Why do I need a switch?

my belief gained through my travels on this subject is that good clocking and elimination of electrical noise pollution are both important... the importance of the latter highly is dependent on the nature of upstream signal feeds/routers and of course, one’s digital music source (multi use computer, streamer, renderer, what have you...)

it is not just about the integrity of the transmitted data packet info (the networking guys only focus on this, this is a necessary but insufficient condition for success in hifi reproduction), it is about how the data gets decoded accurately back into analog without distortions caused in the process (which requires proper timing and electrical properties of the waveform being read during the conversion...)

@curiousjim I am running the Finisar FCBG110SD1C03 and also the FTLX1475D3BTL like tube rolling (snicker) and I am using the Mini Unmanaged 1x 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10GBase-T RJ45 to 1x 10GBase-X SFP+ Slot 10Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter, AC 100V~240V or DC 5~12V

  https://www.qsfptek.com/product/99867.html

@curiousjim 

Put the converters after your last Ethernet connection. I thought you were planning to run CAT6 to your system. The other thing uses your home electrical wiring to extend your Wi-Fi. I know nothing about that but suspect there could be a risk of adding all sorts of noise (others here know more about that than me, I am sure).  I would put the converters after the Ethernet cable that comes out of the adaptor kit, or at the end of your CAT6, if you choose that route.

BTW, unless you already own the CAT6, consider using CAT8 for the additional shielding.  The cost difference is not that much.

All this fiber talk made me want to hear that set-up again, so I just reconnected my 15M fiber cable from just out of my router to just before my double Bonn switches, where my gear is.  It sounds pretty good.  I doubt I could pick it out of an A/B comparison against the CAT8 cable but the impression I have is maybe a little “wetter”, or maybe a little easier to listen to.  Certainly not night and day but I will leave it in for a while.

otoh, some of us aren’t really into the journey, don’t want to expend the effort, come here ask a question, just want the simple answer, then they get much input that is contradictory, vocal naysayers abound, and then frustration ensues ...

No, this isn’t it. There’s no journey to be had on this road because it makes absolutely no sense that an Ethernet switch would affect the sound of a digital audio file. None. If it did, then your local network and the internet in general wouldn’t work.

There’s a reason why audiophiles are laughed at when they claim products like ’audiophile’ switches make a difference. Network equipment and protocols are all about reliable transmission of data. If you claim to hear a difference when you insert a new switch in your streaming setup, it’s not the switch that’s the source of the difference.

The only way sound is materially affected in a digital system is if the bits are changed. There’s an easy way to test this - use a cryptographic hashing algorithm such as SHA-512 to generate a signature of an audio file. Copy that audio file as many times as you want over your network. Then when you’re satisfied, take a copy and create a new signature using the same algorithm. See if the old and new signatures match - I can pretty much guarantee you that they will.

These types of operations are fundamental to network security and it simply wouldn’t be possible to secure everyday occurrences like paying for something on Amazon or logging into your bank’s website if network equipment affected the data.

Let me add that audiophiles really need to wake up and exercise their critical thinking skills. I know that some of these technologies appear to be mystical, magical boxes - they just work. It’s seductive to think that audiophiles somehow have some kind of insider information to improve on this technology. Consider this - teams of engineers and experts across many companies over many decades have thought through how the protocols should function, what kind of specifications the network interfaces should have and how they should interoperate. What you are using right now is the sum total of all their knowledge and experience. I don’t think a small specialty audiophile company can bring anything of value to the table in this scenario.