SOtM sNH-10G Network Switches x2 : The NEW KING of USB/Network Gadget Setup

CKKeung

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Bro ,,, so how do you connect the two SOTM together? I see that its a fiber cable so how do you do that , can you please share with us , could it be also because of the fiber cable that it sounded better?
Very simple.
Both SOtM switches have SFP socket for optical transievers. They are connected together via an optical fiber linking the transievers.

Transievers and optical fiber can be quite low priced. Pls check www.fs.com
 

the sound of Tao

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Bro ,,, with the SOTM switch , what major difference do you see, is it the back ground darkness or , quality of the SQ ? Also is there a moderate audiophile switch that we should put at the server room ? ( I have my network in a server room and then ethernet cable to the audio room , in the audio room is where I plan to use the SOTM , but what if I just use it as front as possible ?
Jackson, CK will be better able to suggest the best combo for multiple switches... he has a lot more experience than me in this.

With the sound quality putting the Sotm switch in it was a nice move towards being more fleshy and natural. A shade more black on background noise yes but especially is a nice additional immediacy in dynamics. The move to being more natural and dynamic is the big win for me in this setup.

I have the Sotm switch on a 12v linear power supply with a very good power cord and believe that’s were the dynamics really come in to play.
 

GuillaumeB

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Jackson, CK will be better able to suggest the best combo for multiple switches... he has a lot more experience than me in this.

With the sound quality putting the Sotm switch in it was a nice move towards being more fleshy and natural. A shade more black on background noise yes but especially is a nice additional immediacy in dynamics. The move to being more natural and dynamic is the big win for me in this setup.

I have the Sotm switch on a 12v linear power supply with a very good power cord and believe that’s were the dynamics really come in to play.

Mine has been in the system for just over 24 hours. I have the sNG-10G with clock module and external master clock input (although not connected a master clock yet). Also using the sPS-500 PSU connected to a DPC-6 V3 conditioner via Shunyata Delta NR power cable. I think your descriptions are spot on!

Cheers,

Guillaume
 

the sound of Tao

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Mine has been in the system for just over 24 hours. I have the sNG-10G with clock module and external master clock input (although not connected a master clock yet). Also using the sPS-500 PSU connected to a DPC-6 V3 conditioner via Shunyata Delta NR power cable. I think your descriptions are spot on!

Cheers,

Guillaume

That’s great to hear Guillaume. I’m using a Triton Typhon combo with Shunyata Pythons to Kingrex linear supplies on both the Sotm switch and the Sotm Ultra.

PCs make all the difference the instant you start using linear power supplies. The Deltas and previous gen pythons really bring ease and a bottom up solidity to the presentation. They have a real dynamic life to them. Love them.

They make much better sense of the organisation of the music as well. They make a lot of the difference here.
 
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jackson_k

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Very simple.
Both SOtM switches have SFP socket for optical transievers. They are connected together via an optical fiber linking the transievers.

Transievers and optical fiber can be quite low priced. Pls check www.fs.com
Very simple.
Both SOtM switches have SFP socket for optical transievers. They are connected together via an optical fiber linking the transievers.

Transievers and optical fiber can be quite low priced. Pls check www.fs.com
So do we just connect the two SOTM with the Optical cable and then plug the Ethernet cable into either one of the SOTM to the network player? or do we leave one of the SOTM switch empty and use only the daisy chained one?
 

Empirical Audio

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brother, man you have so many good ideas ! hahahah ! I am also using MUTEC as well with the REF10, and trying to get a better sound with Roon
do you have the best solution?

I'll tell you what the best Roon solution for S/PDIF is:

Interchange renderer:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=156409.0

combined with one of these:

https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/collections/accessories/products/upnpbridge?variant=6964135395362

Lowest jitter you will find for a S/PDIF output to a DAC. Less than 10psec.

Steve N.
 
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Empirical Audio

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Gentlemen,

It seems that the power supply for this switch that SoTM has developed is not an LPS. Any one venture a guess why they would go this way?

https://sotm-usa.com/products/sps-500-power-supply?variant=46096273292

Are people throwing LPSs on everything these days, such as NAS, modem/ router, etc.,? And what are the improvements?
Thank you

It's because the SMPS is fast enough for the digital and clock supply. Most LPS are not fast enough, meaning speed of regulation. A good fast LPS will make it more 3-D and more analog, more organic.

An exception is the Sbooster and the Dynamo supply that I make based on modded Hynes regulator. I don't sell just a LPS. It only comes with my products.

Steve N.
 
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caesar

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It's because the SMPS is fast enough for the digital and clock supply. Most LPS are not fast enough, meaning speed of regulation. A good fast LPS will make it more 3-D and more analog, more organic.

An exception is the Sbooster and the Dynamo supply that I make based on modded Hynes regulator. I don't sell just a LPS. It only comes with my products.

Steve N.

Steve,
Thank you for the prompt reply. Some claim that the Hynes power supplies are the "best in the world" (whatever that means),but it takes Hynes a year to fulfill an order for a single power supply. How are you modding them? And how many does one need in the system for the "ultimate digital" experience - 1 for router modem,? 1 for the NAS? for what else? Thanks
 

Sablon Audio

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My Hynes SR4 took 6 weeks to arrive and works very nicely on the modem / router in producing a richer less grainy sound. There are a couple of fairly well known mods - tying dc negative to ground (assuming you don’t create a ground loop) and using a line (X) cap.
 

Empirical Audio

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Steve,
Thank you for the prompt reply. Some claim that the Hynes power supplies are the "best in the world" (whatever that means),but it takes Hynes a year to fulfill an order for a single power supply. How are you modding them? And how many does one need in the system for the "ultimate digital" experience - 1 for router modem,? 1 for the NAS? for what else? Thanks

I licensed the Hynes technology, so I put my own designs of Hynes-type regulators in every one of my products. My Overdrive SX DAC uses 22 of them. I use one of these fast LPS for my Mac Mini, Network Router, SOtM switch, my Power Block USB cable supply, SOtM USB regenerator, my Interchange renderer and my Off-Ramp 6 USB converter. I guess 7 in all. Most are two amps and the Mac Mini is 5 amps.

The mods are proprietary, but I may give some of this to Hynes so he can put it in his smaller supplies eventually.

Steve N.
 

jturbo

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So do we just connect the two SOTM with the Optical cable and then plug the Ethernet cable into either one of the SOTM to the network player? or do we leave one of the SOTM switch empty and use only the daisy chained one?

I believe that one of the SOTM would host your Router, NAS, Wireless APs and so on. The downstream SOTM would host the Music server and then USB to the DAC.
 

heebrog

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Hi All,

These improvements using sequential audiophile switches; do they apply to local playback or streaming?

Geoff
 

Empirical Audio

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Hi All,

These improvements using sequential audiophile switches; do they apply to local playback or streaming?

Geoff

Depends on how you do local playback. If you use a network server streaming local files from a NAS over the LAN or an Ethernet renderer, then these things will improve both. If you use a computer or server with local files on it and USB output, then it will not improve local file playback.

Steve N.
 
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Empirical Audio

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Depends on how you do local playback. If you use a network server streaming local files from a NAS over the LAN or an Ethernet renderer, then these things will improve both. If you use a computer or server with local files on it and USB output, then it will not improve local file playback. The LAN has to be involved in playback.

Steve N.
 

jackson_k

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Very simple.
Both SOtM switches have SFP socket for optical transievers. They are connected together via an optical fiber linking the transievers.

Transievers and optical fiber can be quite low priced. Pls check www.fs.com
I got 2 fiber ethernet switch right before the SOTM switch to try , to basically the ethernet cat 6 is coign from the server room , but instead of putting the CAT6 directlyinto the SOTM switch directly I am plugging it into the Fiber switch then fiber into the SOTM ! Hope this is the right way , but I think I can also do another fiber run from the server room directly into SOTM SFP ( but I wonder if that makes much difference vs CAT 6 -> fiber switch -> SOTM . But I will say that I heard a big difference with the UPTONE LPS into the SOTM usbultra yesterday ! it made the sound much more contrast and lively ! I was listen to HORIWITZ recording of 1966 in Carnegie hall , And I could almost see him in front of me ! loved it !
 

Legolas

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I agree. Even if you don't change out your routers / switch at the entry point to your house, replacing the SMPS for a nice LPS can reap rewards. What we are trying to do is deduce the injection of noise, and a lot of that comes via the SMPS. You also get generated noise from a typical router that has wifi built in. Thus some form of isolation between the wifi / ethernet router and your audio is also going to help a lot IMO. I am in process with this at the moment. Will report back.
 
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CKKeung

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Yes, smps should be eliminated from and replaced by linear powersupplies in our audio system as far as possible!
 

Empirical Audio

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Yes, smps should be eliminated from and replaced by linear powersupplies in our audio system as far as possible!

Good idea, but be careful. LPS needs to have fast regulation to be effective for digital. An example is the SBooster.

Steve N.
 

jackson_k

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Jan 19, 2019
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Very simple.
Both SOtM switches have SFP socket for optical transievers. They are connected together via an optical fiber linking the transievers.

Transievers and optical fiber can be quite low priced. Pls check www.fs.com
Bro ,, N&E AUDIO in HK also has a thing called the FIBER BOX II ,, if you have time you should check it out ! its pretty cool device ! and hope all is well in HK.
 

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