I know its nuts
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I think you”ll find this has probably been mentioned on this forum countless times over the years… it has NOTHING to do with bits, 1’s or O’s. It’s down to traditional high frequency analogue electrical physics… stub loading, non ideal transmission lines, and noise shaping…
Bits really don’t come into it all… remember on an Ethernet cable and it’s conveyed analogue voltages, there are no such things as bits, 1’s or 0’s. Over simplified pseudo technical marketing has a lot to answer for.
The differences here are akin to audible changes with different mains leads, plugs etc.
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Sure… it does depend what you are comparing to… some switch mode powersupplies are very poor on the mains for noise as well as common mode noise… especially when double insulated, and poor linear powersupplies can be poor for the derived low voltage supply.
Best use quality products… and avoid pluging network equipment close by to sensitive radio or audio equipment.
With switch mode power supplies some Hi-Fi manufacturers recommend their quality high frequency switch mode supplies over linear power supplies… and advise avoid connecting large transformers nearby to their products for max performance…. So It all depends…
Do what you feel comfortable with and prefer to suit your personal tastes … but please don’t assume there is automatically a correct approach for audio nirvana… as there are so many different variables and preferences.
Let’s face it how often have we heard a supposedly top performing system with optimum this and maximised that with much exotica, and to our personal tastes it all sounds rather embarrassingly poor….
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I recently borrowed a set of ADOT fibre optic sfp switches and a 5v Plixir power supply to try out. As it coincided with moving the hifi i decided to hold off serious listening for a few days……but used the ADOT instead of my Etheregen into an Innuos Phoenixnet switch then onto my ND555……system sounded very good indeed.
I then tried ADOT to Etheregen which has an sfp port and then onto Phoenixnet etc. you had to really concentrate and listen but there was some benefit around note decay.
I then spent even more time going between using ADOT to Phoenixnet and Etheregen and Phoenixnet……really nothing in it to my ears for my room and system. The Etheregen i use is powered by a 12v Plixir, so it is of a comparable price and for me performance to the ADOT. They are both trying to reduce noise in the ethernet domain, but by different methods. The minor benefit of combining ADOT with Ethergen is not worth the asking price imo.
Any way my summary is both ADOT and the Etheregen are switch devices that are worth trying at home. A hifi demo recently of ADOT was very convincing, but as ever a home demo is required imo.
@NigelB you may be interested as you were at the same demo.
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Thanks for the feedback @Gazza, very interesting.
I remember at the demo things went up a notch when they added the Plixir to the ADOT. But from you experience the just shows the Plixir is good but the ADOT/Plixir didn’t offer you much over the ER/Plixir.
Maybe the answer for me is to add a Plixir to my ER, rather than go down the ADOT rabbit hole. Of course you have the PheonixNet switch, which I am sure changes everything.
Gazza - good stuff. Remember its not reducing noise in the Ethernet domain - unfortunately none of these devices appear to do that - however they do reduce coupled out of band noise whether it be phase noise or common mode noise conducted through the light modulation or twisted pairs.
If you want ethernet noise reduction use a commercial device like a 2960 or similar and then put one of these conducted noise products between the the switch port and the end device… that way you should have a degree of ethernet noise reduction and conducted noise reduction.
But as you infer its a case of very much diminishing returns as indeed I have found out too
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Thanks Simon for correcting me its all rather too technical for me so i clutch at simple phrases. Interesting how these little expensive tweaks work or not depending on the system they are in and our own ears.
The really nice upgrade was paying the electrician £120 for cabling, henley, box and consumer unit, i paid for the socket/faceplate. Great value wish i had done it years ago.
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Gazza I was no way wanting to correct you as that would be far too presumptuous of me 
However just flagging that some people cross the threads and mix things up in describing this - and to be fair some consumer product marketing aimed at Audiophiles doesn’t help either…
I am still waiting for an audiophile artisan company to make/sell a genuine ethernet noise reducing solution - rather than enthusiasts needing to integrate their own products… perhaps no one does as it is too much at the diminishing return end of the scale, and good old fashioned common mode noise and serial phase noise reduction whether in fibre or twisted pair is relatively easy to do and relatively low cost to manufacturer and can yield a more prominent change in audio - depending on what you have come from.
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I remember your discussion with Steve Sells when the Naim forum visited HQ. It seems a side of mainstream hifi that is in its infancy……and by default lets others lead or play on their patch. It will be interesting to see if Naim do sfp on any new products like Linn.
Totally agree with this…the ethernet side of things…could do with some sort of guidence…
Yes we did discuss the use of ethernet transceivers several years back with Naim when really the only performance choice was ethernet - the view was it could be interesting but probably too much unnecessary complexity for most and liable to cause unnecessary confusion and clamour for guides etc if you remember.
I did point out of course transceivers (SFPs/SFP+s) can either be twisted pair or fibre - so they gave the consumer choice but I conceded the point of unnecessary complexity.
To be honest now however this area is probably rather old hat/legacy - the world has moved on from those discussions years ago; the future is with the new wifi transport methods/protocols - especially with 802.11ax and its various controls for managing flows, and for the consumer is more plug and play with respect to higher grade performance compared to older wifi and provides the benefits of may exotica tweaks that are sold for ethernet for audiophiles
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Gazza
Can i ask how exactly you got on with the 2 adot’s and how exactly you had them in the system.
As i have been thinking about running one and using the fiber out from my cisco switch, then fiber to the hifi about 5 meters away, then the adot and a small lenght of cable into my melco.
Cheers dunc
I have a cat6 cable that runs from router around the outside of the house in conduit and then into the living room through an airbrick. I was/am using a Plixir psu to power an etheregen then AQ Vodka to Innuos Phoenixnet switch then AQ Vodka to ND555.
I removed the Etheregen and used a 5v Plixir to power two ADOT modules, one taking the cat6 feed and then a run of single mode optical cable to the other ADOT module…….then AQ Vodka ethernet to Phoenix etc. I mention single mode fibre as this is new out and does sound better to multimode cables. In this configuration it was hard to tell any difference between ER switch or ADOT……both about the same price with a Plixir psu.
Where i could see some benefit was using one ADOT module taking the cat6 feed and then fibre optic to the sfp module of the ER switch……better note decay. However its a fair whack of money, more boxes for marginal benefit. I don’t sit and listen normally straining to hear differences.
So in summary if it had been available a couple of years ago when i bought the ER, the ADOT might have been my choice. The cable is relatively cheap for long runs…….though be warned it cannot be re terminated at each end.
@james_n has the ADOT modules in his system and may have more useful advice.
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Cheers
Its great you have tested pretty thoroughly…now just sit back and enjoy the music knowing that…at least the dac is probably getting as good as you can sensibly get…
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Hi Dunc,
As Gary mentions, I use the ADOT MC01 kit. After trying out a few different combinations when I changed from a Naim to Linn front end, including fibre straight into my KDSM (using both the ADOT MC01 or the 2960 as the media converter), I settled on the setup I use now.
The 2960 is still used as my main switch, supporting a Roon Nucleus, Sonos system and a Mac mini / NAS (only used for ripping and back ups). Fibre from the 2960 to the ADOT media converter and then 20m or so of CAT5e to the PhoenixNET in my lounge.
I’d suggest if you try this, borrow a decent supply like the Plixir option (I use an Uptone PS) on the ADOT that has the copper connection to your DCS and don’t use shielded Ethernet cable on this link.
It’s worth noting that the ADOT supplied SFP won’t work in the 2960 (without delving into the switch config) so you’ll either need a genuine Cisco module or something like this StarTech SFP which works fine.
That is just about what i want to try, cheers.
You have the same cisco as me only mine is under the stairs and has lots plugged into it, so hopping that a 5 meter run of fiber to the hifi. Then the adot and small lenght into the melco N10 will bring benefits.
Just to add i have a power supply from my melco n100 days that might work, as also used it on the EtherRegen and now it powers my melco d100 when needed, obviously i will have to check if its ok.
The melco d100 needs 12 volts……the ADOT is 5 volts. Plixir do a combined 5 and 12 volt……but £850.
Bugger