Network Switches

Certainly, like analog interconnects, network cabling, power supplies have an influence.

I just use a Netgear GS105 at the music-server direct to an EtherRegen (MK1). The ER is powered from a Lumin U1 PSU, the GS105 from a Chinese 5A 12V linear supply. By adding SilentPower lan ipurifier pro and knock off Odin CAT8 cables, that harshness seemed to be tamed. Not a big deal, but enough to keep the gear in place. 

So much misinformation on how networking works. 

TCP/IP packets are 100% digital, there is no place for noise, if there is any noise, it is not part of the packet. 

In networks, you want as few hops as possible. A hop is going from one device to another. Generally, anything you remove from the source - destination is best. Streaming can happen without any faults on a 10mb network, anything over 100mb is just not required. 

Next you want the shortest path you can get, unless you are running fiber, fiber doesn't care about distance as much. 

On that note, fiber has 0 interference, unless you bend the fiber cable, never bend a fiber cable, but you can loop it.

Almost all cheap consumer switches are junk. There are a few good ones out there, but most are super cheap, crap. 

Get a name brand made for commercial use. Yeah, a good power supply will help, but the switch quality is more important. 

No idea on the filters, really have no idea how they work, or what they really do. Cables are important, pin out is important, get certified cables, it's what's being used to get the packets to you, so it's good enough for you.

Starting 4 years ago I built up a switch adding things that improved the sound of streaming. EtherRegen +Afterdark clock to re-time the ER, then two Farad linear power supplies then all the afterdark cables. Each added something better at the time. It was almost 4K of switch components. I lent the entire rig to my friend who said it deadened the sound. I did a full switch system to no extra switch gear and found I had gone too far as well. I sold it all off.

Last year when After Dark came out with their Netone switch which I bought. The Netone includes fiber or ethernet in, a fiber bridge if you can't feed it fiber. I ordered mine with the built in linear power supply (LPS), and of course it has a clock built in at well. The Afterdark Netone made a vey nice, but not huge sonic improvement with no sonic downside I could hear. My streamer used to drop out overnight before I had the Netone. Now it never drops Qobuz. So you get a switch, fiber bridge, LPS and a clock in one box on sale for 600 bucks from time to time. I recommend you try it.

 

wokeuptobose

144 posts

06-05-2025 at 01:53pm 

Starting 4 years ago I built up a switch adding things that improved the sound of streaming. EtherRegen +Afterdark clock to re-time the ER, then two Farad linear power supplies then all the afterdark cables. Each added something better at the time. It was almost 4K of switch components. I lent the entire rig to my friend who said it deadened the sound. I did a full switch system to no extra switch gear and found I had gone too far as well. I sold it all off.
 

yep. None of this is necessary. I tried a few tweaks and removed them all. Good Ethernet cable going into high quality streamer feeding a high quality dac is all you need. Dumping $ into Ethernet tweaks (except a good cable) is a waste of money that could be directed to real improvements such as component upgrades stepping up to a better DAC. Or a better streamer, amplifier, speakers, etc

I do wonder if the incremental improvements would keep up with the exponential cost increases.  On the lower end of the cost spectrum the LAN silencers might be worth a try ( as long as they can be returned ).

Has anyone compared the IFI Lan Silencer to the Stack Audio or even the Pink Faun Lan Silencer.  None of these options would break the bank.