Relationship between Ethernet Switch and SQ

@mathiasmingus

Thanks for the update. IME, ROON implementation is one of the main reason why end user would experience inconsistency in SQ. Every manufacturer or designer doing their best to integrate ROON and tweak their hardware for best possible outcome. As @audphile1 pointed out, ROON SQ greatly varies due to the approach in the implementation by each manufacturer. Some manufacturers excelling and others couldn’t care less as long as they are meeting the ‘ROON endpoint’ specifications. 

Coming back to your system, If I may make a suggestion to strategically introduce each change one at a time. Starting with LinkUp cable, let it break-in for atleast 250 hours before you introduce next upgrade, i.e. LHY switch. Once all the components are fully broken-in, then reverse the process for A/B comparison. Listen for extended periods, especially LAN cable. Streamers typically buffers or cache incoming bitstream so swapping LAN cables on short intervals may not allow you to discern any differences.

Good luck and have fun!

Good points made by @lalitk. Just a small detail to add - when swapping Ethernet cables, power down your streamer (not in standby, but actually powered off). I found, with several streamers, swapping Ethernet cables while the unit is on results in sound degradation. Same applies to USB cables. This has been my experience. And in general, swapping any cables while the components are on, be it the interconnects or speaker cables, is just not worth the risk. 

@lalitk I appreciate your guidance and agree with your methodology....but you have unrealistic assumptions about my capacity for discipline and focus. 😂  I'm also getting closer to understanding why streamers can be $20K or why people could spend $4k on a switch or $2k on a filter.  Dorothy, we're a long way from "bits is bits"!

I want to double-click on what @tonywinga said, which countered my intuition, which is that adding another audiophile switch improved SQ.  How can that be?  I was assuming that any additional component that has a power cord can only be a net negative (even if miniscule, in the case of $4k switches).  Unless good switches also ....filter ...or "regenerate" the signal, or have some property similar to impedence matching.  I'm not arguing that something heard was not real, just trying to understand the theoretical basis. 

@mathiasmingus 

Apologies, I did not intend to doubt your capabilities, methodology or focus. It was more like a cautionary advice drawn from my own mistakes and experiences 😊

@lalitk I think my joke missed - what I meant is that you implicitly expressed confidence in my capabilities and focus...which may not be grounded in reality. 😂