2. digital
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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
grannyring
mitch2
4,337 posts
 

@hchilcoat - interesting that Benjamin recommended the ENO, maybe I am on the right track.  I appreciate @lalitk posting about it being for sale and since it was the Network Acoustics ENO Streaming System Ag on offer, I received both the ENO Ag filter and their 1M cable, which allows me to run the NA cable from my Bonn N8 switch to the ENO and then their short connected cable from the ENO to my DejaVu server.  The seller also included an ifi power supply to power a switch.

I do admit what I am hearing now sounds pretty damn good.  Neil Young at Carnegie Hall 1970 and Muscle Shoals: Small Town Big Sound both sound nuanced, spatial, and dynamic.  Not fully sure whether it sounds better than before but I believe it may and I am certainly pleased with what I hear.  I am running the set-up with router>short CAT8>switch>short CAT8>converter>45' of fiber>converter>short CAT8>Bonn N8 switch>NA cable>ENO>NA cable>streamer.  I can do the same thing but replace the "converter>45' of fiber>converter" with CAT8 Ethernet cable that is already in-place just not connected.  That removes the two converters and two power supplies.  I suspect that may be splitting hairs but I will try it.

I don't like small black boxes but in this case maybe I should have listened to @grannyring sooner since it sounds as if I am already one black box back from the latest and greatest.

grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,646 posts
 

I also need to share that the impact is cumulative. It will take a couple of days before you hear it all. It’s simply the nature of how the filter works. It needs some time for it to be fully affective in your system. It builds over a short period of time. Typically no more than two days. My 6000th post. Oh my. Crazy

mitch2
4,337 posts
 

I spent more time with the ENO over the weekend, which I added between the final Bonn N8 switch and my server (router>switch>converter>45 ft. of fiber>converter> Bonn N8>NA cable>ENO>server).  I like what I hear so far but the effect is subtle.

Thanks to comments by @sns, I tried a different streaming configuration by connecting an Ethernet cable from my Mojo DejaVu server to a Metrum Ambre (Roon endpoint/player) that I previously used in my system to deliver I2S into a Metrum DAC.  In this configuration, the DejaVu acts as the Roon server and the Ambre acts as the player and outputs AES/EBU to my Mojo EVO B4B DAC.  The two configurations I am comparing are:

  • A: DejaVu is Roon server and player and outputs USB to the Mojo EVO B4B DAC
  • B: DejaVu is Roon server and Metrum Ambre is Roon player and outputs AES/EBU into the Mojo EVO B4B DAC

It is easy to A/B this set up since all I need to do is change the selected endpoint in Roon between the Ambre and the Mojo DejaVu, and then toggle between the USB (DejaVu) and AES/EBU (Ambre) inputs on the EVO B4B DAC.

Initial impressions are that the Ambre is slightly more incisive and the DejaVu is slightly more fluid and maybe the slightest bit less dynamic.  However, both sound great, just slightly different. 

rc22
134 posts
 

30 days ago I added the ENO silver filter **by itself** for about a week before adding an EE 8switch and Supra Cat 8 Ethernet cable between the switch and ENO. Note: I have no ethernet wall plates so I was able to use ENO Ag without an ethernet patch-cord. Cat 6 runs from my router/modem directly into my Zenith thru a small hole in the sheetrock of my music room. So I inserted cat 6 into ENO and ENO pigtail into Zentih. The result was disappointing.

The filter did provide a discernible improvement in SQ after a few days of settling in or cooking—if you will. But, the gain was too small, in my view. I will never know if an ethernet cable along with the filter would have provided a larger bump. But I can say that after adding the EE switch and Supra Cat 8 and allowing those to settle in a few days or perhaps even longer, I have been mightily impressed. Speaking with others about their experiences with ENO filters, switches and ethernet cables, it’s clear results vary.

I did remove everything once to do an A/B and it was better with than without.

But, I recommend evaluating it over a month or so. Thru different moods, lots of different music, some days away from your system, etc. As I’ve done so, the benefits of these products in network have become more apparent and they continue to surprise me.  Outstanding results.

dbb
215 posts
 

@rc22 

Just to be clear, are you saying that for you the supra cat 8 and the EE switch worked almost as well without  the Eno filter  in?

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