Basic switch....should I upgrade?

@ lalitk

Choosing an audiophile network switch is confusing. - Not at all.

What I meant it’s hard to judge value. I’m interested in bargains- components that punch above their price point. For instance, if a reviewer has significant experience with many various amps, they can identify sonic bargains. Many of the audiophile switch reviews compares to a Cisco switch which tells me nothing. And another review said Ansuz was better than English Electric- but Ansuz is much more expensive. Seems audiophile switch performance is closely tied to price, so trying to find the best price/performance seems difficult

@kennyc

I hear you, the market is now flooded with audiophile switches. I am not going to debate on what’s the best price/performance or bang for the buck as this varies in the context of one’s system and each individual perspective. I have spent $8K in my Ethernet switch / LAN cables and LPS setup. To me, that’s a bargain considering the performance upgrade and overall investment in my digital front end.

I can only suggest you to pick best switch (based on user reviews) you can afford to audition in your system. If it doesn’t work to your satisfaction, send it back!

@lalitk

Great reply!

In my view there are 3 key ways to deal with noise in a system

1. Power source: conditioning, cables, distribution

2. Ethernet: isolation, cabling, conditioning, devices

3. Grounding

@kennyc

In terms of value, judge an etheenet product against spending the same on something else that addresses these 3 things. Pricing is typically comparable to the benefit a product provides to a system, so comparisons to other audio gear help determine price/value. In addition, manufacturers will charge as much as they think the market will pay for their brand.

My spend on ethernet has been the very high value for money for me. I also have excellent power and grounding solutions, the power gear cost by far more the grounding and Ethernet, and the ethernet has cost the least.