Digital isolation between Ethernet hub and streamer

Uh huh.

Move over Network Acoustics, GigaFOILv4-INLINE,  iFi LAN iPurifier Pro |, and all the others.

My LAN is already smooth  thanks!

Carlsbad2 instead of knocking it out of ignorance try it before making a comment 

you know -0 about it  yet you have a opinion . Myself and many seasoned Audiophiles have found it to work as well as several awards for $265  very little risk.

Ito be honest if you buy it it’s your choice I was just telling others to buy it 

I have over $16k into my digital rig and it it made a small be still an improvement 

in low level detail, .on a lesser system even more so .

I am a fan of NA internet filters, especially the 1G Muon Pro.  It improves my digital.  This looks similar, and perhaps a value approach to this technology.  The last ethernet cable going into your streamer IS important (IMHO).  So adding a (NA filter system) gives one both their filter AND a quality ethernet cable entering your streamer.

Nothing in Audio is set in stone ,if you have a chance to try or return fine 

nothing to loose I have a great LPS at the modem streamer combo 

from Linear Tube Audio the router wall wart is pure garbage  and digital is not grounded.. this $700:lps best anything at 2x this  on router wall wall modt srev12 v 

this is good to 8 amps modt router combos around 4 amp or less.

This is actually a decent unit and does what it says. I put this in front of my Innuos Zenith and there is a clear difference. There is a short break-in period, but smooth sailing after that. If you are using a cheapo Wi-Fi extender like I am, it is worth consideration. 

Alone I have the exact same streamer and does as advertised  I gave it 75 hours

to fully runin.  It’s important to start with a good LPS at the router, a decent Ethernet hub for now LHY sw6

for digital cables without question Tubulus audio being a member of several audio clubs , beats cables several times the price.

@audioman58 So what do you think that a "filter" does to a digital signal?  Don't answer, you post makes it clear that you  don't know.  there is an endless procession of magic boxes that make your system sound like Solti is conducting the orchestra in your living room and this one fits right in line.  Now I've explained my skepticism but I doubt you feel any better.

Jerry

Filter means to clean ,look it up !! 

I have 4 decades in Audio ,and owned a Audiostore for over a decade 

carlsbad2 what have you done ?  Unless you have  anything of quality or otherwise 

in your system for a few days to actually compare ,to make Any comment without trying ,then you speak out of ignorance .

I can honestly say it does make a SQ difference. I have my Ethernet cable from my router to my Synergistic Research switch then the long thicker cable of the Muon Pro from the switch to my Aqua LinQ transporter connected with the Muon Pro shorter and thinner cable and the LinQ connected to my Weiss 501.Network Acoustic offers a 30 day no questions asked refund if you are not satisfied, so for the skeptical people it is a no brainer. I have been experimenting for years and honestly this is the best i ever had. How can we make a judgement without even trying?

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/stack-audio-smoothlan-network-filter-wow

There was a long thread started by Ozzy late last year on the Smooth Lan; seems a few members tried and liked what it did. (myself included)

As far as I can tell, these filters provide galvanic isolation in one of two ways, by either using transformers (i.e., the NA filters) or optical isolation (i.e., GigaFOIL and others).  Don't most good servers/streamers also provide some form of isolation?

The last cable my streamer sees is a fiber optic cable but, even when it was an Ethernet cable, none of this stuff made a reliably discernable difference in the sound of my system, and I have owned the NA eno and muon systems (including their Ethernet cables), GigaFOILv4-INLINE, and others. I could say I heard differences, but that would require talking myself into it, YMMV.

I have the Network Acoustics (NA) Eno2 'Ethernet Filter' system with the NA LAN cables (the cables come with the Eno2 as a package deal option) and it made a significant difference immediately noticeable in soundstage dimensions, image clarity and instrumental separation. The science behind devices like these is readily available on the internet. More importantly, in a higher end system devoted to digital sources like mine, the devices simply work their magic, and apparently for many others as well.

I just don't get why, BEFORE open-minded experience of these devices in one's own system, one would discount their efficacy.

They work for some and for others not so much. Kind of like power cables and the like.  Don't be a binary thinker (cuts both ways) and just disqualify the product or people's position on that given product, positive or negative. 

I always like when somebody posts “This very inexpensive”.   It’s typically not “very inexpensive “ to me anyway’s.  When someone says to ME very inexpensive I think $20-$50US.  Not over $200US. Thats more like a, well let me look into it, and think about it.  Inexpensive is when I think, hum, $30-$40, I’ll try one out.  At $200 there’s a bunch out there and I already have plenty of that kind of thing.  
Of course, some people‘s idea of an expensive is different from other people’s idea of inexpensive.  

I have tried:

1. Network Acoustics Eno Streaming System. Did it do something ? Yes! It smoothed out dynamics, tamed the highs and relaxed the mids. Soundstage collapsed. None of the effects were desirable and I sold it

2. Fiber optic conversion - adds glassy and cold character. Didn’t mike it

3. iFi LAN iSilencer - made zero difference or if it did make a difference I can’t hear it. Because it does no harm I left it in my system 

Other than using the best possible Ethernet cable and keeping your network components out of your system and plugged into a different circuit, there’s nothing else to do with Ethernet. 

For you and your system. @audphile1 for others that is not the case.

Interested to know what FMC and FSP’s you used in your trial. I had the exact opposite experience but then again my network only has 2 meters of copper in it. And I use quality FMC and rolled FSP's to find the right combo. My entire house is fiber and our town is all fiber.

I have tried:

1. Network Acoustics Eno Streaming System. Did it do something ? Yes! It smoothed out dynamics, tamed the highs and relaxed the mids. Soundstage collapsed. None of the effects were desirable and I sold it

2. Fiber optic conversion - adds glassy and cold character. Didn’t mike it

3. iFi LAN iSilencer - made zero difference or if it did make a difference I can’t hear it. Because it does no harm I left it in my system

Other than using the best possible Ethernet cable and keeping your network components out of your system and plugged into a different circuit, there’s nothing else to do with Ethernet.

@luvtubes69 I was describing my experience in my system and I thought that was implied. 
I used the stuff I bought from amazon 

https://a.co/d/5HkmxgC

I set up my streaming with EERO mesh network. My Purist Audio Ethernet cable is 1m in length. It is connected to iFi gizmo on the EERO side and feeds my streamer directly.
My audio components are on two dedicated lines - one for Boulder 866 integrated amp, another for Aurender N200 streamer and Bricasti M3 DAC. 
The EERO mesh node is at least 1m away from my components and cables and it is plugged into a completely different circuit so there’s no chance for the EERO SMPS to contaminate the AC line my system is plugged into and near zero EMI and RFI pollution from it due to its proximity to the rest of my gear.

Ethernet cables make a difference, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. Adding additional crapola to my system, converters, filters and switches is unnecessary clutter that contains boxes that generate additional EMI, RFI and AC line noise. That’s my personal approach after testing various tweaks and I won’t be revisiting this in the foreseeable future. I’d rather direct funds to upgrading components and cables than to fart around with network. 
 

@audphile1 usually the cheap stuff like the Amazon offers is not going to make a positive impact.  At least you tried, the wrong stuff but you tried. Like I did with PC and they did nothing. 

Lol yeah. I tried the wrong FMC stuff. I also tried plenty of wrong power cords and they’re no longer in my system. If power doesn’t make a difference in your system but network tweaks do, there’s something seriously wrong with your network and your equipment. 
 

I have the NA Muon Pro, like @fastfreight.

 It is extraordinary.

 Have an English Electric switch plugged into a Nordost QBase Reference.

Pure audio nirvana.

awesome @dougthebiker .  I also had the English Electric (Bonn 8) switch.  

There are similar benefits to be had with a next level switch.

@fastfreight  He has 2 next level switches with the EE 8 and the Q-base. 

@audphile1  Not what I said but okay. Could same the same about your system slick. Considering you used $200.00 worth of switch gear. 

Snake oil

not biting.  enjoy midfi

Don't most good servers/streamers also provide some form of isolation?

@mitch2  - Galvanic isolation is required for Ethernet signals, but due to how capacitors may be used across the coils isolation could be improved on a bit.

Personally I'm more worried about surges from outside the home coming in and frying all my HT equipment which is cable connected to it so I like to put isolators which are rated to UL 60601 at the end of long cables, close to my HT switch to reduce those chances.  I don't know of any boutique/audio isolators however which have this rating. 

@erik_squires - I agree about surge protection.  Unfortunately, outside of a Belkin unit in my server/IT room, and my Isoclean Power A60 that filters all of my front end stuff in my system room, I don't really use it.

When I mentioned isolation for purposes of this discussion, I was talking about as provided by all the small boxes that are available to purchase.  Since running optical from my server room directly into my Sonore Sig Rendu SE Deluxe, none of the other stuff has done a thing for me.  I do use an optical break (2 converters and two LPSs) directly out of my router, and then after the server, I use Sonore's opticalModule to convert the Ethernet output into a fiber optic output that goes into my system room and into the Sig Rendu SE...

@mitch2 If you are already running optical there's very little you can do to improve upon that.

@audphile1

Unpacking your username, I see you love AUD. So do I, but I just can't get enough!

Do I understand correctly that you have a WiFi mesh router about 1 metre from your system?  And you claim it produces near zero RFI and EMI?

Surely the whole reason for having a mesh router is to blast the area with G-Hz WiFi signals?

When my partner moved her business into 'legacy' premises, wiring was going to be an issue so we (?) decided to go wireless for almost everything, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.  In the end, we needed two mesh routers to boost the WiFi coverage.  These mesh routers get their packets via Ethernet cables.  They also get their power over these same Ethernet cables, injected as it happens though little wall warts which no doubt have switched mode power supplies.

Always suspicious the phones might not be working properly, she would often dial her business from her VoIP phones, not realising the VoIP system was smart enough not to route the call externally!  But then, a single unanswered call could cost her AUD 10k

No @richardbrand you misunderstood me. The EERO mesh node produces a good amount of EMI and RFI. The location where it is parked prevents it from interfering with my components and cables. I use an EMF meter to position components in such way that the EMI is minimal or nonexistent around and between the components and cables in my system to the best of my ability working with what I have. 
You hold a lot of knowledge and experience. But see, the way you come across is I’m beginning to build a perception when I read your posts that you think that everyone here is a moron. You need to rethink this approach. Most of us here have been at it for quite some time. And our systems are assembled based on research, knowledge and experience we accumulated over the years. Hope this helps clear at least some of the misconception you arrived with.

@audphile1 

Thanks for clearing that up for me!  You did originally post 'near zero' but now it is a 'good amount'.

My partner really believes there are four types of matter: electrons, protons, neutrons and morons.

By and large, we 'audiophiles' are a pretty gullible lot!  For fifty years we have been fed that digital sucks. Most audiophiles stick with two channels, 25 years after multi-channel came out. Then we discover that for two decades almost all records have been mastered digitally!  And those same record-loving folk now laud streaming, which is digital, even if done badly.

I wish contributors would back up claims of clear audible differences with a bit more evidence.  How hard is it to get somebody to switch a power cord while recording what they have switched and whether you think the sound is better, worse or the same?

I tried measuring the effect of lifting my dustcover and surprised myself with the lack of attenuation of pink noise, compared with white noise.  There could be a sensible debate there

What I said originally was

near zero EMI and RFI pollution from it due to its proximity to the rest of my gear.

meaning it does not pollute my system. On its own it produces a good amount. I have to chew this for you?

Then you stated this

I tried measuring the effect of lifting my dustcover and surprised myself with the lack of attenuation of pink noise, compared with white noise

Well I have been measuring the effects of your removing your dust cover and my findings are there is definitely no attenuation of noise. My recommendation is - keep your dust cover on. Especially on your keyboard.

Audioman58 - thank you for your post. I have been streaming my music for over 8 years and I am amazed at the quality level I have already achieved in my two major stereo systems in my home.  I stumbled on a major audio upgrade by converting my incoming signal from Spectrum internet (average speed 200 Megbits per second over copper to my router) to fiber optics into anew router -  (at 550 Megbits per second ) . The audio quality improvement shocked me. More separation, lower noise floor, better soundstage, cleaner horns, etc. I feed my streamer/ dac via Ethernet cable. I just ordered the Smoothlan network filter and will insert it into my main stereo system in front of my LUMIN T2. I simplified my streamer/DAC journey by going with LUMIN - I run a T2 in my main system. I will happily report back as to if I hear improvements inthis system. Please note my LUMIN T 2 feeds my Krell 300i integrated amp which feed my Peter Gunned Maggie 1.6 customer speakers, with The Swarm sub woofers handling the bottom end. I think my system will be able to resolve any improvements that come from a better/cleaner incoming signal.