Basic switch....should I upgrade?

@thyname +1! Thank you for that post.  Should settle a fair amount of the debate over whether we can, or are 'scientifically' able to hear what we hear.

@thyname well, the article is way off the mark. Especially the first paragraph where it says it applies to all digital connections. What they are talking about can apply under some circumstances to asynchronous digital connections without error detection and correction. 
 

Ethernet is synchronous, and has error detections, but that is just one layer, the next layer also have error detection, call IP, then you have TCP, also have error detection and correction, and lastly, you have the application layers, also have error detection and correction. So it doesn’t apply.

Second, no human card here a different of 1 ns. You need to get into 300 to 400 ms, or 300,000 or 400,000 times larger difference before human hearing can register an issue. 
 

and, clock rates don’t work like that in switches. If you want to learn about that very low level detail, have fun, here is a place to start: 

@ lalitk

Choosing an audiophile network switch is confusing. - Not at all.

What I meant it’s hard to judge value. I’m interested in bargains- components that punch above their price point. For instance, if a reviewer has significant experience with many various amps, they can identify sonic bargains. Many of the audiophile switch reviews compares to a Cisco switch which tells me nothing. And another review said Ansuz was better than English Electric- but Ansuz is much more expensive. Seems audiophile switch performance is closely tied to price, so trying to find the best price/performance seems difficult

@kennyc

I hear you, the market is now flooded with audiophile switches. I am not going to debate on what’s the best price/performance or bang for the buck as this varies in the context of one’s system and each individual perspective. I have spent $8K in my Ethernet switch / LAN cables and LPS setup. To me, that’s a bargain considering the performance upgrade and overall investment in my digital front end.

I can only suggest you to pick best switch (based on user reviews) you can afford to audition in your system. If it doesn’t work to your satisfaction, send it back!

@lalitk

Great reply!

In my view there are 3 key ways to deal with noise in a system

1. Power source: conditioning, cables, distribution

2. Ethernet: isolation, cabling, conditioning, devices

3. Grounding

@kennyc

In terms of value, judge an etheenet product against spending the same on something else that addresses these 3 things. Pricing is typically comparable to the benefit a product provides to a system, so comparisons to other audio gear help determine price/value. In addition, manufacturers will charge as much as they think the market will pay for their brand.

My spend on ethernet has been the very high value for money for me. I also have excellent power and grounding solutions, the power gear cost by far more the grounding and Ethernet, and the ethernet has cost the least.