Network Switches

Thanks for your reply three_easy_payments

But I don't think that your Ferrari/Kia comparison works.

If the sole purpose is to get from a to b and the Kia will do that, then the Ferrari is not needed

Is not the sole purpose of the equipment in question, in both the professional and amateur setups, to get the radio/TV show from a to b ?

Greetings

I have followed this thread with interest

I will state up front that although I do realise the function and capabilities of each network element, I am no expert so I am neither agreeing nor disagreeing with any previous post.

I am in the UK and I listen to the excellent BBC Radio 3 (mostly classical music) on their 'Sounds' application or one of my DAB receivers (that is Digital Audio Broadcasting for our friend in America who do not have it !) 192 kbps on DAB and terrestrial with 320 kbps HLS AAC online

I have been lucky enough to be shown round a digital television and radio transmission station. You have never seen such a jumbled mass of cables. Power, Ethernet, the odd USB etc. with feeds from around 200 stations.

Around twelve million people depend on it to provide them with perfectly reproduced music and television. As most using this forum are undoubtedly aware, with DAB radio and digital TV it is either exact, garbage or non-existent, picture and sound quality degradation not being possible.

I have an open mind on the subject, but I am wondering why commercial and professional applications such as television and radio networks don’t need the same level of equipment as is being promoted for home cinema/music room applications.

All I know is that I enjoy the consistent high quality of digital and do not miss the hit and miss (and s*it and hiss!) of analogue.

Thanks

OK accepted
But It doesn't have to be clear because you are still not addressing my original question

So If all of my gear is susceptible to RF/EM noise then why is, and this is my only and original question , the gear in a professional network not susceptible to the same type of noise?
You have only given me your theory on what happens on a home network.

I ahould be getting my call back from the  BBC within a couple of hours so I guess I will know by then

Hello atdavid

Thanks for your input

Some of what you say is correct but much is way out of date, or maybe we are just further ahead in the UK. (I believe the USA doesn’t even have DAB yet)

When you say that "Recording studios, TV stations, radio stations .... are ADCs, not DACs" I'm not sure you have grasped the terminology. ADC is Analogue to Digital Converter(or conversion), it can't be a studio or TV station, it is just one of the processes that take place in that studio or station

In the distribution of a single radio programme, for instance, it will go through a number of ADCs and DACs for technical reasons before it is even sent back from the cloud for final distribution

It will encounter more ADC/DAC before arriving on my network.

I'm not sure even how TV studios and radio stations crept into the discussion

My point is that regardless if whether the digital signal is perfect, it is susceptible to RF/EM noise riding along or being created by power supplies and any gear (including switches) that pass electric current.

Sorry but I still don't follow how the digital signal can be susceptible to your "RF/EM noise" , and were it to be possible why is that not considered to be a problem by the professionals. You do realise that in the UK we have DAB radio ?. It is digital all the way from the microphone to the receiver.

What @david 22 in UK?? Are you asking whether the sole purpose of an audio system is get sound coming out of it? An Alexa speaker does that job very well.... so...

No, I am saying that in this case the sole purpose is to safely deliver the audio data. The only difference between an Alexa speaker and the most expensive hi-fi system is the quality of the DAC, the amplifier and the speaker(s). The data it receives is identical. You are thinking of analogue audio.

Back to my original question.

Is there anybody who can explain why the professionals need only normal cables and switches?.

What are they doing differently and why can't I do that on my system?

Geez.... some toxic comments here from "everything-sounds-the-same" crowd. Relax, it's just a hobby. Nobody is pointing a gun in your head forcing to buy a switch. Don't buy it. Why do you even read this thread?

Who are the "everything-sounds-the-same" crowd
three_easy_payments seems to be saying the opposite
and I have certainly not said itWho is your comment aimed at? and what do you perceive as 'toxic' Have I missed some posts??

Again I am NOT saying that the digital signal is susceptible to noise. I have gone to great lengths to say quite the contrary. This is NOT about the signal so please stop. What I am saying is that noise can get introduced to your system equipment (not the friggin signal!)

OK three_easy_payments   now you have to stop this

You said in your previous stab at an answer;

and I quote

My point is that regardless if whether the digital signal is perfect, it is susceptible to RF/EM noise riding along or being created by power supplies and any gear (including switches) that pass electric current

Oh dear, you seem very confused on the subject.
And once more, please, please read my posts more carefully.I did not question the correctness of what you said. I am simply asking why this is not deemed to be a problem by professionals.

Please, this must make some sense to you.
So I will try again.

Is there anybody who can explain why the professionals need only normal cables and switches?. What are they doing differently and why can't I do that on my system?

And I would appreciate replies from people who are not confused and who do not keep contradicting themselves.
Hey, you know what? I am going to telephone the BBC's technical support department for a definitive answer. It is what I should have done in the first place, I will let you know their answer

Thanks again but no

They could care less what the effects of RF/EM noise are having in their own studio

(and I assume you meant couldn’t)
I am not talking about noise picked up in the studio. That is pre digitizing which clearly would contribute to the quality audio. I have no disagreement there

I am talking post digitizing and  " the negative affects of ALL potential sources of electrical-based noise, including routers, switches, transformers, and power supplies " before it gets to my house.

How can that leave, as you say a 'perfect signa'l' derived from the final noisy audio circuit to my router but then a switch can introduce problems in the very short run to my DAC?
Perhaps anybody experiencing poor sound really ought to be questioning the ability of their DAC to reproduce the audio properly and to isolate the audio output from any 'noise' on the inputs?
In any event, I just read an ad for one of the 'audio' switches and it claims to improve, not clean, any audio or video passing through it       HUH?

I'm simply saying whether it's a nearby TV, florescent light, network switch, router, or amplifier...everything near your audio system that is powered by electricity has the potential to cause noise. Reducing these effects can be beneficial

.
Ah I think I get it now.
You are saying that adding an extra piece of equipment, a switch or anything , is adding further potential to add noise to your audio system. Nothing  to do with the digital audio it is switching. yes, of course I can see how that could happen

Surely I can be forgiven for that confusion. After all, this thread is supposed to be about switches specifically for digital audio not just about which switch will interfere less with your audio system when installed in your system regardless of whether you are streaming digital audio or not

we may be on the same page