Charles I didn’t mean to offend you. If you wish to spend your money on audiophile switches then that is fine. @zoltan asked In terms of sound quaility what is the advantage to change conventional switch for a dedicated ‘audiophile’ one ?
My answer remains: none. It’s my opinion based on years of experience with designing and implementing networks. This is a forum, where people can give opinions.
It appeared to me that one poster was attacking another for preferring less expensive equipment and so I expressed my view that price is not a useful parameter in determining which component sounds best. I believe listening to them is the answer.
I use SO V2. It was set up for me by a very knowledgeable and highly respected Linn dealer. I was heavily involved in this process as that was key to his method. The results are excellent and it enables me to use a LInn system in my lounge and obtain great musical presentation without unduly compromising the layout of the room.
I find it strange a few who have never heard my system in my lounge can judge its sound quality, but in the end it matters not one iota as I continue to enjoy playing my records through Urika II & SO V2 and am not looking to change anything.
Perhaps the “naysayers” should start a “broken record” thread - (with apologies to @charlesphoto).
Me too, my system was set up by s friend, who is also a Linn dealer in the Bay Area (CA), and I can hear the vast difference with my own ears with and without SO V2 enabled.
So I am kind of utterly surprised to see that Peder has a -ve opinion about the SO?
No forum is completely free from the power of the editor. I have been coming here for a while and the reasons I keep coming back include:
It is generally good humoured;
Naim are VERY good about not banning discussions of other makes;
People are normally polite.
If we take this discussion, it is one that is held on EVERY forum and usually descends into a flame war. Here, with some judicious editing, it is pretty much staying on the rails.
Hi @charlesphoto, I want to power the switch via PoE from an LPSU.
Simon,
What I would do is grab an LPSU and feed the power into the PoE port via a PoE adapter & network cable …BUT 48v is hardly a common voltage and although I have a large selection of LPSUs, for a man of my size, the highest I go to is 24v. I was hoping that the PoE voltage might be lower than the external PSU, although I doubted it.
Many PoE powered devices have a separate VDC input if not powering by PoE. Why don’t you connect your powersupply directly to that input.
Yes 48 volts is a standard voltage in much commercial edge networking devices… but not common in consumer land.
There were some old and proprietary PoE formats at 24 volts.
‘Cool’ and ‘tough’ are nothing to do with the joy of driving, but about image, unless you were being literal, being comfortable in hot weather, and able to handle rough terrain, which may contribute to the joy of driving in some circumstances. Likewise, at least to me, parking is not about the joy of driving (I have no trouble with it, but other than a sense of achievement if I manage to park perfectly in a very tight spot with an absolute minimum of manoeuvring parking gives no joy.) The joy of driving, to me, is driving as fast as I want on open roads, negotiating twisting, winding roads fast but with safety for others, and the feeling of a powerful machine under my total control. For that, a powerful car, with quick acceleration and a high top speed, with excellent handling yet comfortable are what is required. It goes without saying that it must be reliable otherwise there is no point, and for comfort among other things it should be quiet - so an electric car like a Tesla with its “ludicrous performance” mode seems like a good approach, though I have never had the opportunity to try one so that is theoretical. Add space for others and whatever I want to carry, with versalility of the space, and it becomes a practical vehicle. Add energy efficiency, low pollution and nice looks and it becomes perfect! And if it can park itself at the end of a long drive when I’m tired and struggling to find a space then that might be a bonus, and certainly not detracting from the joy of driving it. This is quite distinct from a self-driving car, which in effect is a robotic taxi - certainly no joy in driving there because it does not involve driving.
I think you’d be best off, and even probably from a cost point, picking up a switch that can power another via poE than trying to find and utilizing a 48V LPS. Look for a Cisco 2960 PS model.
I’ve got two Cisco Catalyst 8 port switches, one a 2960, and the other a 3560 PoE.
I’m unsure as to how to enable PoE, and which connections to make to which port, so that I can have the non-mains powered one last in line before my ND555.
I’ve had a look at the online Cisco manual, but am still baffled, so if you could give this numpty some plug and play instructions, I’d be most grateful.
I don’t dream on having expensive cars. It was just an image of comparing Ndx2 / Hugo vs top digital sources as Msb, Esoteric, DCS.
If Ndx2 / Hugo is decoupled from noise and interactions from the network, these megabucks digital sources, which have separate clocks, streamer, dac, ps, each in different boxes, are still better decoupled.
Or they need a better switch to be fully optimized in sound.
So I don’t agree with Simon that the new Naim streamers are immune to network.
And yes, even if Ndx2 is high end in the market, vs 100 k digital sources it’s entry level. All is relative.
However it doesn’t mean that the Ndx2 is less musical and gives less enjoyment vs these state of the art digital sources.
It can even be the contrary.
There’s no hostility mean’t in my post. I Just don’t agree with some definitive statements from Simon.
It’s life, I can’t disagree and have different opinion. And I don’t think mine is inferior.
My ‘main’ switch lives in the loft and the HiFi switch in the living room. For PoE I would want to put in a dedicated cable - and that just feels a bit too much at the moment. I have sent off a couple of enq about 48v LPSUs. Assuming I can get one for what I think is a reasonable cost then I will try just replacing the Cicco SMPS, then feeding it in via the PoE port.
Simon states that the new streamers are quite immune to network. So for him don’t bother with an audiophile switch and expensive Ethernet cables.
He added that the key for him is decoupling the streamer from the Dac, which creates near total immunity vs network noises.
Of course we both disagree on that.
If Nd555 needs still a better switch, Ndx2 / Hugo still more.
Hi Dave
The instructions are clearly stated on the very long switch Mania thread.
Just search PoE and look for posts by Charles, ElMarko, me and SiS.
Jim
Yes, it’s a shame I messed up there. But I did have two PDs (with external 48V PSUs) daisy chained and much preferred the EtherRegen in my system. Daisy chaining EtherRegens improves things further but isn’t as marked as daisy chaining the Ciscos. Adding a good LPS makes a much bigger difference and certainly takes things well beyond the Cisco - at least in my system.
