English Electric 8Switch

Streaming Audio
368

Hi Dave, this is a good question. In theory 100BaseT has less propensity to cause noise than 1000BaseT because with 100BaseT each direction uses one twisted pair. With 1000BaseT each direction uses two twisted pairs… therefore the modulation power is greater with 1000BaseT, and the propensity for noise coupling is increased.
So yes there is substance behind the view.

BTW on many uplink ports on Cisco switches they are rated at 1000BaseT. One can also use Etherchannel on the 100BaseT links to increase throughput as well… in fact it’s what I do, so in many cases I can’t see the network being unduly slowed… as these are edge switches. But yes if connecting a high throughput NAS one might need to be more considered.

1 Like
369

Thanks, Simon, it was just that my oppo was rather taken with my Cisco, but it wasn’t until he explained the thinking behind the Melco switch, via Alan Ainslie, that I began to consider whether the Cisco was, unwittingly, “tuned for audio” as they say.

370

Hi Stephen, if you are trying Chord cables I would also at least include an Epic cable. The c-stream I think is seriously good were I heard it compared to computer store cat cables. The shawline is more refined than c-stream but to my ears at the Epic stage things get really interesting imo.

1 Like
371

I use Sarum-T for streaming and it`s really great

1 Like
372

Funny you should say this Joppe, i have considered a Epic also. I have spotted great discounts on that cable! :grin:

1 Like
373

Hi everybody ! As a person who is considering to buy the Electric switch , I would like to share my small experience with ethernet stuff in my system, maybe it will be of some use to someone.

This is my system:
Intel nuc running roon Rock( zerozone LPS) —> wireworld starlight cat 8 —>tplink modem/switch( zero zone LPS) —>Wireworld starlight cat 8 ----> Sotm sms 200 ultra neo( Paul hynes SR 4 ) —>Curious usb —> uptone Iso regen( uptone lps 1.2 )—> Chord qutest dac —> Rca vovox Vocalis —> Rega brio 2017 ----> Proac tablette 10

Initially I bought a Supra ethernet cat 8 and a Wireworld chroma cat 8 with no expectations at all. I thought in respect of USB cables many people said it was just 01010 and it couldn’t possibly do any difference and yet, it did - a subtantial one with a curious USB cable ( I know it’s subjective, but for me it’s difficult to have an open mind towards people who say that cannot hear any difference, I thought it was a quite obvious improvement to hear. Anyway, I must have special ears ). Like I was saying, I thought maybe ethernet cables will do a difference as well despite some people say - it couldn’t possibly do any difference.

First I tried the supra ethernet cable - No difference whatsoever , I thought this is a waste of time… contrary to usb cables - ethernet cable don’t do any difference( although I haven’t done any burn in , maybe it does get better ).
Then I tried the wireworld , this time complety convinced it wouldn’t improve anything - I started listening and from upset mood , my face started to smile - I was like …WHAT??? I must be tired… a noticeable much better separation of instruments appeared, a much more silent background was present, more depth …more everything… I would say the improvement was almost as big as the USB improvent ( not quite the same, but almost ) . So again, same experience: It couldn’t possible do any difference and yet it did…

After that I bought 2 wireworld starlight cat 8 for half of the price , this time I haven’t smile as much as the first time. Still, it was an improvement , I would say the chroma give me 80% of what I obtain with the starlight.

My next ponderation was - having a LPS on my tplink modem/switch, I thought… I’m losing my marbles . It turns out, I wasn’t . More silence background again, and more lifelike sound was achieved.

Much more happy with my system using wireworld ethernet cables and lps on my tp link modem/switch , I started to fancy a proper switch . This time much more confident that I would have good results than I was before. Checking audiophile forums ( dismissing any " no believer" ) . I saw the mentions of SOTM, Silent Angel , AQVOX , and the Cisco cisco 2960 8tc ( everybody was happy with this one , and the best of all I could buy it for less than 100 ).
I bought the Cisco 2960 8tc ( I tried three different power cables - Wireworld Aurora and stratus and Vovox textura ) - Unfortunately there was no smile this time… in one hand - there was a bigger sound stage , more meat to the bones on the other hand - the PRAT was completely wrong and I felt the background was much more noisy ( I thought what people are ON about? ). I didn’t like it at all… I don’t know if it was synergy, I just didn’t like it.

Presently , I’m looking at the English electric swich reports and above all the synergy with the wireworld ethernet cables.

Sorry for my English , and all the best for everyone in this strange times.

3 Likes
374

If you like what the Uptone IsoRegen does in your system you May get on well with their EtherRegen, which (depending on country) if often available on sale or return. I’m very pleased with it. I haven’t tried the EE. If you can get it on sale or return, you have nothing to lose.

1 Like
375

Cheers MichaelB :+1: " If you like what the Uptone IsoRegen does in your system you May get on well with their EtherRegen"
I was using the wyred recovery before. I do like it what ISO regen brought to my system ( there is more definition, the Sotm without it’s rather unacceptable) , although it brought as well some brightness . I have change the dc cable from silver to copper on the SOTM and things have smooth it out, but… there is a line… and I’m almost crossing the line towards brightness.

I’m impressed by this demo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtIwNRDr0kY&t=416s

It looks like when he inserted the shawline there was more definition,but as well more brightness, and then when he inserted the electric switch it seems that part of the brightness it’s gone( plus the PRAT it’s rather much better). I think it’s just the right thing that I need it.
And best of all - it’s 250 cheaper here in UK :+1:

376

And when I say " I have change the " I meant - I have changed
or when I say " have smooth" I meant - have smoothed out :grin:
It’s rather tricky to write English without actually knowing how to write English
Oh well… I think people are starting to get the gist of my writings :ok_hand:

1 Like
377

Out of interest where are these people? Certainly from an engineering perspective different Ethernet cables have different coupling and loading effects on connected streamers due to they not being perfect transmission lines and many of us can notice this through what we hear… it effectively causes noise shaping on the attached streamer though decoupling imperfections in the connected streamer.

Sure decoupling the streamer from the DAC lessens this, but certainly with one level of decoupling in my experience it is still noticeable albeit very much diminished.

I think it’s true to say it would be difficult to assert generally one Ethernet cable provides a better SQ than an other, not least because the noise shaping/coupling effects it produces in the connected streamer will vary from streamer to streamer, environment to environment and of course personal preference… but that is clearly not the same as one saying there is no audible difference.

2 Likes
378

“Out of interest where are these people?”

Really? You don’t see them on these audiophiles forums? I thought it was a controversial topic

“I think it’s true to say it would be difficult to assert generally one Ethernet cable provides a better SQ than an other”

I don’t agree, It’s like you’re saying to me - your audioquest black dac( 70 pounds ) it doesn’t sound better than your chord qutest dac (1000 pounds ) they just sound different…

But I think we should focus on the English Electric 8switch, for the ones who have it , does it give any warmth in the sound?( the starlight ethernet cable , and the curious Usb although they are great cables they benefit from some warmth around them )
And what about a power conditioner, does the Electric switch benefit from one?

379

That’s a completely different argument as the various DACs include many other differences including:
Digital processing algorithms
DAC chips
Analogue output electronics
Power supplies
All these directly affect the data and/or analogue output signal.

Differences from digital cables and network devices don’t affect the data at all and only indirectly influence the analogue output signal.

1 Like
380

“Differences from digital cables and network devices don’t affect the data at all and only indirectly influence the analogue output signal.”

Again I don’t agree…

Lets say 2 different systems - In one system I have (1) : streamer–> 10 pounds usb cable ( which completely it’s going to ruin the good sound of it ) ----> chord quest dac(1000) —> amplifier
on the other I have (2): streamer----->curious usb (120) --> chord mojo (400) -------> amplifier

I will bet with you… that you will prefer the second one better. I believe a cable can be more than just a merely influence . I believe it can change completely your sound - Basically having as much as influence as components themselves.

But really, this already been discussed thousand of times… Let’s focus on the English electric switch instead.

381

The EE switch is more dynamic and gives greater musicality in my system. It doesn’t colour the sound in any way, so doesn’t add warmth.

3 Likes
382

Cheers Nick , that’s the impression that I had from the video that I posted. The PRAT looks much better with EE switch in it. I guess I will have to find warmth elsewhere :grinning:. Are you using conditioner? Or do you plug straight into the wall?

383

I’m using the supplied wall wart, though the hifi is plugged into completely separate circuits, so the network stuff etc. doesn’t interfere.

Regarding that video - I might take the plunge on the Ohmic solution thingy, though it looks a bit like hard work… not that I have too much to occupy my time these days :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

1 Like
384

It might be, to be honest this is the only ‘audiophile’ place I participate in now… some of the other places are filled with so much rubbish It just wouldn’t be enjoyable participating…all in my opinion of course. :grinning:

3 Likes
385

I like your open mind Nick :ok_hand: although I’m not yet completely convinced with the Ohmic thing…It’s hard to be isn’t?(£200 10ml) :grin: But I do hear improvements ( no doubt about it )

1 Like
386

The point I believe Xanthe was making was that if there are audible differences between digital cables, or switches for that matter, it’s not because the digital data is delivered incorrectly. In the vast majority of cases it is, and it doesn’t take a fancy audiophile cables (or switches) to achieve this fairly trivial task.
Even if data was delivered with errors or missing packets, you would expect to hear distinct stuttering or dropouts rather than reduced sound quality.

FWIW I would be surprised if your comparison held out, but even if it did, it would be nothing to do with the data itself.

1 Like
387

I understood his point… And I would like to talk about fancy switches instead - English Electric vs Etherregen vs Sotm and so forth

2 Likes