Ethernet Switch- what's the point?

@pedroeb

We’d probably all go broke it we adopted the recommendation to try for ourselves.

Then you are in the wrong hobby. We do this all the time. It’s what makes the market, and makes the hobby interesting. But it ain't cheap.

@p05129 You have demonstrated the exact and most common misunderstanding about streaming. This error even exists among IT professionals.  Why?  Because what you stated is exactly correct for the applications that you referenced.  I used to make the same argument.  Dropped bits cannot be tolerated in banking, defence, big business, etc.  AND IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER.  Why?  because most don't know the answer--including many so-called experts.  Here is the difference:

Business uses File Transfer Protocol with error checking that will not let file transfer complete until the transferred file is EXACTLY like the original. Bit perfect.  but that's why sometimes it takes forever to download a file.

Streaming doesn't have the luxury of taking whatever time it takes for error checking to make sure the file is perfect.  Instead, it has to use what is called "error correction".  I'm no expert but as I understand it, it does it's best to interpolate for missing bits and moves forward.  So bits that get dropped, and there are lots of them, are estimated.  Of course video can be even worse. 

If every file stremed was perfect, there woud be no need for any high end streaming equipment, any high end digital cables, etc.  And this explains why you can never stream quality music wireless.

Just to be clear, I'm not criticizing you.  I started with the same misunderstanding.  

Best of luck,

Jerry

Streaming fonts is not the same as streaming music. 

Melco makes two Ethernet very effective network switches - S100v2 and the top line S10-X. The S100v2 can be upgraded by adding a linear power supply like a Plixir Elite BDC linear power supply. The Melco S10X comes with it's own linear power supply. As well, Melco's sister brand ADOT is a fantastic way to isolate completely your audio system's network from the rest of your home networking. It takes the feed from your gateway and converts to fibre, which you then connect the ADOT to your Audiophile Switch. These must be heard - people who say it all makes no difference are ill-informed. These products are distributed in the USA by Luxman America.

TCP/IP guarantees delivery 100% error free 100% of the time. No switch or cable can give you better zeroes or ones. Noise, if it exists, is introduced after the fact. Some streaming uses another protocol called UTP which does not guarantee packet delivery, but it is not used in any audio streaming I am aware of, and rarely used any more with video. Differences, if they are perceived, are either confirmation bias or analog perturbations further downstream due to DAC filter design, poor power supply isolation, or induced noise. 

As for the claim that 'streaming fonts is not the same as streaming music'. You are misinformed. At the network layer, wired, wireless, fiber optic, it is exactly the same in all respects. That's the beauty of TCP/IP, it simply does not care about the nature of the payload or the media over which the payload is carried. It delivers packets, error checked, retransmitted if necessary, packets irrespective of the payload. And audio, even 32bit X 384kBits/sec are not even remotely strenuous loads for modern networks.