Hi Bill, I am glad you have found your streaming nirvana with the Network Acoustics Muon ethernet system combined with their Rubicon switch. Any thoughts you can share on how your current set-up compares with your trial of the top level Tron Atlantic DAC that you enjoyed in your system a couple of months ago? I assume you were using the Muon system and English Electric 8Switch with the Tron, but not the Rubicon, correct?
Network Acoustics Muon ethernet filtering system - Improving streaming sound quality
Network Acoustics recently rolled out a new top tier ethernet filtering system named Muon. It betters their already highly effective ENO offering which I purchased some 18 months ago. I posted about the ENO filtering system back then and you can read it at the link located at the bottom of this member review.
Everything I said about the ENO filtering system also applies to the new Muon system. However, the Muon system offers even better sound quality by removing a greater amount of electronic and RFI/EMI noise. The Muon filter is a passive device so their is no need for a power supply or power cord. That’s great!
Like many of my fellow Agoners, I have come to depend on Qobuz and Tidal streaming for my music playback. I have not used any physical media in over 5 years, but also realize today’s servers/streamers can all benefit from digital noise blocking systems such as the Muon. From high end audio switches to high quality ethernet cables I have learned they can all improve the sound quality of our streaming front ends. I have tried going the fiber optic route and used other products such as the EtherRegen and while they do improve sound quality I find the MUON system more musically engaging and compelling. Here is my current digital front end:
(Netgear NighHawk modem/router powered by an LPS > Network Acoustics ENO ethernet cable> English Electric 8Switch powered by an LPS > Network Acoustics MUON ethernet cable > MUON ethernet filter > Innuos Zenith III > Tchernov Ultimate USB cable -Mojo Audio Evo dac)
The MUON system is made up of the MUON filter and Muon ethernet cable. You can buy these separately, but you’ll receive a nice discount by buying both as a system package. Here is a link to the Network Acoustics Website:
https://www.networkacoustics.com
I purchased the MUON system and have been enjoying it for several months now. I feel it betters the ENO range in several important sonic ways. The noise floor is further reduced revealing more inner detail of instrument and voice. This increased inner detail reveals subtleties previously lost. In the end my music sounds more real and less reproduced. For me, improving realism is everything!
With streaming it seems more difficult to obtain a nice 3D presentation as compared to a high end CD spinner. Sometimes streaming can sound relatively flat compared to CD playback. I found the Muon filter system delivered a more immersive experience due in large part to improving the 3D performance.
For me the Muon filter is well worth the asking price as it made my listening sessions even more enjoyable. The rest of my system includes a Circle Labs A200 integrated amp, Fyne F704 speakers with upgraded crossovers and internal wire, and both Hijiri & Tchernov cabling.
Showing 8 responses by mitch2
Been working on my digital front end again and while additional improvement is possible, it sounds good enough for now. I have stuck with stuff that actually seems to move things forward by providing small/incremental improvements such as the muon system and USB cable, adding a second Bonn N8 switch, and my most recent addition of the Denafrips HERMES DDC with its dual OCXO clocks, which allows conversion from USB to AES/EBU into my DAC. These presumptive jitter-reducing devices seem to slightly improve the upper frequencies and make music sound a little more natural - less digital. The current set-up:
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Thanks for sharing @thyname - I am glad the muon Pro is sounding good in your system. Am I correct in understanding that your positive comments are based on the muon Pro being your first Network Acoustics product, and not an upgrade from the muon (non-Pro) or eno? Network Acoustics initially implied the muon Pro was intended for the professional ’studio’ market and streamers that require Gigabit (i.e., 1,000 Mbps) Ethernet. They designed their eno and muon (non-pro) for 100 Mb Ethernet as I found out when I had to purchase 100 Mb fiber converters to use with my eno since it would not work with the 1,000 Mbps converters that I had at the time. A switch took care of that but the network cable feeding the eno and later the muon in my system is clearly operating at the lower 100 Mbps speed based on the amber and not green light on my switch. I am curious why folks are reporting such an improvement from the muon to the muon Pro when NA and others here indicate 100 Mbps should be plenty fast for our audio streaming. Anyone have an idea about that? I am considering purchasing the muon Pro based on the many positive reviews here but I am getting a little worn out buying small boxes. Any of you here upgrade from muon to the muon Pro and, if so, can you share your oservations on the upgrade? |
I should probably reach out to Rich Truss. I don’t have the slightest idea whether my Mojo Audio DevaVu server/streamer is “spec’ed for Gigabit speed.” I do know it sounds good in my system for the typically 16/44.1 flac files I play and Tidal/Qobuz through Roon so I cannot imagine that changing from the muon system to the muon Pro filter would result in anything approaching a “game-changing” improvement. The DejaVu replaced an Antipodes DX and was an improvement. Here is a review. |
After comment here from @richtruss last week I went back to using a CAT 8 Ethernet cable connection direct from my router to my system, instead of fiber and its associated two converters (with LPS on both). It sounds good with the direct Ethernet connection and Is there a touch richer tone resulting from the Ethernet connection? Maybe, but I seriously doubt I could reliably choose which connection is in place 4 out of 5 times. |
Hello, I have not tried the Pro yet. I have the original muon system plus their USB cable and decided to sell some stuff before moving on. Since my system sounds as good as it ever has, I haven’t been too fired up to keep buying stuff. Instead I am buying/building a new bike. Thanks for checking back. |