WROUTER: Ultra Low Noise Audio Grade Router
Although a relative unknown in the Western Hemisphere, the Waversa Systems WRouter has been on the market for some time, and it remains the only audiophile grade router. This unit was a “from the ground up” build, taking advantage of Waversa’s in-house chip design and proprietary signal processing and protocols.
The WRouter achieves what it is designed to accomplish: to present streaming data without tradeoff, with black background, more focus, less tension, improved clarity, dynamics, and detail, all with a noticeable reveal of the intricacies of decay.
The WRouter is designed to handle the most demanding audio files and is capable of streaming different content to different locations simultaneously without compromise. This unit is not a high-speed router or switch. Any step in that direction proved detrimental to overall sonic presentation.
The Waversa WRouter achieves network security by “packet filtering” and, for ease of use, is not configurable by the end-user. However, WiFi Access can be custom labeled and password protected by the end-user.
The end user can set up the WRouter as a WiFi router, a switch, or a hotspot. Best overall results occur when the WRouter is separated from non-audio bandwidth by connecting the WRouter to your modem with an isolated ethernet line.
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Clean power
Switch mode power supply (SMPS) introduce high frequency noise and voltage spikes to normal sinusoidal alternating current. This noise has been demonstrated to travel retrograde and contaminate other power lines in your home and your neighborhood. Waversa products use either an internal linear power supply or lithium battery power, but switch mode power supply noise generated by other network sources can still pollute the audio signal. This issue has been considered and addressed by the WRouter’s incorporation of two isolated ethernet hubs. The normal LAN ports use linear power and the audio LAN ports are battery powered, providing complete power separation. Switching hub processors in each LAN area provide effective data distribution by separating distribution of music streaming data from distribution of data having nothing to do with music, such as behind the scenes network processing, firmware, LCD display commands, etc.
Large power transformers supply main power
...Linear power supplies are more stable than SMPS power supplies, so distortion is reduced by minimizing jitter and noise.
Battery-powered LAN audio ports
The four audio ports are designed to operate on a lithium-ion battery. By ensuring consistent, clean electrical current, Lithium-ion batteries allow for a more precise data stream. This level of performance is difficult to achieve even with a linear power supply. In addition, the ultra-low impedance characteristics of lithium-ion batteries absorb and remove even the smallest noise signals transmitted through connected signal lines to achieve noise-free performance.
LAN ports with Isolation and Noise Filtering
...In addition, two transformers are strategically placed to eliminate high-frequency noise, one between the two hardware network switch chips that communicate between the three ‘dirty’ side LAN ports near the power supply and the four ‘clean’ side battery-powered LAN ports connected to the audiophile components. The second is located after the switch chip for audio data. The four audio LAN ethernet ports have an additional filter so the signal to the audiophile devices is filtered twice.
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Separate Internal Parallel Switches
The WRouter’s audio LAN ports and normal LAN ports are designed to be completely separated, using parallel internal switches. This separation of processors reduces latency relative to use of a single processor, reducing the chance of jitter due to overloading. This design also prevents internally processed packets from being delivered to the audio ports, thus improving the throughput of audio data.
Whole-cut duralumin chassis
The WRouter’s solid, CNC cut duralumin chassis minimizes the effects of vibration. In addition, the inside and outside are partitioned to a thickness of about 5 ~ 8mm, so that noise, whether generated externally or internally, does not interfere with the audio signal.
Floating structure design resistant to vibration
While the basic exterior armature is built to resist vibration, the structure itself is also designed to “float”, providing even more effective vibration suppression. This airborne structure makes it almost impossible to transfer vibrations, so there is no sound distortion due to vibration.