Ha! I was strongly thinking about the Ayre QX-8 before I went with the Benchmark/Auralic combo (which saved some casino too) But I did it because I want to have the flexibility to upgrade the dac separate from the steamer. I use Quobuz too. I have a Spotify sub also, but I generally only listen to the big rig on Quobuz. You should be getting great sound out of your Ayre/Quobuz combo. My guess is that you definitely need to look at a network switch and cabling. Don't neglect power supply management....I love my Audioquest 1200. I see many folks online swear by the Uptone Ether Regen. And you are correct that money-wise you've got the heavy lifting already out of the way. I say....go for it!
A Very Useful New Discovery--EON Digital Filter from Network Acoustics
I've been on a year long quest to upgrade my stereo system, hopefully for the last time. As a senior "Luddite", I have been a late adopter of steaming capability. But now I'm converted. And just in time it apparently. In August 2020, DG released a new recording of all four Charles Ives Symphonies with the LA Phil and Dudemel conducting....with no CD format available!
Currently I'm listening to music through an Auralic G1 steamer/ Benchmark dac 3 DAC B into a newly built Audible Illusions Modulus 3B preamp and a Parasound A23+ power amp. CD's are played on an Audiolab 6000 transport into the Benchmark via Toslink. Speakers are Vanderstein Treo CT's. Oh there's still vinyl. I upgraded my trusty Well-Tempered TT with a Hana ML cartridge into a Sutherland Insight phono amp. Power supplies are a Furman PTS-8 with a Greenwave for devices switched on/off and an Audioquest 1200 for the devices left on, like the amp and the pre-amp. Everything is sounding really good (mostly acoustic jazz, Americana and Classical....lotsa acoustic piano).
I read on the 'Gon about a device from the U.K. called, EON from Network Acoustics. It is an EMI/RFI filtering device. We live on the Westside of LA. There's plenty of stray noise around. The one thing that worried me was the thirty foot run of contractor grade ethernet cable I was running from the office to the Auralic G1. I generally run mid-price cables, (Audioquest Carbon USB, Rocket 88 bi-wire speaker cables with DBS, Signal silver cables to the Sutherland, etc). Researching the EON, it seemed like this unit could be an asset, or at least save the money of 30 feet of Audioquest Cinnamon cable. And it was reasonably priced (under $500.00)!
I traded e-mails with Rich. He thought I would really like it but made two modest suggestions. He suggested that I add a D-Link DSG 1008G network switch (under $30.00) and add a short link of good cable to the EON. (I ended up using the Audioquest Cinnamon ethernet). And he also suggested I pick up a IFI 5V power supply. ($50.00)
So.....what happened?
Suddenly the bass information, seemingly missing, was deep and powerful. I can actually feel the low bass strings on Christian McBride's acoustic bass pressing on my chest. And the percussive drive of Brian Blades drumming is being felt, not just implied. (Joshua Redman, Round Again, Nonesuch). The overall focus of everything is sharper. Like when you are tuning a guitar and the last little turn gets the top E string exactly right..... not just close. Brad Mehldau on, April 2020, sounds exactly like he is playing in my living room on a well cared for Steinway. Wow! Just Wow!!!!
I foolishly, but honestly, told my wife that I don't know to make this system sound any better. I'm all done. Back to listening to music!
Important P.S The D-Link requires a male USB 2.0 Mini-B 5pin connector. Even though the IFI comes with many connector options, this isn't one of them. Nancy had one from an old I -Pad, keyboard connector.
Currently I'm listening to music through an Auralic G1 steamer/ Benchmark dac 3 DAC B into a newly built Audible Illusions Modulus 3B preamp and a Parasound A23+ power amp. CD's are played on an Audiolab 6000 transport into the Benchmark via Toslink. Speakers are Vanderstein Treo CT's. Oh there's still vinyl. I upgraded my trusty Well-Tempered TT with a Hana ML cartridge into a Sutherland Insight phono amp. Power supplies are a Furman PTS-8 with a Greenwave for devices switched on/off and an Audioquest 1200 for the devices left on, like the amp and the pre-amp. Everything is sounding really good (mostly acoustic jazz, Americana and Classical....lotsa acoustic piano).
I read on the 'Gon about a device from the U.K. called, EON from Network Acoustics. It is an EMI/RFI filtering device. We live on the Westside of LA. There's plenty of stray noise around. The one thing that worried me was the thirty foot run of contractor grade ethernet cable I was running from the office to the Auralic G1. I generally run mid-price cables, (Audioquest Carbon USB, Rocket 88 bi-wire speaker cables with DBS, Signal silver cables to the Sutherland, etc). Researching the EON, it seemed like this unit could be an asset, or at least save the money of 30 feet of Audioquest Cinnamon cable. And it was reasonably priced (under $500.00)!
I traded e-mails with Rich. He thought I would really like it but made two modest suggestions. He suggested that I add a D-Link DSG 1008G network switch (under $30.00) and add a short link of good cable to the EON. (I ended up using the Audioquest Cinnamon ethernet). And he also suggested I pick up a IFI 5V power supply. ($50.00)
So.....what happened?
Suddenly the bass information, seemingly missing, was deep and powerful. I can actually feel the low bass strings on Christian McBride's acoustic bass pressing on my chest. And the percussive drive of Brian Blades drumming is being felt, not just implied. (Joshua Redman, Round Again, Nonesuch). The overall focus of everything is sharper. Like when you are tuning a guitar and the last little turn gets the top E string exactly right..... not just close. Brad Mehldau on, April 2020, sounds exactly like he is playing in my living room on a well cared for Steinway. Wow! Just Wow!!!!
I foolishly, but honestly, told my wife that I don't know to make this system sound any better. I'm all done. Back to listening to music!
Important P.S The D-Link requires a male USB 2.0 Mini-B 5pin connector. Even though the IFI comes with many connector options, this isn't one of them. Nancy had one from an old I -Pad, keyboard connector.
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- 96 posts total
mwgreene, I’m just surprised that more of these devices aren’t being manufactured. There’s SoTM, Uptone Audio and this Network Acoustics and from what I know, that’s about it. Occasionally I see the etherRegen on the used market. Anyway, in time I’ll buy one of these but currently have other expenses. |
Goofyfoot, I think Fuzztone mentioned that he has a Silent Angel. That apparently is the same basic unit that Chord is using to mod for their English Audio unit. I think part of the confusion might be anytime an affordable tweek or mod gets an "Audiophile" label, magically the cost goes up hundreds or thousands of dollars. I know people try to measure these things and claim that there's "no there, there". Well, there are switches and there are filters. I don't think you need to pay way up for an "audiophile" switch (My D-Link was less than $30.00)....but you need an upgraded switch and filtering. If I hadn't heard a demonstrable difference, I would not have posted in the first place. I still think we have a ways to go, knowledge wise, in this new digital streaming world. |
We have customers who already have an EtherRegen and have then added an ENO Ag between the EtherRegen and their streaming device, and have had a significant uplift in sound quality. The EtherRegen gets you a big lift, but still has electrical noise coming from it, that ENO will filter out, and that makes all the difference. The ENO is very labour intensive to build, we build them by hand, and it can only be done by hand. If you own an ENO you know it’s been built by real engineers who take great pleasure in knowing they’ve made you smile. There’s a new review here that might be of interest. https://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/network-acoustics-eno-ethernet-filter-ag-eno-streaming-cable... |
- 96 posts total