Blackmorec

The problem in answering your question is that different systems and networks handle files very differently. Ideally a server that streams both local and remote files to RAM, then shuts down as much processing as possible before playing the file will be a good place to start. Then there’s the SW and system you use to play the music. Something like Roon is very network intensive, so its performance will depend on how much noise the network produces. Networks can be highly optimised for audio, by cutting down noise, by removing non-audio related traffic and by setting up the network as a cascade of physical layer improvements, so the degree of optimisation has a huge effect on sound quality The amount of network noise leaking into your server and DAC will have an effect on both local and remote files, so again, the greater the degree of network optimisation from a noise standpoint, the better both local and remote streaming will sound. Bottom line, there is no universal answer to your question as each and every system is different. The most important thing to know is that the quality of the network and how much noise pollutes all the network processes has a huge effect on the final quality of the sound you hear. Many people believe that all you need is a bit perfect file structure and for data transmission that’s true but for audio, where the data file is converted into an analog signal, then into nerve impulses and conscious awareness, bit perfect is just one quality element. The quality of the bit stream’s physical layer in terms of noise, voltage polarity change precision, timing precision, latency etc also plays a major role in the quality of the conscious music your brain produces from the bit stream and resulting DAC analog output.

View Classified Magico S1 MkII Floor Standing Loudspeakers - UK Based On offer are my beautiful Magico S1 MkIIs Loudspeakers. I woke one morning with sudden sensorineural hearing loss in one ear, which rendered my entire system redundant, hence the sale. Until this incident, I had absolutely no intention of parting with these wonderful loud speakers. I had them installed in a near field listening position and had never owned loudspeakers before that could image and involve the listener in the music quite like these speakers can. In my system, the speakers completely disappeared, to create 4 dimensional venues with musicians providing incredibly realistic performances. The monocoque enclosure of the S1 is formed from a single elliptical aluminium extrusion ca. 1cm thick and 30cm in diameter, extensively braced and damped using Magico’s proprietary processes to reduce resonance and maximise rigidity. The result is a very neutral sounding sealed enclosure with no square edges to cause diffraction. The elegant top plate is extensively machined with an 3D convex shape to enhance rigidity and minimize internal standing wave reflections. The enclosure is coated in an extremely hardwearing, scratch resistant M-Cast Bronze finish. The enclosure sits on a 4 point outrigger assembly to which either the standard floor spikes or optional SPOD footers are attached. Drivers comprise Magico’s extremely extended and gorgeously detailed 2.5cm (1”) diamond coated Beryllium diaphragm tweeter, first seen on the S7, that provides wide dispersion and high power handing capabilitIes. Bass and mid-range frequencies are handled by Magico’s 17.5cm (7”) mid-bass driver that incorporates multi-wall carbon nanotube and nano-graphene technologies, resulting in a 20% lighter, 300% stiffer cone than the already great sounding MkI version of these loudspeakers. The result is an utterly seamless low bass to shimmering sparkling tops that seem to utterly defy the physical limitations of a 2 way design. In an appropriate listening room, the speakers absolutely disappear to immerse the listener in a mesmerising 4 dimensional sound-field that is frankly hard to reconcile with 2 channel stereo. The sealed enclosure makes for unproblematic and uncomplicated room positioning. The addition of the optional SPOD footers results in some of the most organic, physically present, timbrally rich and detailed bass I’ve ever heard, once again contradicting the theoretical limitations of a 2 way design. There is nothing ‘light-weight’ about how these speakers sound, being both rich and full bodied. Magico must be justifiably proud of just how full range these speakers sound in the right room and with matching ancilliary equipment. In summary, I spent a lot of time and effort optimising the network and source that fed these loudspeakers and they responded to those efforts by simply sounding better and better, more involving, my convincing, more physical, more gorgeous. I realise this is a sales pitch, but I hope what comes across is just how much I loved these loudspeakers and just how incredibly beautiful they sounded. When I lost my hearing I lost a set of keys to audio paradise. If my hearing ever comes back I would buy another pair in a heartbeat, so for the price, these loudspeakers represent a genuine audio bargain in terms of their sonic abilities. RRP £26,998 Price £9,200. (Nine Thousand, two hundred Pounds Sterling) Optional SPOD footers £1,290 Collection from Stockton-on-Tees area National or International shipment via courier by arrangement with buyer Seller Blackmorec Date 10/09/23 Price 9,200.00 USD Category Speakers  

View Classified Acrolink 7N-PC4030 Power Cable Want to run top class power cables but not happy with the exorbitant mark-ups? Here’s your solution! I have 2 lengths of Acrolink 7N ultra-high purity copper power cable for sale. One of the most popular cables amongst cable builders, both lengths are used but in excellent condition. Acrolink 7N-P4030II Stressfree Cable 4.5m. New price £110/m for sale at £250 1.7m at £95.00 or £310 for the pair. Available for collection from Stockton-on-Tees area, UK or WW shipment by arrangement with buyer Cable materials & specifications Conductor: 7N Cu D.U.C.C Stressfreex2 (0.37×50 strands) 4N Cu for Ground (0.37×50 strands) Insulation material: High molecular Polyolefin Resin (Black & White & Green) 1st Inner Sleeve: High molecular Polyolefin + tungsten + amorphous + carbon powder 2nd Inner Sleeve: Polyolefin with Resonance control powder Shielding: Copper foilwith drain wire Outer Sleeve: Lead free Polyvinyl Chloride Conductor resistance: 2.8mQ/m Cable diameter: 15.7mm Seller Blackmorec Date 07/14/23 Price Category Power Supplies / Power Products  

View Classified Sean Jacobs Mini ARC6-DC4 incl. Gaia Isolation Footers & Mundorf Silver/Gold cabling The Mini ARC6-DC4 is basically an ARC6-DC4 with a more compact ‘Statement class’ audio grade transformer in a half-width chassis. The same ARC6 module and DC4 active regulation is used, making this an absolute top performer for situations where a full width chassis is too big or obtrusive. Both AC input and DC output voltage of this unit will be set up by Sean, according to your needs (included in price). Condition is ‘as new’. In addition to the power supply, I can also provide a Nenon-built 45 or 70cm Mundorf Silver/Gold JSSG360 DC cable with 2.1 or 2.5 resp. barrel connectors (£200.00each) and a Sean Jacobs 1m or 2m PowerBlack IEC cable with 3 pin UK plug at £105.00 (RRP £180.00) or £140.00 (RRP £240) respectively. Worldwide shipping available by UPS or FedEx by arrangement with buyer (45 x 40 x 24cm. x 6kg) from Stockton-on-Tees area, UK Price £1990.00 (RRP £3,650) Seller Blackmorec Date 07/14/23 Price 2,600.00 USD Category Power Supplies / Power Products  

Hello Dan, My modem and router are on the ground floor and my hi-fi system is on the first floor across some stairs. I live fairly close to 3 appliance stores so I was able to trial many different approaches. My first was running a ethernet cable bungee style, just thrown over the stairs. I tried both the regular consumer grade cable and then some Synergistic Research Active SE, which sounded much better. I then compared a range of wi-fi based strategies including Internet over Powerlines, which was better that I expected, Wi-fi mesh from 2 vendors and finally a wi-fi bridge/extender from TPLink, the RE650. The RE650 was the clear winner, even better than the SR Active SE cable, which told me that my system needed the isolation from the modem and server that wi-fi brings. I had the RE650 set up as 5GHz only, polling off, with my hi-fi as the only client. I then added a TPLink 3 band router in place of the all-in-one ISP modem/router and dedicated one band solely to audio. So I literally had a single wi-fi channel with no traffic other than the audio system. It worked great. The RE650 is a consumer device that plugs into the wall socket, correctly orienting the antennae and getting 230V which it then rectified and down regulated to 5V DC for the actual radio/receiver. Of course the units picks up vibration from the wall, vibration from the internal power supply rectifier and transformer and the DC produced is probably noisy, given the cheap-as-chips switched mode power supply. So I stripped out the power supply and wall plug and replaced it with a DC barrel connector socket, wired directly to the circuit board with Mundorf Silver/Gold Cable. I then built an anti-vibration wall mount so I could maintain the antennae orientation without all the wall vibration. I attach the RE650 to the mount using a single point mount, which is easy to unclip. The unit is suspended on 4 untensioned o-rings. I have used several generations of Sean Jacobs DC power supplies, currently an ARC6 DC4 Mini with a Mundorf Silver/Gold JSSG360 DC cable. The pictures show the finished bridge with its wall mount, the wall mount itself and the cheap-as-chips power supply that the ARC DC4 replaced. As a part of an equally well optimized network the results were quite stunning, giving a beautiful and highly energetic 4 dimensional rendition of musicians playing instruments in a venue.

Hi Will, I don’t live in the US but do have some experience with shipping. First thing to bear in mind. I don’t know how much a single choke costs but it could be below the limit for charging import duty. If you bunch a lot together into one shipment, it will for sure exceed that limit and you’ll have to pay duty as the importer, so you’ll now need to recover import duty and shipping from individuals You should look up US import rates and limits and make sure that consolidation of the shipment doesn’t add duty and tax to the whole delivery as Im unsure if the US has lower limits on customs duty and tax. Actually distributing the chokes is quite easy….receive the bulk package, split and repack into small boxes, pick a courier or postal service, log in all the shipments then either wait for courier pick-up or deliver to their drop off point, depending on the level of service you’ve ordered. Of course you’ll then need to pay for all deliveries Then you’ll need to do a final reckoning of import & clearing costs, duty and shipment and give the consignees the means of paying you….ie Paypal etc.

I would love to talk about the other elements. Fascinating stuff because it all has an affect on how the music sounds and I’d love to understand how and why and what the alternatives are and what adjustments/settings are available and what is important when selecting a switch or placing switches in a cascade. So anything you can share will be avidly read, at least by me and TCA 😁

Hi Superdad, TCA, thanks for the above. I agree that a better understanding of this technology could be extremely beneficial. I would therefore ask that we do go into the detail Superdad suggests, as there’s currently no other thread. Alternatively start another thread about ‘`The appreciation of switch technology’ . Thanks guys

I use Mundorf Ag/Au throughout my entire network supply chain. It takes a really long time to break in and can cause some really strange SQ anomalies on the way such as peaky treble that comes across as sibilance on spoken voice, boomy bass etc. But once fully run in it imparts a beautiful holographic resolution, purity and naturalness to the sound. Regarding connectors, one of main impacts to SQ seems to be their impedance values. Certain connectors have a much higher impedance than others.

Hi Skyline, Think about your network this way. Each device on the network is converting and or resynthesizing your music data file. The better the output of a device, the better the input to the next device. At each stage, the better the input, the better the output. If your modem/router output is superior to that of your extender for any reason, the direct connection to the router will outperform the output from the extender….in other words if the extender isn’t improving the data stream then its making it worse…..logic. So whatever power supplies, clocks, transmission cables and vibration control you employ on your modem/router, you need to have better specs at the next stage, your bridge. If not, the bridge will have a deleterious affect and deliver a ‘less sonorous’ file to your DAC.

Hi skyline, Thanks for the feedback. What are you using to power your extender?

I have spent the past 4 years improving the network and server side of my local/remote streaming system. At first the improvements I heard were best described in hi-fi terms like noise, detail, imaging, depth etc. and how instruments and voices sounded more real, like I was listening to the actual creation of the music by musicians and their instruments Next came the spacial phase, where most improvements related to how 3 and 4 dimensional the music, how clearly the acoustics and venue were portrayed and how perfectly those attributes could be heard. Finally, the biggest changes came from the way I reacted to the music, the strength of my feelings and emotions generated by the music. The system became incredibly involving, making my whole body want to respond and be involved in making the music. But as soon as I added new components like cables or upgraded power supplies, that highly attractive instant involvement would disappear for the period the new components were running in and I would find myself reading and responding to forums rather than being deeply, profoundly involved in the creation and flow of the music. It was very difficult to analyze what had changed, just that there was a certain magic missing from the music, a certain attractiveness that was immeasurably appealing, something that seemed to transform the music and connect it directly to my pleasure centres. And it was absolutely clear when that quality returned, literally from one day to the next. So I don't know if you have something still running in or whether a component change has absented the magic, but of one thing I can assure you. Its not your imagination. What it is is that your subconscious is not finding the music as beguiling as it did.

Hi Low Orbit, Thanks for the kind reply. No further technical observations my side….only to say that the only reason I bang on about the network is that in my 50 years of hi-fi experience I have never found an equivalent area where ‘relatively inexpensive upgrades’ bring such major and fundamental improvements. I consider improvements to belong to one of 2 categories; cosmetic improvements, where I hear the typical hi-fi type improvements but after a couple of months find that my level of enjoyment is more or less unchanged….and fundamental improvements, where my response to the music, my emotions, involvement, excitement and enjoyment level increase with every listening session. These fundamental improvements often mean that pieces I was previously not too keen on suddenly have new qualities, characteristics and meaning that seriously elevate my overall enjoyment and mean that every listening session is improved. In my 50 years I have owned several very different systems, from multi-amp active Isobarik and sealed box systems to all tube-driven horns and have regularly updated and upgraded components, but I have never found an area like networking where upgrades consistently deliver sometimes large fundamental improvements. What also became very apparent is that the network upgrades are entirely scalable and as long as the ‘progressive improvement’ concept is followed, the improvements are very consistent in nature.

Hi Marcel, Just interested…. In terms of SQ, did you find the break-in process was a series of downs and ups, with a final big down then big up? I have gone through a series of power supply upgrades, all with Mundorf caps and the process always seems to follow the same pattern.

Hi Low Orbit, I get the feeling that if we keep on discussing we’ll eventually get a point of complete agreement. Let me try to explain the ‘improvement or upgrade’ logic that I’m seeing in networks intended for audio. A network comprises many different components and the data therein can exist in several different states, formats, forms so you are correct, there is no direct connection. But what there is is influence. These devices are all connected together, all have a sonic character and all influence final SQ. The quality of a feed into a component influences its output. The better it’s input feed, the better it’s output. This is pretty easy to clearly observe (I dont use the word ‘prove’ in deference to the objective nature or the forum). My network comprises DC4 ARC6 power supplies, extensive vibration and resonance mitigation, a cascade of ultra low noise 3ppb clock-accuracy switches and a loom of SR Atmosphere cables with all screens star earthed. A short while ago my ISR sent me a new replacement modem in order to handle their new 1gHz stream. Unfortunately its power inlet did not match my own Mundorf Silver/Gold JSSG360 DC cable, so I had to use the OEM supplied switch mode power supply. The unit needed some time to run in and sounded a lot less dramatic, vibrant and enjoyable. It was the kind of sound that would soon find you surfing the forums. Within a couple of days however it was sounding much better…not a lot of difference from how it was previously I would judge. In the meantime I’d arranged with one of my kind suppliers to modify my router by remaking the circuit board to DC connector path. He used Mundorf Ag/Au cable and a high quality connector, to give a nice low impedance connection. I returned home, plugged it into my DC4, rebooted the network then left it for a few hours. That evening I sat down, switched on the amps, and I immediately heard that the -40dB, 128kbps, MP3 based Swiss Radio Classic transmission sounded better. It instantly grabbed my attention with fuller sound and greater vibrancy. Cranked up to -13.5 dB and streaming full fat high resolution files the system has the ability to project the illusion of a 360 degree venue atmosphere with musicians performing within. Some recordings, especially electronic music can be like sonic fireworks display while other music is felt as a most warm, gentle, caress. In a few words the system took a quantum leap forward. The system became both physical and more cerebral at the same time. Big hit! So was the DC4 that much better? Well obviously yes, it was, but in addition the device it was powering had to have the ability to use that superb power without polluting it with an identifiable own identity or loads of noise in order to produce an output that ultimately produced a far more ‘tactile’ and ‘vibrant’ musical experience. But in order for me to hear those improvements made at the modem level, they have to pass through every level of the network. And the only way to explain that ability, given the variation and differences in forms and formats along the way is better in = better out, but this process only works when the device receiving the “better in” has the ability to produce “better out”. If its noise and timing specs are worse than the spec of the incoming signal, the output will be of a lower spec. So if you arrange your network as a series of points designed to serially upgrade the output, then you have a series of improved inputs and correspondingly improved outputs and your improvements start to compound, the modem making the router input better, making its output to the bridge better, which made its output to the first switch better and so on. What I’m saying is, regardless of what part of the network process you are talking about, a better input results in a better output, sound-quality-wise when the following stage is superior. Essentially what I am typically refining in my system are: Network topology to get as close to an ‘Audio-only-network’ as possible. Unrelated network traffic and activity does not help the audio cause Division of labour…..making sure there are no bottlenecks in the network, exclusivity for audio and video streaming and adequate signal strength and bandwidth for the rest Power supplies, best when all of a similar designs throughout to minimize interactions and formation of noise harmonics. Taiko posted some very interesting noise spectra in this regard. DC cabling plays an extremely important role and for reasons I don’t fully understand, makes a VERY significant difference to the final sound. Vibration and resonance control is important and has an impact at every stage. For any input that needs a clock signal, the more accurate and precise the input, the better the quality of the output, when the following clock is superior. What I am saying is that a digital audio network rewards when each stage is optimized and the handshake between modules is provided with an optimum signal ie one lacking timing errors, noise and having an optimum voltage profile. The more noise that gets eradicated or avoided, the better, because even when there’s no connections to the DAC that noise is still having a negative impact by reducing the quality of interim processes and their outputs.

Thanks for the polite replies 😊 Just to point out that optimized network traffic, improved, low noise and impedance, high stabilty power supplies, vibration control, EMI reduction, improved clock accuracy, lower clock noise, mains borne noise reduction, ethernet cable borne noise reduction, optimised cable screening amongst many other things are all based on solid engineering. Also bear in mind that audio engineering and network engineering for audio are not exactly the same thing, at least they weren’t Also worth considering is that there is R&D going on in the areas I’m discussing in order to isolate areas in the computer/network where improvement brings sonic rewards. That R&D is funded by certain commercial audio companies. When they find the affects that certain network related conditions have on the eventual sound quality, that information isn’t necessarily splashed around, rather its used to create competitive advantage. You’ll typically see these areas in designs from companies like Taiko, Aurender, Innuos, etc. These companies have theories and ideas, make extensive measurements and confirm subjectively. Their products take the mitigation of these problems to new levels, giving rise to audio optimised networked products with improvements to all areas mentioned above. Next level products currently in development include new servers, software and OSs, switches, routers etc. When i started developing my latest streaming system i shared your belief that all I needed were bit-perfect files arriving at my server. My first step was to get additional training in networking via a series of podcasts and my beliefs remained unaltered. Realising that i still lacked certain high level technical expertise and experience on the relationship between audio and IT I set out to locate consultants and experts for advice. Those experts I found in 2 places; the owners of companies like Taiko and Innuos, who generously share some of their findings and developments and a small group of individuals on a Computer Audio DIY forum. These individuals are highly educated and experienced IT engineering specialists who also share a long time passion for high end audio. They have spent years building SoTA servers, modifying and improving various networking components and evaluating all the very latest commercial developments in audio computing and networking. Ask them about how different RAM, network cards, disc drives, oscillators, cables, CPUs, SW, power supplies, capacitors, chokes, input and output sockets, BIOS settings etc impact sound quality and they’ll give you answers based on both their engineering and IT knowledge and on their subjective experience. That’s the kind of advice you need if you are trying to achieve great sound quality. Over the past 4 years i have carefully followed their generous advice to the point i now have suppliers of equipment who help me implement their latest discoveries and improvements to achieve some absolutely wonderful SQ improvements. For example, i have just upgraded all the power supplies serving my modem, router, bridge, switches and server with the latest ‘ARC6’ Mundorf capacitors and choke, mounted on a specially developed panzerholz and resin, constrained layer anti-vibration circuit board. Another example are the highly specialised DC cables designed by a renowned IT audio engineer and built by one of the experts I mentioned. I even delved into the DIY side myself, taking a commercial network bridge and extensively modifying its vibration control and power supply All i can say is that audiophiles who work to achieve the very best SQ deserve to know about these developments and what it is possible to achieve by improving their networks. ‘Advice’ such as some of the above simply cuts audiophiles off from one of the most effective areas for improving sound quality. It may be well intentioned, but its also very outdated.

One final point to wrap up this sad little thread and that is, be careful whose advice you follow. There are thousands of people with an excellent background in IT and electrical engineering that have very little experience with true high-end audio. As The Computer Audiophile mentions in his post This is absolutely true and in my experience, the brain, by way of the conscious music it creates, is exquisitely sensitive to deviations from the ideal form and specification of a digital file. Incorporate noise and mistiming, vibrate network components, make a poor job of excluding EMI or use noisy or high impedance power supplies in your network and you’ll pay the price in lost SQ. I have over 45 years experience in high tech and one thing I’ve learned along the way is that its very rare indeed to find experts who genuinely know it all. Far more common are experts in various parts of the process….the HW, the SW, the IT, the audio. Really great advice comes from those very few people who have extensive knowledge in both the IT AND audio aspects, people who have experience in building systems that achieve a pinnacle of audio performance. In audio, talk is cheap and very often fairly worthless or even detrimental if it cuts you off from massive potential improvements. This thread is loaded with such poor advice. Coming back to the AQVox switch, I can assure everyone that in a properly set up system, the switch plays an important and significant role. But like I’ve stated in previous posts, there’s no point in employing improvements at one part of the network, if you simply override and swamp them in the next. Take any typical home LAN connected to a decent audio server or streamer, add a D-Link switch for ca $30 and you’ll hear an improvement. Why? Because your server is benefitting from receiving a lot less network traffic, that increases workload and causes interruptions in the processing and therefore generates additional noise. As well there is a degree of isolation from noise carried by the D-Link’s incoming ethernet cables. With a decent server/streamer you’ll hear this small improvement with the D-Link. But the D-Link is still a $30 component so its effect is rather limited by the quality of its components, especially the clock and power supply. But add a more accurate and stable clock, reduce power supply noise and reduce the generation/emission of noise within the D-Link and the improvement becomes greater. There are several additional ways to improve the D-Link, bringing SQ to a new level….nothing spectacular, but worthwhile nonetheless. But take that improved D-Link and add a really kick-ass power supply and the gains in SQ take a huge jump. This was what the original post was about. But frankly, what’s the point of all the above if you take this improved output and feed into a super noisy, poorly powered, poorly timed, optimized for IT and not audio PC. Adding a $6000 pair of headphones will bring nothing if what you are feeding them is the poor quality output from seriously corrupted (noise, timing, power etc) file processing. The AQVox is nothing more than a tweaked D-Link, but those tweaks have an important role to play. If you can’t hear any difference between a D-Link and an AQVox, then look at your network set-up and the quality of everything following the switch, because, while it may be perfectly fine for IT related functions, it has missed the boat by miles in terms of audio. This is the reason there are lots of positive reviews and why, for €390 its really not bad value when judged by the increase in SQ it is perfectly capable of generating and how much alternative improvements of similar magnitude would cost.

Hi CA, Agreed! My background is in complex analytical systems so I try to apply what I learned in over 45 years along with 50 years around hi-fi. Around 4 years ago I started to build an entirely new hi-fi system for local and remote streaming. To get started I first bought a networked speaker and attended a series of networking tutorials ( Thanks to my career I was already familiar with networking protocols but knew very little about setting up local area networks for audio). I started out with the (common) belief that all I needed was a bit perfect stream to a high quality server, but I soon found that the quality criteria applied to the server brought equally good results when applied to the rest of the network. Those criteria include: EMI control (internal and external) Vibration and resonance control (internal and external) Timing accuracy and stability Power supply quality Cable losses and screening Network traffic management (Minimizing latency, interrupts and the resulting noise generation) A key learning was that bit perfect was only one of several important quality criteria What I realised very early on is that unlike analog, where the signal is generated only once and must be maintained in as pristine condition as possible, in digital the ‘data stream’ is generated multiple times and can be heavily improved or degraded along the way. These improvements and degradations have a major impact on final sound quality in that the cleaner and better quality the date stream, the easier a job the brain has in interpreting sound waves as music with intricate timing, phase, amplitude and spatial attributes. For IT folks, the network has a single role. To move files. For audiophiles it has 2 roles a. To move files and b. To improve the quality of those files in order to increase the resulting sound quality.

Hi DuckToller, Let’s take my network as an example. The broadband connection arrives at my house via a copper coax cable into a DocSys 3.0 modem. The stream then travels to a router via an ethernet cable. The stream is then converted into a radio signal which is transmitted to a wi-fi - ethernet bridge, where it is again converted into ethernet format and transmitted to a cascade of switches prior to entering a server, where it is converted to a USB signal and sent to the DAC, where it is again converted, this time into an analog music signal prior to being amplified and used to drive the loudspeakers. Along the way the signal is held in a series of buffers, which again require an electro-magnetic format change. All the time the signal is travelling along a wire, its doing so as voltage current. The voltage originates from AC, which is converted to DC, then encoded into various formats, with various timing, depending on the protocol. At each conversion, the timing and the voltages are recreated i.e resynthesized. For example, a radio signal is received, converted and re-transmitted down a wire as an ethernet signal. In digital we talk about 1s and 0s, but such a thing doesn’t actually exist in reality. Instead the 1s and 0s are ‘represented’ by various electromagnetic states, depending on where they are in the network and in which form. Take a bit traveling down a wire. In essence a bit is simply a very small portion (bit) of time with an associated binary voltage level, low = 0, high =1 . Given that the bit exists physically as time and voltage, it has quality parameters. How accurate and reproducible is the time vs the standard? How well are voltage transitions (between low and high) handled? How much additional electromagnetic noise is included? Each of the conversions along the network has a sonic footprint….and the quality of the input directly affects the conversion process and thus the quality of the output. So getting back to my original point, if you take a very high quality, low noise, well timed input and pass it through a noisy, badly timed process, the output of that process will be, by definition, noisy and ill timed. It may well still meet the minimum quality criteria of whatever network protocol is operating or be subject to the protocols’ error correction in order to reach its destination as ‘bit perfect’, but the quality of the DACs input will be reduced, requiring that the DACs electronics and logic processors get very busy cleaning up and refining the input. When a processor has a lot to do, individual tasks typically gets a lot of interrupts, latency increases and the general noise level produced by the processor and its associated electronics increases.

Hi bobfa, Let’s think about this logically. First, do you think it MAY have been a good idea to see if EITHER switch could actually be heard? From a network perspective I’ve found it to be futile to clean-up and retime a data stream, only to feed the resulting stream into a very noisy, poorly timed component. How are you going to hear the improved timing and noise level if you swamp it with more noise and timing inaccuracies before listening to it? A network is nothing more than a series of components that re-format and resynthesize a voltage stream. If you refine that stream, only to then recontaminated it, your DAC is going to be converting the contaminated version of the stream, regardless what happened further upstream. I wonder what the coloured LED chain contributes? Quite a bit I would imagine.

I recall one article where the output of a DAC was used to measure the noise reduction impact of a network switch. The measurements demonstrated that the noise in the DAC output remained unchanged regardless of whether the switch was in or out of circuit. The conclusion was that the switch had no effect, as the noise was literally unchanged. On reading the paper, the most likely conclusion was that the measured noise was actually coming from the DAC, but this was never controlled for. My conclusion was that that the only ‘science’ being employed was in the name.

Hi pdev, I spent the first 3 months of a new system evaluating a variety of different connection strategies including Mesh, Power Over and straightforward Ethernet. The solution i wanted needed to serve audio optimally while providing optimal wi-fi to the rest of the household. By far the best solution for both goals was a TPLink AC5400 tri-band router with one 5GHz band dedicated to audio feeding its radio signal to a TPLink RE650 extender, functioning as a network bridge, with 2.4gHz band and polling disabled. This scenario provided galvanic isolation between incoming cable/modem /router and the hi-fi system, provided a dedicated 5HGHz band with only audio traffic and left me with both a 5 and 2.4GHz bands free for the balance of my wi-fi needs. Managing the system is a doddle as both devices can can be controlled by TPLink’s Tether app.

Hiya Matt, Yes, I still use the TPLink bridge, powered with a hybrid DC4 ARC6 and all Mundorf Ag/Ag cables. The sound I’m getting is so natural sounding and beguiling that I don’t feel a lot of motivation to try alternatives

Hi Matt, I honestly don’t pay much attention anymore to the source of the music file or its resolution….they all sound wonderful if the recording is good. Having said that I would guess that about 85% is remote (Qobuz/SRC) and 15% are my local CD rips Cheerio!

Hi Luca, i have owned a Zenith MkII SE, a Statement, a Statement + PhoenixNET and a Statement NextGen + PhoenixNET. At the point of making each upgrade i was perfectly happy with the sound i was getting and found it hard to imagine where the upgraded SQ would come from. And yet each upgrade delivered what i considered to be worth every penny and more of what I paid. Your system still has plenty of scope for a major source upgrade to be fully reflected in the final sound. What I discovered is that while each of the upgrades provide very significant improvements in all the normal hi-fi related attributes, the biggest impact was on my reaction to and enjoyment of the music. As the system gets better and better it gets harder and harder to analyse the music’s individual qualities as you are being overwhelmed by the beauty of the music and its message. Its hard to express the magic at work but you’ll know exactly what i mean the day the system reaches its fully burned in point and you are swept away by profoundly beautiful music. And the more you refine your network, the better it all gets so your system has a really cool upgrade path that brings big rewards for reasonable money and provides many upgrade opportunities. And what I really like about all this is that the baseline…the sound before any changes is a really, really nice place to be with no major errs or errors, but the improvements are often quite profoundly better in terms of musical performance and your reaction/response. Win/win ….you’re in a nice place and the network allows you to get onto a much higher plane. So what I’m saying is; the PhoenixNET - Zenith is a very very nice place to be. But the PhoenixNET - Statement NG - is on a different level, that takes the illusion of being in a venue with the performers to an altogether higher plane…..including both physical and psychological aspects and effects that change the way you hear and feel the whole musical presentation. We’re not talking hi-fi related terms any more, we’re talking physical reactions like genuine shivers down the spine, tears, breath holding, skin and bone sensations of ‘feeling’ the music pulse through you. I listen a lot to Swiss Radio Classics and pay a great deal of attention to the announcers voices. They were recorded in different venues, by different people over a 20 year period. I have found that these voices provide an excellent barometer on the status of my system. I can tell when a new component is running in and I can detect changes as the burn-in develops. The human voice seems to have 2 high level characteristics….the voice itself and the personal characteristics of the announcer. With the Zenith SE i could not hear much of the very subtle personal elements….the voice was chrystal clear but the subtle influences of body behind the voice wasn’t. With the NG Statement the person behind the voice emerges and you hear a real person vs a finely recorded and reproduced voice. Hopefully I have managed to convey the type of uplift in SQ the NG Statement brings. If your barometer to hi-fi value is the way your systems allows you to respond to the music, how intensely it generates feelings and emotions and lets you hear the musical message then you’ll love the NG Statement