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.
@bluethinker Yes I got it and it transformed my whole digital setup to a new level. Very glad that I decided to go for that solution. Previously I have been using various other switches like EtherRegen / Farad Super3 or Phoenixnet etc. There is also a detailed review available from HiFi-advice https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/cables-reviews/reviews-digital-cable/network-acoustics-tempus/ which I agree on absolutely. |
@markush - I’d welcome your thoughts on the Tempus. Did you end up getting it? How would you describe its impact on your system? |
comparing back to the ether-regen I have added a heatsink to mine which actually led to minor improvements. However, after adding a LPS and dedicated external clock the improvement has been much larger vs stock. Not sure anyone can make this comparison of whether its worth it to look into another solution |
There is a new switch btw from Network Acoustics: https://www.networkacoustics.com/shop/tempus-ethernet-switch/ Sounds so promising (and along with my MUON Pro excitement) that I decided to order one :) |
“probably would not have gone this route if not for the Lumin u2 having fiber ”@kefman1 That’s totally understandable. I would have pursued fiber as well if my streamer came with fiber input. One could eliminate the fmc conversion box by implementing a switch like SOtM sNH-10G. |
Lalitk that is very understandable i use one Lps with a nice power cord I do understand clutter is a eye sore I have it all looking non cluttered probably would not have gone this route if not for the Lumin u2 having fiber input it’s one of those things I can’t unhear like I mentioned I use 1 fmc powered by the same lps that powers the English electric switch I do believe the network acoustic system would look more tidy |
have any of you gentlemen tried using fiber conversion between your switch and streamer instead of the muon filter and the network acoustic streaming cable i do this with a english electric 8s switch to a lumin u2 streamer which has a sfp port input i think you would be pleasantly surprised on the sound this provides at a fraction of the cost for the network acoustic system. router to english electric 8s out of 8s to a fmc (fiber module converter) powered by a lps to lumin u2 sfp input sound is stunning if your streamer has no sfp input port you would need 2 fiber media converters to do this thanks Andy |
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. |
Adding the NA Muon streaming kit made a drastic difference in my system. I took it to an audiophile group I belong to and put it inline to a Bluesound Node and everyone was totally shocked! I think the next thing I'll upgrade will be to replace my cheesy Cisco switch that feeds my Auralic and Anthem STR Preamp. |
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. |
@lalitk Okay, sounds somewhat likely. 🙂 You're impressions, should you do it, would be interesting to hear about. |
@lalitk Have you compared the JCAT Signature LAN Gold to the Muon Pro streaming cable yet? I'm wondering about this match-up because they are very close to the same price. |
We’ve found optical converters actually generate considerable noise in their conversion from photons to electrons, plus the extra noise injected from their PSU’s It sounds like it’s the answer, but it doesn’t sound so good - think listening to music from source (Streamer, CD Transport) to DAC via an optical Toslink connection versus a good RCA or AES electrical connection. |
$100 fiber media converter to optical cable to another converter for fiber to ethernet, short, high quality shielded ethernet cable to streamer then short usb to dac. The optical section removes all the “noise” from the copper wires of the ethernet on the “dirty” side at a much lower price point then trying to clean up copper to copper and passes only the on/off signal. If you don’t have the funds to spend on these expensive ethernet based filtering systems, the optical section is the way to go. Much “cleaner” and more detailed sounding now. And, there is no reason to spend as much on the rendu stuff. Simple trip to newegg to get a couple converters with the appropriate SFPs and cable will get you there.. You could spens a little more than I did, but, I just went to mid-high on, not the most expensive, just price/performance levels along with a little bit better of an shielded ethernet cable for connecting to streamer. |
@mitch2 : nothing in your two links indicates the existence (or lack thereof) of gigabit Ethernet inputs in your Mojo server. You will have to ask the company. Needless to say, everything in your chain (internet speed, router, switches, cables) must also be gigabit rated. If just one is not compatible with Gigabit speeds, the entire chain will not |
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. |
“I personally do not believe going from 100 MBPS to Gigabit makes much difference for audio at all.” My experience tells me otherwise. Did you ever try to stream a DXD/DSD files over your network with 100Mbps speed? If your streamer is not spec’d for Gigabit speed then I doubt you could benefit from Muon Pro version. I gave up on ENO because my new DAC/streamer required Gigabit Ethernet. I’ve had few conversations with Rich couple of years ago about the need for passive filter with Gigabit support. Gigabit supports faster speeds and much larger files (DXD, DSD) hence the possible reason for Gigabit Ethernet adoption by many high end streamers. My streaming experience is definitely enhanced and been glitch-free ever since I have switched to Gigabit Ethernet. For most folks, Gigabit Ethernet may not make sense since we are only streaming upto 24bit/192kHz files. Prior to switching to Gigabit ethernet, I had frequent buffering and hiccups issues while streaming DSD/DXD files over ethernet. And for clarification, I do not use USB or AES/SPDIF cables to connect my streamer to the DAC. My Aurender streams DSD/DXD files over ethernet to my Merging DAC. |
@mitch2 :
That’s correct. I had never owned or tried any Network Acoustics products before. The Muon PRO System is my very first NA product. I had inquired and researched the previous versions (I.e ENO), but had not pulled the trigger. And yes, I had confirmed and proved to myself everything in my chain is gigabit compatible and capable, prior to purchase of PRO, although I personally do not believe going from 100 MBPS to Gigabit makes much difference for audio at all. I could be wrong in my beliefs of course…
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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? |
Yes, markings in the unit are clear for this, as well as the user manual instructions. Rob had also confirmed to me before the purchase. To be fair, and that’s just my theory, this decision MAY also be a marketing move to “nudge” people to buy the System instead of just the Filter. Often people prefer to use the same cable on both ends, same company and tier. Myself included, so this move worked in making me buy the system instead of saving money and just buying the Filter 🤦♂️🤷♂️. Just my theory. All said, the 1.5 meter Ethernet cable that came with my system seems substantial and very, very well made! Eventually, over the next several weeks I will experiment with reversing the connection to my Innuos ZENith MK3, but for now I am enjoying my music with it as is. @lalitk I just sent you a picture of the user manual for Muon PRO with the Tempus reference in the last page… As for this:
… Or perhaps In addition to your Switch? Downstream from it
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I can’t say I’m surprised with Muon Pro transformation in your high resolution system. With all the high praises, I am also tempted to test Muon Pro against my Telegartner M12 Gold switch. One thing I just learned (after reading your comment), NA has reversed the flow of signal with Muon Pro. ENO with captive cord end always plugged into streamer but with Muon Pro, you now have an option to use Muon Pro LAN or your choice of LAN cable. I actually prefer this and really applaud @richtruss forward thinking. This gives end users complete flexibility to further tailor the sound. Tempus, interesting choice of name for a Ethernet switch is their upcoming switch that replacing older switch which was discontinued due to supply issues. |
I got the the Muon PRO streaming System this past Friday. I am so impressed, I couldn’t help but post an update here. I am totally aware some break in is required, but it totally transformed my listening experience right of the box. I am personally a big believer in first impressions: if something makes a positive difference brand new out of the box, it will work great down the road, and if I am struggling to hear any differences at the beginning, I will continue to struggle hearing them, and likely it will not work. That’s just me. Yes, sometimes things improve with burn in, change, progress with continuous playback, but not to the extent of reversing my initial impressions entirely.
My streaming chain is: Verizon FIOS router G3100 (gigabit service) in the living room upstairs— downstairs where the audio system is the Verizon E3200 Extender via MoCA —- Ediscreation Silent Switch OCXO Extreme version —- Muon PRO (the captive leg to the Switch, 1.5 Meter Muon PRO Ethernet cable to Innuos ZENith MK3 —- USB out to DAC.
I have been interested for years now on Network Acoustics products, since the beginning with ENO, but never got around to try anything, until now. I have been communicating with Rob Osbourn of NA all this time, extremely patient guy who never pushes anything to you. Extremely pleased with his technical knowledge as well, including his generosity with his time writing emails to me. @lalitk : it is interesting to read a reference to a Network Acoustics “tempus” Ethernet Switch in the inserts/ material that came with my Muon PRO System. Not sure if this is new, or some type of previous Switch NA had, but it was there.
By the way, extremely fast free FedEx Express shipping. It literally took two days to arrive at my doorstep here in East Coast US from UK.
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@thyname The attached cable is downstream of the filter. The filter box itself has a female rj45 jack |
Can someone (owner) confirm: if you buy the Muon Filter only, I understand it comes with one attached (captive) eithernet cable. Is that ethernet cable downstream (output side of Muon, to the streamer) or upstream? In other words, if buying the Muon filter only (not the system), my own / existing Ethernet cable will be on the input or output side of Muon? Thanks! |
Appreciate your feedback, looks like your open the floodgates with Muon Pro streaming kit. I always felt as good as ENO is, it is still holding back your server or streamer to reach its max potential especially if its network connectivity is designed for Gigabit Ethernet. My streaming took a giant leap when I upgraded to Gigabit Ethernet. |
I just upgraded to the newer Network Acoustics Muon Pro ethernet filter and streaming cables. I continue to be very impressed with these Network Acoustics digital streaming products. My wife and I immediately heard the music fill in much more between the speakers. I did not expect that, but it was easily heard. We also enjoyed even greater realism of voice and instrument. Voices were now connected with bodies increasing the realism of vocals wonderfully. More “stuff” was removed from the signal helping us hear much further into recordings. Smearing or blurring of instruments seemed to vanish as we could hear separate instrumental lines previously hidden. Yes, resolution was improved nicely, but the tonality remained natural and not presented as hyper detailed. Nice!
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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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I also have a pretty good streaming system consisting of a PP Quad Switch, 2 Optical modules one of them being the Sonore Optical module Deluxe v2 with 2 Finisar 1318BTL SFPs, several Pink Faun LAN cables and Aqua LinQ streamer with HQPlayer core module. I only stream Qobuz and Tidal from my Roon Rock NUC. Would that make sense to add the Muon Pro filter between my Sonore Optical module and my Aqua streamer ? Pehaps i should give it a try ? |
I will be getting the new MUON Pro soon too - already very excited. But as mentioned here already, the digital streaming workflow is still full of noise and various surprises. So the interplay of power/ground/noise/jitter/RFI-EMI and various other types of problems creates a very challenging approach to get this right.
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This is an update regarding the Muon. It now has 100hours in, the sound just kept getting more natural. The digital glare is a thing of the past for good.
I just added a switch today, Bonn N8. Didn’t have the funds to go overboard with a super expensive switch but still wanted to see what it would bring to the table. OH BOY!
They don’t lie when they say it matters. Wider soundstage, more depht, more weight and slam, more focus.
Where the Muon removed the glare in the sound, the switch brings more weight and bigger sound. It’s running with a cheap wall wart, but a linear power supply will arrive by the end of February. I will update.
To conclude, I really experienced a huge upgrade with the Muon, and another big improvement with the switch. They really go together and bring the streaming experience well beyond what my cd player achieved.
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The SR Purple fuse may be the single biggest sonic improvement I have heard in my streaming front end. No kidding. Certainly on par with the Network Acoustics, LPSs and switch upgrades I have made. That is my experience with my Innuos Zenith 3. All sonic parameters were greatly improved. All of them. Improved realism, stage size, separation of instruments, noise removal, dynamics improved while sense of ease also improved. Also, the sound is more removed from the speakers and spread out before me to enjoy while my speakers disappear far more! Now, will you get this same improvement with the Grimm? Don’t know. I do know that fuses are part of the power supply and power supplies are immensely important in our digital front ends. I have owned many brands of fuses from QSA, Audio Horizons, Create, AMR, Furutech and HiFi Tuning. None of them came close to what the SR Purple delivered in my Innuos Zenith. Just stunning. The SR fuses are adding nothing, but in reality they are removing noise riding in on the AC into the power supply and ultimately into the signal path. Noise that does end up in the signal path causing blurring and all manner of digital artifacts along with the music. Fuses are a bottleneck point in the power supplies of our gear. No doubt about it. We have all these massive and expensive chokes, filtering caps, trannys, and rectifiers, yet the fuse is also an important part within the power supply and is all to often overlooked. Fuses are not just overlooked, but the notion of better quality fuses is labeled as snake oil by some. Too bad. I have also put the SR fuses in my Circle Labs A200 Int amp with astounding results. Next will be my Tron dac. I am thrilled with the Purple fuses. You must let them run in for 24 hours before making any assessments. At first I was not thrilled, quite the contrary. However, after 24 hours I was thrilled! Total burn in time is some 200 hours, but 24 hours will be enough to judge their impact? 30 day return policy so they are easy to try? The NA filters, like your new one, also remove noise that ultimately perverts the signal going into your speakers.
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Yeah it sounds pretty fantastic and I thought it sounded fantastic before, but I'm trying to get my arms around what is really happening. Some out there might scream confirmation bias...but they would be wrong. I have no skin in the game and further, the cost of these, while not insignificant to many, is immaterial to me. The Network Acoustics Muon Pro made a HUGE difference to an already exceptional presentation provided by my Grimm Audio MU1 Server/Streamer. Wow, just WOW.
From router to switch I have swapped in 3 different ethernet cables (AQ Vodka, Totaldac ethernet cable/filter, Network Acoustics Muon ethernet cable) and the Network Acoustics Muon cable sounds more effortless and "alive". Its probably my imagination but that's how it settled for me.
From my Network Acoustics Rubicon switch into my Grimm Audio MU1 server/streamer I tried the same three ethernet cables by themselves and I really couldn't tell them apart.
I then tried the same three cables with the Network Acoustics Muon filter and same result, no discernable difference. Now with my previous Innuos Zenith Mk3 server, the Muon filter/Muon cable made a material positive difference. As I've stated before, I figured the Grimm just didn't need the help or, put another way, I assumed the Grimm "solved" many/most of the same issues that the Muon streaming system addressed.
Next up, I inserted the new Network Acoustics Muon Pro ethernet cable and Muon Pro filter in between my Rubicon switch and Grimm MU1 server/streamer and ... SNAP! ... it was almost a component level positive change. Unreal. So, the dilemma...and the question: why does ANY of this stuff make a difference? LOL. It does make a material difference but WHY?!?!?
The Grimm (and many other products of a similar nature) loads the entire song (or album) into its memory and then, in the case of the Grimm, it does its magic to the file and plays it back to my dac via AES/EBU. I can disconnect the ethernet cable from the Grimm "on the fly", then "hot swap" to the next cable and the music never stops playing. I can then queue up a new track, it travels through the Muon Pro system into the Grimm's memory so that I can A - B in a reasonably controlled way.
I hear what I hear and I would prefer the previous outcome with the other cables: no material difference....but there IS a material positive difference...but why?
Also Bill, what does the purple fuse do? I am a fuse non-believer with the whole fuse thing...but I am a Grannyring believer so now, I guess, that would make me an agnostic (rather than a non-believer) and possibly leaning in to being open minded! But please tell me why the Muon Pro is so effective and why is a purple fuse another positive enhancement? |
