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.
This thread has become a waste of time. There are some really good answers included here but some of the tangents really disappointing. In summary it’s all about the noise passing through the ethernet cable and dealing with it. Network switches help by not adding noise, maybe canceling out some of it, and offer clocking benefits. Enough said |
@jumia No clocking benefits, if noise is entering your streamer/DAC through Ethernet, you have some serious other issues. so the take away is that you should not waste your money. Like I have pointed out and proven, the likes @sns and @yyzsantabarbara have no clue about how networking works. |
A router and a switch are two different components of a network. The router is actually a computer that assigns the IP address to a Mac Address (network card) so that multiple MAC addresses can use the connection at the same time. The switch is a different component that reads the packets destination and sends them to the correct endpoint. WIFI is a separate component that uses radio frequencies instead of hard wire to transmit and receive ethernet packets. As WIFI is now so prominent it’s built in but you can still purchase routers without WIFI. Routers can do a lot of cool things like separate groups of users to share / hide resources from each other for instance creating a departmental printer that can only be used by assigned users or limiting access to the payroll computer only to the payroll department. Everyone should look at the routers admin pages to see what can be accomplished BUT DON’T MAKE CHANGES UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AS IT’S EASY TO DOWN THE WHOLE NETWORK WITH A SINGLE SETTING!!!
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So maybe a router that is Wi-Fi free should be used to connect all the audio stuff and you can then connect a router with a Wi-Fi daisychained to the first router, because everyone needs Wi-Fi. Does this seem like a really good idea? To me the Wi-Fi free router looks like a switch. Maybe connect an audiophile Grade switch directly to the modem and then connect a router to the switch for all those non-audiophile related item. And then connect all the audio equipment stuff to the first switch that is connected to the modem. Does this solve anything? Of course excluding gear from a router may impair security concern issues. |
For us generalists and/or audiophiles not expert in all the technicalities of streaming we have to rely on the designers of streaming equipment. @fredrik222 proposes himself as the expert above all experts, simply ignores designers of the steaming audio equipment audiophiles use to good effect. Many of us have used general service or streaming equipment not designed with audiophile in mind, we've heard improvements in sound quality with specialty equipment, he dismisses our perceptions as faulty.
For the novice, you can go with ones and zeros or you can go with trust in your senses. The one thing the objectivist can never answer is why we hear things they can't measure, |
