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Streaming Sound Quality - Want the very best sound quality? Network Acoustics ENO...

Like many of you fellow Agoners I am striving to get the best sound quality out of my digital streaming front end. To that end I have invested in various high end switches, re-clockers, ethernet cables, various USB filters/re-clockers, high end servers and delved into fiber optic conversion configurations. All of these measures did improve sound quality at varying levels. I felt my system sounded as good as a decent CD transport on many streaming recordings in Qobuz. However, I still felt there was something missing. I felt my system was still being held back. You can see my system under virtual systems here.

Well, I stumbled across something that has finally enabled my digital system to be all it can be. I cannot fully express the level of sound quality improvement realized with the addition of the Network Acoustics ENO Ag filter and ENO Ag streaming ethernet cable. It has been 10 days now since I added these to my system and I can now confidently say my streaming and system are all they can be sonically.

Here is the set up that has caused me to sell off and move past many other powered filters, reclockers, fiber optic options, and other streaming tweaks and gadgets. Frankly, the ENO additions are miles ahead of these other options sonically in my system and experience. Miles. This is my personal experience and please understand this perspective.

Netgear NighHawk modem/router power by an LPS > Supra cat 8 ethernet cable > English Electric 8Switch > Network Acoustics ENO Ag streaming cable > ENO Ag ethernet filter > Innuos Zenith III > Mojo Audio Evo dac

The English Electric 8Switch is also wonderful. Will a lower cost, standard switch sound as good in this set-up? Not sure as I have not tried. I am so ecstatic with my sound system that I don’t want to touch it!

There is a certain rightness from top to bottom that’s intoxicating. The tone is so beautiful and natural with no hint of electronic glare or digital artificiality. Music flows with far greater ease and has an uncanny, unforced nature to it. The stage is far deeper with the music flowing from a plane that is layered and completely separate of the speakers. This aural sensation, at this level of nuance, is new to my system and experience. The ENO products made this possible.

Instruments are presented with a new realism that is arresting to my senses. There is a wholistic presentation that spreads out all around me and my space. Just a joy to experience. Yes, the speakers seem to float the music into my space without any attention or localization of the speaker box or physical presence.

No part of frequency spectrum is out of place or forced. I am sure this has to do with the absence of noise. My music is equally articulate and resolved at low or loud volumes. Music stays controlled and enticing no matter how complex or bombastic the recording.

The ENO filter is passive, not powered, so there is no need of any power supply or plug. This is a huge plus.

Hope you streaming audiophiles find this helpful.

Bill
128x128grannyring
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,600 posts
 
Another vote for ENO Ag Filter and Ag LAN cable. Rich is a class act, nothing but great customer service experience.
I want to give a shout out to @mwgreene for introduction to ENO.
arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,695 posts
 
@grannyring I see that you also have an English Electric 8Switch in the chain, which I'm assuming was added prior to the ENO. I was just wondering whether you noticed any noticeable improvement in SQ when you first added the 8switch. If yes, how would you rate the 'wow' factor compared to the addition of ENO later on?

Also, have you tried to remove the 8Switch from the chain to evaluate the ENO on its own?
mitch2
4,075 posts
 
So the ENO is basically an RF reduction device that uses chokes to filter the input.  In the post by @arafiq below, he reports that the ENO designer told him a fiber optic interface does basically "a similar job" of noise reduction as the ENO.  

That comment leads to my question of whether any ENO users have directly compared it to a fiber optic interface - and how did the two compare sonically? 
richtruss
163 posts
 
If I may, the OpticalRendu is the only device I know of that has an optical SFP port actually built into it, so that you can plug an optical cable directly into it. I’m sure there are others.A fibre optic interface that uses two media converters going from RJ45 to optical and then back to RJ45 to the streamer is a different thing.
All active devices emit noise, including optical to RJ45 converters. We have users with these media converters that get a big improvement, as eloquently described by Bill, by adding an ENO filter between the media converter and the streamer.
mitch2
4,075 posts
 
Thanks for the clear answer Rich, and for weighing in on this forum.  I am actually using 15M of fibre optic for my main link between my router and my system.  There is one converter at the system, which I power with a large (overkill) LPS and then a very short Ethernet/CAT8 cable from the converter to the streamer/server.  When you say,
All active devices emit noise, including optical to RJ45 converters.
I assume you include switches too?  Therefore, what I believe I hear is the optimal set-up is to have the ENO be the last device prior to the streamer - correct. 

I have gotten to know Bill over the years through these forums so I do have a level of trust in what he hears, which is why this thread interested me.  Where would be a good place to purchase the ENO in the USA?
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