Finally took a punt on a used Cisco catalyst switch. Should arrive next week. Very interested to hear the results compared to my common or garden Netgear jobby.
Don’t know why this appeared in hifi corner, should have been in streaming audio??!
Thanks Mike
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What difference are you expecting?
TBH I’m not entirely sure. I guess subtle improvements? Anything would be welcome.
From what I understand the streamer/dac will have less filtering/correction and therefore subtle improvements in all areas perhaps.
Maybe others who have made the change would be best placed to describe any changes.
I will however let you know next week.
It will provide the ability to manage and monitor network traffic I guess. Is that important to you?
I went from a cheap Netgear plastic switch to the (everybody recommend) Cisco one
TBH I think it did make an improvement …but more importantly…for the minimum cost…it was one less thing to worry about!
Is this the IGMP snooping that is talked about. I believe the switch in default mode does this without any tinkering (which I know nothing about)
An improvement in what?
Some here believe a switch can ‘sound’ better.
I cannot say I have ever heard one iota of difference and I have been through a few switches, but hey ho.
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Hello Stu, how are you getting on with your switch? Should’ve arrived by now?
I also ordered one and it arrived today (£35 off the auction site), the console cable should be arriving in the next couple of hours so I can do a proper reset on it … assuming I can figure that out 
I’m not sure whether to plug the output into my Mac running Roon or the streamer (which is on Wi-Fi currently) … anyone have any advice on that?
Cheers,
Mark
If you introduce a dedicated switch for this purpose you would place it right before the streamer.
Thanks, that was my thought too, but then I started wondering whether a better connection to Roon might be advantageous
So I’ll try with the Mac/Roon on Wi-Fi and the switch between the router and streamer … Cheers!
The purpose of a switch is to connect devices to each other. That’s why they have more than one port!
Haha yes I know 
My router is in my office and I have a single cable between it and the living room. The Mac I use for Roon is also in the living room with the streamer.
I could put the Cisco in the living room and run both off it but it’s an ugly box! 
So the plan was to put the switch in the office … but maybe I can hide it behind the cabinet. The Wi-Fi is very reliable here so I thought it should be Ok.
Cheers,
Mark
slight thread hijack, but (esp @Simon-in-Suffolk, @CrystalGipsy ) does anyone know what the audio quality may be on a Ubiquiti UniFi Switch 8 Port - US-8-60W? Currently using a Catalyst 2960 but may have to change it. Would ideally like to use the Unifi as it makes managing the rest of the network simpler, but if not will have to use that downstream of the Cisco one. As it’s decent enough enterprise gear, I’m kinda hoping it’d be fine…
I suspect it will be fine… yes in the limit there might be a slight sonic change… but whether that amounts to an actual change in SQ, you will have to decide.
Can’t say I notice any change with any switch but I am very happy with all my Unifi stuff. All being PoE makes it a lot neater and less PSUs every where. They are also very small footprint. I have the 8 port US8 60w as my main switch off the USG router. This feeds 3 more switches, two US8 and one Flex and two APs with power and network over PoE. Two main audio rigs are all connected to the two different poe switches in different rooms, the rest I use on WiFi. Had two Cisco’s before these and would not go back.
Hi Mark, yes it arrived last Wednesday. Have had a pretty busy week so listening has been limited. I did manage a couple of hours last Thursday night and my initial impressions were of subtle improvements all round. It is of course easy to convince oneself of such things and I will get some more time at the weekend.
If nothing else for £50 at least I know I have a decent switch and for some psychoacoustic improvements it’s money well spent. 
