If it has I'd love to see the data, might change my thinking... Anyhow, I think this has been beaten to death. I'm still trying to figure out which switch to buy, is there a consensus opinion yet on best value switch? Also looking at the Ediscreation in addition to the two switches mentioned by the op.
To switch or not to switch? Melco S-100 or Innuos Phoenix NET switch?
- Thread starter shakti
- Start date
If I can recommend something - if you decide to buy the ediscreation switch, buy the ediscreation fiber box as well, the two in tandem are really good and they both bring different things to the table.
I haven't compared them in tandem to other switches but I did compare the ediscreation switch alone with the silent angel + ifi power - it was way better - and to a melco s100 with adot fiber converter and it was better as well.
I think you'd be happy with this setup. I know I am.
I run this combo as well, outstanding results. I have no idea about the measurements or objective data but I know an improvement in sonics when I hear it.
It’s not a huge investment when you consider the cost of most of our systems and it does represent the equivalent of a substantial component upgrade
The only downside… sorta… is your going to end up upgrading your ethernet cables . This combo does allow one to hear the difference . I certainly am not suggesting one has to pay massive money for ethernet cables but I have seen some incremental improvements with Shunyata’s Sigma and AQ’s Diamond .
Yup, my experience too. I bought a couple of Pink Faun ethernet cables and I really like them. They really opened up the soundstage and 3d.
You can try to put isoacoustics orea graphite below them too, I use them below all my components and the cumulative effect is nice for a reasonable price.
I had a silent angel switch + ifi power that I had stopped using, a friend recommended that I try it before the combo and it did bring an improvement.
So I've just acquired a PhoenixNET (PN) and did some initial testing tonight with my system. A few things jump out at me right away.Greetings @Ratbastrd ,
On the surface your question is valid: Why have 2 devices in series that "on the surface" appear to do the same thing (i.e., mitigate noise on the ethernet "signal"). Well, as it turns out (from my experience, and many many reports by others who have also tried) cascading multiple "high quality" switches in series has proven to provide an aggregate sonic uplift that is better than either switch operating alone. Even though each switch (in this case, an eRegen, and a PhoenixNET) is completely competent on its own, the compounding affect of having them COMBINED (in series in a controlled environment) yields a better uplift than either one alone.
To see my notes of my experience, kindly refer to this posting if helpful:
To switch or not to switch? Melco S-100 or Innuos Phoenix NET switch?
Report Update (continued from entry #131 above): Greetings all. I have now done some initial testing of A-B-A Test 2, so I will re-iterate the digital baseline again for clarity: New 'Current State' of Digital Front-End: ISP Modem (JS-2 LPS) -> eRegen (JS-2 LPS) -> PhoenixNET -> Zenith Mk3 ->...www.whatsbestforum.com
NOTE: IMHO, one key recommendation here (when trying this) is to be sure to give all your ancillaries (e.g., DC cables, PC's, LPS's, switches, etc.) adequate time to fully break-in and settle before making any final performance judgements. Sometimes these sensitive ancillaries take several hundred hours to fully break-in (e.g., their capacitors, dialectics, transformers, etc.). What may sound harsh at 25-hours, may smooth-out and bloom at 400-hours. That said, your first plug-in should be a good indicator of the direction you are heading before the "break-in" rollercoaster begins.
Hope that helps to answer your question.
Retread
A. Adding the PN to my system adds a lot of latency to the user experience, particularly with Roon. The delay from selecting something on a mobile device to playing is considerable, like 2 seconds... Is this normal, are others experiencing this? It concerns me that a switch is adding that much latency.
B. The PN alone doesn't do much for me. If anything I think it degrades the sound a bit, as you noted it is cold and mechanical on its own.
C. Much to my surprise, adding an Etheregen (ER) upstream of the PN materially improves the sound. Don't know why, but it definitely brings a more natural tone back to the music. Downstream of the PN, the effect is lost, upstream of the PN the difference is night and day. I need to do some testing at somepoint without the PN to determine if the ER is enough on it's own. My suspicion is no.
To your point above, I have newer power cords for all primary devices in transit, in addition to adding the PN. I will want to install everything (including ER upstream of PN) for an extended period of time to burn in and establish a baseline sound that I can experiment with.
Despite my confusion and reservations with stacking switches, something works with this combo. Enough that I'm going to run with it for a while.
Thanks again!
Last edited:
Similar threads
