@mitch2 I’m envisioning Stockhausen’s WDR Studio;
https://120years.net/wordpress/wdr-electronic-music-studio-germany-1951/
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.
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Fundamental problem with optical is you can’t turn light pulses into music, atleast not yet. It to has at some point be converted back into an electronic/ Ethernet signal whether it be with converters outside the streamer or like lumin or other devices that accept a direct fibre, the conversion happens inside the streamer. Obviously if you leave until your inside the streamer, you have no opportunity to intervene to remove this noise. As with any powered device on the network the optical to electronic conversion is likely to create and emit high frequency noise, which left untreated will have a detrimental effect on the performance of the streamer and the onward da conversion. Powered devices like the gigafoil might well clean what’s going in but they will likely add noise in their conversion process to the signal they transmit, Passive filtering as it stands is the only effective solution as it stands. |
@teknorob23 who makes passive filters other than Network Acoustics? |
There are several power supplies in most people's digital signal chain, including those powering the modem, the router, and any switches, as well as power supplies inside of the servers and DACs that process the digital signal. Ethernet itself is galvanically isolated but some believe that optical isolation near the endpoint can improve on that wrt noise reduction, which is probably where the idea of using fiber came from. The Network Acoustics stuff is unpowered and isolates using transformers, which do not break the electrical connection the same as optical. My Gigafoilv4 is powered by an HDPlex LPS so there are no switching supplies in the chain following the optical isolation offered by the Gigafoilv4. Using the ENO just before the Ambre endpoint sounded good yesterday so if I switch to using USB directly from the server to DAC, I may try using only the ENO just before the server, and no other boxes needing power supplies. I guess you just need to try stuff and listen. |
Enjoyed my Ether Regen for several years. A really well thought out product: a reasonable audiophile switch with reasonable ethernet "cleansing". Depending on your ethernet chain and its problems, the Regen may be all you need.
DO NOT try the Muon filter or especially in combination with the Muon cable if you are happy with your Regen. Your happiness will promptly wane. The Muon streaming system is exceptional and in conjunction with a well thought out switch, your ethernet feed will no longer be the weak link in a given system. I don't know how much difference it makes to "pump the brakes" on your ethernet speed down to a steady 100mbps but it is quite apparent in my system that everything improved. |
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