English Electric 8Switch

Here’s my contribution Jim.

Edit … Looks like Jim has removed the post I replied to so I guess this makes little sense in it’s remoteness.
I’ll leave it here though, maybe it will solicit a comment or two. :joy:

1 Like

after 2000 posts on the EE, is there really something to add ?

1 Like

A thought experiment:

Someone gives you a box with 2 ethernet ports, 1 in and 1 out. They tell you, “Place it before your streamer, and i promise you it will improve your sound. If it doesn’t work you can give it back, if it works you keep it and pay me 500,-”

So you plug it in and your sound noticeably improves, perhaps not by a lot but it just sounds ‘better’ to you. It improves the texture of the music and feels more refined and engaging overall. So you decide that you want to keep it.

The person then tells you to open the box and look inside. You open the box and see that it is empty, the in-port is simply directly connected to the out-port.

Are you going to keep the box and pay the person 500,-, because to you it improves the sound, or are you going to give it back and keep your money in your wallet?

3 Likes

Hendrix lived down the street from where we are now in Seattle, the Central District, which is the historically prominent African-American neighborhood. Sometimes I can imagine him riding his bike past our house. I photographed his father once. Lovely man.

3 Likes

All I can think is that no one has anything else to say about the EE8, so folk are making up a topic and talking complete bo!!ocks.

1 Like

My retailer claims AQ Vodka is no longer made. Correct? What is its replacement?

FWIW it is still on the AQ website but who knows if that’s up to date. There is nothing on the AQ website that replaces it, just the ridiculous Diamond above and the Cinnamon below.

Jim good for you… I was too lazy to send back… so I left it in… but I can hear no meaningful SQ difference with it in or out… so currently it’s between by Catalyst 3560 and my NDX2… I assume it can do no harm…
However to be fair it’s only when I decoupled the DAC from the streamer that the networking and switching largely became irrelevant.
I must admit I much prefer it that way… I was always a little perturbed about noise shaping on the Ethernet serial lines affecting my SQ.

I have two ridiculous diamonds and will next buy a third one, to go from router to ER.
What a ridiculous hobby :joy:

If it works for you, why not! It’s just, the price for an ethernet cable … but I suppose one could find an ethernet cable for €10,000, there is no end to it :slight_smile:

For my system the Ethernet cables have made similar improvements vs interconnects or speakers cables. The price is at hiline level price, nothing finally outrageous, as it gave me a real pleasure and uplift, not something subtle.
I tried, to verify, following all the very positive results from members here, a Blue Jeans Cat 6a and recently a Catsnake design a floating. None of these could come close to the diamond. It was apparent the first seconds.

I use 3X 0,75m length. The total will be 2k. With another 2 k of switch and 2 linear ps.
I looks effectively as ridiculous. I agree. But it really works.

1 Like

I’ve ordered Shawline and Cinnamon to be benchmarked against C-Stream and Supra Cat8. Let’s see if I can hear any difference :man_shrugging:

1 Like

I’ve had everything from SOtM and Chord to AQ Cinnamon/Vodka to BJC, and like most any cable be it power, speaker or IC I’ll be damned if I can tell much difference between any of them. I sold most everything off for a slight profit and kept just a mix of the BJC and Vodkas because of both their outstanding construction and the former’s provided test report, which is more than most are willing/able to do.
BTW, not certain where you’re located, but there is plenty of AQ Vodka surplus at retail outlets in the US.
Good to hear the EE8 is working for you.

2 Likes

Great writeup @jsawyer09 ! I meant to say this in your comparison thread.

1 Like

:grinning:
Thank you.

1 Like

Nice experiment, litemotiv.

The essence is that the sound noticeably improves and is well worth the asking price.

I notice that your wording embellishes things a bit, and I am deliberately firming up. The sound improves. That improvement is consistent. That improvement is repeatable. That improvement is well worth the asking price.

I would buy it.

I would welcome your explanation as to why this device delivers this repeatably and consistently, improved sound.

2 Likes

These kind of posts are always so welcome.

That’s quite unfair

Not sure a lot will agree with you…

And that’s not a criteria I care about