network switches and cables.

@marco1

I have no personal experience with ethernet filters, so will not comment on them.

I have had very positive experiences with audiophile grade network switches; first with an English 8 switch purchased in 2021 which provided an easily heard  improvement in sound quality in my system; and then last year purchased an even more advanced switch, a Melco S100/2 to take advantage of its SFP capabilities.

In terms of placement, my recommendation is to place the switch just ahead of the streamer.  If employing both a filter and an audiophile switch, I'd place the filter between the switch and the streamer, with nothing else between them.

With respect to ethernet cables, I'd put your best cable between your switch and streamer. 

I would echo @jazzman7 as I had a similar experience when I also started with an English Electric 8 switch. My experience with it was positive though the impact in my system at the time was less pronounced.

I’ve since upgraded most elements of that system and recently installed a Reiki super switch with an outboard LPS and its effect was immediate and far more beneficial.  A very worthwhile audition for anyone considering their digital hygiene. 

I also have a Network Acoustics Eno filter and I would say its impact is positive but nowhere near as significant. I may try going upstream there, too, with the Muon pro, but am satisfied with my results for now.

Similar to above, I have fiber coming into the house but use a Netgear Orbi mesh router. I have the Reiki switch out of the port of a node in the mesh, followed by the Eno filter into the streamer. I am using the Ethernet cable from Network Acoustics from the filter to streamer as it came as a system.

I haven’t heard the Melco but understand it’s very good. I had previously auditioned the Nordost Qnet switch and LPS. For me, the Reiki as a significant step up over the similarly priced Nordost unit.  I also seriously considered the similarly priced Network Acoustics Tempus switch but liked the Reiki approach and was able to purchase from a dealer because we hobbyists need them. 

My conclusion is the switch is more important than the filter though i can imagine others may feel differently. I would also note that while the English electric 8 switch is modestly priced in comparison, I would consider the Reiki the better value based on the results. 

I can’t speak to the impact of the Ethernet cables. 

Best,

I've been through much streaming equipment over around a decade, of the items mentioned by OP, the only one I take issue with is audiophile switch, resulted in diminished sound quality for me. My situation is modem and router in listening room, quality ethernet cable from router to streamer, have JCAT NetXE in my streamer  and fiber conversion after for ethernet optimization.  Switch becomes redundant with this setup, just adding another component and 2 ethernet cables, keeping streaming chain clean and shortest  length possible is the way to go. The other very important issue is clocking, this pays off in a more analog presentation.

@jazzman7 @mgrif104 thanks very much to you both.  This is exactly the type of feedback that is very helpful to me.

@sns although on the other hand I find it interesting that with the modem/router in the same room as the streamer, as is my case (and yours), the switch diminished sound quality (in your system).  This more or less brings me back to the question I’ve always had regarding the need for a switch when only one component is hardwired, particularly when you have a quality streamer with quality clocking built-in and a good quality network cable connecting the router to the streamer.  What streamer do you use and what switch were you able to eliminate?

My router and the initial switch in a managed Ubiquity Unifi network is in my office where my Comcast bridged modem resides.  A network cable then runs 50 feet to my audio room up through my attic space.  I placed a second powered Unifi switch 1 meter from my Network Acoustics Eno filter that is then directly connected to my server.  The long exposed run from my initial network switch to the audio room was my main concern for possibly allowing the addition noise to the system so the final switch and filter were placed as close to my server as I could accommodate.  My NAS with 7TB of music also resides in my office.  

Re: ethernet cables.   I’m very happy with my Sablon 2020.  Have 2 of them.  Body, texture, air.  

Re: cable order.   I can hear the difference when swapped around.  Very subjective as to which is preferable.

Re: Network Acoustics.     The guys at NA said the Eno filter can be reversed - meaning the in/out can be flipped - which I’ve done with mine.  IDK about the Muon Pro.

Re: Importance.  It all matters - even more so with the digital streaming chain.  A weak link will harbor some digititus.    A clean system will remove it.

No switch in my streaming chain.  But it is tricked out with power conditioning, Eno’s, LPS’s - and a modded router. Good luck!

Please save your money and your sanity and purchase a durable cable and ditch the "audiophile" switch. Nothing has been proven that either of these components affects sonic quality. Enjoy your music, don't analyze it. 

Cheers,

@marco1 I'm  running two computer setup in bridged mode via Euphony operating system on a custom build streamer. this being used as the server only, Streamer is Sonore OpticalRendu, so this fiber conversion post server. I have both modem and gaming router installed close to audio system, 1/2m Audioquest Vodka ethernet cable modem to router, both router and modem on outboard lps. Router feeds the custom server through JCAT NetXE, this optimizes/isolates ethernet. Wifi also disabled on this router so no issue with high levels of RFI on audio side of network, this I label as 'clean' side of network. From this router I daisy chain a second router located elsewhere in house, this provides wifi for house. So my audio system router minimizes noise via disabled wifi and external lps, gaming router chosen for fast speed, low latency. low latency/high speed good as signal in noisy environment (router0 for minimal duration.

Adding an audiophile switch proved to be redundant in this case since router is relatively clean via above measures. All adding the switch did was add two more ethernet cables and another quality AC cable. Renolabs Ultimate was the switch in question, pretty high quality switch. Don't mean to cast dispersions on this particular switch , may be helpful in the usual setup where modems and routers located far from audio system. Locating modems and routers far from audio system  means long ethernet cables, most running wifi off this router likely no lps running off dirty whole house AC. Forgot to mention both my modem and router powered by lps connected to my power conditioner on dedicated AC line. Result of the usual setup means relatively high levels of noise, means loss  of transparency/resolution, the audiophile switch mitigates this to some degree, issue is you can't get back what you lost via noisy signal path prior to switch. Audio system network needs to be optimized along the entire path, let the noise be offloaded to rest of home network.

My original set up was Innuos Zen MK 3 to Denafrips Terminator 2, which sounded quite good, connected by Pinetree Audio USB cable. I have since added as follows:  SmoothLAN Network Filter>ZenM3>Pinetree USB cable to LAIV uDDC>I2s cable Wireworld Sphere 48>T2. The uplift in sound has been remarkable, see my reviews/user opinion on Audiogon regarding the addition of these two units. Cleaning up the incoming signal has made a big difference for me, my system is revealing so that must help me in hearing the benefits. Enjoy the music and the journey.