Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[adyc]

I have completed most of the tests I intended to conduct.

1) The SFP modules dominate the results. Whether SFP (1Gb) or SFP+ (10Gb), Startech SFP modules sound by far the best to me, with the best colour saturation and more contrast then the others, they also consistently capture more atmosphere / ambiance and create a more 3-dimensional sound. Single mode sounds better then multi mode. Longer range sounds better then shorter. Please note that officially 40 and 80km ranges need attenuators on shorter ranges to reduce laser transmission power. I have been using 80km modules without attenuators for around 9-10 months now without issues but cannot make any guarantees about longevity.

2) Connecting the server through a dedicated switch, not shared with other devices is a very clear step up in sound quality, a FMC (Fibre Media Converter) accomplishes the same thing. This is nothing new, a lot of audiophiles are already using stacked switches.

3) Creating a separate subnet for your streaming environment can be beneficial. This is more advanced to setup. The easiest way is to use 2 routers, 1 serving your streaming network, the other your home network. When using a submask of 255.255.255.0 you can create 2 subnets by for example placing your streaming devices in 192.168.1.x and your other network devices in 192.168.2.x. You can also go more advanced by means of a managed switch where you can create separate vlans which works out at about the same. The downside is more network devices have a negative effect again. Due to complexity of setup and unpredictable results, I do not recommend going here unless you enjoy playing around with this.

4) The Netgear nighthawk pro gaming xr700 router has some "cool" features like prioritising traffic to your server, but it just does not sound good, and I have spend a full day trying all possible configurations.

5) As for 1Gb versus 10Gb versus 25Gb, ultimately I get the best results from the earlier recommended 1Gb setup, Startech SFP1000ZXST SFP Single Mode 1550nm 80km modules, with the Startech ET91000SFP2 Fibre Media Converter. My best performing 10Gb setup so far is Startech SFP10GBLRST SFP+ Single mode 1310nm 10km modules with a Planet XT-705A FMC which converts 10Gb SFP+ to 1Gb copper ethernet. Interestingly better then several 10G switches I tried. Again SFP modules dominate the outcome, the 10Gb equivalent Startech SFP modules cost around 2000 each, I did not try those and I don't plan to. There are some interesting looking QNAP 10Gb switches on presale right now, I will likely order one of those and run some more tests.

Concluding, my earlier recommendation stands. 10Gb has potential, but there's no affordable configuration available right now outperforming the recommended 1Gb setup. Looking forward to testing the upcoming uptone ether regen and qnap switches.

To add some context, do not overthink all of this, I replaced some Furutech spades and KLEI rca plugs with Bocchino connectors, they have made a far bigger difference then any of the configurations tested above.

Which router would you recommend?

 

[the sound of Tao]

Thank you very much for all your efforts in this area Emile.

Can I ask in terms of experience does this fibre optical route lead more to an essential sense of aliveness (for want of a better term) and I suppose this integrates dynamic freedom, a sense of naturalness, vitality and more realness or is this preference more along a sonic sense of resolution, articulating better with less noise and essentially just more appreciably obvious information.

So if possible are you then feeling more vitally engaged and involved in the music or more essentially impressed by the very nature of the sound via fibre optic.

Hope this question is essentially self evident, accessible, navigable and bearable. Very much admire your work in this area.

Best regards
Tao

 

[Taiko Audio]

Which router would you recommend?

I have not extensively compared routers. I would recommend just using the router supplied by your ISP and consider using a separate switch for your streaming environment. This can be a cheap Netgear GS108 or any of the audiophile offerings. That most definitely helps.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Thank you very much for all your work in this area Emile.

Can I ask in terms of experience does this fibre optical route lead more to an essential sense of aliveness (for want of a better term) and I suppose this integrates dynamic freedom, a sense of naturalness, vitality and more realness or is this preference more along a sonic sense of resolution, articulating better with less noise and essentially more obvious information.

So if possible are you feeling more vitally engaged and involved in the music or more essentially impressed by the nature of the sound via fibre optic. Hope this question is self evident, accessible, navigable and bearable. Really admire your work in this area.

You're very welcome. I would actually reverse that. To match the aliveness and dynamic freedom of copper networking, you need the Startech 1550nm 80km modules I recommended. What you gain is more contrast, better colour saturation and darker backgrounds. The best analogy I can come up with is turning down the brightness and increasing contrast on a television set. Or have it ISF calibrated.

 

[the sound of Tao]

That’s great thanks Emile.

 

[Kris]

I have completed most of the tests I intended to conduct.

1) The SFP modules dominate the results. Whether SFP (1Gb) or SFP+ (10Gb), Startech SFP modules sound by far the best to me, with the best colour saturation and more contrast then the others, they also consistently capture more atmosphere / ambiance and create a more 3-dimensional sound. Single mode sounds better then multi mode. Longer range sounds better then shorter. Please note that officially 40 and 80km ranges need attenuators on shorter ranges to reduce laser transmission power. I have been using 80km modules without attenuators for around 9-10 months now without issues but cannot make any guarantees about longevity.

2) Connecting the server through a dedicated switch, not shared with other devices is a very clear step up in sound quality, a FMC (Fibre Media Converter) accomplishes the same thing. This is nothing new, a lot of audiophiles are already using stacked switches.

3) Creating a separate subnet for your streaming environment can be beneficial. This is more advanced to setup. The easiest way is to use 2 routers, 1 serving your streaming network, the other your home network. When using a submask of 255.255.255.0 you can create 2 subnets by for example placing your streaming devices in 192.168.1.x and your other network devices in 192.168.2.x. You can also go more advanced by means of a managed switch where you can create separate vlans which works out at about the same. The downside is more network devices have a negative effect again. Due to complexity of setup and unpredictable results, I do not recommend going here unless you enjoy playing around with this.

4) The Netgear nighthawk pro gaming xr700 router has some "cool" features like prioritising traffic to your server, but it just does not sound good, and I have spend a full day trying all possible configurations.

5) As for 1Gb versus 10Gb versus 25Gb, ultimately I get the best results from the earlier recommended 1Gb setup, Startech SFP1000ZXST SFP Single Mode 1550nm 80km modules, with the Startech ET91000SFP2 Fibre Media Converter. My best performing 10Gb setup so far is Startech SFP10GBLRST SFP+ Single mode 1310nm 10km modules with a Planet XT-705A FMC which converts 10Gb SFP+ to 1Gb copper ethernet. Interestingly better then several 10G switches I tried. Again SFP modules dominate the outcome, the 10Gb equivalent Startech SFP modules cost around 2000 each, I did not try those and I don't plan to. There are some interesting looking QNAP 10Gb switches on presale right now, I will likely order one of those and run some more tests.

Concluding, my earlier recommendation stands. 10Gb has potential, but there's no affordable configuration available right now outperforming the recommended 1Gb setup. Looking forward to testing the upcoming uptone ether regen and qnap switches.

To add some context, do not overthink all of this, I replaced some Furutech spades and KLEI rca plugs with Bocchino connectors, they have made a far bigger difference then any of the configurations tested above.

This is great !
Thanknyou for doing it for us.
I agree that this requires so much work and countless hours of testing.
I did testing myself for many years and this is not easy , especially when you are tired after long day.
Do you have someone to exchange opinion with when testing ?

 

[Koegz]

Its really much simpler than you make it seem we give you the whole package with the Pro USB the difference is really a USB input module + USB cable of your choice vs the ProUSB kit + USB cable of your choice. The difference is about $500USD. The ProUSB kit contains all the hardware you need.

Does the usb cable quality or a PCIe card such as the Jcat usb femto matter/improvement(as long as you are supplying a bit-perfect stream) to the audio quality when using a MSB PRO USB? Basically are there any sound improvements to be gained by these additional “upgrades”? Thanks for your input it is much appropriated.

 

[justubes]

You're very welcome. I would actually reverse that. To match the aliveness and dynamic freedom of copper networking, you need the Startech 1550nm 80km modules I recommended. What you gain is more contrast, better colour saturation and darker backgrounds. The best analogy I can come up with is turning down the brightness and increasing contrast on a television set. Or have it ISF calibrated.

Is this compared to say the 1310 nm modules?

Will other brands of 1510nm modules ptovide good results?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Is this compared to say the 1310 nm modules?

Will other brands of 1510nm modules ptovide good results?

Yes, Increased range = Increased dynamics, while you are technically using them out of their operational parameters. You would almost think increased jitter "sounds good" in networking, which, if true, would explain a few other observed phenomena. I have not found other brand SFP modules matching the Startechs for what I consider to be good sound quality.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Does the usb cable quality or a PCIe card such as the Jcat usb femto matter/improvement(as long as you are supplying a bit-perfect stream) to the audio quality when using a MSB PRO USB?

If you read back a few pages you will find a report from member Mike Lavigne describing a nice uptick in performance from using a Gobel USB cable with the MSB Pro module.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Do you have someone to exchange opinion with when testing ?

Quite a few.

 

[Taiko Audio]

In case somebody feels compelled to test more modules, here is a list of the brands I have tested:

allied telesys
fiberstore
finisar
tp-link
uptimed
startech

I see 3 options right now for 10Gb SFP+ to potentially come out on top being:

-These SFP+ modules: https://www.startech.com/Networking-IO/sfp/modules/10gbase-zr-sfp-module~SFP10GBZRST
-Just the right 10 Gb SFP+ switch, this one looks interesting to me: https://www.qnap.com/en/product/qsw-308s
-Active DAC (Direct Attach Cable): https://www.startech.com/Networking-IO/sfp/cables/sfp-direct-attach-cable-10m~SFP10GAC10M

This will all have to wait as I have more pressing matters to attend to now.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

If you read back a few pages you will find a report from member Mike Lavigne describing a nice uptick in performance from using a Gobel USB cable with the MSB Pro module.

the Gobel USB had the second single largest positive effect of any change in my digital signal path changes behind only the Extreme itself. of course, it's hard to say how much getting all the other 'crap and noise' out of the way first allowed it to have such a significant effect. it was the final (latest) piece of the process.

and this is only in the context of my system.

 

[Steve Williams]

the Gobel USB had the second single largest positive effect of any change in my digital signal path changes behind only the Extreme itself. of course, it's hard to say how much getting all the other 'crap and noise' out of the way first allowed it to have such a significant effect. it was the final (latest) piece of the process.

and this is only in the context of my system.

I totally agree. For me it was a revelation when I introduced an excellent USB cable.

 

[nuway]

Yes, Increased range = Increased dynamics, while you are technically using them out of their operational parameters. You would almost think increased jitter "sounds good" in networking, which, if true, would explain a few other observed phenomena. I have not found other brand SFP modules matching the Startechs for what I consider to be good sound quality.

Emile, per your tests and experience we can conclude that long range 1550nm outperform 1310nm long range fsp startech modules?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Emile, per your tests and experience we can conclude that long range 1550nm outperform 1310nm long range fsp startech modules?

I do not have all Startech models but 1550nm 80km outperforms 1310nm 10km.

 

[Kris]

I do not have all Startech models but 1550nm 80km outperforms 1310nm 10km.

But 1310 nm has lower latency as far as I remember,
So there is theoretical potential in 1310 nm with 80 km .

I got a strange devices using one optic fibre only . 20 km range.
This uses 1550 nm to send the data and 1310 nm to get the data via one single ST fibre
I have excellent results with this units.
I had 2 of them connected with 1m long FO.
Just added it for galvanic isolation .

Surprisingly adding second pair of this devices improves the sound further.
So I purchesed third pair, but this is to much. It drops the dynamics.
So sweet spot is 2 pairs in cascade.

 

[nuway]

I do not have all Startech models but 1550nm 80km outperforms 1310nm 10km.

Thanks for sharing all the results. Much appreciated!

 

[Taiko Audio]

So there is theoretical potential in 1310 nm with 80 km .

Startech does not carry those.

I got a strange devices using one optic fibre only . 20 km range.

Those are for situations where only 1 fiber is available, to save cost on longer fiber runs, or when a fiber is damaged as a temporary fix.

 

[nuway]

Yes, in 1310nm only 40km is available. SFP1000EXST