I connected my laptop with the switch via LAN.
I downloaded the Netgear application via their website. Needed to open an account first. Thereafter opened the application with the password “password”. And enabled Power Save Mode. After all it took me about 15 minutes.
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Are you using the NETGEAR Switch Discovery Tool for Mac, which should find the IP address of the switch? That’s how I set up low power mode using my MacBook (see post 43).
Roger
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Thanks everyone.
Had to make some changes to my network to get everything lined up but now the discovery tool finds the switch and have set power saving mode. 
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[…] a much less value-dense proposition.
I’m stealing that phrase for use at work 
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Thanks for this, very useful thread for someone just starting to build up a system from a 272 and wondering what is worth doing, what isn’t.
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Agreed, a very useful thread and typical of @Xanthe’s thoroughness. And not just for 272 owners. I have a Linn streamer and I believe Linn recommend using a GS105E, so whilst the listening tests up thread are specific to 272, they give at least a starting point for other setups.
Roger
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Yes, well as a direct result of this thread I’m now the proud owner of a Netgear GS108E switch, an Ifi power X supply and some Catsnake ethernet cables - I’m intrigued to see if I can hear a difference once setup. I’m always skeptical about this kind of stuff but I did notice a difference after burn-in of the headphone amplifier on the 272 so I will keep an open mind (and ethernet port).
By the way is there any difference whatsoever between the GS105E and GS108E apart from the three extra ports? I bought the eight port version by mistake. Does it matter if I also have the TV, blu-ray player, games console, AV receiver (for DIRAC) hooked up to it or will that introduce lots of noise?
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Agreed on all points. If there were a metric for post quality, Xanthe would be at or near the very top.
Also, their advice works very well with my NDX 2 and my Lumin A1.
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You’ll need to make sure it is set to run in low-power mode. Or whatever it’s called.
I installed my GS108E at the weekend using my existing TP 5V supply and audio quest cables.
Difference? maybe - I’ve been too busy enjoying some upgrades on my Vertere TT…
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You’re running a 12V device on a 5V power supply???
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well no……
Using a standard PSU on the GS105E, even with power saving enabled, I found relatively little gain from the switch alone.
The real gains came when using both the GS105E and the iFi Power X.
This was a much greater change than either on its own.
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The TP Linear PS (12v!) is pretty decent. I think there is a gain - lower noise floor and more detail.
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Ah OK, we hadn’t realised you meant a cuddly toy PSU. For some reason we were thinking TP-Link, who make network gear.
Form our experiments, we’d be wary of linear PSUs, we tried putting a large multi turn ferrite on the output of the iFi Power X, and that slightly reduced the available resolution and precision of timing of the sound of the system; the effect was subtle but was consistent. YMMV
We don’t know why this would be.
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@Xanthe this is all your fault, I’m now in the spare room on a Friday night conducting experiments myself haha. (Excuse the dodgy setup, renovating the living room!)
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Mwhaha!
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Results inconclusive so far. At the moment if there is a difference it’s barely perceptible to me at the moment versus plugging straight into the Virgin Media hub. Maybe it sounds the tiniest bit clearer/better but I can’t tell if it’s just the placebo effect. However, as my 250DR amp & 700 series B&W speakers are still packaged away in boxes, I am temporarily listening through an old pair of £100 headphones, it’s possible I’m just not noticing subtle differences in this massively imbalanced setup. I need a switch anyway once the system is setup properly and it can only help having a cleaner source where possible.
One interesting observation for me is though when using the switch, playback via Bubble UPnP seems more stable. Not sure if there is a technical reason for that or pure coincidence.
I’ll try another comparison with the proper listening setup. As an Engineer I’m naturally skeptical of some audiophile solutions (things like the ‘stealth fighter technology’ comparison on the packaging of the Ifi X PSU don’t help…). That being said I have definitely noticed a differences pre and post burn-in/run-in period of components and speakers so I shall remain open-minded! My friend who is a Network Engineer thinks I’m silly for even buying a Cat6a Ethernet cable when Cat5 has plenty of capacity for streaming, I haven’t mentioned to him the £3K+ Audiomica Laboratory Anort Consequence Ethernet Network Cable…
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Interesting…
This demonstrates the variability and unpredictability of the effects network changes have on streamers. Just because one person gets a particular effect doesn’t mean that everyone will get the same effect!
It may be that the Bluesound Node 2 is reacting differently to the NAC-N272, and the streamer/DACs that are being used by people who do see a difference, or that the Ethernet cable is filtering the RFI in such a way as to mask any difference in the effect on the Node 2. No way to tell really!
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I’m not using the Bluesound node 2 (I’m selling that anyway as cannot get on with BluOS) this is just plugging the 272 directly into either the Virgin Media hub or via the Netgear switch. I suspect there is a subtle improvement but my old headphones/hearing might not be revealing enough to detect a night and day difference! The original point of this thread still stands though, there is an improvement comparing the stock power and linear power supply but it’s barely perceptible to me with the current setup. I reserve judgement until I’ve got he 272 setup in concert with suitable stablemates!
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