HI Pete
Funnily enough that’s been my experience with signal or mains earthing issues. A flattening of the sound that becomes readily apparant when it’s addressed. I’ve had an issue when the chassis floating switch was not set correctly, if an av amp is connected to unity gain but plugged into a different outlet.
To be clear I’m not talking about a ground loop, which will produce a definitive hum.
I suppose this is academic now as you have moved on but it might help someone in the future.
Jay
I know!
At least one of them might have an effect, the other would be on the other end of the optical of course.
Hi Jay,
Well yes, but thanks for the input anyway. When the ethernet line was disconnected from the Melco all the issues went away, ie. even CD playback was clearly affected by having an ethernet connection to the system. The Melco was earthed via mains connection and fed from a Chord M6 block. It was connected to our Qutest DAC via a Chord USB cable. I don’t really see how it could have been either a signal or mains earthing issue, and if it was it was clearly originating from the Melco so I don’t know what I could have done to address it. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility I suppose but I think it’s very unlikely. Anyway it’s in the past now - and I’m glad!
Yes - good point about it being on the other end of the optical cable and thus not transmitting noise via this. But it would have still been pumping noise into the mains of course!
For me…..once I had a good enough CD replay (see earlier post), the matter of bringing streaming up to the same (or better) sound quality became the next challenge. For what it is worth I have found that:
Changing to fibre broadband brought a steady incoming data stream, but not 100% essential as copper based was OK if fully consistent.
Changing the small plug based transformers on the ONT and SmartHub for proper linear power supplies. MCRU.
Providing two, proper, far higher quality ethernet cables. The first from the ONT to the SmartHub and the second from the SmartHub to the DAC. I have had to swallow my previous reservations and treat these cables with a mindset of “they are part of the equipment chain” attitude. I went down the Shunyata route.
All my other ethernet connections are hard wired and through a remote switch away from the DAC and hang off a “normal” ethernet cable from the SmartHub.
A proper power supply for the DAC and pre-amp, with far better power cables.
I migrated to only use Qobuz Connect as the remote app (MacBook). I do not use USB cables or connections.
I have had to smarten my whole messy rack, isolation, cable dressing and layout approach too.
It has only been at this point can I start to say that I have brought CD replay and streaming to something of a parr. In my own case, the improvements has also meant I brought CD replay up a notch or two as well.
I predict that as we progress and understand more about what can make streaming SQ improve, there will be other matters to attend to, albeit with matching costs etc. Not least of which may be the change from RJ45 Ethernet connections to SFP type to reduce noise and various interferences. Which will mean my new streamer and many others will be overnight “yesterday’s tech”….argh!
My overall feeling is that delivering good SQ from streaming is fast becoming as fussy, expensive and involved as setting up vinyl replay cartridges, arms, speed was back in the day…..Be well.
I’m suggesting you simplify you streaming setup.
Get rid of the ee switches, ground arrays and isolators. They are not required.
Use standard (reasonably priced) Ethernet cable to stream from melco to Primare NP5 streaming bridge, with a single switch before the NP5. Connect the NP5 to the dac via optical or coax spdif. Streaming is controlled via the Primare app. It doesn’t get much simpler.
People are using it into high end Naim systems.
@badlyread is using an NP5/optical spdif into Chord dac and likes how it sounds. Although I don’t know how simple his network is. 
It’s a very simple system - just going from router to streamer direct, no switches. I may be simplifying it even more as I have Wattson Audio Emerson ANALOG here at the moment so the NP5/Hugo2 may become one. Early days but it is so simple, no thrills, no fuss just the music. The app also reflects this - just the basics, what is needed nothing more. This will mean that the Rega Apollo will have to go directly into the amp rather than via the Hugo2 but that is no hardship.
The Primare NP5 is a great product and can be picked up for less than £300 on the bay. Worth a try I would say.
I totally agree. My observations and experiences are broadly similar to yours. Even with all the money spent on a network switch, two isolators, Power Arays, Ground Arays etc. I was unable to get our Melco to sound as musically involving as our CD transport through our Qutest DAC. It was apparent that much more money would need to be spent to achieve this - if indeed it was achievable. I tried a MCRU LPS on our router but ended up reverting back to the BT supplied SMPS. The LPS sounded smoother, warmer, harmonically richer etc. but in the end I felt it robbed the music of speed and dynamics. I believe that probably linear PS’s are not fast enough for these types of applications.
Thanks @Fatcat . I have simplified it - it’s gone! We only have CD now.
I can’t agree with your assertion that switches, Ground arays and isolators are not required. IME these all made very significant musical improvements. Just not enough to equal CD replay in musical terms. Like a Rega 3 compared to an LP12. The Rega 3 is great, but you realise how much better an LP12 is if you then hear one. I do believe though that some systems may be more susceptible to network noise than others, and that the location/environment plays a part here as well. It’s a complex thing that we are only just starting to really get a handle on.
Mods: Are we going a wee bitty off topic here? (my fault somewhat as well!) do we need a new thread perhaps?
It looks OK to me so far - as expected replies to such a thread will usually fall into two camps, those who are pro streaming (and will want to suggest why it perhaps did not work so well for you) and those who are not. Of course, it could be more appropriate in the streaming audio room, but we’ll see…
I see your point. It’s difficult to discuss the return to CD without at least some discussion of streaming issues and I did wonder whether it would best be placed in the streaming room. But the principle thrust was to discuss my return to CD playback and to ask if anyone else had returned to CD from streaming, for whatever reasons. So more fundamentally about CD really perhaps.
The thread poses an interesting question and one that’s been playing on my mind. “What does the future hold for streaming?”
Currently, I’m all in on streaming in what is shortly to become three separate systems and I’m feeling slightly exposed. I feel I need to hedge my bets a little.
I like streaming and have no real issues to speak of except that I don’t like the idea of being a hostage to fortune. Having physical media also appeals to me.
Vinyl feels like a faff and so CD may be the way forward for me. I have no media collection large enough to influence either direction. So CD may be the hedge that I’m looking for.
Is this a good sonic bet for the future or am I likely to end up with a pile of redundant clutter 
CD is a stable technology. Streaming is far from being that. I would say your concerns are reasonable.
Thanks Pete. A wall full of CDs would appeal too
In terms of returning to CD: I attended a demo evening of purely Redbook CD played on Wadax equipment at KJWestOne last year. It was filmed and is on YouTube search “WADAX Atlantis Reference ‘Level VIII’ European Premiere at KJ West One”.
What this really tells me is that (and maybe your good selves) is that there is much much more to come from basic RBCD than is commonly given credit for. I am not even talking SACD here.
The fact that CDs can be literally 50p/£1 each for charity shop DDD Deutsche Gramophone recordings seems absolutely nuts!
I am well aware that this is uber high level gear, but even getting some way along this path is entirely possible, for more modest sums and perhaps using the classified ads, as I have done on many occasions during my own audio journey. I buy the key (read difficult to get) items new, the rest I am sorry (or am I?) to say are used……
Be well.
I am at the point where ripped CDs sound similar to LPs. However my system has not been tuned towards the turntable as others have. Giving this, the current cost differential between CDs / LPs and the ease of use/storage, I have chosen to focus on CD format.
Brian
Good to hear. It feels right for all the reasons you point out. I would probably want a CD player. The ability to rip, stream or spin covers the bases. Job done….
I recently decided to switch to streaming and traded my Nait5i-2, CD5i-2 and ProAc speakers for a Uniti Atom He and Genelec active speakers. I appreciate the simplicity of streaming and so far everything has worked flawlessly. I did keep my turntable and I still buy CDs but those I just rip to an external SSD that I’m using with the Atom, so I haven’t completely abandoned physical media just yet.
We use a Moon 260D CD transport through a Chord Qutest DAC. OK so not really budget gear but hardly anywhere near uber high level either. Having owned a Naim CDS3 in the past I really don’t think that there would be much more to come from upgrading to a much more expensive transport, at least through our system. The Moon is built like a tank, is extremely well finished and sounds superbly musical without any digital nasties at all. So unless one has an ultra high-end system that demands the very finest sources money can buy then I don’t think one need spend more than a few thousand to get something really very good indeed.
