Ethernet Switch- what's the point?

“Now "audiophile" ethernet switches are designed to improve delivery of error free bits to the streamer by use of improved power supplies, grounding, shielding, clocking, and other methods.”

Switches don’t improve the error free delivery, all packets are guaranteed to be error free or they will be retransmitted. How many times have you submitted a stock purchase and the broker bought you more shares than when you asked for (packet of data sent got corrupted and changed the 100 shares to 1000 shares)?

How about all the database data that is read from the server, does any of this data gets changed during transmission? Not a chance! If Ethernet packets were prone to errors, the financial and brokerage houses will be a disaster.

Another alternative to a switch is to have multiple routers setup in bridged mode in your house to use the ports on the back of the router to wire your dac, streamer, and server to

$1,349.00 for a LHY SW-10 is a hell of lot to spend on something that might not make much or any improvement. We'd probably all go broke it we adopted the recommendation to try for ourselves.

$1,349.00 for a LHY SW-10 is a hell of lot to spend on something that might not make much or any improvement. We’d probably all go broke it we adopted the recommendation to try for ourselves.

the sw8 and the english electric unit are under $600 msrp, less on used sites when they appear, etherregens regularly trade for $500, and so on...

like anything else, if you care enough you will figure out how to try something to see if it makes a difference

and then, there are certainly money-smart and money-stupid ways to try things...

high end hifi is a pursuit that does require money, time, effort and know-how to achieve a high level of performance

https://twitteringmachines.com/a-list-of-audiophile-network-switches/

@p05129 

all packets are guaranteed to be error free or they will be retransmitted.

Pretty sure audio and video streams are not sent in error checked packets, like an email or file sent by email or FTP.

@pedroeb

We’d probably all go broke it we adopted the recommendation to try for ourselves.

Then you are in the wrong hobby. We do this all the time. It’s what makes the market, and makes the hobby interesting. But it ain't cheap.