PhoenixNet update

Streaming Audio
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Before i start maybe Richard when he spots this can move this to my closed topic on this, cheers.

Well after many months now owning, using etc the PhoenixNet, i can say that i have been very happy with it, and what it does.
I was Before using the etherregen with a separate power supply, it worked fine, but i just disliked the look, how hot it ran, plus all the added stuff like power supply etc, so sold it all.

Now the reason for this post is, the unit i got was x demo at a fantastic deal, not sure how much use it have had, as even dealer wasn’t sure. Anyway i was running PhoenixNet, then into melco N10, and finally then into my vivaldi upsampler. This i found to give me the best results from the stored music on the melco.

Well after reading the last post on my old thread from mister rooster, a few weeks back i decided to switch things around, as the PhoenixNet will now certainly be burnt in, as the unit does indeed take a very long time to burn in, due to the lovely caps they use in the power supply.

Well i have to say i have been converted to running all through the PhoenixNet, not only has this somehow improved the sound quality of my stored music on the melco, but also streaming from qobuz has slightly been inpoved i feel, now it doesn’t go through the melco.

Anyway it’s all fascinating this stuff, haven’t a clue why it should be different, but it is.

But for anyone trying a PhoenixNet please try it both ways, but make sure it give it plenty of time first, as it certainly didn’t give the same results first time round.

300 hours was mentioned, i can’t really add anything to this other than give it lot’s off time.
Plus it’s easily the best switch i have tried.

Cheers dunc

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Yes……if you want the Phoenix clock to work, everything needs to go through it……Melco direct was not as good imo.
Interesting the new Melco reference server has a clock input……apparently prototype on test.

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So you connect the Phoenix Net (PN) to your isp/router then streamer/nas/server/etc to the PN? Does the order of connection to the PN matter?

I see these pop up once in a while s/h and have some curiosity about the benefits.

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Can’t see the point of adding a clock to a switch, as the dac will reclock it anyway.
The switch obviously needs a clock to work, but it’s dealing with much different things over what a dac needs a clock for.
Lot’s on it and most manufacturers are just jumping on it as it’s very cheap to add a clock input connection, and it might help sales.
Even the guy from etherregen commented on it saying pretty much what i have just said.

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Everybody thinks they know how this works……i am yet to believe anyone……go with the ears for your room and music.

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But that is the Phoenix net…….a quality switch with an oven clock.

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Right this is how i have mine

Fibre into house, then a 15m run to a cisco in copper cable this has everything plugged into it, then a 5m copper cable to my hifi room.
This goes straight into the PhoenixNet, from there i run a audioquest diamond cable to my dcs vivaldi upsample, plus from a second port on the PhoenixNet i run the supplied cable that came with the PhoenixNet to connect the melco.

So i no longer use the dedicated player port on the melco as before i had the audioquest diamond cable plugged into this player port. So music stored on the melco went directly to the vivaldi, and streamed music also went through the melco. This is what is different now.

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As i said you lose the clock or whatever the Phoenix does……if you go Melco direct……the Melco does a reclock. My ND555 will then buffer and reclock……but the Phoenix still very audible?

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But once you buffer something then the clocking that happened before means nothing? After all it will have already been clocked, reclocked many times before it even gets to your house.
The only slight thing you could possibly argue for is if you reclock everything in the chain with the same clock, as then the dac clock wouldn’t have to really do anything so the dac would have an easier time with nothing to do, and that could potentially bring a slight inpovement.

But not sure what the PhoenixNet is doing, but i prefer it to not having it. But looking at an inside picture, hopefully the great power supply and switch is just getting rid of any nasty noise that’s made it’s way into the stream, and so just letting you hear more of the music?
Or it’s adding tones that i like to the mix? But i would be shocked if that was it. Just a cleaner single is what i believe.

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The clock synchronisation over many products is a benefit as it’s been discussed many times over on the dCS forum, with dCS themselves explaining it all, that is where my info comes from.

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If you take a look at the inside of of a Naim CDS2, you’ll notice it contains 2 clocks.

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It need clocks to work, plus has a dac in built, so very different to what a swich is doing, and more importantly what a clock is doing in a swich compared to what its doing in a dac

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I was replying to your statement.

But once you buffer something then the clocking that happened before means nothing?

The CDS2 has a buffer and reclocks, yet it has a clock before that, which presumably must be important. (Do something). :grin:

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Haven’t a clue sorry
But i do know the last clock in the dac is the important one.
But a cd player works differently to streaming, mainly protocol.
Even the way the music is moved, and exported is different

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What’s the logic behind having so many clocks? It seems like the last clock before the analogue stage is all that you need.

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I don’t know.

But, I’ve just been watching a YouTube video of a guy from Primare advising how to optimise SQ for the NP5 digital out streamer. (No Dac)

He advises using wired Ethernet as opposed to wifi

A lot of wifi routers aren’t capable of doing the carefully timed and precise delivery of information required for streaming audio.

So, he’s talking about timing of information received by the streamer being important.

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@Gazza had posted in a past thread that he preferred the Nd555 into PhoenixNet, rather than Melco. At that time it gave me the idea to try a second time, because the first time I found the Nds to Melco direct sounding better. So I have to thanks Gazza, and now Dunc can thanks me :smile:.

As for the PhoenixNet, I believe that its strength resides in its beefy and advanced power supply, made by Sean Jacobs, but also the quality of the clocks ( OCXO). A lot have testified elsewhere how adding a great quality clock on a switch improves the sound, like the Mutec reference.

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A PhoenixNet is high up on my list of things to try

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I have the Melco N1 streamer on test. The manual has instructions on how to connect the “Melco” master clock. Yet to be released, but will be an interesting comparison to Phoenixnet.

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Not sure what you mean by comparison to phoenixnet?
As one is a swich, and the other is a streamer/nas.

But interested in how you find the new melco N1, especially if you have a melco N10 now.

But for me recently i have just been streaming through the phoenixnet into my vivaldi upsampler, and then into the dac. This i have found to be just as good as what i have stored on my melco, and it’s making me think i don’t really need it these day’s

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