Network Switches

@lalitk  have you ever experienced any ground loop issues when using the double shieded 26awg linkup Cat8 Ethernet cables?

An interesting thought.  I realized that I run my network switch through my power conditioner ( a Digi Buss ).  The maker of which commented that that should be "cleaning' the power.  So perhaps an iFi X power supply would not add much to the mix.  I wonder whether an optical isolator would be beneficial in that setting.  

@rivinyl , FWIW,  I tried the iFi LAN iPurifierPro between my switch and my integrated DAC/streamer/amp and vacillated between thinking it made no difference and thinking it slightly degraded sound quality.  I returned it and went with the pair of media converters and SFPs (described above). That approach in my system has resulted in a decidedly lower sound floor with no (at least as fast as I can hear) accompanying loss of dynamics or other degradation to SQ; it also saved ~$200. 

Another variation on the switch:

Has anyone tried this HPE “Aruba” switch with both twisted pair RJ45 ports and 2 slots for optical fiber SFPs?  (Speeds limited to 1g)

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1561166-REG/aruba_jl681a_instant_on_1930_8_port.html

Thanks!

Actually, it’s the jl680a that I’m interested in. The 681 has PoE, which i don’t need….

@erik_squires, if you have a second, along the lines of this discussion of switches and power sources, can you tell me what you’d recommend i do about power supplies?  I have an NAD M33 that serves as integrated amp and streamer & DAC. It is Ethernet cable connected to a basic, unmanaged 5-port switch (ZYXEL) and the switch is Ethernet cable connected to my Roon Nucleus One and my router  (Eero 7), the router is ethernet cable connected to the cable modem (Arris surfboard S33).  All of the cable modem, the router, the ZYXEL switch and Nucleus One are, at the moment connected to an AudioQuest PowerQuest 505 (outlets in the non-High Current sections) with their manufacturer provided power cords and power adapters/wall warts.  (FWIW, the M33 is connected to the High Current section of the same PQ505 via a new Audio Envy “Expanded Ocean” power cable.) 

(Speakers are DALI Epicon 6s.)

Would you recommend that I get the network items off the PQ505 and put them on their own conditioner/surge protector (E.g., a PQ303)?  (I had been thinking that the PQ505 would do a good enough job of separating and killing any noise or other interference, but now you have me questioning that assumption.)

Many thanks!

“If you want to eliminate any noise into your streamer or dac, convert the Ethernet to fiber then back to Ethernet at the streamer/dac.”

@rbstehno , @deep_333 and anybody else who knows,  I’ve been thinking about trying this, as an empirical experiment. In my case, I’ve got a cable modem capable of 2.5Gb speed, but my ISP tops out at 1.3Gb, going into an eero 7 which then connects to a standard unmanaged ZYXEL switch, which itself is connected only to a Roon Nucleus One and my streamer/dac (all integrated into my NAD M33), which has an iFi silencer in its port.

So, as i don't have or need 10Gb capability, do i need anything beyond 2 media converters and a length of 1000 BASE-LX or SX fiber cable?  And is LX (single mode) necessary —or better - when the run will be less than 1 meter?   Assuming SX is fine, do these converters fit the bill?

https://www.cablesandkits.com/cabling/fiber/media-converters/mcmmsc-1gb/pro-4528/

Anybody have recommendations for fiber?

will this do the trick?

https://www.cablesandkits.com/mc/om3-lc-lc/fam-531/fp-3818/

thanks!

https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/2810806

Thanks very much @deep_333 ! 

I found what i hope are equivalent devices on Amazon (bowing to tax, shipping and return issues). I’m going to try this out.

I’m also tempted to do this for the reason @erik_squires mentions. I could build two “moats”: one between modem and router and then one just before the M33.

good listening, everyone!

On the LHY- Audio EFI, recognizing that everyone’s room and other components are different, has anybody been able to compare it to the iFI SilentPower fiber isolator in their systems? From the spec sheets, they seem very similar, except LHY’s seems to have better built in power supply modules.

I’ve been demoing the iFI for the past 2 weeks, and am thinking I wil send it back (thank you Amazon and your 30 day refund policy).  SQ seems to be a touch diminished with it is installed between the modem and router (Eero 7), and largely unchanged if instead I put it betweent the switch and my NAD M33 (using its built-in DAC). (I’ve been powering it with iFI’s iPower X DC Adapter.) The speakers are DALI Epicon 6s, which are super revealing and neutral (by far the nicest part of my set up.)

On the other hand, having installed 2 Media converters (StarTech) with  FInisar FTLF8519P3BNL 1000BASE-SX 2.125Gb/s 850nm LC Connector SFPs between the router and switch (which has the Roon Nucleus plugged into it) improved, ever so slightly, higher frequency precision/details and tighter bass. This seems to have provided a tiny bit quieter background without SQ degradation.  And, as Erik suggested many posts ago, now, if I get a power surge through the COAX coming out of the wall to the modem, it won’t get further than frying the modem and router.

As much as I’d prefer a single box with 1 power supply, if I return the iFi Silent Power I might replicate the double StarTech/Finisar optical “moat” approach to isolate the modem from the router. (With 1m Corning glass OM4 fiber optic that whole bundle is <USD180, vs USD399 for the iFI or USD499 for the LHY.) (I would also see if installing those between the switch and the M33 instead offered any improvement and leave the router exposed— after all we get almost no lightening in Portland so COAX surges are not really a serious concern here.)

Thanks for any advice or observations.

Cheers

-Kirk

@devinplombier that is very interesting. So, just to make sure I am follwoing, as i am quite inexperienced with network technology and options, this means getting a switch that can take ethernet RJ45 (say Cat6a) from the router and has one or more SFPs ports built in that i could attach fiber optic cable (say LC) to, but as the Roon and my M33 don’t have any ports that accept fiber (LC or otherwise) inputs, wouldn’t i still need media converters?

@devinplombier , got it; makes total sense. Thank you. 

I have returned the iFi silent power unit and for now, i am going replace it with a  duplicate the double StarTech/Finisar optical “moat” with the OM4 Corning glass in between the switch and M33 (i.e, the last ethernet segment to use your nice phrase). I may just leave the connection between the modem & router, alone for now. (I put aslightly better power source in to the router a couple weeks ago; maybe that is sufficient, given the “moats”.)

Good to hear. Thank you.  

I've got a test cord coming tomorrow.  The system is sounding so good now -- the media converters with those finisar SFPs & the Corning OM4 fiber seem to be magic -- it's hard to imagine any improvement, but I'm eager to expirement to see the effect, if any, of replacing an unshielded cat 6a cord for the last foot into the M33 (streamer, DAC, integrated amp all in one) with this shielded one. 

Just to close the loop on this, the shielded Cat8 cable arrived and seems fine.  No real change over the Blue Jeans Cat6a that I can discern. But some peace of mind knowing that that last foot from optical to the streamer/DAC/amp is now also shielded from EMI and RFI, without having created any ground loop hum. Were it more than $10 at stake, I might consider returning it, but as is, I am inclined to keep it.