There is no such thing as an audio grade switch.
Do I really need an " Audio Grade Network Switch "?
I think it's been a quite controversial topic for years, like what's the difference between normal network switch and an audio grade network switch, the price difference is certainly obvious though...
Anyway, I've done some researches, most audio reviewers say that under this " new digital streaming era " that an network switch is a must for an audio system, which is understandable for me, I mean because if I wanna play TIDAL or Qobuz or Spotify, I gotta use network so I can stream these online services, so yeah I get that if the network quality is good enough, it can possibly level up the music performance.
But anyhow, I'm new to this area, so I don't like to spend big bucks on my first purchase hahaha... there's a very wide range of the prices though, the top one is Ansuz Power Switch I think, the inner circuit and design look pretty sharp, and surely over my budget lol
So I'm choosing between Bonn N8 and SW-8, these two both got good reviews, and the prices seem so darn much friendly to me as I'm looking for an entry level switch now, do any of you have any insights to share?
or should I just go for the higher level ones?
Best,
Showing 6 responses by djones51
The SR switch was reviewed on Tom’s Hardware. If you look closely you can see the inputs are the same as a TP Link $16 switch. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ethernet-switch-for-audiophiles https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/5-port-switch/tl-sg105/
The little TP Link is nice switch if you need more than 4 out they have an 8 port. |
One of the claims made for these audio switches is they generate a better signal, better timing or click, hence the need for external clocks which is another nonsense claim for home audio. Click is nothing but jitter and as you can see in the above plot there is no difference in jitter. USB is not used, the test is ran through ethernet, but USB would be just as good. |
The point of measuring jitter is because the companies that make these switches claim their switch will generate a better signal with less "jitter" on the line not in the packet. The test shows this is nonsense as well. |