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What makes One Music Server Sound Better than Another?

So this week my Mojo Audio DejaVu music server that I have used for the past 2-3 years crapped out. Benjamin at Mojo was more than helpful and the DejaVu is on its way to Mojo Audio where it will make a full recovery.

Thankfully, I still have my Antipodes DX2 Gen 3 (their former flagship) music server so I hooked it up. After wrestling with Roon protocols, transfers, and set-up menus, I was able to get it going so I have music. The DX and my Sonore Sig Rendu SE opt. are both connected to my network so the DX (like the DejaVu), is only being used as a Roon core and the Sig Rendu SE serves as the Roon endpoint for streaming Tidal and Qobuz, with a direct USB connection to my DAC.

The point of this thread is to ask, how come I perceive the the DejaVu server as sounding better than the Antipdes DX? In fairness, the differences I perceive are not great but it seems the DejaVu is fuller sounding, more tonally rich, and bolder. Is this why some here spend $10K+ on a Grimm, Taiko or something else?

If a server is basically a computer, sending digital information to a streamer/endpoint and, assuming that digital information is transmitted asynchronously and reclocked by the DAC’s master clock, and assuming noise is not the issue (i.e., both units are quiet and there is an optical break between the network and both the server and endpoint) then what are the technical reasons one should sound better than the other? It is not that I want to spend $10K+ on a music server with a lifespan of maybe 5 years before becoming obsolete, but I would like to understand what more you are getting for your money. So far, the best I can come up with is lower internal noise as the major factor.

As a side note to the above, when I thought things looked hopeless for getting set up, I scheduled a support session with Antipodes and, although I lucked into the solution before the meeting time, Mark Cole responded ready to help. Setting up the session was super easy and reminded me of the superior level of support I had come to enjoy from Antipodes during the time that the DX was my primary server, including multiple updates and 2 or 3 hardware upgrades, which prolonged the service life of the DX. Good products and good company.

 

mitch2
mitch2 OP
3,696 posts
 

I have no opinion on switches except for my own experience owning two Silent Angel Bonn N8 Ethernet Switches.  These are essentially the same as the English Electric 8Switch as both are made by the company ThunderData and use the identical board, with the cases being the main (only?) difference.  In my system, the Bonn N8 switches work great as switches but they make zero discernable sonic difference.

I am however curious how fiber optic transmission of a digital signal could possibly limit dynamics, and also how a silver plated Ethernet cable could possibly affect transmission of a digital signal to the point of audibility.

tonywinga's avatar
tonywinga
844 posts
 

Let us know what you find out.

p05129
483 posts
 

Fiber is always the best connection possible, much better than usb for sound quality. ‘Fiber's resistance to magnetic interference makes transmissions nearly noise free, and it has the advantage of better signal quality’.

if your Ethernet connection seems noisy to you, then on your last leg to your dac, implement a fiber network conversion in that circuit and it will clear up any noise on the Ethernet connection. 

fastfreight
678 posts
 

Hi @mitch2 ,  I had similar experiences with the Bonn 8.  Not so with better switches;  The GTT Audio Switch X, the JCAT M12 (mine is the gold) and the Network Acoustics Tempus switches are all quite superior and have, in my system and to my ears, an obvious sonic benefit.  I have not tried converting to fiber.  I trust many members who report a a negative impact  I also strive to avoid additional power supplies associated with the fiber conversion. I feel a good switch resolves the noise.  I have also gone to AES vs USB into my DAC from my streamer, and find it better.  Of course the quality of the AES connection is also in play.

ddafoe
238 posts
 

I have not tried converting to fiber.  I trust many members who report a a negative impact  I also strive to avoid additional power supplies associated with the fiber conversion. I feel a good switch resolves the noise.

@fastfreight, there are also many members who report a significant improvement by adding fiber, myself included.  Depending on your network components and your streamer/dac, you may end up not adding any additional (or just one) extra power supply to use fiber for instance.   e.g. your primary switch already supports fiber and you use an an EtherREGEN or something similar at your streamer (best case streamer supports fiber...) to convert back just before your DAC.   That is how I initially added fiber for the last run into my equipment rack and differences were not subtle for my system/environment.

Since so many folks report different things making differences with digital audio (or not), and so many of them being system specific, I wouldn't personally rule out fiber just because it didn't improve the sonics for everyone.   I think you have to try it for yourself to decide if it makes a difference...

@mitch2 , unfortunately I think this thread is going to cost me $ and work.   I've been running a Roon ROCK server in my office two stories away from my listening room connected via a MoCA 2.0 connection with the assumption it is first of all quieter than powerline, and secondly that my last run of fiber and audiophile gadgets would remove any noise from that type of connection.  I'm not worried about the reliability of the data path.    After reading this thread, just for fun I moved it down into my listening room with the switch that runs fiber to my streamer/dac and I think it sounds better, more fleshed out, less thin, etc.   Now I think I'm going to need to keep my server in my room but it currently uses a fan, so I'll likely build a passively cooled NUC based system to use Roon and keep it in my listening room.  Not what I was expecting, but like I mentioned above, it just isn't clear to me what changes make what difference (if any) when playing with digital audio (and why).

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