Update on good Ethernet switch

I am not arguing that you don’t hear a difference. But why are you hearing that difference? Anyone have any insight to that? What does that audiophile quality switch do that makes it better?

@charliech What you’re completely missing here is noise, among other things, which is critical in an audio application and not as much in industrial applications. Add a better linear power supply to a switch, router, or streamer and you’ll almost certainly get notably better sound quality than using an onboard SMPS. Also, audiophile switches, streamers, etc. employ other components to keep noise, jitter, etc. to an absolute minimum because in streaming minimizing noise and using better clocks is huge. Full stop. I know on its face it seems a bit odd that these things should make such a significant difference in getting better sound, but they just do and there’s really no getting around it. Embrace it or deny it, that’s entirely up to you.

It all matters in audio. Besides, if part of a $1 million wire transfer arrives a little late but still arrives, its still money. If parts of your music arrive a little late....who knows right? I can state emphatically though that large amounts of money with embedded jitter causes some trepidation when trying to spend it.

@ghasley Heh heh. I agree that many of my larger audio expenditures were accompanied by a good amount of jitter on my part.  I just don’t wanna hear it is all.

I love analog audio logic applied to not just digital audio, but network stacks and data transmission protocols. My car works a lot better when I feed her sugar cubes and loosen up the bridle too.

Edit:  Ok that was uncivil.  I had a rough day and now I feel better.  But sorry.  

Bottom line, we don’t know what to measure and/or there’s a poor correlation to what we can measure and what we “subjectively” like to hear.  Measurements are no substitute for demoing to find what “you” like.  Our hearing acuity is much more complex than current science can measure.

Some come on this forum expecting us to “prove it” before they may even consider (if at all) to purchase.  Many don’t bother to try themselves which is the only way to find “their sonic preferences”.  
 

Also, a few seem to have preconceived notions such as “it’s false until proven true”, “it’s true until proven false “, “my reasoning is universal truth for all”, “my perception is universal truth for all”.  
I simply look at the information, and if enough people are experiencing improvements with an audio component or tweak, then “chances are” I’ll get a similar result- there are no guarantees.

For network switches, I’ll probably settle with Network Acoustics’ switch, filter, cable.  I also read good things about Synergistic Research switch and Ethernet cable.  Reports that additional switches have offer sonic upticks but at diminishing returns.  Not sure if I want to spend additional $ down this rabbit hole.  I’m not a fan of messy looking extra eternal linear power supplies, external master clocks, and the cabling needed for them.