Network Switches

My experience has been different @mikey8811  but of course, that’s just a subjective data point. As with everything, nothing replaces your own experience, in your home, with your own equipment.

@mikey8811   You are welcome. Telegärtner manufactures Networking Components for industrial, commercial, and home use...which is reassuring. Pricing on these types of products is high.

You may also want to consider Waversa...their router- switch combo has separation for general internet and the audio side. Cost again is high.

I just purchased the  TCXO Audiophile Ethernet Network Switch - "Silent Angel" Bonn N8.
I haven't seen any others here using it but there are several good international reviews and the price was right compared to other audio playback specific switches I looked at.  I will try in the configurations suggested earlier in this thread by @almarg and let you all know what I think. It should be here before Christmas. 

If it is anything like my SOTM switch, when you pair your new switch with nice ethernet cables the combo will make you smile big! 

I was just doing some back of the envelope math to estimate the narrowest of PWM pulses from redbook.

(2^16) *44KHz~3GHz. Thats a 4 inch wavelength!

If spectral content of the PWM wave exceeds the bandwidth of cable or connectors (impedance and loss stable over bandwidth) then VSWR and loss induced wave distortion is entirely possible.

Thank you @almarg for the RF insight. That kind of thought is entirely appropriate when trying to define potential sound changes due to the handling of analog waveforms representing 1s and 0s. Ethernet switches should have a far more stable source and load connection impedances to handle the advertised bandwidths. Cable loss and bandwidth also needs to be sufficient.

Normally I'd jump on a Sotm Neo or Sonore Ultrarendu but there doesn't seem to be a way to include Dirac Live in the PC since windows treats it like a virtual soundcard. Anyone have any luck with that? Having Dirac in the PC does eliminate an A/D conversion and has always largely improved my sound, whether improvements surpass what a Sotm Neo network player would provide remains to be seen.

Perhaps a USB to I2S converter and a short high speed USB cable will keep me going. Sticking to a DAC with I2S may also be wise.

Brody