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Streaming Sound Quality - Want the very best sound quality? Network Acoustics ENO...

Like many of you fellow Agoners I am striving to get the best sound quality out of my digital streaming front end. To that end I have invested in various high end switches, re-clockers, ethernet cables, various USB filters/re-clockers, high end servers and delved into fiber optic conversion configurations. All of these measures did improve sound quality at varying levels. I felt my system sounded as good as a decent CD transport on many streaming recordings in Qobuz. However, I still felt there was something missing. I felt my system was still being held back. You can see my system under virtual systems here.

Well, I stumbled across something that has finally enabled my digital system to be all it can be. I cannot fully express the level of sound quality improvement realized with the addition of the Network Acoustics ENO Ag filter and ENO Ag streaming ethernet cable. It has been 10 days now since I added these to my system and I can now confidently say my streaming and system are all they can be sonically.

Here is the set up that has caused me to sell off and move past many other powered filters, reclockers, fiber optic options, and other streaming tweaks and gadgets. Frankly, the ENO additions are miles ahead of these other options sonically in my system and experience. Miles. This is my personal experience and please understand this perspective.

Netgear NighHawk modem/router power by an LPS > Supra cat 8 ethernet cable > English Electric 8Switch > Network Acoustics ENO Ag streaming cable > ENO Ag ethernet filter > Innuos Zenith III > Mojo Audio Evo dac

The English Electric 8Switch is also wonderful. Will a lower cost, standard switch sound as good in this set-up? Not sure as I have not tried. I am so ecstatic with my sound system that I don’t want to touch it!

There is a certain rightness from top to bottom that’s intoxicating. The tone is so beautiful and natural with no hint of electronic glare or digital artificiality. Music flows with far greater ease and has an uncanny, unforced nature to it. The stage is far deeper with the music flowing from a plane that is layered and completely separate of the speakers. This aural sensation, at this level of nuance, is new to my system and experience. The ENO products made this possible.

Instruments are presented with a new realism that is arresting to my senses. There is a wholistic presentation that spreads out all around me and my space. Just a joy to experience. Yes, the speakers seem to float the music into my space without any attention or localization of the speaker box or physical presence.

No part of frequency spectrum is out of place or forced. I am sure this has to do with the absence of noise. My music is equally articulate and resolved at low or loud volumes. Music stays controlled and enticing no matter how complex or bombastic the recording.

The ENO filter is passive, not powered, so there is no need of any power supply or plug. This is a huge plus.

Hope you streaming audiophiles find this helpful.

Bill
128x128grannyring
mitch2
3,995 posts
 

@debjit_g 

This recent exploration of my streaming set-up all started because I purchased the ENO Ag and a Network Acoustics network cable.  A member here alerted me to this unit being for sale and I was fortunate to jump on it quickly.

I have a Mojo Audio server/streamer (DejaVu) and their DAC (EVO B4B).  I have a 45 foot long network cable from my router into the server and then USB into the DAC.  I added the ENO ahead of the server, by first bringing the network cable into a Bonn N8 switch, then the Network Acoustics cable from the switch to the ENO, then the short network cable attached to the ENO into the server.  The server runs Roon and serves as both the core and player.  I stream both Tidal and Qobuz but the addition of Qobuz is recent.  

Even before trying the different set-ups, I thought the system sounded very nice, organic, full-bodied tone, and powerful, with good extension and staging.  My initial opinion was that the ENO added something that made the music sound just a little more real somehow, but I haven't yet been able to point to one particular thing that causes that.  My plan is to stick with it for some time and then take it out and decide whether I am missing anything.  Leaving new stuff in for a while and then taking it out to assess differences has been a good method over the years for me to evaluate what I like the sound of.  Right now I would say the ENO filter was a positive addition but I really don't know why yet until I listen more.

The Mojo Audio stuff is built great, with outstanding power supplies, and both pieces use high quality I/O boards by JCAT such as this XE USB board.  I suspect the already high quality pathway of my server/streamer and DAC have a lower need for corrections brought on by small add-on boxes.  Even the ENO and their cables are certainly less than a revelation, but may be one of the few add-ons to make a positive difference.

debjit_g
280 posts
 

@mitch2 thanks for the detail. Your setup is very very similar to mine. My router connects to EdgeRouteX SFP switch and then I run a 30ft long fiber into a Buffalo BS-2016 switch (same used in Melco S100) near the music server. The music server is DIY and uses quality choke based linear power and its also equipped with JCAT XE USB and Femto Net card. I am thinking of upgrading to JCAT XE Net and mod the Buffalo with a PF OCXO clock. I tried playing with Fiber NIC in the server but went back to the JCAT. Hence I am trying to see what ways I can further optimize my setup but I don't stream and all my playback in from local files (CD rips and high bitrate downloads). Therefore, I am trying to access the return of investment. The Eno seems like a good addition for folks streaming, I just will have to experiment if it makes further improvements and without trying one is just not possible to say theoretically. Good that NA has a 30 day return policy.

sns
3,247 posts
 

The end of production for DejaVu was bummer for me, JCAT usb major calling card for me.

 

Debjit_J, interesting you found JCAT superior to Fiber NIC, wonder if fiber prior to server had bearing on this? It may also be what comes after usb or fiber out of your server has something to do with it? Assume your taking usb out of server straight to dac. What does fiber out go to?

debjit_g
280 posts
 

@sns  I think the issue is not with fiber connection as such but the noise a fiber nic creates back into the motherboard. Unless you have filters downstream PCIe, there is a high chance that noise is going through seep through. Unlike a generic fiber nic, the JCAT is purposefully designed to deal with the least noise as possible and its also have external 5v power input (which I use as well). I think this is a major contributing factor, at least in my case. 

Yes, I am taking usb from the JCAT XE USB straight to the DAC. When I used the fiber nic it was connected to a Buffalo switch.

grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,500 posts
 

Well the EE 8Switch was a definite improvement over a standard $50 switch in my system.  When coupled with a Network Acoustics cable and filter the results are just great in my system.  When the new NA switch comes out I will definitely try it.  
 

I owned the Innuos Phoenix and Ideon $4000 usb filter/reclockers and ended up selling them.  I found my Mojo Evo dac did not benefit from them. Just a great usb cable is what the Evo seems to like the most. My Innuos Zenith really partners well with the ENO filter.  I really think much of this is gear dependent. 

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