Interesting stuff Pat. If and when I get an EE to try, I also intend to stick a ‘spare’ 2960 between it and my router.
Your comment about trying different cables is also interesting to me, as most of us appreciate specific switches, Ethernet cables and streamers combine to make a unique system, and the ‘performance’ of each discrete component (and by the word component I include Ethernet/streaming cables) will vary according to the other components it is matched with.
I have already ordered a couple of new Ethernet cables to try in place of my AQ Vodkas. I have always rated the Vodkas but I know they divide opinion, possibly because of the phenomenon I describe above. I realised that although I moved from a NDS to a ND555, I was still using the same old cables (a mixture of AQ Cinnamon and AQ Vodka). So, to shake things up a bit, I have ordered a couple of lengths of DesignaCable Catsnake 6a with floating shields, which I will try in place of the Vodkas, and will also try mixing Catsnake and Vodka - sounds like a weird cocktail.
I will of course keep all my cables as I will no doubt have to experiment with them if and when the EE 8Switch arrives!
We are well…i am really delighted with Morgana cables, especially the din to xlr…it is what i was looking for. It has opened up a bottle neck in the music chain…SL unfortunately did not do this for my system, ears etc.
Hope you can get up and running soon, i think many people gave already had this virus.
Take care
I did the same with a pair of jeans and a Vodka. I thought is was a good mix, you may find the same with your Catsnake 6a. I hope to try out a EE switch real soon myself. Am quite enjoying the positive experiences being shared by others here. So far, so good. The EE switch is really looking promising for sure.
Cheers Peder I wasn’t aware of it… Yesterday, I took a look briefly and I have seen as well threads of Etherregen and Sotm .
It seems to me that 90% of the people who has spent money with these audiophile switches are happy with it. I will not contest that variables of : system/environment can change everything . How can I? My system it self already need some warmth, if the EE by any chance throws some brightness in it - I will not call it an improvement - of course not ( although some cables can change that) . Anyway, I’m going to order one EE for my self and I will give my impressions in my system after
As part of my recent little quest to find out what the latest Vitus amps sound like (which is going to have to wait until I am sure I am clear of the virus), I have a Melco switch winging its way over to me, so I will be able to report how that sounds with its own and with a Sean Jacobs linear power supply vs the EtherRegen.
Currently, I stream wirelessly. Am very satisfied with my system, but have been recommended by many to run wired between router and switch and finally “the last meter” run a better quality network cable. Was previously a little skeptical about this but after hearing myself I saw what you had to gain from this. I started with some research on network switches for HiFi use. The choice finally fell on Danish Ansuz Acoustics LAN PowerSwitch X-TC. As a Scandinavian and with very good experience with Ansuz cables in my system, this felt like a natural choice, although it was not directly free. The cable that will go between the router and switch is a 20 m Chord C stream and the “last meter” becomes an Ansuz X Digitalz Ethernet. So now it’s just waiting for the stuff. Attaches a link about the current network switch:
I’m a sceptic concerning cables, switches and related gadgets believing that if they really did reduce jitter, noise etc that manufactures would demonstrate this rather than just talking about it. And of course there is a well known site that measures these things and shows they make no difference.
However there are so many people that say there is a difference that I feel I have to try and I’m hoping that someone can answer a few novice questions.
I have an Audiostore server in an upstairs study, connected to my ISP router (Virgin) in the same room by a short Cat5e cable. I have a long run of Ethernet, also 5e, from said router to my NAC272 which is downstairs. I run Roon using the Sonore Bridge in the server and the server is also my Roon core.
If I were to trial the EE8 switch should it be upstairs near the router where both the server and NAC272 could connect to it, or close to the NAC272 in which case the server would not be able to connect to it (without going under floorboards to put in new cables or moving the server). Or does it make no difference? I guess if it does make a difference I may change the cables, but one step at a time. Thanks
I might be misunderstanding your layout (and I apologise if so) but the way seems to be to plonk the EE switch at the 272 end (it only has one input) of the long wire, then connect it to the 272 via the Chord C-Stream included with the switch. Chord recommend using the output port farthest from the input.
Feel free to read into it whatever takes your fancy. I only read their recommendation after I’d ended up at port 8 (because it was easiest to reach!). I heard no difference between the nearest and farthest ports.
I’m sure Chord believe there is difference, or at least I hope they do & its not just some smoke & mirrors blurb to excite the audience.
I connect my cables into ports that are not in the same galvanic block - my switch ports are made in blocks with 2 ports per block - my logic is there is a lot of wire, tracks & mini transformers inside these port blocks & a bit of separation might reduce cross talk.
Does it? well I can’t hear any difference but I have enough spare ports to do it, & I do it 'cause I can.
Assuming the well known measuring site is the usual one …in the past he has been guilty of using flawed methodology and then been less than gracious when called out.
Peter Q of Audio Note has an interesting interview on YT where he discusses silver and copper wrt transformers. They measure within a scintilla of each other, and yet the effect on SQ is profound. Part of the problem is, what should we be measuring? Our ears and brain are amazingly tuned in some ways.
If you get the EE8 I’ll look forward to your thoughts.
I would expect nearer the 272 is ideal, but hopefully you’ll try both. I’m sure Chord would love it if you buy two ;-).
Probably the same site, takes a dim view of most things Uptone.
The thing is audio streaming is a new technology and most of us - well me at least - don’t know what is important from a SQ perspective which makes it easy for the snake oil salesmen of this world especially in the highish end audio world where many people’s set ups cost upwards of £10k, so what does another few hundred matter?
I’ll probably have a go with a switch and if I think it makes a difference may buy a longish run of decent, but affordable, Ethernet cable to replace my cat 5e and get under my floorboards again to install it.
Attaches a link about the current network switch:
The switch itself costs around 2000 euros. It’s a sexy thing. If you can now say this about a network switch. 