Streaming Sound Quality - Want the very best sound quality? Network Acoustics ENO...

I am very interested in trying out the Eno filter in my system. However, I don’t stream and all playback is from locally sourced files residing in the music server itself. The server is connected to the home network only to control Roon. Curious if anyone found improvement with the Eno filter in such scenario ? 

@mitch2 are you streaming (perhaps Tidal or Qobuz or from NAS) through the DejaVu server using Roon ? How much do you think the Eno added to the SQ ?

@mitch2 thanks for the detail. Your setup is very very similar to mine. My router connects to EdgeRouteX SFP switch and then I run a 30ft long fiber into a Buffalo BS-2016 switch (same used in Melco S100) near the music server. The music server is DIY and uses quality choke based linear power and its also equipped with JCAT XE USB and Femto Net card. I am thinking of upgrading to JCAT XE Net and mod the Buffalo with a PF OCXO clock. I tried playing with Fiber NIC in the server but went back to the JCAT. Hence I am trying to see what ways I can further optimize my setup but I don't stream and all my playback in from local files (CD rips and high bitrate downloads). Therefore, I am trying to access the return of investment. The Eno seems like a good addition for folks streaming, I just will have to experiment if it makes further improvements and without trying one is just not possible to say theoretically. Good that NA has a 30 day return policy.

@sns  I think the issue is not with fiber connection as such but the noise a fiber nic creates back into the motherboard. Unless you have filters downstream PCIe, there is a high chance that noise is going through seep through. Unlike a generic fiber nic, the JCAT is purposefully designed to deal with the least noise as possible and its also have external 5v power input (which I use as well). I think this is a major contributing factor, at least in my case. 

Yes, I am taking usb from the JCAT XE USB straight to the DAC. When I used the fiber nic it was connected to a Buffalo switch.

Anybody know what USB controller is used in Mojo DAC ? It’s it Xmos based or Amanero or something else ?

I think I haven’t found a DAC that doesn’t benefit from a good USB cable.

@hchilcoat the JL sound board is fabulous. Uses xmos chip. Recently Lampizator started using their board across all their models, low and top tier, as well.

I suspect the modified Sonore Opticalmodule within Small Green Computer SonicTransporter Optical I9 would provide better isolation from motherboard.

it’s the same isolation that you would get if you had the opticalmodule outside and connected via copper to the motherboard. To run fiber end-to-end, one needs to design the motherboard from scratch and don’t think anyone is upto the task (well, Sotm did but they don’t have fiber)

of all these yrs that I have been experimenting, introducing fiber not necessarily translates to better sound - it’s just sounds different. In most cases (in some of my friends setup and mine) I have seen a softening effect to a point where it mars out the details slightly.

you can’t go wrong with either the PF or the JCAT. Both are equally good. It’s just a matter to taste which one you like.

Also thining to try Euphony Stylus endpoint vs Roon endpoint.

I used to run Euphony in my build sometime back but moved on since then. My optimized Windows sound better in my system. Also, the current version of Euphony runs quiet a older Linux kernel which doesn’t have the needed support for the latest Intel/AMD cpu/chipset. So be careful with the h/w and s/w combination. Their is a talk of 4.0 version but don’t know when it will be released.

Now back to NA :-)

I am looking at the NA website but there is no mention of Eno Ag anymore as has been mentioned several times in this thread. Did they remove the Ag and copper version and now has only one version to sell ? Is it Ag or copper ?

Interesting findings.  In my experimentation/complete overhauling of my copper to fiber LAN, there was never a marring out of details.  It was quite the opposite actually.  Much better extension, space and micro details when I removed all of the added distortion/noise from the infrastructure.  Fiber optics > copper+filters every day of the week.

It's vastly system dependent and also depends on who has the worst noise copper or fiber in a particular deployment. Just having fiber doesn't not mean better sound - that's a misconception. A lot of folks uses FMC to convert copper to fiber and then another FMC to convert is back to copper. Remember the Xilinx fpga used in most FMC creates a ton of noise and jitter by themselves and to top it over you have added power supply noise. All adds up but the bottom line is if you find fiber sounds better, that's what matters :-) 

Having said that, I still use fiber between the Buffalo and the EdgeRouter.

My experience too.  I had switched back to 45 feet of Ethernet over the weekend and just switched back to fiber.   Even with the two additional converter boxes (both with LPS) the slight effect was a very slight smoothing or taking an edge off but more to the positive than the negative and without losing detail or sparkle.  Both sound good but I like the fiber just a touch better.

Folks, I think my use case might be completely different than yours. I am NOT talking about fiber through FMC vs direct copper. I am talking about the differences between the Fiber NIC vs JCAT Net NIC. This itself carries a lot of weight and sets the right context.

anybody (possibly @grannyring ?) been a beta tester of the Muon USB cable and shed some comparison with the Eno ?

As far as I am aware, the Gigafoil scales well with better power supply. So if you have one handy, try it. I think keeping the Gigafoil as close to the music server makes most sense but you never know if a different topology sounds better unless you try it.

I have the Eno streaming system and the latest version of the USB cable in my system playing 24x7 for few days, I think about 150 hrs. Initially I put all of them together as I didn't want to burn them separately and waste time.

Its probably too early to tell but listening in between the burning period, I felt there are lots of up and down - initially I liked what it did but after couple of hrs of playing time, I just couldn't bear it. So far after 100hrs, it looks like they are settling down and I am liking what I am hearing so far. I can't tell which one effected the most. I don't know if it will change further but after 200 hrs (which I hope is sufficient ?) I plan to put one at a time and evaluate.

try the AES from the K50 to the Weiss. Some folks like it better than the USB.

and the sound ?