Fiber or Eithenet

@yyzsantabarbara 

So are you suggesting running all fiber if possible?

No, just the "last mile" just before the DAC should be fibre. All the analog gremlins should not be able to travel in the glass fibre cable into your DAC.

Using all fibre would not hurt and maybe cheaper or easier. I do not know the costs. It is not something I am wanting to do but if I had the option, I likely would have chosen fibre.

I have Sonore Optical Rendu's for the final mile before the DACs. I used to own a Lumin X1 DAC that had a fibre input in the DAC. A great feature but I sold that DAC.

I tried fiber optic converters and didn’t like the sound with Bricasti M3. Going copper without switches and converters to me sounds best.
I use EERO mesh network and a short run of good Ethernet cable (1m Purist Audio) from EERO node to streamer.

Fiber works for me, but it terminates into the fiber port in my Sonore Sig Rendu SE Opt. so there are no converters near my system.  Even when I used a converter for the final fiber endpoint, I never heard any detriment to using fiber.  Plus, I know of no "audiophile approved fiber" yet so no need to worry about having the latest and greatest version.

“I guess I’m asking if I should convert to fiber at my switch next to my router, run 50 feet of fiber and convert to ethernet just in front of my DAC or run 50’ of ethernet and convert to fiber and then back to ethernet just in front of my DAC.”

@testrun

Avoid conversion back n forth. If I have a choice between ethernet cable or fiber, I always pick ethernet cable based on my comparison. Fiber or ethernet, best way to settle this is to buy both and listen in your system. Keep the one that sounds best to your ears.