I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has done some SFP rolling and reached some conclusions about the sound attributes of various makes of SFPs. I poo pooed this for a long time until I tried it, and most SFPs are going to be 15 bucks or less so it's easy to get tempted. It's kind of like digital tube rolling, I guess. Or at least, the differences aren't always small.
I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has done some SFP rolling and reached some conclusions about the sound attributes of various makes of SFPs. I poo pooed this for a long time until I tried it, and most SFPs are going to be 15 bucks or less so it's easy to get tempted. It's kind of like digital tube rolling, I guess. Or at least, the differences aren't always small.
In my setup the Cisco SFP AOC sounds the best. The Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL is very detailed but I could only listen for short periods of time before my ears became tired. The Cisco SFPs allow me to enjoy the system for longer periods at a time.
In my setup the Cisco SFP AOC sounds the best. The Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL is very detailed but I could only listen for short periods of time before my ears became tired. The Cisco SFPs allow me to enjoy the system for longer periods at a time.
from what I remember they all were very clear, however the Cisco ones had a relaxed and fuller presentation in the bottom end. The Finisar BTLs sounded pretty even across the spectrum but I did not measure. I tried the BNLs first and then once I got the Cisco's I returned them as didn't see myself listening to them ever. I still have the BTLs and will pop them in on occasion if something else in my system changes just to make sure the setup is optimal.
I am trying to stop myself from going down the tube/tube adapter rolling rabbit hole...I keep telling myself that the best tubes are NOS and they are unavailable so I shouldn't even bother...I don't want to hear anyone say otherwise
from what I remember they all were very clear, however the Cisco ones had a relaxed and fuller presentation in the bottom end. The Finisar BTLs sounded pretty even across the spectrum but I did not measure. I tried the BNLs first and then once I got the Cisco's I returned them as didn't see myself listening to them ever. I still have the BTLs and will pop them in on occasion if something else in my system changes just to make sure the setup is optimal.
Cisco works fine for me. It's not my favorite sounding SFP but good enough to keep on hand.
The only talked-about SFP that I haven't tried at this point is the Finisar 1475. My favorite sounding SFP is not one that I've ever seen discussed on audio forums.
Cisco works fine for me. It's not my favorite sounding SFP but good enough to keep on hand.
The only talked-about SFP that I haven't tried at this point is the Finisar 1475. My favorite sounding SFP is not one that I've ever seen discussed on audio forums.
See post #6. They're actually a multimode SFP that I'm using with singlemode Cisco patch cable. They combo isn't supposed to work, but sounds best to me this far.
The key in my system has been the combo of the Cisco cable with these SFPs. They've been a bit aggressive with other cables. But I have not tried a Multimode cable. Do you have any recs?
Anyhow this combo, for me, is highly detailed in a natural way with nuance decay and no fatigue, open and spacious, clear clean and crisp without being hard or edgy, and spot on with timber. I just really dig the sound.
The key in my system has been the combo of the Cisco cable with these SFPs. They've been a bit aggressive with other cables. But I have not tried a Multimode cable. Do you have any recs?
Anyhow this combo, for me, is highly detailed in a natural way with nuance decay and no fatigue, open and spacious, clear clean and crisp without being hard or edgy, and spot on with timber. I just really dig the sound.
I don’t have a cable recommendation, but I understand that using the correct kind of cable allows it to meet specifications. You could potentially be causing reflections with the incorrect cable and these can lead to increased jitter.
Precision matters with digital audio transmission. I once tried fiber attenuators. Even the least amount of attention caused audible harm. Thus it stands to reason that if you favor those SFPs is because they are doing something right, allowing them to perform at their best should make you like them even more. Everything matters in this hobby, so we can often greatly benefit by following our ears while at the same time allowing what’s between our ears to speak into the process.