And the MusicWorks powerblock and sparkly bit? Couldn’t the same thing be said about those? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any problem with anyone trialling and adding extra bits and pieces to their systems. If it works for them, great stuff. I’d rather it didn’t then lead to the rubbishing of what was yesterday’s best tweak, but hey… What I don’t understand is your stand on switches as compared to powerblocks?
Hi Tim. I’ve nothing against them at all, the Cisco was well worthwhile. It was just the comment that adding a new switch to an £80,000 system made it sound like real hifi - whatever that means. People do go rather overboard with the impact of these things. The feedback on the G3 is pretty consistent whereas with the two switches it’s absolutely not. That’s why I feel that drawing a conclusion is impossible.
A few months ago I recommend that the long thread should draw some sort of conclusions. I nominated your good self for the role of author - which you sensibly and graciously declined along with a good explanation as to why.
It is my view at least, that your post above has provided an excellent summary of the current situation.
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Or if there is a problem to solve in the first place.
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Totally agree / even with the dissenters. My networking had some problem that wasn’t solved no matter what I had previously tried - including $1000 Ethernet cables.
Seems like a common enough problem that accrues to Naim/Brit streamers that chord solved this in the first go. They’ve certainly been at it with $4500 Chord Music cables and realized they can solve the problem at source.
The newer generation of streamers solved it to a certain degree but the music was still robbed a little of its emotional qualities.
And Uniticore sounded better than Roon.
This fixes it. And Roon sounds equally good.
HH - I always wondered why you loved the SuperUniti and it just lacked detail and any emotional impact at my place. Similarly, I found the 272 nice but not that great, preferring the UQ2/NaimDac/Nac72 over it.
Now I’m wondering whether it’s thes issues at my place that this switch solved.
And to be clear - my Ethernet is just fine - I’Be been getting 300Mbps since a while and now get 1000Gbps at my place.
Still - early days / ill be a few days until this breaks in and I’ll really be able to tell.
Real HiFi = tonality + emotions + prat.
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I’ve already paid out to this years Qobuz subscription. 
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What methods do you build into your process of adding components to prevent confirmation bias and get an honest evaluation?
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When did you last try plugging your router directly into your ND555?
When I was messing around with the Melco switch
Was it much worse?
The Melco switch lost tonal and textural detail, as reported. The EtherRegen improved all areas.
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Interesting.
I bet not many of us ever take the trouble to back check down to that simple connection with no switches at all between router and streamer.
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I don’t A/B component upgrades generally. I a/b the AQ and BJC cables and was going to have my GF blind test me but it was such an obvious difference I didn’t bother. I’m mostly giving you grief. 
Actually, I just tested 3 conditions, all BJC 6a:
- direct from router to 272
- router - ER - 272
- Router - 2 Cisco 2960 PoE - ER - 272
Condition 2 won, and clearly had a lower noise floor and more present instruments.
But then Condition 1 beat Condition 3.
The simpler route sounded cleaner.
With the 3 switches there was just too much pre processing going on.
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A couple of weeks ago Mrs. JimDog and I blind tested one another.
Mathias Eich The Door
Jon Balke Slow Spin
Chick Corea Matrix
Comparing Qobuz hires vs Tidal 16/44, or vice Versa.
Each of us could get 5 out of 6 on most runs, which suggests that there is an audible difference on that very small sample and under those single blind conditions.
I’m more interested in the 4th option of poe ciscos v. ER.
That’s what I found with the ND555, only using 2xPD Cisco Catalyst 2960s powered from their own external PSUs. I didn’t however compare the three switch combo with the “naked ND555”, but adding either one or two in daisy chain with the EtherRegen was a step back. The 2xCiscos on their own were maybe 1/3 of the way to the EtherRegen.
But probably router to 2X Ciscos would win vs router to 272.
Like you, I found router to ER , without Cisco, to be the most natural and real sounding instruments set up.
What next then chaps - you all suddenly find that the wireless connection sounds better ? Still at least there’s scope to discuss which wireless router sounds the best. Does 2.4GHz sound more musical than 5GHz etc etc.
Plenty of COVID lockdown fun to be had I would think… 
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Just compared this:
- Router - 2 Ciscos PoE - 272
- Router - ER
The ER sounds a lot better.
Obviously the 2 Ciscos sound very good and were about a third of the cost of the ER.
But the ER is clearer, instruments have more presence, the music has a lower noise floor.
I would strongly recommend trying an ER as long as you can return it.
None of this is surprising as the ER was designed and built to improve the sound of hifi systems, whereas the Ciscos were not.
I guess I’ll have to sell my PoE Ciscos now.
Just switched the ER back in and The Tunnel by Tord Gustavsen Trio sounds clearer, with timing and tonality.
The Ciscos have been plugged in for 2 days prior to this test.
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