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)

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I canceled the order for the fmc with Andrew Gillis at SGC. Haven't heard back from him, he's not gonna be happy. Impulse buy on my part was a mistake! 

@audphile1 hey how are you? I saw the message but was on a road trip to Springfield to rescue some dogs. 

comments and observations remind me of my experience with Network Acoustics Eno. Does it do something? Yes it definitely does. Do I like the change? Not really. The smoothed over leading edges and mellowed out dynamics is the reason I eventually sold the Eno. 

I recall talking about your experiences with the Eno. I never did try it or the Muon pro, but I can assure you this smoothlan does not mellow out dynamics. I just turned on the system after returning so I still have listened to it for just 2 days but along with what it does as far as vocal smoothness (in a good way, it does make voices sound more "real") is add body and dimension to parts of music- piano notes have more impact, drums have more presence, not sure if that is interpreted as an increase in dynamics or not, but it is similar to what my ears told me when I put in the Purtian PSM156- transients had more presence and image precision and therefore seemed louder, which I suppose is explained as that reduction in noise produces that "blacker background" which allows everything to be more clear and pronounced. To use the most overused term in audio- more palpability. 

Need to listen more of course to determine a "final" outcome, and I'll listen for leading edges in particular, but I did hear the decays and reverbs in the recordings were more easily perceptible. The short is I like what it does! I am now inserting my new speakers into my system and after I get used to them I will do another A/B and test again but I highly doubt I will be getting rid of it. (the dog rescue was a lie, I picked up some speakers cheeky)

I added one of these to my system a couple weeks ago and it is a nice change. Not quite night and day, but I prefer the system with it in place.

Without sifting through all the posts again, has anyone experimented with replacing the supplied ethernet cable with something fancier? What were the results?