I tried several different configurations tonight between the Gigafoilv4 and the Network Acoustics eno, and I perceived the following differences.
- Having both the Gigafoilv4 and NA eno fed by Ethernet cable in front of my streamer/server sounded very good. This was my baseline.
- Removing the Gigafoilv4 and sending the signal through the eno alone caused me to perceive a bit more tonal density. I can understand how this sound could be desirable.
- Reinstalling the Gigafoilv4 and removing the eno resulted in the perception of a touch more brightness without harshness, but a different sound than the eno alone.
- Surprisingly, removing both the Gigafoilv4 and the eno, and connecting the Ethernet cable directly into my streamer/server may have resulted in my favorite configuration.
The differences were so subtle as to be borderline perceptible but exercising poetic license related to my aural perceptions I would say #1 sounded pretty good, #2 a touch dark, #3 a touch bright, and #4 perhaps the best balanced. I would like to listen more to #1,2,and 4 but I cannot help wondering if any of this stuff makes a big enough difference to bring value. At least in my system, the direct connection sounded so good that I could easily make a case for buying none of the add-ons.
One other thing I would like to try is to use one of my 5V, 3.5A linear power supplies on the power leg of my TWL “Split Power & Data” USB Cable so the USB power would no longer be coming from the server. I would be interested to hear from anyone else who is powering their USB input using an external linear power supply, and the perceived effect on the sound of your system.