Questions about Ethernet Cabling

@lalitk -- Agreed. As we discussed a few weeks ago, something like Telegartner is part of the not-so-distant future purchase plan. The cheap switch was always supposed to be a stopgap measure, but what I didn’t account for was that it would actually degrade sound quality to this extent. Well, you live and learn.

As I mentioned earlier, the EE Switch8 didn’t work in my system. I know @grannyring has had success with his. For some reason when I talked to the dealer at the time of purchase, he said that EE actually recommends switching PS over LPS. So I never bothered with an LPS. I wonder if that was the missing piece of the puzzle.

@antigrunge2 -- Based on my rather ordinary experience with EE Switch8, I’m a bit leery of trying another product in the same price range. I think to hear ’substantial’ improvements, something like a Telegartner is probably the way to go. Innuos’s PhoenixNET is another option. Both are much pricier than EtherRegen to be fair though.

At this point, I need to decide my next move ... do I first improve the USB side of things by inserting something like the Innuos Phoenix USB reclocker/regenerator, or invest in a better switch upfront. Eventually, I might end up doing both, but let’s say if I have to get one of them first, which one do you guys think will provide a more noticeable improvement?

Is there any way to get rid of the noise put into the system by a wifi extender?

@jerrybj -- someone like @lalitk or @antigrunge2 are probably more knowledgeable on this topic, but I would say something like an ENO filter (Network Acoustics) might not be a bad option to consider. I tried my Zenith MK3 both with and without the ENO, and it definitely makes a subtle but noticeable improvement. It allows for a blacker background which in turn improves transparency and detail retrieval in my system. But it's not a night or day difference for sure.

@arafiq

Use a netgear GS305 self learning bridge:

I have about 4 of these in my house daisy-chained and they work perfectly. Use at least a cat6 cable and you will be fine.

@arafiq

pls see my previous post re: InnuOS Phoenix USB. The utility is very much dependent on your DAC’s clocking accuracy and USB implementation. USB is a compromised transmission format; increasingly people consider going all fibre to the streamer and on to the DAC. Since we however live in the here and now I’d try and improve the USB connection first by inserting galvanic isolation. I use the Intona Isolator with Intona reference short (!) cables for that purpose. It’ll not get you what the Phoenix can do but will be a lower cost option. The expensive bit in the Phoenix is the clock; I am somewhat disenchanted with Innuos for trying to sell us the same thing twice rather than offer separate clock entries in one unit (Phoenix USB and Phoenix Ethernet) since clocking is important in both links.

tThe reason I am unconvinced about the Phoenix USB is mainly that in asynchronous USB the DAC slaves the server to its clock; so by getting better clocking on the Dac rather than inserting another box you actually kill two birds with one stone: not only do you improve USB clocking but you also, and in my mind even more importantly improve clocking of the D to A conversion with very beneficial effects on attack, reverb and soundstage.

All told, rather than spend too much money on USB consider whether going all fibre is a future solution and if you decide to stay with USB focus on isolation as well as the Dac’s clock.