Good mid-price audiophile switches

[Golum]

Could anyone pls advise if you have sent the Edison Fiberbox II to be upgraded to the latest mk.3 spec? If so did you find it as meaningful investment as the cost behind the upgrade is a bit let's call it "high" - so I'm not sure if I should do it.

Many thanks!

 

[agisthos]

Matrix Audio have released 2 new switches that look to have a high price to performance ratio. The SS-1 and SS-1Pro, the later of which is only $1700 USD. These are an inhouse ground up design by Matrix, not a repurposed commercial switch board.

Sandu from Soundnews is a very thorough reviewer and puts them through their paces…

https://soundnews.net/reviews/acces...o-ethernet-switches-review-can-bits-do-beats/

He says the Matrix is well above the Melco and LHY SW-10 and gets very close to his reference Ansuz D3 (for a quarter of the price by my calculation).

 

[Synaxis]

Matrix Audio have released 2 new switches that look to have a high price to performance ratio. The SS-1 and SS-1Pro, the later of which is only $1700 USD. These are an inhouse ground up design by Matrix, not a repurposed commercial switch board.

Sandu from Soundnews is a very thorough reviewer and puts them through their paces…

https://soundnews.net/reviews/acces...o-ethernet-switches-review-can-bits-do-beats/

He says the Matrix is well above the Melco and LHY SW-10 and gets very close to his reference Ansuz D3 (for a quarter of the price by my calculation).

Looks very interesting. Thank you for sharing.

 

[agisthos]

I have a LHY SW-6. It does make a nice improvement over even a LPS powered commercial switch, let alone stock.
I have mostly Nordost ancillaries so the obvious next step up on the network side was going to be the very well reviewed QNET. But it really needs the QSource power supply to feed it, along with the LEMO DC cable. This pushes the full package up to 9k AUD (about 6k USD in your money).

Its a bit much to drop at the moment so this $1700 USD switch looks great and it might even be the equal or better than the QNET, given Matrix Audio's value manufacturing system. It has its own low noise LPS built in so there is no need to wonder/worry if a different LPS would sound better than the previous LPS.

And not that it matters for audio quality, but the chassis and industrial design of these switches (and Matrix new M line) looks absolutely spectacular, like it could easily be on components costing 15-20k.

 

[audiobomber]

It has its own low noise LPS built in so there is no need to wonder/worry if a different LPS would sound better than the previous LPS.

And allows fiber optic connection.

 

[tonypdb]

anyone compare or find a review of the sotm snh-10g with clock upgrade vs matrix audio ss-1 pro which are comparably priced. Although with the sotm you need a power supply... i find the sotm has very interesting tech, and clock, but its also 8 years old...

 

[skids929]

I have a new switch coming from HNE Labs same topology as the M12 TG Premium, firmware same, slightly different form factor whereby it uses Rj45 instead of the cables TG uses. I will report back. I have his fiber isolators and now adding the switch. Like other switches from HNE I am sure it is going to be fantastic.

Some pics below..The boxes are monolithic and very well made. He's a really brilliant designer, making mostly Sean Jacobs inspired power supplies. Uses all the best parts (Clocks, Caps, Toroids) in everything he does.

Full retraction on what I said here about HNE in the past, guy completely flaked and resolve my issue-which is likely simple. First off the switch he made me was a copy of the Telegartner and was mediocre at best, little to no sound impact compared to the Innuos that replaced it. Second, the switch will not work with certain streamers (Linn for example) that use 100MBPS only as the input. The owner could not come with a solution and will not fix it or support it and ultimately ignores me on FB (he's located in Vietnam). $1500 for a switch and he will not take it back or offer a fix.

I DO NOT recomend this company to anyone, particularly here in the US. He is a basement operation and constantly changes his designs and clearly not well thought out and half baked. Again, mine was a copy of the Telegartner switch, it made little no impact compared to the Innuos Phoenix I replaced it with. Word to the wise, I suggest pass on anything he is designing, there are too many other good reputable companies out there.

 

[zacho]

Could anyone pls advise if you have sent the Edison Fiberbox II to be upgraded to the latest mk.3 spec? If so did you find it as meaningful investment as the cost behind the upgrade is a bit let's call it "high" - so I'm not sure if I should do it.

Many thanks!

Am also starting to wonder this. Currently using both the previous generation silent switch and fiberbox. Wondering how big the improvement is from folks here who have gone through this upgrade path.

Are you able to share what the upgrade costs quoted to you was?

 

[RdW]

Ansuz gold>supreme>>>ediscreation extreme with firebox III>Ansuz A3>>COS>=Melco double switch.

Will try to compare sotm with op21 and network acoustic tempus next month.

To come back to this discussion, I'm auditioning a D3 PowerSwitch with D3 Digitalz Ethernet cable. I can only echo what other wrote. The impact is subtile, yet significant. More depth, a wider sound stage, a better defined low, less smearing and more details. A D-TC3 Supreme is out of budget, so will not even try it The D# will probably not leave my listing room anymore ....

Still using an AfterDark optical isolation/media converter for optical isolation with Finisar SFP+ modules. @cykin , is it worth to replace this by a Edis Creatiion Fibre Box II. These are different techniques I guess, but am wondering what such a Fibre Box would differ from an audio grade media converter.

 

[richard_crl032]

Full retraction on what I said here about HNE in the past, guy completely flaked and resolve my issue-which is likely simple. First off the switch he made me was a copy of the Telegartner and was mediocre at best, little to no sound impact compared to the Innuos that replaced it. Second, the switch will not work with certain streamers (Linn for example) that use 100MBPS only as the input. The owner could not come with a solution and will not fix it or support it and ultimately ignores me on FB (he's located in Vietnam). $1500 for a switch and he will not take it back or offer a fix.

I DO NOT recomend this company to anyone, particularly here in the US. He is a basement operation and constantly changes his designs and clearly not well thought out and half baked. Again, mine was a copy of the Telegartner switch, it made little no impact compared to the Innuos Phoenix I replaced it with. Word to the wise, I suggest pass on anything he is designing, there are too many other good reputable companies out there.

Probably known to many .. Uptone Etheregen mk 2 <<usd1500 should be out this year after what I felt was a long long almost 2 yrs since announcement .. solid proven engrg company and no chance of no such headaches from boutique designer of little reputation. Cheers.

 

[audiobomber]

Uptone Etheregen mk 2 <<usd1500 should be out this year

I don't know where you got that price. I beleve it will be more like $800 US. @Superdad ?

 

[richard_crl032]

I don't know where you got that price. I beleve it will be more like $800 US. @Superdad ?

Indeed and yes and hence << or perhaps <<<< then. With apology

 

[cykin]

To come back to this discussion, I'm auditioning a D3 PowerSwitch with D3 Digitalz Ethernet cable. I can only echo what other wrote. The impact is subtile, yet significant. More depth, a wider sound stage, a better defined low, less smearing and more details. A D-TC3 Supreme is out of budget, so will not even try it The D# will probably not leave my listing room anymore ....

Still using an AfterDark optical isolation/media converter for optical isolation with Finisar SFP+ modules. @cykin , is it worth to replace this by a Edis Creatiion Fibre Box II. These are different techniques I guess, but am wondering what such a Fibre Box would differ from an audio grade media converter.

It works best if using whole set of Edicreation.

 

[MattSPL]

The new LHY AS6 switch is very good at $600. I’ve had mine 3 weeks.
The larger AS8 at $1500 promise’s to be up there with the best.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

The new LHY AS6 switch is very good at $600. I’ve had mine 3 weeks.
The larger AS8 at $1500 promise’s to be up there with the best.

I have not had much luck or should say did not find that the LHY products were on the same performance level as my ER and Sonre Optical Deluxe and sent them back or into my kids systems. But this is could also be system dependent.

 

[MattSPL]

I have not had much luck or should say did not find that the LHY products were on the same performance level as my ER and Sonre Optical Deluxe and sent them back or into my kids systems. But this is could also be system dependent.

That’s interesting to hear your findings. 2 people on another forum using the ER with JS-2 power supply prefer the LHY SW6 and AS6.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

That’s interesting to hear your findings. 2 people on another forum using the ER with JS-2 power supply prefer the LHY SW6 and AS6.

Like I said, system dependent? I am also using the Sonore Optical Module deluxe in an optical break. You do you.

 

[audiophilac1]

To come back to this discussion, I'm auditioning a D3 PowerSwitch with D3 Digitalz Ethernet cable. I can only echo what other wrote. The impact is subtile, yet significant. More depth, a wider sound stage, a better defined low, less smearing and more details. A D-TC3 Supreme is out of budget, so will not even try it The D# will probably not leave my listing room anymore ....

Still using an AfterDark optical isolation/media converter for optical isolation with Finisar SFP+ modules. @cykin , is it worth to replace this by a Edis Creatiion Fibre Box II. These are different techniques I guess, but am wondering what such a Fibre Box would differ from an audio grade media converter.

I think from tweaking perspective, FMC > Fibrebox.