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Ethernet - Analog/Digital Signal Clean Up

Curiosity got the better of me recently and I tried a pretty cheap tweak where I used two Fiber Optic converters between the eero access point and my Lumin U1 Mini streamer. Converted from copper Ethernet to fiber optic then back to copper and then into streamer using my Supra Cat8. 

I was pleasantly surprised with the improvements this change had brought into my system and now I am wondering if I can do better. One other aspect of the current configuration that I don’t like is the clutter - each unit comes with it’s own power supply and add to that a fiber optic cable. I already have a spider web of wires and am not looking to add to that. 

Objective is to have as much noise, RFI and EMI removed before it reaches the streamer. 

Seeking opinions on the following units from those who had tried them in their systems:

  1. English Electric Network Switch 8 (Silent Angel is pretty much the same thing)
  2. Uptone EtherREGEN (currently out of stock)
  3. Network Acoustics Eno (box or streaming system)

 

What is your experience with these units?

Anything else to add to the above list? 

 

Thanks in advance!

128x128audphile1
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,192 posts
 

Try buying quality usb cables  and Ethernet , at leasta$200 ontherouterend

like a wire world starlight, the most critical is at the end point 

final touch audio Callisto a very natural  sounding usb cable ,about $850 

A  bargain . A AQ Diamond on the Ethernet end point is a very solid Ethernet cable 

a bit smoother the theWireworld and much better connectors telegartner s 

everything counts throughout , I have tried. Any combinations 

even the fiber optic single mode transceivers hood ones are 50-$100 each  which are very important in signal accuracy.

gerrie
107 posts
 

DX Engineering DXE-ISO-PLUS-2 - DX Engineering ISO-PLUS Ethernet RF Filters

Have somebody try this one??
audphile1's avatar
audphile1 OP
5,270 posts
 

For Ethernet cable I’m using Supra Cat8 which was a really nice upgrade from a generic cat 5.
My Lumin streamer and Benchmark DAC3 HGC are connected using Audience AU24se+ USB cable (upgraded by Audience to StudioOne). I agree I can do better than Supra Cat8 but the USB cable I’m using is very good.

The power supply induced noise with the fiber optic converters makes sense and is a candidate to be eliminated. However even despite that noise the converters brought a nice improvement.
That’s why I think the Network Acoustics Eno passive filter makes sense and that’s what I’m going to try. Possibly with a decent network switch between it and the EERO.
Trying to get the streaming as close to physical media as possible is a challenge but there’s no way around it, it has to be done to get the most out of streaming that much is clear now.

richtruss
163 posts
 

Ethernet isolators designed for medical use are just to stop DC currents flowing from one device to another, for safety reasons. They have no components inside to filter out RFI or other high frequency electrical noise. They consist of an input RJ45 socket with transformer coupling (the same device as in an Ethernet switch) which is then directly wired to an output RJ45 socket.

This is the same with the DXE device. There’s no components in there to remove electrical noise.

markprice's avatar
markprice
36 posts
 

Hi, this is my 1st post.

I was very sceptical about all these pre-streamer connections until my friend bought me a cheap £15 Netgear switch. Guess what ... it made a difference. I have since bought the English Electric 8 switch and this made a bigger difference. Then I added  Sablon Audio (£325) Etherlnet cable between EE8 and Streamer. Again a slight improvement. Research tells me that multiple switches can help but expensive cable up to the switch isn't necessary.

So, router via chord cable to net gear via 10m cheap cable to EE8 via Sablon to streamer.

Works for me

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