch UEF MKII → Short Ethernet cable → Antipodes K50 (Roon as Server, Squeeze as Player) → USB out

View attachment 146944

I have two SSD’s in the Music Server and I have all of my CDs stored on them as well as some downloaded hi res files. I stream Qobuz via Roon on the server side of the K50 and then I use Squeeze on the player side of the K50. A few years ago I spent about a week converting all of my CDs to FLACC files using DB Poweramp. Now, a nice feature of the K50, I can connect my CD drive directly to the K50 and it will convert the CD to FLACC files and store them on the SSD for me.

The LHY switch there is not used for my stereo system now. It is used for streaming Video. It connects to the Apple TV and also makes a back channel connection to one of the WiFi transmitters. The SR Ethernet Switch has a direct connection to the router via a 5m long AQ Ethernet cable. Then a 1m AQ Ethernet cable connects the SR Switch to the Music Server. And then yes, USB from the Music Server to the DAC via a Purist Audio 25th Anniversary USB cable.

I was advised by my dealer to connect the SR Ethernet Switch directly to the router for best results. So as of yet I have not taken the time to connect the SR Ethernet Switch to the LHY switch in series to see how that might affect the sound.

Also, I put IFi low noise power supplies on the Router and the Modem but I can’t say I heard a difference from doing that.

 

[orange55]

Also, I put IFi low noise power supplies on the Router and the Modem but I can’t say I heard a difference from doing that.

Both of these should be very receptive to power supply changes. I also tried the iFi power supply and found they made limited difference, but enough to encourage me to explore further. I know run Plixir Balanced power supplies on anything that allows, router, switches etc and they work very well.

My advise if to treat the modem and router like the rest of your hifi with, supports, power, etc; If you are not hearing the difference or seeing it on our Apple TV you should look at each step in the chain to see what might be adding in additional noise to mask such changes. For example if I put a 1.5kg weight on top of my router I can hear the change on my system. I put that down to driving down the noise floor.

Hope that helps.

 

[sbo6]

I'd love for someone to get the top 20 audiophile switches, pop em' open and see how many employ guts from stock switches with a better clock. ;-)

 

[hopkins]

I'd love for someone to get the top 20 audiophile switches, pop em' open and see how many employ guts from stock switches with a better clock. ;-)

Some of them do, it's a well known, documented, fact. But it's also well known that it does not prevent people from trying them out anyway.

 

[sbo6]

Some of them do, it's a well known, documented, fact. But it's also well known that it does not prevent people from trying them out anyway.

A fool and his $$ ;-)

 

[Di-fi]

A fool and his $$ ;-)

I'd love for someone to get the top 20 audiophile switches, pop em' open and see how many employ guts from stock switches with a better clock. ;-)

Even if there’s unique engineering in those switches, what exactly in that design translates to better sound? Can you tell me? ;-)

 

[sbo6]

Even if there’s unique engineering in those switches, what exactly in that design translates to better sound? Can you tell me? ;-)

Ask the designers, why ask me? ;-)

 

[Di-fi]

I have two SSD’s in the Music Server and I have all of my CDs stored on them as well as some downloaded hi res files. I stream Qobuz via Roon on the server side of the K50 and then I use Squeeze on the player side of the K50. A few years ago I spent about a week converting all of my CDs to FLACC files using DB Poweramp. Now, a nice feature of the K50, I can connect my CD drive directly to the K50 and it will convert the CD to FLACC files and store them on the SSD for me.

The LHY switch there is not used for my stereo system now. It is used for streaming Video. It connects to the Apple TV and also makes a back channel connection to one of the WiFi transmitters. The SR Ethernet Switch has a direct connection to the router via a 5m long AQ Ethernet cable. Then a 1m AQ Ethernet cable connects the SR Switch to the Music Server. And then yes, USB from the Music Server to the DAC via a Purist Audio 25th Anniversary USB cable.

I was advised by my dealer to connect the SR Ethernet Switch directly to the router for best results. So as of yet I have not taken the time to connect the SR Ethernet Switch to the LHY switch in series to see how that might affect the sound.

Also, I put IFi low noise power supplies on the Router and the Modem but I can’t say I heard a difference from doing that.

Since switch implementation can be crucial, thanks for the insight.

So when you describe the improvements you hear with the SR switch connected, do those improvements sound exactly the same for local files from the SSD in your streamer as they do for streamed Qobuz files? I am curious how that develops after a few days listening.
Both played from Roon server to Squeeze player?

 

[analogsa]

I'd love for someone to get the top 20 audiophile switches, pop em' open and see how many employ guts from stock switches with a better clock. ;-)

Better clocks require better power supplies and better regulation. More than enough effort to be worth a little extra

 

[Di-fi]

Ask the designers, why ask me? ;-)

Since you suggest popping them open to look inside for answers, I'm curious about what you would analyze and what it might reveal.

Sure, we can ask the designers or check the spec sheets—some even include interior views.

Alternatively, typical switch characteristics can be achieved with a 'clockless non-switch': LHY Audio EFI reduces noise, improves signal integrity, and enhances overall performance.

 

[Superdad]

Alternatively, typical switch characteristics can be achieved with a 'clockless non-switch':

That device absolutely has a clock, actually two!

Anytime you have RJ45 ports you have to have a PHY MAC processor chip that the port feeds into. It can be PHYs built into a multi-port switch chip or it can be a standalone PHY transceiver. Such PHYs will have either two or three ports, one of which is a UTP port to interface with the magnetics for an RJ45 port, the other one or two can be configured in either RGMII mode or SGMII/fiber mode. (But because it is not a switch chip, only two of these transceiver chips can be used at a time.)

In the case of a fiber media converter or, as in that LHY unit or the iFi LAN iPurifier Pro—which are both simply a pair of FMCs packaged in the same case with the fiber kept inside—the 2 PHY chips, one for each side, are pin-strapped to come up in UTP>fiber mode to feed the premade LVDS>fiber driver module that you see in the black plastic shell with slots.
But those PHYs absolutely need a 25MHz crystal or clock to run!

 

[Republicoftexas69]

That device absolutely has a clock, actually two!

Anytime you have RJ45 ports you have to have a PHY MAC processor chip that the port feeds into. It can be PHYs built into a multi-port switch chip or it can be a standalone PHY transceiver. Such PHYs will have either two or three ports, one of which is a UTP port to interface with the magnetics for an RJ45 port, the other one or two can be configured in either RGMII mode or SGMII/fiber mode.

In the case of a fiber media converter or, as in that LHY unit or the iFi LAN iPurifier Pro—which are both simply a pair of FMCs packaged in the same case with the fiber kept inside—the 2 PHY chips, one for each side, are pin-strapped to come up in UTP>fiber mode to feed the premade LVDS>fiber driver module that you see in the black plastic shell with slots.
But those PHYs absolutely need a 25MHz crystal or clock to run!

Thanks Superdad. You always impart such great knowledge.

 

[Gene 15352]

Not sure if this has been discussed at an earlier time... does one recommend still using an Ethernet switch if you have the following in your streaming set-up?
- using only one device (streamer & dac)
- using an optical isolator (converting ethernet to fibre, and back to ethernet)
- using an Ethernet filter - e.g., Smoothlan Regenerator; NA Muon Pro; English Electric EE1 Plus

Question 2:
Is better to put a linear power supply (sbooster) on the modem, router or both knowing that both router and modem are on one dedicated circuit with a dedicated EMI/RFI ac filter, separate from the rest of the gear. Or none at all?
Thanks!

 

[sbnx]

Question for those posting in this thread. How many switches have you compared? The reason for the question is that almost all switches provide improvements in SQ. How is it that "best" is determined?

 

[Republicoftexas69]

Not sure if this has been discussed at an earlier time... does one recommend still using an Ethernet switch if you have the following in your streaming set-up?
- using only one device (streamer & dac)
- using an optical isolator (converting ethernet to fibre, and back to ethernet)
- using an Ethernet filter - e.g., Smoothlan Regenerator; NA Muon Pro; English Electric EE1 Plus

Question 2:
Is better to put a linear power supply (sbooster) on the modem, router or both knowing that both router and modem are on one dedicated circuit with a dedicated EMI/RFI ac filter, separate from the rest of the gear. Or none at all?
Thanks!

1.I do.
2. I do on all.

 

[Di-fi]

Question for those posting in this thread. How many switches have you compared? The reason for the question is that almost all switches provide improvements in SQ. How is it that "best" is determined?

Well, the 'best' is kind of impossible to pin down universally. For me, it would be the best switch for my setup, and the same goes for you. The important thing is to try at least two switches and see which one sounds better in your system. Surprisingly, as I found out, not ‘almost all switches provide improvements in SQ”.
It’s all about what your ears tell you, so just compare and trust your own judgment! There are plenty of suggestions here, not just different brands, but also tips on how to implement them in your setup.

 

[OrigTweaker]

Question for those posting in this thread. How many switches have you compared? The reason for the question is that almost all switches provide improvements in SQ. How is it that "best" is determined?

Another way to look at this question is to consider two “truths” which many of us have observed:
1) the last switch (or noise filter), just before your DAC, should be the most effective device for “best” sound
2) multiple switches often have a cumulative, positive effect, not like other, non-network aspects of audio where complication can detract from sound quality

So, I have compared the following products to determine which should be last in line, how to power each one and also where to place it, or not, in the network path.

Today’s in-use order at my house: Zhone ISP ONT 12v iFi iPower, Ubiquiti Edgerouter X SFP 12v iPower2, Finisar singlemode fiber, Cisco Meraki 220 12v iPower X, Korenix NETJET M12 24v Teradak lps, Network Acoustics ENO, EtherREGEN “B” port 12v Sengterbelle lps, Finisar fiber, LHY FMC w/ internal lps, NA eno2, RPi4 streamer

 

[TonyW]

Since switch implementation can be crucial, thanks for the insight.

So when you describe the improvements you hear with the SR switch connected, do those improvements sound exactly the same for local files from the SSD in your streamer as they do for streamed Qobuz files? I am curious how that develops after a few days listening.
Both played from Roon server to Squeeze player?

This is a tough question because I was not specifically comparing CD to FLAC on SSD in the music server. When I listened on Sunday with the music server connected to the LHY switch I played a partial couple of songs streaming. The sound as I described was not satisfying after hearing the streaming with the original SR Switch in place. I played vinyl the rest of the evening.

Tuesday I spun some CDs and some vinyl. I got curious and cued up the matching FLAC file that I was playing on CD. The FLAC file was a little brighter. It was like the difference between two cables. I preferred the CD version.

Last night I played some FLAC, local hi res files and streamed with the SR Switch MkII. All sounded excellent. I did not spin any CDs last night. I planned to listen to music tonight but I overdid it today outside and now don’t feel up to it. Listening to music on my system for me is taxing mentally and emotionally. It’s takes some energy. I know that might sound strange but over the years getting involved in the music was my way of unwinding after a tough day at work. It’s that intense concentration that drove me to advance the hi end as I could afford it over the years. Now that I am retired I still listen that way. Sometimes I am able to lower the volume a bit and work at the computer or read but eventually I end up in my listening spot bathed in music.

And yes to the question- both local FLAC and Qobuz go through Roon and then Squeeze. The Antipodes K50 has several server and player options. It makes me feel old because I’m sticking to what I am familiar with. Some of the other options require subscriptions, I think.