Good mid-price audiophile switches

[NigelB]

Why not contact & ask Edison directly?

Because I'm not an eDiscreation customer...

 

[NigelB]

He doesn't care he manufactures his own switch. He is casting some shade.

Factually incorrect: I do care!

This is nothing to do with switches. I was merely trying to help a fellow poster work out why a cable might disappoint; it might be fantastic elsewhere in the network but if it provides a noise bridge from switch to streamer then it wouldn't be surprising if it didn't sound so good.... and an unshielded stock Cat cable might surprise by sounding better. This is between any switch and any streamer. Using a multimeter or ethernet cable checker will help anyone with any network cable find out whether it has a shield grounded at both ends.

EDIT: I refer the right hono(u)rable gentleman (hey, I'm a Brit, we talk like this all the time!) to this earlier discussion of same: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/ethernet-cables-to-and-from-your-switch.36882/

 

[audiophilac1]

Between a switch and a streamer (the last step in the ethernet chain), you will get best results with either a short unshielded cable or shielded cable in which the shield is grounded only at one end (which you put at the switch). Most audiophile network cables are shielded and most have this shield grounded to both metal RJ45 plugs; this allows RFI noise to travel down the shield which undermines the good work of the switch.

Do you know whether the Ediscreation is shielded, and whether the shield is grounded at both ends? You can test this quite easily if you have either a multimeter or a cheap ethernet cable tester off a well-known auction site*. It's definitely worth knowing how to do this test if you're going to experiment with network cables. There are some great cables out there for elsewhere in your network, and the Ediscreation may well be among them, but a great cable elsewhere might not be as great between switch and streamer.

*using either requires no specialist skills and no interfering with the integrity of the cable; I can advise how to do it if helpful, and you'll be surprised how easy it is.

My upstream and downstream ethernet cable matters. Wallet too. So much to think about

IME, the best sound at upstream is sotm dcbl-cat7u > sablon (specifically in this order)

 

[NigelB]

My upstream and downstream ethernet cable matters. Wallet too. So much to think about

IME, the best sound at upstream is sotm dcbl-cat7u > sablon (specifically in this order)

Thanks. I'd love to know whether the Sablon is shielded and if so whether that shield is grounded at both ends... I hear great things about the Sablon but have yet to hear one in my own system.

 

[audiobomber]

Thanks. I'd love to know whether the Sablon is shielded and if so whether that shield is grounded at both ends... I hear great things about the Sablon but have yet to hear one in my own system.

I tested with a meter, the shield is not tied at both ends but I was unable to tell whether it was grounded on one end. I found the Sablon 2020 quite a dark sounding cable, the opposite of the Melco C100, which I found bright and edgy. Clearly the shield-tie is only part of the story, because neither cable has the shield grounded at both ends.

I tried the Sablon and Melco from NAS to switch, between my switch and FMC, and between the ER and PlayPoint streamer. The effect was consistent in all locations and neither sound suited my system. I use Furutech LAN8 NCF and Audio Sensibility Signature cables. I would also just mention that it is perfectly fine to use a shield-tied cable on the B-side of the EtherRegen, due to its unique isolation feature.

 

[audiophilac1]

Thanks. I'd love to know whether the Sablon is shielded and if so whether that shield is grounded at both ends... I hear great things about the Sablon but have yet to hear one in my own system.

My dealer has the Reiki Master/Master FMC. yet to borrow it. lol.

(In my system) the Sablon is better than two other cables (one already mentioned)

 

[NigelB]

I tested with a meter, the shield is not tied at both ends but I was unable to tell whether it was grounded on one end. I found the Sablon 2020 quite a dark sounding cable, the opposite of the Melco C100, which I found bright and edgy. Clearly the shield-tie is only part of the story, because neither cable has the shield grounded at both ends.

I tried the Sablon and Melco from NAS to switch, between my switch and FMC, and between the ER and PlayPoint streamer. The effect was consistent in all locations and neither sound suited my system. I use Furutech LAN8 NCF and Audio Sensibility Signature cables. I would also just mention that it is perfectly fine to use a shield-tied cable on the B-side of the EtherRegen, due to its unique isolation feature.

Hey, thanks for this, hugely appreciated. I have no intention of seeking to copy the Sablon in any way, I'm happy with my own, it's just intriguing when you hear fairly consistent reports of one product in a market of dozens of others, and the Sablon does seem to have/do something special for many.

You're right, a meter won't tell you whether a cable is shielded or not, only whether it has a shield which is grounded at both ends, which between a switch and a streamer is pretty pivotal.

Yes, the shield-tie is only part of the story. Another part is how effective/complete the shield actually is. As part of my early R&D (re twist rates) I took apart 3 different 1m Cat8 cables at the same modest price and the quality and design varied enormously. One had a braided shield so sparse I'm not sure what it was shielding; another was a well-made cable with decent coverage braid; and the third surprised me by having not only a denser braid but also a full foil shield offering 100% coverage... now I'm just kicking myself that I was so keen to take them apart that I didn't listen to them before doing so.

I'm surprised you didn't hear a difference amongst those cables from switch to streamer as most do, but I guess every system is different.

Thanks again,
Nigel

 

[audiobomber]

I'm surprised you didn't hear a difference amongst those cables from switch to streamer as most do, but I guess every system is different.

It suspect you misinterpreted my listening impressions. What I tried to say is that the Sablon resulted in a dark sound, regardless of where I placed it in the system, even when used upstream of the fiber conversion. The Melco sounded edgy, regardless of placement.

On a side note, I have found no reliable correlation between a cable's bandwidth and sound quality. The certified BJC CAT6a cables I have are mediocre. Not bad, but definitely not competitive with my favourites. I have an Amazon CAT8 cable that Archimago told me he uses in a 10Gb system, therefore it empirically meets CAT8 spec. It sounds pretty good, I prefer it to BJC CAT6a, but it is flawed compared to my favourites (too dark, a bit loose in the bass). One of my Audio Sensibility cables is 100Mbps, the other is Gigabit. The 1G cable is more detailed, but brighter sounding. Either could suit a particular system (I use them together). The 100Mbps AS Signature cable could not even pass CAT5e certification, as it only has two pairs of conductors. Yet it sounds better than any of my higher specified (Cat6, 7, 8) ethernet cables.

 

[audiophilac1]

@audiobomber is the BJC CAT6A wired in the system? where's it at?

 

[audiobomber]

@audiobomber is the BJC CAT6A wired in the system? where's it at?

I have four network audio systems. I don't use any BJC in the main system. I've used the CAT6a in various locations, because the lifted ground can be a useful feature. I use a 3' length in my desktop system, located between a Windows PC and an FMC. I have another 12" piece, not in use. I could use the 12" length downstream from my modem, but I prefer an even cheaper cable, Tera Grand CAT6, in that location.

 

[AnonymousAudiophile]

Plugged the Fiberbox II in yesterday (it was well-broken-in a warmed up while I was on vacation), in place of the SilentSwitch, and did some listening tests. It clearly cleans up the sound, specifically notable on very close-miked acoustic guitar that I was listening to (Wailin' Jennies - One Voice), but it is also possible cleaning a small amount of the 'life' or texture out of the music as well. Interestingly, the music sounded a bit quieter with the Fiberbox II installed (perhaps noise reduction has this effect?). I've heard this effect in some ways before from some cable testing a while ago. I opted to leave it in the system, my wife would probably have chosen the switch instead. I'll re-assess after a little more time.

Still using the Fiberbox II alone without the Switch. Sounds best this way, with Switch causing some minor apparent degradation in the sound quality when placed in the chain upstream of the Fiberbox II. No complaints about the Fiberbox II -- a great product.

 

[NigelB]

I'm surprised you didn't hear a difference amongst those cables from switch to streamer as most do, but I guess every system is different.

It suspect you misinterpreted my listening impressions. What I tried to say is that the Sablon resulted in a dark sound, regardless of where I placed it in the system, even when used upstream of the fiber conversion. The Melco sounded edgy, regardless of placement.

On a side note, I have found no reliable correlation between a cable's bandwidth and sound quality...

Thanks for the detailed post; always good to hear what people are trying and where.

And I agree with you re the non-correlation of bandwidth and sound quality; if I were to hear a difference between a Cat 6 and Cat 8 cable, my immediate presumption would be that it was more to do with the better noise rejection of the latter, whether for good or bad.

I in turn suspect you may have missed my own narrowing of the topic to the switch to streamer connection; or maybe you didn't miss it but disagree it's the special use case I assert it is. I have far more experience of evaluating the sound quality of network cables between a switch and a streamer than elsewhere in the network. The best sounding (anywhere else in the network) cable in the world might not be the best sounding network cable between a switch and a streamer because of the particular use case which renders grounded-at-both-ends cable shielding more foe than friend. I know people who stick to the same brand of cable wherever it is and whether digital or analogue who have decided after listening tests to make an exception for switch-to-streamer.

 

[audiophilac1]

what is your switch's upstream cable?

I tested with a meter, the shield is not tied at both ends but I was unable to tell whether it was grounded on one end. I found the Sablon 2020 quite a dark sounding cable, the opposite of the Melco C100, which I found bright and edgy. Clearly the shield-tie is only part of the story, because neither cable has the shield grounded at both ends.

I tried the Sablon and Melco from NAS to switch, between my switch and FMC, and between the ER and PlayPoint streamer. The effect was consistent in all locations and neither sound suited my system. I use Furutech LAN8 NCF and Audio Sensibility Signature cables. I would also just mention that it is perfectly fine to use a shield-tied cable on the B-side of the EtherRegen, due to its unique isolation feature.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I tested with a meter, the shield is not tied at both ends but I was unable to tell whether it was grounded on one end. I found the Sablon 2020 quite a dark sounding cable, the opposite of the Melco C100, which I found bright and edgy. Clearly the shield-tie is only part of the story, because neither cable has the shield grounded at both ends.

I tried the Sablon and Melco from NAS to switch, between my switch and FMC, and between the ER and PlayPoint streamer. The effect was consistent in all locations and neither sound suited my system. I use Furutech LAN8 NCF and Audio Sensibility Signature cables. I would also just mention that it is perfectly fine to use a shield-tied cable on the B-side of the EtherRegen, due to its unique isolation feature.

The Lan8 as well as the Audio Sensibility Signature cable are fully shielded and tied at both ends as they are CAT8 no?

 

[audiobomber]

what is your switch's upstream cable?

There are three ethernet cables in the system I use for critical listening.

1. NAS to first switch; 1.5m modified Furutech LAN8
2. First switch to FMC; 1m Audio Sensibility Signature I2S
- FMC to second switch; 15m single-mode fiber optic cable
3. Second Switch to streamer; 0.5m Audio Sensibility Signature

The Lan8 as well as the Audio Sensibility Signature cable are fully shielded and tied at both ends as they are CAT8 no?

Yes, the standard versions are fully shield-tied, but the AS Signature is not CAT8, as it is only 100Mbps.The AS Signature I2S and Furutech are CAT8. The CAT8 standard requires that the shield must be grounded at both ends.

I have no problem using shield-tied cable, as long as both ends are grounded to the same point, with the caveat that the devices they connect do not use another shield-tied cable. To meet this, I had the Furutech cable modified to lift one end of the shield. (I also replaced the cheap and broken plastic connectors with Telegartners.)
Note that the EtherRegen isolates the B-side cable, so using a fully shielded cable is fine.

Audio Sensibility Signature cables can be ordered with modified grounding, but mine are the standard versions.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

There are three ethernet cables in the system I use for critical listening.

1. NAS to first switch; 1.5m modified Furutech LAN8
2. First switch to FMC; 1m Audio Sensibility Signature I2S
- FMC to second switch; 15m single-mode fiber optic cable
3. Second Switch to streamer; 0.5m Audio Sensibility Signature


Yes, the standard versions are fully shield-tied, but the AS Signature is not CAT8, as it is only 100Mbps.The AS Signature I2S and Furutech are CAT8. The CAT8 standard requires that the shield must be grounded at both ends.

I have no problem using shield-tied cable, as long as both ends are grounded to the same point, with the caveat that the devices they connect do not use another shield-tied cable. To meet this, I had the Furutech cable modified to lift one end of the shield. (I also replaced the cheap and broken plastic connectors with Telegartners.)
Note that the EtherRegen isolates the B-side cable, so using a fully shielded cable is fine.

Audio Sensibility Signature cables can be ordered with modified grounding, but mine are the standard versions.

Thank you sir.

 

[audiophilac1]

I agree on the stock unshielded cat cable could be better.
it was better than the edis hence i gave up.

anyway, the wireworld starlight 8 is better than the unshielded eth cable & edis cord but no where near the sablon 2020 and sotm dcbl-cat7u.

Factually incorrect: I do care!

This is nothing to do with switches. I was merely trying to help a fellow poster work out why a cable might disappoint; it might be fantastic elsewhere in the network but if it provides a noise bridge from switch to streamer then it wouldn't be surprising if it didn't sound so good.... and an unshielded stock Cat cable might surprise by sounding better. This is between any switch and any streamer. Using a multimeter or ethernet cable checker will help anyone with any network cable find out whether it has a shield grounded at both ends.

EDIT: I refer the right hono(u)rable gentleman (hey, I'm a Brit, we talk like this all the time!) to this earlier discussion of same: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/ethernet-cables-to-and-from-your-switch.36882/

 

[Gryffles]

I have an Edis Creation Silent Switch and am considering buying the Fibre Box however I'm really uncertain if thats the best step forward.

I'd really appreciate hearing from users who can share their experience of using the Fibre Box with the Silent Switch vs the Silent Switch alone.

For context I am using Sablon Audio ethernet cables and a Waversa EXT-2 filter into an Antipodes K22, into a Lampi GG.

Alternatively I would upgrade the power cable on my Antipodes K22 to a Vertere HB Pulse. Funds wont stretch to do everything!

 

[markramler]

I have an Edis Creation Silent Switch and am considering buying the Fibre Box however I'm really uncertain if thats the best step forward.

I'd really appreciate hearing from users who can share their experience of using the Fibre Box with the Silent Switch vs the Silent Switch alone.

For context I am using Sablon Audio ethernet cables and a Waversa EXT-2 filter into an Antipodes K22, into a Lampi GG.

Alternatively I would upgrade the power cable on my Antipodes K22 to a Vertere HB Pulse. Funds wont stretch to do everything!

I own several versions of the Silent Switch and Fiber Box. I also have an Antipodes K50 and use Sablon ethernet and digital cables and use a Muon filter into the K50. Adding the Fiber Box was a clear improvement in the sound. I also upgraded my power cord on the K50 from Transparent G5 XL to Opus and again there was a clear improvement in the sound. Adding the Fiber Box improved the clarity, openness and presence of the sound. Upgrading the power cord added more weight, extension and depth to the sound. Adding the Fiber Box will improve what you already hear. Power cords will change the sound of what you hear. I tested a number of different power cords before settling on the Opus.

 

[pjwd]

I have an Edis Creation Silent Switch and am considering buying the Fibre Box however I'm really uncertain if thats the best step forward.

I'd really appreciate hearing from users who can share their experience of using the Fibre Box with the Silent Switch vs the Silent Switch alone.

For context I am using Sablon Audio ethernet cables and a Waversa EXT-2 filter into an Antipodes K22, into a Lampi GG.

Alternatively I would upgrade the power cable on my Antipodes K22 to a Vertere HB Pulse. Funds wont stretch to do everything!

I was in your situation and bought the fibrebox.. I intended to a/b with and without but once I put it in it stayed along with switch
Friends have since bought the fibre box as a stand alone .. it's a clear improvement

Phil