Very pleased that you like this expensive switch…which is quite a bargain. My heart missed a beat when i posted that i thought it was a great upgrade, and then you purchased it. Hard earned money is hard earned money…looking and sounding good.
Don’t worry Gazza, I wouldn’t have bought it if it was not affordable, and there is that 14 day return facility.
My heart missed a beat when I moved the eR closer to the ND555 and ruined everything!
Luckily it was a misplacement of that flippin’ Vodka, and now all is good, better in fact.
Its an odd game i have tried many cables, but Vodka stays, but then SL did not work for me…no panacea for all rooms and tastes?
Hi Nigel; Forgive me if you have explained this earlier, but just out of curiosity, why do you have the US so far out and not on the ER and closer to the 555? Do you have the 2960 on a LPS?
It’s getting a 12v supply, and I have not noticed it being any hotter than before.
It is at the back of the racks, so not on a shelf where airflow is somewhat compromised.
Have you tried removing the Cisco?
You could try : Router > vodka > ER > Nd555.
I have all my network devices (router, QNAP NAS, UnitiServe, Cisco 2960 & previously eR) in a rack on a separate ring main with a dedicated distribution block, but in the same room as the Fraim. My listening room is small and not possible to have the network devices any closer to the Fraim. The UnitiServe is on the 2960, as I wanted to keep the eR as uncluttered as possible. The eR is now on a window cill behind the Fraim, sitting between the 2960 and the ND555.
The UnitiServe used to be on a cuddly toy PS but that went kaput, so now it is back on the stock SMPS.
I might try that but I am not sure the 3m Vodka will be long enough to go between the Router and eR in its new position. I have sold my 8m Vodka.
I also like having the IGMP snooping facility the Cisco 2960 offers.
BTW, moving the eR has had the effect of it running less hot.
Thank you Nigel. Cheers.
You could do : Router > 8m Catsnake > ER > 3m Catsnake> Nd555.
Just a try, to see how it sounds without the Cisco. For me and Michael B, it’s really more lively without.
Indeed, cables are a funny old game.
SL’s in our systems clearly perform differently, but at least we agree there is a place for Vodka in our systems, although we may have different views on the best ‘position’ for Vodka.
In my network, Vodka is a disaster as the last leg connecting to the ND555, with the cheap and cheerful CatSnake way better in this position. The Vodka works for me either between the UnitiServe and my first switch (Cisco 2960) or between the two switches (now 2960 and eR).
I was wondering where you have your Vodka(s) and whether you have experimented with the positions?
I have the Vodka on the last leg to nd555, i did put in an extra cheap switch once just to try a cheap belden cable between switches and then replacing the Vodka on the last switch to nd555. Preferred my current setup of Hp 408>AQ Forest>ER or Cisco 2960>AQ Vodka>ND555. I guess at some point i could try a Catsnake 5m instead of the AQ Forest or a 1m between ER and ND555. But i am happy with my cables at the moment…next cable foray will be the witch hat ones we cannot discuss😉
My set up is as follows …in my office, ISP router to Cisco 2960 1.5 m Catsnake 6e, from my office to my listening room (Cisco to ER A port) 15m Catsnake 5e, ER B port to Melco N1Zh 1.5m Catsnake 6e with floating plugs, Melco to ND555 1.5m True Signals Ethernet cable (as recommended by my dealer)… works well for me.
Out of curiosity, does anyone else use optic fiber between the ER and the rest of the network?
I made another round of tests this evening.
In the context of my system, fiber gives better results than twisted pairs. That’s probably due to the complete electrical isolation optic fibre provides.
My vodka is placed at the very end :
[Catalyst_3560]–(fiber, 5m)–[EtherRegen]–(cat.6a, 11m)–(Vodka, 1.5m)–[ND555]
I went to a lot of trouble to try this with the expectation it would be better - but in my system it dulled the musical cohesion and intent.
Optical sounded cleaner and airy and had an initial appeal of a fast slick presentation…but I found I was just not enjoying my music.
Switching back to Electrical gave a more immersive sound with better micro-timing in my system.
…so I respect it may work for some systems - but people should check that in their systems it is better.
Someone recommended using a better Optical module external to the ER to get better performance, as ER Optical module noise performance can be bettered - apparently.
I may try that ahead - but what I have now is fantastic and I have to hear it better Optical to use it that way.
I was very disappointed it did not work out for me.
DB.
Hi Drake,
Interesting findings. IIRC you mentioned previously having tried fiber with mixed results.
The ER is about noise shaping, by providing isolation and a stable clock.
Using the ER’s stable clock and its fibre connectivity should, in theory, be the best way to use the ER and therefore provide the best result.
It is then interesting to note that we have a different appreciation of that sonic result.
This raises the question of how we perceive sound and how we build our taste and preferences.
A week after adding the ER, I removed it and really enjoyed the sound without the ER!
Especially instruments like guitars, cellos, altos and violins. The sound was less airy and the recording venue less present, but the sound was more to my taste!
Was it better without the ER?
What does better mean anyway?!
It was more to my taste.
Nevertheless I kept the ER (with fiber) and now I’m used to that sound.
Removing the fiber connection gets me closer to what I perceive when removing the ER completely.
I lose the airiness and above all the ability to clearly perceive the recording venue, which I enjoy a lot!!! (and is an important part of the recording, at least for classical music).
So fiber or not?
Which one is best?
Fiber cuts the electrical connection, and therefore the electrical noise. But some noise can be very enjoyable. And I enjoyed it a lot!
But I kept the ER. I got used to a different presentation, which I enjoy now even more (airiness, etc.).
I suppose that, as always, it comes down to one’s taste.
Interesting though to see we all enjoy music differently and that taste can evolve/change.
I agree that fiber cuts the noise, more than ethernet copper cable. But it may introduce other issues.
I had fiber medias converters before, powered by linear ps.
The soundstage was bigger, the sound a bit softer , a bit more details, but involvement and urgency in the music was not there completely.
So I will not say that we like noise if preferring fiber vs copper.
However I didn’t tried quality media converters like Sonore.
I am not sure that Cisco into ER in fiber connecting is the best set up.
Mixing Cisco with ER is not to my taste too, as some here, because the ER is limited in its sound possibilities. IMO and personal experience.