Thank you for the info. What I find interesting is how different people use the Phoenix net. You use it in conjunction with a EE8 switch, @GraemeH with a Cisco switch and @frenchrooster the Phoenix Net on its own. This would seem to point to tailoring the sound signature to the system and room acoustics. I mean, if adding a particular switch in front of the Phoenix Net and this produced a superior sound with more detail, would not everybody notice this and reach the same conclusion. I’m not doubting the various contributors findings for a moment. It is just what maybe a more satisfying superior sound for one individual, is due to other variables that cannot be quantified by straight forward substitution. 
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I use my PN with a Uptone Etheregen with Plixir power supply. Have tried without. Changed to Cisco switch and a HP professional switch. Prefer in tandem with the Etheregen……i think, like you this is tailoring to my personal music, room acoustics………who knows, but i listen and pay the bill.
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Very good post and your reasoning transcends through to so many other hifi comparisons.
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FWIW I had two externally powered Cisco 2960 and two EtherRegen switches with Sean Jacobs DC3+ power supply to play with when my PhoenixNet had burnt in and I ended up preferring it without any of the others in the chain from my BT broadband router.
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@Michaelb prefers the PN alone too.
Curious of what you will prefer.
The real answer will be in 3/4 weeks constant burn in I presume.
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I tried my PN with EE8 and Adot in the chain and they made no difference so I removed them.
The Cisco 2960 has remained - I thought I detected a slight improvement but not totally convinced but given its low resale value I have kept it in the chain.
Gary
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Thank you.
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I have a Core with my router in my hallway so it helps me out significantly to use a first switch there. I feel that the PN brings streaming closer to vinyl in quality and character. Have fun experimenting and let us know how you get on 
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Do you use a switch (model ?) in the hallway, out of necessity or to give you a more preferred sound sculpture ? I would presume, please correct me, that you tried connecting the Core directly to the router ? I currently have my Core across the other side of the room, from my HiFi. The Core connects to a fully utilised EE8 switch, which then connects to router. I think, but not totally convinced yet, that this lowers the noise floor in the Core. However, this could all be in the windmills of my mind.
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The answer might also depend on the broadband router…
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Ditto. Or to real life 
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I have to run some sort off switch before my Phoenixnet as my main hub is in a different location, plus i need many more connections over what the phoenixnet has.
So i have my incoming Internet, fibre going to the main wifi hub, this then goes about 15 meters in catsnake to my second station. This has the cisco switch, and all my main other cables coming from it that go round the house to various kit, including the catsnake feed to the hifi.
This then goes into the phoenixnet, then out to my vivaldi upsampler, as well as connecting to my melco from the phoenixnet.
So all my digital music goes through the phoenixnet, i don’t use the melco player port, that is switched off, plus i use direct mode.
I also have the melco connect directly to my vivaldi upsampler by a cad USB cable, this gives me the option to use my melco d100 as a cd transport to play cd’s as well as rip them, plus a slightly different sound to all my ripped music over USB compared to ethernet.
But the take from this is that it all sounds slightly better going through the phoenixnet rather than the melco player port. Plus i found my vivaldi sounded better directly connect to the phoenixnet rather than phoenixnet, melco, melco player port, vivaldi upsampler.
But everyone needs to just try the different options you have and just go with the one you find you like best, as i don’t think there’s one answer for this.
Cheers dunc
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Out of curiosity, why do you use direct mode on the Melco ? It’s sounding better than bridge mode in your system ?
Because I recently tried and preferred a bit the bridge mode, all connected to PHOENIXNET.
It’s a very good point, a point about which we don’t think often. It can explain why some prefer to add a Cisco or EE8 to the PN, or not.
The kind of Ethernet cables may play a role too.
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It’s out of necessity as I don’t want to add any more FRAIM tiers to my set up which has to have the system between the speakers. Doing so adds “pressure” which has a negative impact on the sound, particularly the bass.
I go Sky Router and Core into EE8/Farad then a 15m run to PN which I connect to ND555 with Chord Music. With my system/room/router etc that sounds the best config to me.
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Just been trying it like this since my N10 went, and been using the N1z, and i kind off like it like this, not to say it will stay like it, but it’s how it is now
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An experiment.
Two observations I made recently regarding my network set-up. A single ethernet cable type through each step in the chain sounds better than mixing tham and, the BJC cat6a sounded better on the last leg to streamer than the Chord C-Stream.
So, for relatively little outlay, I thought to combine these observations and experiment with BJC cat6a throughout.
They are very well made, that’s for sure, and they arrived in 2 days.
All part of the fun.
G
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It’s remarkable you get them so fast. That’s about the same time it takes for me to get them and I’m in the west US.
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I think they have a UK set up, no?
G
That would make sense, I had assumed he’s doing everything from the states. Their products are great. Love the attention to detail.
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