Relationship between Ethernet Switch and SQ
This one will probably invite some withering mockery, but I will ask....
I only stream, and my streamer (Bryston BDP) is fed with an ethernet cable that runs back to my router. Literally back to my router; there are enough output jacks on the router that I have a long run to the streamer and no ethernet switch in the chain (or the house system for that matter). (There is an Eno filter right before the streamer).
I happen to OWN a nice LHY ethernet switch. I am assuming that there is no reason to use it in this configuration, that is, assuming there are noisier switches, and less noisy switches, there is still no net benefit of adding any switch to this chain. But maybe, just maybe, in the metaphysics of electrons that I do not understand, there is some reason why a nice switch prior to the streamer accomplishes something (in theory...I get that I can A/B test and try to fool myself whether I can hear a difference). For the first person with a correct answer, I will mail a nice $600 switch to the address you specify! (JK)
Thank you for sharing your observations. You have a wonderful system in a beautiful venue. I have a question. Does streaming as good or better than your CD player? Your beautiful vinyl rig? If not, you definitely owe it to yourself to try an appropriate complementary streamer. Given your excellent system, I would recommend a flagship Aurrender. |
You may either invest in upgraded switches and networking or higher quality streamers. If you love fiddling with the technology you can do the internet thing, otherwise the better streamer the better the sound regardless of the network. I have and know of a number of $150K systems plugged into wifi extenders costing $59 and cheap routers. Ultimately you can improve up to the intrinsic level of your streamer by fiddling with the network. However at some point a better streamer is required to go further. |
OP, I have lots of experience with non-dedicated streaming and dedicated. For dedicated: Auralic Aries G2, Aurender (N100, N10, W20SE), Grimm, Linn at several levels… and, more casually, others. My rule of thumb is to match investments in all your electronic components. So if your preamp and amp are about $5K… then start your research for a streamer at $5K. In general, I have found them to pretty much sound better in proportional to their cost (but I am picking highly reviewed and the cream of the crop at that price range).
Unquestioningly I recommend Aurrender. I have two… an N100 and a W20SE. Kind of the top and bottom of their line up. There is no way you will go wrong buying one. They have a very highly regarded controller app for your iPad… they even have it for the iPhone… but a phone is small. The Aurrender is built from the ground up assuming you have a terrible network and isolate you from it, they require very little band width and work well if WiFi extenders. No network fiddling required… but, LUMIX, Aurlic, Grimm make good streamers as well. Just do your research and don’t go cheap on the streamer and you don’t have to become a IT guru to get world class audiophile sound from streaming.
I was an IT guy since the early 1980’s… I do not want to be any more. |
Thanks for your comments. I think you did a good job of capturing the nuances of reality. There is a trade off between investing in a very good streamer and also upgrading network components. I have one of the finest streamers… adding a EtherRegen does not improve the sound quality at all. But it does improve the sound in lessor streamers, as will fancy routers. The trick is figuring out the optimal mixture. That will depend on how resolving the rest of your system is, you financial situation, desire to play with technology… or not. @carlsbad2 Enjoy the holidays. 🎄 |
