A Very Useful New Discovery--EON Digital Filter from Network Acoustics


I've been on a year long quest to upgrade my stereo system, hopefully for the last time. As a senior "Luddite", I have been a late adopter of steaming capability. But now I'm converted. And just in time it apparently. In August 2020, DG released a new recording of all four Charles Ives Symphonies with the LA Phil and Dudemel conducting....with no CD format available!
Currently I'm listening to music through an Auralic G1 steamer/ Benchmark dac 3 DAC B into a newly built Audible Illusions Modulus 3B preamp and a Parasound A23+ power amp. CD's are played on an Audiolab 6000 transport into the Benchmark via Toslink. Speakers are Vanderstein Treo CT's. Oh there's still vinyl. I upgraded my trusty Well-Tempered TT with a Hana ML cartridge into a Sutherland Insight phono amp. Power supplies are a Furman PTS-8 with a Greenwave for devices switched on/off and an Audioquest 1200 for the devices left on, like the amp and the pre-amp. Everything is sounding really good (mostly acoustic jazz, Americana and Classical....lotsa acoustic piano).
I read on the 'Gon about a device from the U.K. called, EON from Network Acoustics. It is an EMI/RFI filtering device. We live on the Westside of LA. There's plenty of stray noise around. The one thing that worried me was the thirty foot run of contractor grade ethernet cable I was running from the office to the Auralic G1. I generally run mid-price cables, (Audioquest Carbon USB, Rocket 88 bi-wire speaker cables with DBS, Signal silver cables to the Sutherland, etc). Researching the EON, it seemed like this unit could be an asset, or at least save the money of 30 feet of Audioquest Cinnamon cable. And it was reasonably priced (under $500.00)!
I traded e-mails with Rich. He thought I would really like it but made two modest suggestions. He suggested that I add a D-Link DSG 1008G network switch (under $30.00)  and add a short link of good cable to the EON. (I ended up using the Audioquest Cinnamon ethernet). And he also suggested I pick up a IFI 5V power supply. ($50.00)
So.....what happened?
Suddenly the bass information, seemingly missing, was deep and powerful. I can actually feel the low bass strings on Christian McBride's acoustic bass pressing on my chest. And the percussive drive of Brian Blades drumming is being felt, not just implied. (Joshua Redman, Round Again, Nonesuch). The overall focus of everything is sharper. Like when you are tuning a guitar and the last little turn gets the top E string exactly right..... not just close. Brad Mehldau on, April 2020, sounds exactly like he is playing in my living room on a well cared for Steinway. Wow! Just Wow!!!!
I foolishly, but honestly, told my wife that I don't know to make this system sound any better.  I'm all done. Back to listening to music!
Important P.S The D-Link requires a male USB 2.0 Mini-B 5pin connector. Even though the IFI comes with many connector options, this isn't one of them. Nancy had one from an old I -Pad, keyboard connector.
mwgreene

Showing 8 responses by mwgreene

OMG! fuzztone, thanks for the heads up! Let me see if I can edit this and fix it. It was a Cu, BTW
Djones513, It's in the U.K. They have a website, Networkacoustics.com. They sell here in the U.S, consumer direct.
Goofyfoot...I feel your pain. I was really leaning towards a Ether Regen originally. But then I read they ran really warm....which scared me. Because I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to install it in my system. One of the great things about the ENO (yes, now I have it right) is that is passive in the sense that it is not actively re-processing information. All I can say is what I hear. I have not auditioned the Ether Regan. I strongly feel that in todays world, a digital system approach; i.e. dac, streamer, noise filtering, vibration control, and cabling will get you much farther than  just paying elephant dollars for just a dac.
Ha! I was strongly thinking about the Ayre QX-8 before I went with the Benchmark/Auralic combo (which saved some casino too) But I did it because I want to have the flexibility to upgrade the dac separate from the steamer. I use Quobuz too. I have a Spotify sub also, but I generally only listen to the big rig on Quobuz. You should be getting great sound out of your Ayre/Quobuz combo. My guess is that you definitely need to look at a network switch and cabling. Don't neglect power supply management....I love my Audioquest 1200. I see many folks online swear by the Uptone Ether Regen. And you are correct that money-wise you've got the heavy lifting already out of the way. I say....go for it!
Goofyfoot, I think Fuzztone mentioned that he has a Silent Angel. That apparently is the same basic unit that Chord is using to mod for their English Audio unit. I think part of the confusion might be anytime an affordable tweek or mod gets an "Audiophile" label, magically the cost goes up hundreds or thousands of dollars. I know people try to measure these things and claim that there's "no there, there". Well, there are switches and there are filters. I don't think you need to pay way up for an "audiophile" switch (My D-Link was less than $30.00)....but you need an upgraded switch and filtering. If I hadn't heard a demonstrable difference, I would not have posted in the first place. I still think we have a ways to go, knowledge wise, in this new digital streaming world.
I should jump in here and attempt to clear things up a bit (I hope).
I realize that the facts point to me being a shill for the ENO....that’s totally fair. Low post count, etc. I have been lurking on this site for nine months or so since I’ve been home bound. My attitude about posting in general is to only post when I think I have something to add. I admit to being a little giddy about this whole new world (for me) of streaming. I really enjoy my experience with the ENO in my system. I realized when I was trying to search out information about it, there wasn’t much out there. I am just trying to help address that. I’m happy that Richard chose to jump in, because I certainly am not capable of answering any technical questions. Network Acoustics HAS NOT offered me any considerations for my efforts. I’m just a retired old man, who is a fan boy.
If I was a shill, I would fire me for miss spelling the name of the product in the first place!
Rareace...Because of your question, I will do some research on the GigafoilV4. I'm not up to date on that, but in general I totally agree with your premise. Rich, from Network Acoustics, suggested I add a network switch...he suggested a DS Gigabyte Link 5 port, which I did. So it was ethernet builders grade cable from the router to the DS link. Then an Audioquest Cinnamon cable to the ENO. The DS link went sideways on me, so I replaced it with a Cisco 110 D-05. I then added the Network Acoustics CU USB cable from the Cisco to the ENO. I currently have a new DS Link in the garage unused. But as I said, I'll do some research. 
So glad both of you are basically hearing the same improvements I heard. We speak the same language with different dialects! I have neglected to mention that I have added the Network Acoustics CU UBS cable since I wrote the original post .Although I can't swear it was an enormous improvement, it certainly tightened everything up a tad...and it is a substantial piece of work for a very reasonable price. Lately, I have been listening to a lot of piano music. Besides Brad Mehldau, a perennial musical voice in this house, I've been on a Yuja Wang kick lately. We kick things off with Yuja bangin' out a ferocious take on "Why Must The Devil Get All the Good Tunes" and the ethereal "China Gates" followed by the Berlin Recital album. (Both available on Quobuz in Hi-Res). To me, acoustic piano is the greatest test of digital sound. I hear overtones, tightness and rightness of image, speed and most importantly, a lack of "digital ringing" on the treble side of the keyboard. Plus the increased focus of the bass clefs. And, I made the same mistake when I told my beautiful bride, "Honey I don't think I can't get the system to sound any better" LOL.