A different world

@audiom3 

I'm in process of converting to all fiber, just purchased fiber streamer, next will be fiber server. Doing fiber conversions via two FMC certainly one of best prior upgrades.

Also, another upgrade I don't hear much about is bridging ethernet out of server, shortcut ethernet so it doesn't have to route back through router/switch, direct out to streamer. Very few servers have this capability, can't figure out why.

USB out of server not best way to go unless one has something like Pink Faun, Jcat usb card, and I'd still prefer separate streamer for usb out.

Above is partially incorrect, brain fade. More specifically, you bridge to a second ethernet port in  order to split server and streamer duty. Most servers have only a single ethernet port, usb out to dac or usb renderers, perhaps I2S, spdif, etc.

Adding the second ethernet port has two advantages, possibly three, the first as above is to separate streamer. The second is one can than convert to fiber post server, galvanic isolation. Dedicated streamers can also be superior to built in streamer in some servers. The third possible advantage is usb out on server/streamer may be inferior to streamer usb, many streamers make extra efforts in providing superior usb out, such as femto clocks, superior grounding, etc.

In the above cases, one assigns the port they choose as ethernet port and then provide usb to ethernet conversion cable. In may case being Mac, thunderbolt to ethernet cable.

This was major upgrade for me, right up there with LPS and fiber conversion.

@ghdprentice 

Weird on your EtherREGEN experience. I found that it works quite well; then added a Paul Hynes LPS - nearly as good as the ER; then have been through four different Network cables and found more there as well. Also moved to fiber in the last 18 mos, which was another nice bump up in SQ.

BTW, thanks for starting the thread. Really enjoying it.

@ghdprentice if you think you ’got there’ with just a few wall warts, congratulations. For others, it seemingly never ends as we just find more and more improvements through experimentation. I have no complaints with my journey so don’t be sorry. I love learning new things.

PS - I had posted in another EtherRegen thread here that the ER made little difference in my fiber LAN. But I recently bought a $9 linear wall wart and it made a stark difference. Very surprised to read that Uptone is confident in their stock SMPS and argue that you won’t really do better. It only took $9 to beat the pants off of it. I’ve since gone ahead and ordered a full linear PSU box because I am so impressed by the improvement in SQ from said wall wart.

@pokey77

Thanks. I think the EtherRegen was worth it… like one of the many tweaked that adds up to a great system. It was only $600 or something… less than a power cord.

I think my concern is that someone not familiar with the technology would come away thinking getting good streaming requires an advanced degree in networking… it requires no knowledge of networking what so ever. I don’t know if I mentioned this here, but I have been in IT most of my career… senior executive for the last thirty years. On the other hand, I don’t want to futz with it now that I am retired… and I didn’t have to. It is great if folks like playing with networking, honestly I am sick of it. I put the first PC on the network in a global semiconductor company.. and all of the other 4,000 on the next few years. I have spent millions on routers and bridges, T1’s and fiber… just don’t want to screw with it, and didn’t have to.

One quick trip to Best Buy to buy an extender and my streamer was plugged in and working at vinyl level of performance… it is a very good streamer of course.

@ghdprentice 

"I think my concern is that someone not familiar with the technology would come away thinking getting good streaming requires an advanced degree in networking". I'd totally agree with you, that is certainly not the truth. People just need to know they can refine their systems by working on the network side all the way to their DAC or server. I've been very pleasantly surprised at just how much better it got adding the ER/LPS and better Network cables. Just read some forums and jumped in. Others can do it just as easily. 

@pokey77 

+1 Cool