Future DACs with Fibre Optical

I doubt there is a large market for this, most dac manufacturers assume one will do all the rendering via large variety of streamers. Already not that many ethernet streaming dacs around, optical users likely a small minority of that minority. Still, doesn't mean won't happen, I'd just not expect this to be widely adopted.

Since you are fiber, you should check out Finisar transceiver upgrade for FMC and OpticalRendu, I recently went to 1475 version and AfterDark Ref optical cable to my OpticalModule and OR, major, major upgrade!

I was going to ask you about that Finisar. I have 1 OpticalRendu with the expensive Sonore power supply and a short cable remaining. I need to get 2 more transceivers. I also need to get a fibre optical cable. Thanks for the feedback on that.

I am using the EtherRegen in place of your OpticalModule. 

I'm also an X1 owner; one of things that attracted me was the SFP (fiber) port. Seems like an obvious cheap and easy end-run around the electronic noise that may accompany ethernet connections.

I know there are lots of other avenues to pursue same objective, but I'm unconvinced that they are superior to the simplicity of a direct fiber path.

Knowing that nothing is forever, and that I'll eventually get an itch to upgrade what is my only source, I would very much like to stay fiber when I do.

Reading tea leaves, the X1 was introduced in 2018. That's nearing 5 years now. Lumin seems to be pretty aggressive about updating their hardware (if even just to solve their own component supply problems).

I don't think it too far a leap to speculate that it may be due for an upgrade (X2?) soon. Maybe? When they do, I'll certainly take notice.

Is the the After Dark cable and Finisar you bought?

Peter W from Lumin posted on the AudioShark forum that there will not be an upgrade to the X1 in the foreseeable future. He said they have nothing better than the X1. They will continue to do firmware updates to the unit.

I know there are lots of other avenues to pursue same objective, but I'm unconvinced that they are superior to the simplicity of a direct fiber path.

I learned this the hard way with my EtherRegen in front of the X1. The X1 streaming was stopping periodically for a while. Then it started stopping regularly. I called up Uptone Audio (makers of eR) and we discussed this problem.  The guy there said that eR and ROON and X1 sometimes have issues like I was having. 

Long story short, I realized going direct from switch was simpler (maybe not the ultimate best sound). After, I took out the eR for a few days I wanted to see if putting it back in would work. Well, it did without problems (yet). However, the first drop in streaming I get I am removing the eR from the X1 and ROON. I will move the eR to the OpticalRendu, which has no issue with the eR and ROON.

KISS is also what I am going to do with streaming. 

Well, true, but no company will announce (or even mention) a new product that supersedes their current offerings until it is imminent. It kills sales.

A corollary is that no company can afford to stand-pat in a competitive market. Without further innovation they wither and die. 

LOL, I hear you. Luckily for me the EtherRegen has been unobtainium, so temptation to experiment with one hasn't been a possibility.

@yyzsantabarbara Yep, that is correct package. I could see this Finisar as great upgrade for any fiber capable device with removable transceiver, problem is there have been instances of incompatibility. I'd estimate this upgrade to OpticalRendu at something like 25% improvement over stock, that 25% could be in actuality a game changer. I heard improved resolution/transparency within minutes of insertion, longer term will hear more analog like presentation, more ease and relaxation, lowering jitter at the transceiver has real world consequences, very impressed. At this point I'm finished with streaming upgrades, nothing left to do and no desire to change out a thing. Going back to vinyl side, have a number of recent purchases to install, trying to get my vinyl back to being worth my time.

The best way I have found ,is 1 buy a state of the art modem-router having docsis 3.1 much faster,bigger buffer then older 3.0, and wifi 6, little green computer for cheaper LPS for router, and upgrade the Dc cable ,upgrade fuse these all made a noticeable increase in fidelity then a Sonore deluxe , media converter Ethernet to fiber optic converter  with good sptmodukes for the fiber optic Finisar are the best that’s 3- linear power supplies at the end point buy the good one. I compared 6 brands in total the best build and most natural in most categories was the        Linear Tube Audio- LPS . The rest a very good separate dac, and streamer , it is extra boxes but a good dedicated dac is better then a streamer combo ,much better isolation and much better power supplies . 

My LAN is all fiber and I've been thinking about trying the iFi NEO Stream and running fiber right into it (SC), as opposed to converting back to copper to iFi's fancy FMC/re-clocker.

A couple of other DACs that are fibre Optical are the MSB and Playback Designs units. I am thinking of cancelling my plans of buying an expensive amp and get a Playback Designs DAC instead.

The designer of the PlayBack Designs DACs is an impressive guy. He may have also been involved in the creation of my modded Sony SCD-1 SACD player that I still love to this day (20+ years later).