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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.
mwgreene
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,377 posts
 
Update: I’ve order my ENO Ag System earlier today after exchanging emails with Rich. I have to give props to Rich for answering my concerns and queries patiently, he was thorough in reviewing my current streaming system and suggested ways to improve / isolate noise.

I will post my findings once ENO in my system for at least 40 hours.
antigrunge2
1,397 posts
 
What we have here again is the bits-are-bits crowd resolutely sitting on their ears. The only thing more disheartening is their inability to get up. Galvanic isolation on USB and filtering on Ethernet both work audibly well, even if ASR hasn‘t cared to look for a way to measure either accurately. The missionary zeal of flat earthers, though. I suggest people listen to Hans van Beekhuizen‘s youtube channel to understand the interaction of RMi/EFI and digital to analogue conversion.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
Good grief dismiss engineers on ASR and promote a whacko on YouTube. There's nothing magical about ethernet or USB and both can be measured for noise beyond human hearing. Get out of the dark ages and join the 21st century. 
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,820 posts
 
On a review of the Marantz SA-10CD/SACD player, I came across this:
http://www.10audio.com/marantz_sa-10.htmI

The user can adjust settings for dither to minimize quantization errors, and also choose one of four settings for the Noise Shaper, which changes “linearity and noise characteristics in the audible range using digital feedback. The measurements are the same but the sound quality changes.” Changing the dither and Noise Shaper settings have an audible effect, but were left at the default settings for this evaluation.
The part where it states: The measurements are the same but the sound quality changes. caught my attention. Is that true? And, if so, how is it explained that something can sound different yet measure the same?

All the best,
Nonoise



djones51
4,947 posts
 
The article is comparing ripped LP's and upsampled CD's. I don't see any mention of measurement equipment like an AP analysizer and since it's mentioned within the context of using different filters I assume he means the rates are the same no matter which filter, they are all 32/192 or 32/384 etc.. he also mentions there is very little difference at times he's uncertain. Nothing like I read here of "night and day" and "vastly superior ". 
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