Uptone EtherRegen

...although its beyond me how any "noise"/jitter reduction can be done on a network connection to a streamer and persist on to the DAC.

Mystery to me there......maybe I’ll read the product site some more when I get some time.

I suppose its possible better switches provide a better signal to the streaming device attached to the network which perhaps might make the network card or other circuits work less and produce less noise there, kinda similar in theory to how some USB attached devices might produce less noise streaming which might help there. In that case the results would likely vary widely from one streamer device to another and do more in some cases than others, perhaps nothing in some as well.

Very hard to predict.....

Does not sound like it would substitute for a good jitter resistent DAC though.

Does seem you pay a premium for this versus other network switches, not so much perhaps versus reclocking devices that are only used for computer audio applications between streamer and external DAC, but those do seem totally different.

I use and prefer wireless connections only for computer audio, no wired ethernet. Wireless connections, assuming proper bandwidth, work very well in regards to noise (dead quiet) and overall quality I find because your streamer or computer has no wired network connection to anything. I’d say wires are best avoided whenever possible to help isolate devices and minimize noise and for best possible sound quality, assuming adequate bandwidth which is not an issue with WIfi I find these days for either audio and/or even most video streaming.

Hey @mapman  --- this is not about "jitter reduction". It is about reducing leakage (both high-impedance and low-impedance) and reducing clock phase-noise. Read more carefully, it's all up there. Better yet, try it for yourself! Without trying, everything is just a theory

OK but there is no clock involved with a network connection, only with a digital audio connection to DAC where the digital signal is converted to analog to make the time-based signal for music.

Granted any computer devices can generate more or less noise as it does it’s work so that can come into play on any computer or streaming device.

Like I said, I will stick to wireless network connections to avoid noise from network wires altogether, so I have no need for this.

In any case I do not have time or money to try things unless I understand the theory or basis for which something works and how that would apply to my particular case, but that’s just me.

Gotta decide what to try or not somehow. Hunches alone don’t cut it for me.  People determine all kinds of things "sound better" to them....who has time and money to try everything?

And that’s perfectly fine. Your money, your decision. I realize six hundred buck may be a lot of money for some. All good.

There is definitely clock involved in network digital transmission. And there is also definitely clock involved with a USB connection. I don't think people realize that the USB and network signal does not get reclocked by the DAC. What they reclock on the DAC is the audio signal that is transported via Ethernet then USB. This has also independent of the isolation of the DAC.

Then there is also leakage current. Low impedance and high impedance. All the crap that goes on in your network leaks into your audio.

Wifi on the other hand introduces other issues. There in an antenna to get that signal, and that antenna, along with its (likely) crap PSU, May introduce its own electrical noise / interfere/ leakage current. 

@mapman 

All is good here, listening to a lot of music these days. Since I’m not an engineer, I won’t be giving any satisfactory reasons for the better sound except those indispensable tools, my ears. Like you say perhaps reclocking, reduced jitter, noise, I don’t exactly know for sure. I hope you and your family are safe.