Network Improvements and their Impact on Sound Quality
- Thread starter Blackmorec
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- music streaming network
Thanks Blue58.
I might be wrong but I don't think the StarTech FMC is an "audiophile" device in the sense that the clock is of ordinary quality.
I don't know the rest of your network configuration but further benefit may be achieved with something like the Sonore opticalModule especially if you stream.
https://www.sonore.us/opticalModule.html
I don’t think these devices have a clock; I think these devices use the clocks and power supplies of the devices they’re inserted into.
https://www.finisar.com/sites/defau..._datacom_sfp_transceiver_productspecrevb1.pdf
I would recommend the Sonore OM also. I use the OM at the modem end and the etherRegen at the other.
I am enterning below my post from AudiophileStyle .
Buffalo BSGS 2016 (2x stacked) is a fantastic addition to my system that has 2 Sonore OMs, Uniquiti Edgerouter and Ether Regen already. Most of connections are with famous Finisar SFPs and Planet SFPs.
„ I followed Nenon recommendation with the use of Buffalo BSGS 2016.
With his kind help I was able to get 2 of them. I dont think they are still available. All sold out.
I powered them with Vinnie Rossi great „mini” supercapacitor supplys rated 5v / 3A only !
Many powered them with 12v , but I recommend 5 v with 3A or more.
I think I can already say It is by far the bigest SQ gain I have ever experienced .
I wanted to thank Nenon for discovering soch a great improvements for us, testing many options and sharing results with all of us.
I see that Hols confirmed it already few posts above , so do I.
My next step will be to improve both clocks with the use of OXCO as Nenon and Hols already did with great result.
Will report my experience .”
After that I decided to send TWO Buffalo switches to Jord to install his famous already Pink Faun ultra clocks.
Nenon reported excellent result with one of them he installed in his Buffalo.
Hope to confirm his result with one switch and let you know how the combo of 2 Buffalows both fully upgrated and with Pink Faun Ultra clocks perform.
If that works I have additional 2 Buffalows I can get upgrated for total of 4 with PinkFaun clocks
That can be stacked .
Will that end ? Time will tell.
Buffalo BSGS 2016 (2x stacked) is a fantastic addition to my system that has 2 Sonore OMs, Uniquiti Edgerouter and Ether Regen already. Most of connections are with famous Finisar SFPs and Planet SFPs.
„ I followed Nenon recommendation with the use of Buffalo BSGS 2016.
With his kind help I was able to get 2 of them. I dont think they are still available. All sold out.
I powered them with Vinnie Rossi great „mini” supercapacitor supplys rated 5v / 3A only !
Many powered them with 12v , but I recommend 5 v with 3A or more.
I think I can already say It is by far the bigest SQ gain I have ever experienced .
I wanted to thank Nenon for discovering soch a great improvements for us, testing many options and sharing results with all of us.
I see that Hols confirmed it already few posts above , so do I.
My next step will be to improve both clocks with the use of OXCO as Nenon and Hols already did with great result.
Will report my experience .”
After that I decided to send TWO Buffalo switches to Jord to install his famous already Pink Faun ultra clocks.
Nenon reported excellent result with one of them he installed in his Buffalo.
Hope to confirm his result with one switch and let you know how the combo of 2 Buffalows both fully upgrated and with Pink Faun Ultra clocks perform.
If that works I have additional 2 Buffalows I can get upgrated for total of 4 with PinkFaun clocks
That can be stacked .
Will that end ? Time will tell.
I would be interesting to see if the LinQ was employed which has its own switch built in whether it would be an improvement or not and if FMC selection would have any impact at all.
Sorry if this may be considered OT, but I have an Arris SB8200 that is my cable modem for incoming service. It’s currently hooked up via copper to a Ubiquiti Edgerouter 4. Is like to make a fiber break here, using the SFP pier on the router, in SM, but I’m not sure what the right Ethernet media converter would be to use on the Arris end. Help appreciated.
Here is something I wanted to share as promised.
Again many thaks to Nenon and Hols for their first impressions that lead me to perform more experiments !
https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/...-music-server/?do=findComment&comment=1079597
It is just few days since my TWO Nenon+ PinkFaun Ultra meded Buffalows 2016 are powered and playing
but there is already clear to me that nothing compares to a good clock in the normal switch.
Also I am sure that addition of the Taiko Switch that is in creation process by Emile will be much better for Extreme,
But for now it is fantastic addition, especially for those who have different servers.
Again many thaks to Nenon and Hols for their first impressions that lead me to perform more experiments !
https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/...-music-server/?do=findComment&comment=1079597
It is just few days since my TWO Nenon+ PinkFaun Ultra meded Buffalows 2016 are powered and playing
but there is already clear to me that nothing compares to a good clock in the normal switch.
Also I am sure that addition of the Taiko Switch that is in creation process by Emile will be much better for Extreme,
But for now it is fantastic addition, especially for those who have different servers.
With this 2 Nenon + Pink Faun ULTRA moded Buffalows 2016 I was able to get BACK to Startech 1550 nm 80 km SFPs
It is the first time I was able to see why Emile liked them so much and he recommended it.
Bravo Emile !
They offer simply so much controll and authority that nothing can do that .
Again I have Finistar , Planet and Startech SFPs and without a good switch I was abslutelly sure the Startech is worst than Planet and Finisar was still better that both .
Now with a very good switches in chain I can say that I will never ever get back to Planet or Finisar
Startech is by far more precise and offers amazing controll without and side effects to other SQ components.
It is the first time I was able to see why Emile liked them so much and he recommended it.
Bravo Emile !
They offer simply so much controll and authority that nothing can do that .
Again I have Finistar , Planet and Startech SFPs and without a good switch I was abslutelly sure the Startech is worst than Planet and Finisar was still better that both .
Now with a very good switches in chain I can say that I will never ever get back to Planet or Finisar
Startech is by far more precise and offers amazing controll without and side effects to other SQ components.
I have been working out the network infrastructure plan for my home. The main routing and switching (Arris SB8200 to Edgerouter 4 over fiber, feeding a Netgear GS310TP for non audio stuff, and an as yet unselected device for the audio side) is all located in one part of the house. The listening room will have three network devices in it, at this time, so I have two choices here. I can - from whatever audio switch I decide to use - run the Ethernet cables from the switch in the same room as the other equipment, or I can run MM fiber (through media transfer of course) to the sound room, and locate the audio switch there. I think this is the better option. It will make the attic run from one room to the other simpler, it will eliminate having long runs of Ethernet cable bundled together, and it will place the switch in the listening room. This would make it a lot easier for growth / replacement if more ports are needed.
Comments welcome.
Comments welcome.
I read through a number of posts here about the use of MM vs. SM, and had a discussion with @djsina2 about it. I’ve worked with a number of fiber installations at work, as well. While that experience tells me nothing about sound quality 
, I do know that something like 50/125 MM is much more well suited to short haul implementations than a SM solution. So I went with MM on my Edgerouter and intend to do the same on the optical link to the audio room switch.
, I do know that something like 50/125 MM is much more well suited to short haul implementations than a SM solution. So I went with MM on my Edgerouter and intend to do the same on the optical link to the audio room switch.SM Fiber is the standard for Multimedia communications
MM Fiber was developed only to lower cost facilitate terminations and for short distances.
SM Glass Fiber is about 10 Micron, MM is about 100 microns so if you compare the area we are talking 78.54 ?m² vs 7,854 ?m²
SM cables can transmit data faster, longer distances because they generate much less distortion than MM fibers, since in MM the signal is constantly bouncing.
In any lab test in a control environment regardless of cable length, and using perfectly terminated high quality fiber cables, a SM cable will outperform an equivalent MM cable in every single aspect, specially data integrity, bit errors, timing errors and distortion. So if someone feels a MM sound better than the SM, it might be the MM Cable is better terminated or the quality of the equipment/transceiver used with the MM was better, there can be hundreds of variables LOL.
I Spent my work days designing large and complex Fiber networks LOL!
BTW Few Tips
Limit Media Conversions - The thing that affect the most a network signal integrity is conversion going back and forward between, fiber --> copper --> fiber --> copper LOL will degrade the signal more than adding 100 meters of Cat7A cable LOL.
Use high Quality Transceiver - If you are going to convert use a good transceiver, remember the transceiver is what actually convert the light to pulses and vice-versa is not your switch or EtheRegen! Don't use FS brand a good HP or Cisco will outperform them and are much more reliable.
And Lastly, Those Bulky nice looking Field install IP20 cat 7A or Cat 8 plugs that high end cable use are some of the worst performer connectors available! We did a large test at our ISP and we used a top of the line Anritsu NA and the best performance on Cat 7a and 8 cable termination was achieved using the Platinum tools ezEX48 crimp plug LOL! Believe it or Not LOL! we tested it like 10 times LOL.
The reason is very simple and obvious, the weakest links in any cable are connectors and signal medium.
Signal flow in a Crimp plug: spring bars --> Plug pins (gold bars on the plug) --> Wire That's it the cable is directly crimped to the pin that connects to the jack spring bars
Signal flow in a IP20 Field plug: spring bars --> Plug pins (gold bars on the plug) --> Solder connection to PCB traces --> PCB Traces --> Solder connection to IDC Crimp Connector --> wire! LOL
Once we saw this we immediately understood why a high quality crimp plug outperformed the Field install ones.
There is always that misconception that because something is bulkier, more expensive is better for everything! IP 20 Field plugs are designed to meet 2 requirements, IP20 environment certification and to be easy to install with no tools. They are not designed to have better signal performance.
Just like some Aerospace Cat7 cable we tested From Gore Technologies, very expensive cable ($27 a feet bulk) Silver plated wires all Teflon insulated with Teflon tape around even the shield was silver plated, But it end up at the bottom in performance, because is not designed for that!
First the conductors are stranded not solid (bad for performance but great for reliability and flexibility) and the silver plated wires and Teflon insulation was not designed for performance but for High temperature resistance in space.
MM Fiber was developed only to lower cost facilitate terminations and for short distances.
SM Glass Fiber is about 10 Micron, MM is about 100 microns so if you compare the area we are talking 78.54 ?m² vs 7,854 ?m²
SM cables can transmit data faster, longer distances because they generate much less distortion than MM fibers, since in MM the signal is constantly bouncing.
In any lab test in a control environment regardless of cable length, and using perfectly terminated high quality fiber cables, a SM cable will outperform an equivalent MM cable in every single aspect, specially data integrity, bit errors, timing errors and distortion. So if someone feels a MM sound better than the SM, it might be the MM Cable is better terminated or the quality of the equipment/transceiver used with the MM was better, there can be hundreds of variables LOL.
I Spent my work days designing large and complex Fiber networks LOL!
BTW Few Tips
Limit Media Conversions - The thing that affect the most a network signal integrity is conversion going back and forward between, fiber --> copper --> fiber --> copper LOL will degrade the signal more than adding 100 meters of Cat7A cable LOL.
Use high Quality Transceiver - If you are going to convert use a good transceiver, remember the transceiver is what actually convert the light to pulses and vice-versa is not your switch or EtheRegen! Don't use FS brand a good HP or Cisco will outperform them and are much more reliable.
And Lastly, Those Bulky nice looking Field install IP20 cat 7A or Cat 8 plugs that high end cable use are some of the worst performer connectors available! We did a large test at our ISP and we used a top of the line Anritsu NA and the best performance on Cat 7a and 8 cable termination was achieved using the Platinum tools ezEX48 crimp plug LOL! Believe it or Not LOL! we tested it like 10 times LOL.
The reason is very simple and obvious, the weakest links in any cable are connectors and signal medium.
Signal flow in a Crimp plug: spring bars --> Plug pins (gold bars on the plug) --> Wire That's it the cable is directly crimped to the pin that connects to the jack spring bars
Signal flow in a IP20 Field plug: spring bars --> Plug pins (gold bars on the plug) --> Solder connection to PCB traces --> PCB Traces --> Solder connection to IDC Crimp Connector --> wire! LOL
Once we saw this we immediately understood why a high quality crimp plug outperformed the Field install ones.
There is always that misconception that because something is bulkier, more expensive is better for everything! IP 20 Field plugs are designed to meet 2 requirements, IP20 environment certification and to be easy to install with no tools. They are not designed to have better signal performance.
Just like some Aerospace Cat7 cable we tested From Gore Technologies, very expensive cable ($27 a feet bulk) Silver plated wires all Teflon insulated with Teflon tape around even the shield was silver plated, But it end up at the bottom in performance, because is not designed for that!
First the conductors are stranded not solid (bad for performance but great for reliability and flexibility) and the silver plated wires and Teflon insulation was not designed for performance but for High temperature resistance in space.
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