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network switches and cables.

I’m considering upgrading my network cables and adding an audiophile switch for streaming music from the internet.  I may also consider adding a filter system like the Network Acoustics muon pro. I currently use an Innuos Pulsar streamer connected directly from my Comcast cable modem/router using Supra Cat 8 patch cable.  I have some questions for those who have incorporated these types of components into your digital front end.  Any and all help is greatly appreciated.  If you have tried something similar but don’t feel that these types of components are of benefit I would appreciate your experiences as well.  If however you are just a denier, I respect your opinion but please respect mine by refraining from posting demeaning comments.

Some of my questions are:

1. What are the best locations to place the filter and switch? I understand that the order from my router is router to switch to filter to streamer.  But what are the correct distances between the router, switch, filter and streamer? Equal distance? Switch placed closer to the router? Switch placed closer to the filter? Etc.?  Or it doesn’t matter? My modem/router is located in my listening room so I have the option to move the switch and filter around to the desired locations and purchase cable lengths to match.

2. Is the quality of Ethernet cable between each component of equal importance?  So for example is the Ethernet cable between router and switch as important as the Ethernet cable between the filter and streamer, etc?  If they are not of equal importance,  which connection is the more important? Or again, does it matter?

3.  Aside from the streamer and DAC, do the switch or filter/cables have the greater impact on streaming sound quality.

I ask the above questions in case finances do not allow for the purchase of all components at the same time.  I’d like to be sure that I at least purchase the more important components at the onset.

i have already posed the same questions to network acoustics and I’m awaiting their reply.  In the meantime, any help I can get from the forum will again be very much appreciated.

 

marco1

Showing 2 responses by marco1

marco1's avatar
marco1 OP
606 posts
 

@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?

marco1's avatar
marco1 OP
606 posts
 

Thanks again everyone for your contributions.  As the saying goes, until you try it in your own system, you’ll not know what differences might await you.  I think I’ll do a switch with a new “good” network cable between the switch and my streamer.  Based on some of the feedback here, and the response from Network Acoustic and other things I’ve read, it seems to be a good starting point.  Whether I’ll need to add a filter will be a decision I’ll tackle down the road.  I failed to mention that I had previously removed a ifi Lan ipurifier pro, which since upgrading to the Pulsar, seemed to inject noise into the playback, rather than clean it up as it did with the Aurender streamer I used before the Pulsar. Maybe I’ll try the ifi filter again after the switch but seems like it might serve me better in my 2nd system where my streaming components probably need the help.

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