@singingg Drain ground wire only on one end, so as not to pass noise. Melco Audio specialise in audiophile switches, so have hardware experience in this.
Network optimization for serious streamers
In my ongoing experiments, now going on seven years, with network optimization for streaming I've discovered a number of optimizations that should work with any ethernet ISP.
I've tried a variety of ethernet cables, modems, routers, switches, FMC, ethernet filters, the following is what I've found to be most effective optimizations.
I'll start with ISP quality and speed. Recently I discovered 500mbps to be preferable to 300mbps. Along with upgrade in speed, modem capable of 1gb service replaced 600mbps, both have Broadcom chips and powered by same lps. Can't say which more responsible for improvement, speed or modem, presume speed has at least some role in ping time. As for ISP, there is importance in ISP server geographic location to you, shorter distances means lower ping time. For information as to how ping time affects jitter-https://www.fusionconnect.com/speed-test-plus/ping-jitter-test
Now for modems, modem close to audio system is most favorable, extending coax cable preferable to long ethernet cable. Coax more resistant to rfi and closer positioning to system means one can more easily afford top quality ethernet cable for modem to router connection. The modem should use Broadcom chipset vs. inferior Intel Puma, Broadcom chipset has lower jitter vs the Intel. Modem should be powered via external lps using quality DC and AC cables, lps to power conditioner for ultimate performance.
Following close positioning of modem to audio system, router should also be placed near modem in service of same advantage of making highest quality ethernet cable more affordable, in this case, modem to router and router to switches, streamers and NAS. Router should be powered with lps, this lps should be able to provide more amps than router requires in service of providing greater reliability, having lps with reserves of amperage means lps runs cooler, heat is enemy of reliability, longevity. As with modem, quality dc, ac cables and connection to power conditioner.
The next finding is new to me, provides very meaningful upgrade to streaming sound quality. Noise from wifi, injected both internally to router and externally with routers sitting close to audio systems has long been a concern to me. I have quality Trifield meter which measures rfi, router with operational wifi manufacture obscenely high levels of rfi, rfi is noise, noise is enemy of streaming at level we're talking about here. And its very likely the more wifi devices one has in home the higher the levels of rfi produced. This noise is then injected into following cables and streaming equipment. One may convince themselves FMC totally isolates this noise, and while correct, it doesn't mitigate the noise and masking going on within router. The only way to eliminate this noise is turning off wifi. And then, how to provide wifi for the many wifi devices we have at home? The answer is to connect a second router to the primary router. The primary router will only provide ethernet for streamers, switches and/or NAS in audio system, also for the second router. Second router provides wifi for the home, this scheme keeps vast majority of rfi out of audio system streaming chain. My own measurements find rfi significantly diminished in primary router, more than mulitiples of ten times lower vs wifi enabled. This was seamless install with the Netgear routers I'm using. There may also be value in provisioning higher quality routers. My new primary router, Netgear XR1000 is marketed as a gamer router, claims of lower ping time, latency, jitter vs other routers. Since my old router, Netgear RS7000 didn't have means to monitor ping time I can't provide evidence of this claim. Whatever the case, my XR1000 ping time test measurements are as follows, 25.35ms highest, 16.50ms lowest, this is A+ measurements against objective criteria. Ping time under load is download 25.93ms, upload 37.34ms, idle 17.31ms, this rates as A. My speed of 565gbps rates B grade, likely need 1gb service to get A here. At to how this all pertains to sound quality, adding up the upgrade in ISP speed and the off loading of wifi is without a doubt one of the most substantial, if not most substantial network upgrades I've experienced. While I long considered my setup as having a vanishing low noise floor, with this setup I heard a new level of vanishing if such a thing is possible. Even more astounding was a more analog like presentation, while I wasn't aware of even the slightest digital presentation prior, this upgrade certainly exposed it was indeed there. It seems logical to conclude there has been some lowering of jitter here.
And then we come to the ethernet filter. I suppose audiophile switches can be considered as one, then we have actual filters such as Network Acoustics Muon, my JCAT Net XE and others. I continue to believe these necessary even with the all measures above.
Optical conversion is also valid approach post router. While I found generic FMC somewhat effective, at this point I prefer ethernet. On the other hand I've not yet tried optimizing a fiber solution, for example two Sonore OpticalModules, both powered by lps, further upgraded with Finisar optical transceivers.
Assuming one has high resolving audio and streaming systems the above network optimizations should provide for substantial sound quality improvements. In my system, perception of performers in room has been taken to a new level of intimacy, meaning a more emotional connection to the performers and performance.
At this point, I consider network has been fully optimized, the only upgrade I'm aware of would be ISP upgrade to 1gb.
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There are a few manufacturers who now eschew the use of metal housed RJ45 connectors as used on many high end ethernet cables (such as Nordost), claiming the metal connector touches the ground, and this then exposes the external jacketing to a high frequency skin effect, reducing performance. Its all black magic but there may be something to this. |
@sns I got all setup to do a subjective A-B test to see how much gain there is to be had disabling wireless on the modem router. When I sat down to do the 2nd half I found I could not connect to my Lindemann streamer with my iPhone app. Cos wireless was disabled. Idiot. =)). As suggested here I will try the TP-Link Omada as a router with separate wireless access point. |
An easy way to test with wifi disabled is to have music player control or remote app on laptop, get usb to ethernet adapter, now have hard wired laptop. Vast majority of Android devices won't work with ethernet as most Android OS don't support ethernet.
I had also heard many cat 7 ethernet cables manufactured with ground connected at only one end, assumed this for all cat 7. Seems this not true. In any case the purpose of minimizing noise at every single link in streaming chain remains critical. Any noise, whether internally generated or picked up by ethernet cable needs to be minimized, to think we can eliminate it entirely is a fools errand. Extending coax vs long ethernet takes care of the noise issue at that point in chain, very important step.
In regard to comparing ethernet vs wifi vs optical. Noise equation comes down to wifi and optical total galvanic isolation, obviously no noise transferred component to component, ethernet may or may not transfer via grounds, and then rfi entering via connectors. So ethernet may lose a bit here, but think about self generated noise, wifi certainly high noise, you've lost some resolution at very first link in chain. Sure, wifi signal may be strong enough for no drop outs, but noise is loss of resolution no matter where generated. Plus likely there may be advantages via ISP, ethernet service may be inherently lower noise vs wifi. Ethernet vs optical advantages may be more difficult to discern, optical devices may or may not generate more self noise than ethernet, obviously optical cables less noisy than ethernet. Still far more ethernet equipment available, switches, filters, clocking to maximize ethernet jitter, noise performance. The only optical upgrades I"m aware of is the Sonore equipment, specifically the OpticalModule with it's superior power supply, filtering, clocking, which can then further be upgraded with the Finisar and/or Cisco optical transceivers. I'd like to see a fully optimized ethernet network faceoff against the optical. I'm not far off here, just need to acquire two more OpticalModules and Finisar transceivers.
@yyzsantabarbara USB vs SPDIF superiority is totally conditional on both streamer and dac optimization of these ports. Theoretically, best rendering scheme would be optimized port on streamer going to optimized port on dac. Very few streamers and dacs provide optimized usb, assume it most difficult rendering scheme to optimize since it has greatest inherent liabilities. Not difficult to determine optimized rendering ports in streamers and dacs, manufacturer will state something to the effect of dedicated power supply, filtering and clocking for the rendering port, in dacs this will generally be XMOS or Amanero usb boards, in streamers proprietary boards. Lacking optimized ports in many streamers and dacs finding preferred port is crap shoot. Generally, not as difficult to find optimized ports in dacs, our 005 usb ports being one example, finding optimized usb rendering in streamers far more rare, usually one of the SPDIF ports or possibly I2S will be best port to use. Whatever the case, certainly may be worthwhile to experiment with all ports. |
As a followup to importance of these upgrade and impact in my setup. I'd put extending coax vs long ethernet to modem, and lps on router as the big two. These two easily made the greatest impact, and were easily heard even when entire audio system was less resolving. All other upgrades were more incremental in nature, taking them all together was certainly large upgrade, but taking each individually not as impressive as the two biggies. Still all are worthwhile even if one has less resolving system at present. They should positively impact any system and as one upgrades overall system, you can have assurance network is up to snuff. |
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