Stack Audio-SmoothLAN Network Filter- WOW!


I just received this item that I purchased from Stack Audio after being impressed with the AUVA 100 Speaker footers.

For any of the Audio Streamers out there, my initial comment as to this item: The SmoothLAN Network Filter is WOW!

From first plug in, the soundstage deepened and widened immensely. How the heck this occurs is nothing short of amazing. I have tried many of the major brand ethernet filters, and some of them, maybe, did something. But not enough to keep them. I either sent them back or sold them. I did however keep an iFi Silencer unit.

My digital streaming consists of an EtherRegen sending out the signal via Fiber to my Lumin X1. I have the Stack Audio device going into the EtherRegen from the Modem.

And, since I have my Apple TV coming out of the EtherRegen it will be interesting to see if the Video improves.

Check out the review in EAR.

Stack Audio Smooth-LAN For Clean Streaming | The Ear (the-ear.net)

ozzy

128x128ozzy

Hey @ozzy 

That's an interesting idea, one that I had not considered.  Might be worth trying as an experiment.

One question for you -- before you tried the SmoothLAN, were you happy with your network Audio SQ?  Or did you feel there was something missing, thus prompting the move to the SmoothLAN?  At this moment in my journey, I'm liking the setup I have quite well, and wonder if I need to experiment any more -- or just enjoy the music?

I realize that statement is probably antithetical to the audiophile raison d'être, haha!

Best, JAMES.

Post removed 

@ozzy 

Funny, just looked in my 'tickle trunk' of cast-off gear, and found/remembered that I still have a MarkerTek Gigabit Media Converter (converts RJ45 to fibre // used it before I got the Cisco switch).  So I could proceed as you suggested, and use the converter with the SmoothLAN, and still go fibre straight to the Lumin.

Hmmm.  Very tempting!

Best, JAMES.

I received my Smooth Lan yesterday. Didn’t get to plug it in until I finished work, so about 4:30, so didn’t listen much.

The SL was slotted in between my LHY SW8 switch and Innuos Zen Mini mkiii, replacing the Network Acoustics ENO.

I kept the Network Acoustics streaming cable in place between the LHY and SL, and used the short cable that came with the SL to connect it to the Zen. Everything else in my system is unchanged.

Apart from bass, all other aspects seemed enhanced; I’m not sure if the SL is creating a blacker background than the ENO, but I am perceiving more clarity/greater sense of 3D in the soundstage.

Bass seems to have decreased somewhat, but this is literally playing after first plugging the SL in. I’ve left the streamer running overnight and will leave it doing so 24/7, and hopefully will do some proper listening over the coming weekend.

My initial thoughts are that the SL is more pleasing to me than the ENO (which is around 3x the cost of the SL), but it’s early days and will give it some more time, and hopefully the bass will return.

@painter24 Eno Streaming System in was too much of a good thing in my setup as it mellowed out dynamics, clarity and excitement. The effect was the same when using it with 2 different streamers. I ended up selling it.