Ethernet connection for best sound quality

+jerrybj   My 1 1/2 year streaming journey followed a similar path. Each change made an improvement.  Started out streaming from my phone/ipad to my Wifi DAC using Tidal hi-res. Then Macbook Pro on wifi using Audirvana with usb to DAC, then used ethernet cable to mesh router instead of wifi, then added optical isolation filter (FMC-optical cable-FMC) from router to Macbook,  added Bricasti M5 network streamer controlled by Macbook over the network, then added roon and a sonic transporter i5 as roon core and dropped the Macbook now controlled by an ipad or iphone remotely.  Biggest improvements were adding M5 streamer over the network, optical isolation and quality usb cable. Roon with the sonic transporter made it much easier to use with some minimal SQ improvement vs. the Macbook.   Ethernet cables made very little if any improvement. Very happy with the end result and a fun journey.  Network Streamer did matter for me!

@tksteingraber 

Certainly similarities in our upgrades.

I originally bought the MacBook Pro because it had digital out via Toslink. At the time I used iTunes, eventually upgrading to Audirvana.

I'm firmly of the view that many small additions have the ability to create a greater whole. 

Concerning the ifi LAN silencer.

The Chain; DSL- to modem- to router- to streamer- to DAC.

In the chain it should be placed? I figure befroe the streamer, I cannot see any sense in cleaning the bits that arrive to my computer.

Working backwards,

before the streamer?

before the router?

before the modem?

@joes44 

I have two LAN silencers.

One I use between my wall outlet and switch (Acoustic Revive RLI-1GB-tripleC).

The other is between the switch and streamer (Pink Faun LAN Isolator).

@vinylshadow I have Empire streamer/DAC. It is hands down the best sounding streamer/DAC I have owned besting the Lumin X1 using it's fiber input. Unfortunately I may be selling it as a business opportunity has come up.