Network Improvements and their Impact on Sound Quality

Griff500

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Apr 10, 2021
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I posted this question elsewhere in the forum but this might be a better place to ask.

Has anyone compared the Ansuz Powerswitch with the Innuos PhoenixNET? I believe they are similar products, perhaps with the Innuos having more features? I believe Sean Jacobs might be involved in the power supply in the Innuos?

My system is Ansuz Mainz8 C2 from the mains with a C2 cable to the distributor (standard mains cables elsewhere in the system), Auralic Aries G2, Sablon Audio 2020 USB, Chord M-Scaler, WAVE Storm dual BNC, Chord DAVE and ATC SCM40A speakers.

Potential future upgrades are the network switch, maybe USB regen, maybe a Sean Jacobs power supply for the DAVE. Maybe power cables as and when something comes up if I feel like trying it.

Or enjoy it as it is. :p
 
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Kris

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Mar 4, 2019
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Jul 11, 2021
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Changes Internet service Provider and the sound quality went down. Did anyone ever experience this?

I live in a series of tall flats that historically only had virgin media cable. Fibre to street then coaxial cable to flats certainly installed 5 or more years ago. This last few weeks a fibre provider installed fibre cable to every flat. The whole area is a brand new install for them. Mine was installed yesterday and I am one of the first to switch on. Everything in the system remains the same (switches cables etc LPS) except the modem is now a fibre modem before my edge router x instead of cable modem. Even the LPS 12v power supply is the same.

the sound with new equipment is more compressed and bass has decreased :(

anyone ever changed their ISP with totally new gear back to the street and suffered a big decrease in SQ?

could it just be that the modem and other fibre equipment from the ISP needs breaking in, it’s all brand new not just a switch of an existing ISP that has been running for years.

the modem they gave is Adtran the network is called community fibre, area is London.

joins go as follows, fibre up wall 10 floors from their splitter cabinet, pigtail splice to wall socket, 5m fibre patch to modem, modem powered by LPS I was using before.

Set up is exactly the same as this image the only change is the ISP and modem.
 

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Rhapsody

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Jan 16, 2013
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Rhapsody.Audio
Changes Internet service Provider and the sound quality went down. Did anyone ever experience this?

I live in a series of tall flats that historically only had virgin media cable. Fibre to street then coaxial cable to flats certainly installed 5 or more years ago. This last few weeks a fibre provider installed fibre cable to every flat. The whole area is a brand new install for them. Mine was installed yesterday and I am one of the first to switch on. Everything in the system remains the same (switches cables etc LPS) except the modem is now a fibre modem before my edge router x instead of cable modem. Even the LPS 12v power supply is the same.

the sound with new equipment is more compressed and bass has decreased :(

anyone ever changed their ISP with totally new gear back to the street and suffered a big decrease in SQ?

could it just be that the modem and other fibre equipment from the ISP needs breaking in, it’s all brand new not just a switch of an existing ISP that has been running for years.

the modem they gave is Adtran the network is called community fibre, area is London.

joins go as follows, fibre up wall 10 floors from their splitter cabinet, pigtail splice to wall socket, 5m fibre patch to modem, modem powered by LPS I was using before.

Set up is exactly the same as this image the only change is the ISP and modem.
No way to really know, but if it were me I would give it about a week. Not saying that the new service from the street and to their junction boxes need to "break in", but there are several connections between the street and your server. I would let it all "settle in" for a week and see if things get any better.
 
Jul 11, 2021
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No way to really know, but if it were me I would give it about a week. Not saying that the new service from the street and to their junction boxes need to "break in", but there are several connections between the street and your server. I would let it all "settle in" for a week and see if things get any better.
Thanks for the suggestion, I didn't cancel the Virgin Media yet and I have 10 days left before I am committed to contract. I wasn't expecting such a shift in SQ from one to the other, its really surprising.
 

Rhapsody

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Thanks for the suggestion, I didn't cancel the Virgin Media yet and I have 10 days left before I am committed to contract. I wasn't expecting such a shift in SQ from one to the other, its really surprising.
It most likely is just the different service giving a different SQ and won't change over the next week, but it's worth a try to make sure. Who knows what goes on in the "back office" of the old vs. new ISPs.
 

kennyb123

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Nov 30, 2012
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Kirkland, WA
Thanks for the suggestion, I didn't cancel the Virgin Media yet and I have 10 days left before I am committed to contract. I wasn't expecting such a shift in SQ from one to the other, its really surprising.

It might be a good time to see if you can bring the sound of them closer by using some isolation. I wonder what a span of fiber between your gear and your ISP might do, for example. It could be that the new network is dumping more noise on the wire so be sure that the ethernet cable used between you server and network doesn’t have the shield connected at both ends.
 
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Jul 11, 2021
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Hi Kenny, there is a net isolator on the last Ethernet The the amp. The cable from modem to router is supra cat 8 with plastic ends so it’s a floating shield, the viablue silver after that has a floating shield with John Swenson method shield loop, the final silver Ethernet is a floating shield too so nothing connected there.

can it just be that isp Fiber modem really is bad at converting optical signal to digital?
 

kennyb123

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Nov 30, 2012
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Kirkland, WA
can it just be that isp Fiber modem really is bad at converting optical signal to digital?

I wouldn't have imagined that could be the case. Crazy.
 

wil

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Jul 22, 2015
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I have a Melco s1 switch connected to my modem/router by copper ethernet. My audio server is connected to the gigabit output of the s1 and I have a non-audio computer and iPad connected to the 500 mb outputs of the s1.

My question is would I likely benefit from isolating the s1 from my computer and iPad by connecting to another switch (Cisco) coming off my modem/router via fiber ethernet and dedicating the s1 to the audio?
 
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jerrybj

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Feb 27, 2022
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New Zealand
I'm looking for a 240v 8 port 12v network switch I can get reclocked.
The Buffalo BS-GS2008 is hard to get.

Looking at the Cisco SG110D-08 as a second switch to go near my modem/router.
Reasonable? Other suggestions?
 

DHT4ME

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Apr 12, 2021
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Las Vegas
I am based in Las Vegas and I have a business associate wo does the modifications, installations and maintenance at the Switch Exascale Data center here. https://www.switch.com/ I was speaking to him about my audio setup with cascaded switches and he mentioned that they did a new upgraded setup to their fiber backbone for some new gov spec. What was interesting is that the system relies on having to go from fiber to copper from a distribution node and then back to fiber. Apparently it is a critical insertion component. Not sure why but I am going to try and wrap my head around that and try and see if my associate can enlighten me further. It makes me wonder if there is an ideal spot for copper in our systems that is backed by science.
 
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Nuforce

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Jan 5, 2021
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guys can I ask, does anyone know if the Buffalo BS-GU series are the same internally compared to the BS-GS series?

The GU series is unmanaged, and cheaper!
 

Nuforce

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vladinsky

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Dec 12, 2020
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Hi, I have an issue that bothers me and I was curious if anyone can provide some insights :)
My provider router is in the basement of the building where several apartments are connected, so it looks something like this
Provider router (basement) ----> Apartment RJ45 sockets ----> Own router (wifi)
I think I will gain by isolating my system from the provider router (since it is not mine, I can't touch it). My question is, which approach would be better

1. Provider router (basement) ----> Apartment RJ45 sockets ----> fiber optics converter ----> Own router --> audiophile switches
2. Provider router (basement) ----> Apartment RJ45 sockets ----> Own router (wifi) ----> wifi ----> router dedicated for audio --> audiophile switches

So in first case I break the connection via fiber optics converters, in the second one I break it by using a second router which connects to the first via wifi

p.s. the router is already on a LPSU, and I have a cascade of 2 switches for audio
 

Thieliste

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Aug 31, 2014
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Hi guys, i tried to install an Edgerouter X SFP that i had since last year behind my ISP Modem.
When i connect my Roon NUC to the Edgerouter X, Roon would not work.
Does that mean that the Edgerouter X cannot be used in Router mode when pluged into the ISP Modem ?
Do i have to configure the Edgerouter in Switch mode so that Roon Rock would connect to it ?
I wanted to use the Edgerouter X as a dedicated router just for my system and see if it improves the sound.
Thanks.
 

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