Network optimization for serious streamers

@sns Thanks for the streaming advice. I got a new DAC which has built-in SFP input. I am testing it out with the EtherRegen in B > A and then into the DAC. This is likely the way to go. However, I need to get an additional set of SFP and another FMC for this new DAC. My Mustec 005 DAC will be using the eR in my office.

Which way would you go?

• EtherRegen B > A | Small Green Computer (sgc) Finisar+ x 2 | sgc Fibre cable
• sgc Optical Module Deluxe | sgc Finisar+ x 2 | sgc Fibre cable
• After Dark SFP+ and RJ45 and Fibre cable | 2nd EtherRegen

BTW - I have 3 OpticalRendu’s throughout the house and the streaming sounds excellent. I currently use only 1 FMC in the older 3 DAC’s. My other FMC’s kept failing so I tossed them out. Now I go direct from 2 network switches to 2 DACs in the non-eR setup. It can sound better but it is good enough for those 2 DACs.

@singingg Last night, I was listening to my Benchmark DAC3B with my uber revealing RAAL CA-1a headphones on the RAAL VM-1a tube amp. I normally stream fibre from a Sonore OpticalRendu to the USB of the DAC3B. However, last night I was short of a long fibre cable, so I did something different. I used some fibre to go into my Lumin X1 DAC then stream out by SPDIF to the Benchmark DAC3B SPDIF. I used a WyWire SPDIF cable and that connection from the X1 to the DAC3B seemed to be better sounding than the USB input of the DAC3B with the oR. The USB was also WyWire.

Now I am not convinced that the X1 steaming is better than the opticalRendu. More testing is needed, but past tests had me leaning towards the oR as being a tiny bit more refined.

I am questioning whether the Benchmark DAC3B SPDIF is better sounding than the USB. Need to test this some more.

I prefer the X1 in almost all situations over the DAC3B, except with the VM-1a tube amp (not 100% certain but it does not matter, since DAC3B needs to stay put).

When I was helping a friend setup ROON streaming in his workshop I ordered a 100-foot fibre optical cable from Sonore. The person at Sonore told me that longer cables are actually better for fibre optical. I was asking him if such a long length would degrade performance.

For people requiring such long lengths but still needing Ethernet, why not run the distance in fibre and at the last little bit convert to Ethernet?

@sns I am going to go with the SPDIF on the Benchmark DAC3B to RAAL VM-1a tube amp. It sounds a bit better to me, and that is what matters.

I am currently testing the i2s on the Musetec 005. I can really do a nice apples-to-apples comparison with GROUPED ROON streams. I think the i2s could be as good as the USB on the 005. The i2s cable is cheap and brand new so it is likely breaking-in.

Last night, I realized that with my 3 existing Sonore OpticalRendu’s and the new Lumin X1 and the Sonore UltraDigital (with SPDIF and i2s). I have 6 ways to stream with fibre as a part of the stream. I think I am going to sell 2 of my OpticaRendu’s if the i2s is good or close to the Musetec 005 USB.

BTW - the Musetec 005 vs Lumin X1 DAC sections come down to a matter of preference. The X1 streamer is excellent. Like the opticalRendu. I am keeping 1 005 and may sell the 2nd 005.

Someone really needs to offer audiophiles double blind test with exact same lineup of major equipment, one modded and tuned, other with no optimization.  Which system wins this shootout? All I know is that I've benefit tested much equipment/variables over the years, new variable goes in and out, try to test one variable at a time. Benefit of new variables is either positive, negative or just different.

I have been testing streamers and DACs the last 2 weeks. The way I compare 2 paths to music (streamer and/or DAC) is to use my Benchmark LA4 preamp with RCA or XLR pairs of sources. I then stream from ROON with GROUPED streaming option. This sends the same stream to 2 ROON endpoints. I can switch between the 2 inputs on my LA4 preamp to immediately hear both on the same passage of music. Not really scientific but I find it useful and have been able to easily hear difference. Especially, if I listen with my RAAL SR1a or CA-1a headphones.

My recent conclusion was the Jon Swenson designed OpticalRendu is awesome and compares favorably to the streamer in the Lumin X1 fibre. I preferred the OpticalRendu by a bit feeling it sounded a bit more refined. I also found that the previously unimpressive Jon Swenson designed EtherRegen was actually very useful as an FMC connected to my network switch. Then fibre from the EtherRegen to either the Lumin X1 or OpticalRendu .

So, after hearing and comparing streamers and DACs I bought into the snake oil pitch. Infact, Swenson suggested in a paper or post to use a FMC in front of fibre. I was going to sell the EtherRegen but I am glad I kept it to try in front of the fibre.

BTW - my streaming setup uses Powerline adapters for 2 rooms of 4 rooms, a cheapo computer for ROON Core, and non-audiophile network switches. This can lead to some crap sound, and it did. My main approach to tackle my non-audiophile network was to use fibre and LPS on the Rendu's. It has worked amazingly; I am not touching this setup anymore.

My EtherRegen is starting to fail on me now after 2 years. I was using this as an FMC. I think this is the 3rd FMC that has failed on me. So, from now on I am going to use simplicity for streaming. A network switch with SPF into a Sonore OpticaRendu or directly into my Lumin X1.

I had lined up a buyer for my Lumin X1 because the streamer in it was not better than my Sonore OpticaRendu (X1 streaming was disappointing). However, just before I sold it, I was getting failures in the streaming. So, I cancelled the sale and started to see what was going on.

It was the super-hot EtherRegen that was at fault. When I took the eR out and went direct fibre from my Ubiquiti network switch, the streaming sounded so much better. Now I could hear why the Lumin X1 was so highly regarded as both a DAC and streamer. The streamer is now as good as the OpticalRendu so I am going to sell 2 of my oR’s and use the SPDIF and USB stream out of the X1.

The lesson learned for me with streaming is to use the KISS principle. I think I got lucky with that eR failure.

My error. I was beeching about the EtherRegen getting hot and likely failing. The cause was not the eR. It was ROON + Lumin X1 + eR.

I have put back the eR but this time I am using the Lumin app and not using fibre, just Ethernet. This is a baseline test, and I will add fibre later. The eR is working perfectly now. No stoppages in play. It actually sounds pretty good via Ethernet too.

So, I was wrong. The eR works fine it is a ROON and Lumin issue.

Since I am a ROON user I think I will NOT use the eR with the Lumin X1 and use the eR with ROON and the OpticalRendu (done this for year+)

I was speaking with Ric Shultz the other day about streaming. He is working on my Peachtree GAN1 amp which only has SPDIF as the input.

He was stating, like many people, that the digital signal must be clean and noise free otherwise, the signal is degraded. My understanding is that these 1’s and 0’s are created from electrical signals and this electricity can have noise. Now my question on this is does that matter for 1’s and 0’s. Would noise on the circuit make a 1 incorrectly into a 0 and or the other way around.

My layman’s understanding is that it does not matter and that by using fibre (and a FMC in front of fibre) will deliver a noise free bit perfect 1 and 0. So no analog noise gets into the DAC. I am not preaching this, I do not know, but this seems like a plausible explanation.