Why I Sold My Aurender N200

:) I love that cable and compared it to LinkUp and Supra. It beats both. But I’m fine with just one.
If you reach out to Purist they might make you a custom shorter version. I found the owner Jim to be pretty good on responding to emails and providing advice (I used to run Purist sp cables with my Martin Logans few years ago…reached out with a question and had an answer next day).

@navyachts 

Did you check with Bricasti if your network card has a built-in galvanic isolation? 

Ethernet offers galvanic isolation by design. All connections are transformed coupled. However this does not guarantee that no noise at all might creep into a networked device.

@lalitk this was Bricasti’s response to your question:

service@bricasti.com​

Fri 2025-01-03 12:18 PM

"there is no application for it. there is no power to isolate"

Similar to @welcher’s comment.

@navyachts 

In that case, I doubt the inexpensive isolation devices being recommended likely yield any significant benefit to sound quality. Atleast that’s been my experience! 

@lalitk c'est la vie - I'm only out 50 bucks which is the smallest amount of money that I have ever been out on this audio adventure!

@erik_squires so Erik, is this item Baaske MI1005 going to provide the protection that you getting from the Everstar or the TrippLite units that you speak of?

There is no power through the ethernet connection only data, so I presume the only reason you are using these are a as surge protector, from lighting strikes and the like. Is this correct? I don't think these have anything to do with cleaning up noise or improving SQ.

@navyachts if the objective is to improve sound quality by tweaking something in the network chain have you considered upgrading your Ethernet cable? I really don’t think you’re going to get any sonic benefit from any of the filters, switches, etc.

I’m right there with @lalitk on cheap network tweaks. The cure is often worse than the disease.

Better yet, if you are looking to improve sound quality, have you considered upgrading your interconnects or speaker cables? Just some food for thought if you’re after sonic improvements. Much bigger ROI to be had in signal cables than in network tweaks. 

@audphile1 I’m no expert on anything, I come here to learn and find things out.

have you considered upgrading your Ethernet cable

It was on your recommendation I went with the Purist Audio Design CAT7 Ethernet Cable (switch to streamer)

have you considered upgrading your interconnects or speaker cables

It was on your recommendation I went with Acoustic Zen Satori speaker cables.

It was on your recommendation I went with these ethernet cables for the rest of my network: Patch Cables

It was on your recommendation I went with the Aurender N200 over the renderer in my DAC.

It was on your recommendation I went with the Briscati over my Gustard R26 and to honest with you with all the money spent on these items, I haven’t really heard much improvement over what I had, hence the sale of the N200. Now. I’m considering selling the M1.

Probably return the Baaske MI1005 too, at least I will get back what I paid for it and not take the hard hit as did with the N200.

Maybe I need to get my ears checked. In the meantime, I think I'm done here. 

Thank you

so Erik, is this item Baaske MI1005 going to provide the protection that you getting from the Everstar or the TrippLite units that you speak of?

There is no power through the ethernet connection only data, so I presume the only reason you are using these are a as surge protector, from lighting strikes and the like. Is this correct?

OP - Yes. The IEC standard is the key part. As far as I know, all the audio Ethernet isolators are essentially these devices without the high voltage testing but rely on very similar isolator components. In the case of high voltage isolation and surge protection it’s not just the components but how you lay them out that matters, and thats what the testing / certification will prove was correct. I have noticed that all the certified isolators tend to be a little physically larger, perhaps due to the layout requirements.

I note that in the diagram the surge protection happens after the isolation, and does not shunt to ground. Seems like a much better situation than any grounding Ethernet surge protector. There’s no risk of a common mode surge becoming differential and hopping the downstream isolation, and in fact seems to convert from differential to common, a good thing, as less likely to pass downstream.

I have about 40’ of Ethernet between my router and home entertainment center. At the end of that I put the EverStar just before the 8 port switch which feeds all my HT components and Roon streamer.  The reason I put it there, despite paranoid surge protection at my data closet is the 40' of cable can act as an antenna and a local strike can induce a surge voltage.  The longer the cable the more voltage could appear.

@navyachts  The question I asked was pretty simple and common. You’re looking for improvements and I asked about the links that make the most difference.

By the way I still use the purist Ethernet cable, N200 and Bricasti after comparing each of these to multiple other choices. I really don’t think I, together with others who provided suggestions, had steered you wrong with any of the recommendations. You got all top flight stuff. But hey if it doesn’t work for you just sell it. Go back to what you had before and be happy. In this hobby there are many ways to skin the cat…