2. amps-preamps
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Is optical mostly a waste of time versus Ethernet?

The only value I see with a fiber optical cable is if you have a long long run.

All the noise coming into an optical fiber is preserved and comes out the other side. I guess there is a value in not creating more noise while it is traveling through the optical cable. But if it's a short run of two Feet then is it really worth it.  Seems a well shielded Ethernet cable would do just as fine without all the hassle of converting to optical which is a pain in the ass.

I always thought there was value with optical but it seems they're really may not be. Maybe I'm wrong.  It seems a switch likely produces a lot of noise and inserting an audio grade switch is very prudent and going optical really doesn't solve switch noise problem.  The benefit of re-clocking offered by a decent switch to clean up the signal is worthwhile.

jumia
sns
3,294 posts
 

Maximum optimization not needed initially to hear lower noise floor, at least in some cases. One could use FMC with wall warts straight into wall, still hear improvements. Nice middle ground optimization would be lps only on second in line FMC, wall wart on first in line. High end power cable on lps also not necessary. Just want to remind people this may be nice improvement, even at perhaps $100 total expenditure. I'm just taking things to extreme with the optimization thing.

 

One thing that's a freebie, always keep switching power supplies off ac line serving rest of system. Switching power supplies inject noise into ac line.

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot
1,380 posts
 

@tomic601 No, if it's dragon slaying technology, then it can't be affordable to at least 90% of the music listening population. Otherwise it's not as great as it claims to be.

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot
1,380 posts
 

@sns I'm thinking of something like a PS Audio duet at the Ethernet switch. And I could run an extension cable from the LPS to the conditioner. I'd hate to get caught up on power conditioners when I could allocate money towards a switch, re-clocker, etc...

mitch2
4,027 posts
 

You might want to read this article and the other linked articles.

If you are convinced there is low level noise coming over your Ethernet cable, you might try one of a variety of optical isolation devices near your server, such as the converters and fiber cable discussed here, to something like the GigaFOILv4-INLINE Ethernet Filter, which is an optical filter, to something more expensive like the Sonore offerings or maybe the Network Acoustics ENO or Muon, which are unpowered, transformer-based isolation devices. I suspect you only need one of these isolator solutions. The "audiophile" switch thing seems superfluous. I am currently running the GigaFOIL unit powered by a LPS at the end of my Ethernet cable run, close to my server. It seems to sound just as good as it did with all the other stuff connected.

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot
1,380 posts
 

@mitch2 These seem similar to the Uptone Audio EtherRegen and the GigaFOILand the Regen are pretty close in price.

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