English Electric 8Switch

Hi Nigel, I’d like to do that but my router is in the cupboard under the stairs. I run a 15m cable from the router to the switch.

I could move the BT smarthub so it’s closer to my setup but I’m sure I heard it was beneficial to keep the router as far away as possible from your gear.
Unless I’ve completely made that up!?

Ah, I see.

My BT SmartHub is on a rack with my router, Cisco2960, NAS and UnitiServe, each on their own shelf. This rack is in a ventilated cupboard in my listening room about 3m away from my Fraim, and the etherREGEN is separate from this rack but in the same room, so I have some flexibility. My MacBook and Sky Box are in different rooms so I have to run long ethernet cables to those.

I would be interested in hearing about the benefits or otherwise from keeping routers separate from other kit/peripherals. @Simon-in-Suffolk?

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I’d keep any unnecessary network equipment away from the Hi-Fi if you can. My Nucleus, Cisco, Virgin modem and Mesh router sits away from the main system in the office and an EE switch sorts out local switching in the lounge where the main system resides.

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Thanks James, had a feeling that was the case.

I really don’t think it makes any difference, especially if not using the wifi on the SmartHub.
These devices are relatively low noise, otherwise if would interfere with xDSL performance, so are not going to meaningfully interact with your audio equipment.

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Cheers Simon, I thought as much.

One downside of plugging in items like Apple TV, TV and PS5 into your router is that they are likely to spread EM noise into the router - which may move from there into your hifi.

That’s why I take a BJC 6a ethernet cable out of my router into a 2960. Then plug my AV stuff into that 2960. To keep the AV stuff another step away from the hifi.

Apart from resetting the 2960 when I first installed it, I’ve had no delays switching those AV items on (e.g. to watch Netflix, iPlayer, etc) - and I’ve never had to configure the 2960.

So I just have 2 BJCs coming out of the router - one to AV and one to HiFi.

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Hi Jim,

Do you therefore have a separate Ethernet run direct from your router to an EE8 (or is eR) with streamer and server connected to this?

At the moment I’ve just plugged from router via BJC 6a straight into the ND5XS2.

I want to hear the run in process of the 252 and SC2 that were recapped before Xmas.

So the PoE 2960s are in hibernation.

The eR went back ages ago.

Just so happy with the system as it settles in and improves over the past month.

Anyone compared Cisco 2960 to EE8? Results?

Really… I think this is very unlikely. Spreading of electro magnetic noise and interference into a modem router would negatively impact xDSL as used by superfast broadband. xDSL synchronisation is often really sensitive to RF to noise, possibly more so than audio equipment. I have never heard of a persons broadband sync speed reducing when they connect an AppleTV or Sky box to their router. It makes no difference on mine.

I compared an EtherRegen… when connecting to a Naim streamer transport… I found an extremely subtle shift in sound… but nothing significant… and I wouldn’t say there was any difference in ‘SQ’.
It may be different if you an integrated streamer / DAC.
I just couldn’t be bothered to return it, so I left it in… it currently sits between my 3560 L3 switch house infrastructure and my NDX2.

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I seem to remember reports in the previous 1800 posts :slight_smile:

I replaced a 2960 with the EE8 as I found an ‘as new’ s/h one on ebay.

Perhaps a little less ‘glare’ and a further sense of naturalness to the presentation?

Whatever, it’s much tidier on the eye as it’s a neat little box with all connections to the rear.

I’m very happy with it.

G

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Well, that’s a theory.

I used to have 4 ethernet cables plugged into my router.

Now I plug only 2 ethernet cables into my router - one leading to the hifi, another leading to a 2960 (which has TV STBs plugged into it).

I prefer the latter arrangement.

Agreed. I paid a good price on a new one from a reputable dealer and thought it worth giving a try. Rather tiny compared to my DrayTek mains power 8 monster. Yes, there is a marginal improvement in performance but nothing that really leaps out - at least to my years.
It’s very well made for sure and isn’t covered the Christmas tree lights that my DrayTek was.

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I swopped a pair of PoE 2960s for an eR - and initially thought it sounded better.

But when I took it out 3 weeks later I realised the eR didn’t make much difference, so I sent it back.

(I didn’t try the eR with a posh psu.)

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Agreed with both @anon77199223 and @Simon-in-Suffolk. Just goes to show how differing system and WiFi setups affect things: X audio switch made all the difference for me; X audio switch did nothing for my system so I sent it back. I’ve only ever had the Cisco and now eR with UltraCap LPS-1.2, and neither did much, if anything, for me. Same goes for the DC and Ethernet cables attached. I have found much more worthwhile system upgrades as opposed to these. In the end switches, LPSUs and cables add up, but the benefits have not. Subtle at best; inability to tell one iota at worst.

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Well it’s not so much theoretical rather more factual cause and effect iwith respect to xDSL… it’s an important design consideration. VDSL is sensitive to RF noise, I would say possibly more so than much Hi-Fi equipment, which is why it is measured by the device continually. When you are producing potentially millions of these devices you need to get right … hardware defficiencies can’t usually be fixed with a firmware upgrade.
Of course sonic preference is something entirely different to noise, Ethernet noise, common mode noise and xDSL SNR… there are potentially many variables, and I certainly get why some physical topologies may be preferable with the resultant audio produced.

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Hi Simon

Router 1 has a streamer and 3 other electrical items plugged into it.

Router 2 has a streamer and 1 other electrical item plugged into it.

Which router is most likely to spread electromagnetic noise up the ethernet cable to the streamer?

Jim