Who cares?
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Oh, that’s so true. First good point of the year. You are off to a good start Al.
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He did appreciate it, first with a cheap Ethernet cable, and much more with an audiophile Ethernet cable. He said he could finally enjoy streaming from Qobuz. Prior to adding the switch and the cable he only used Qobuz to try new music. It was not listenable to him otherwise.
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Yes, Srajen has a tendency to get too cute for his own good with many reviews and this is an example. But in the end it appears as if he bought it so I guess the answer is yes he liked it.
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Alpha Audio had the LHY in their blind test:
IIRC they said it had great technicalities but leaned bright…which seems to match Srajan’s preferences.
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These guys did a pretty good job, I thought.
Thanks – I hadn’t heard of this one, and the price is reasonable.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the two switches. Since digital files played over my home network account for the majority of my listening, I am eager to improve my ethernet setup. Even so, I can’t see myself springing for a PhoenixNET, but it is good to hear the extra money does provide an audible improvement.
Found another review (easier to read than the one on 6moons!): Alpha Audio NET - Review LHY SW-8 Switch and LHY LPS50VA Linear Power Supply
According to these guys, a Netgear GS108, maybe fed via a linear supply, is about all we need.
Pretty enthusiastic review of both Jay’s switch and power supplies.
LHY SW-8 was on my list for consideration. Now that there are more positive reviews out, I will order one to give a try. I only have one streamer connecting to a mesh satellite, so my interest is purely for audio improvement.
It costs only one-sixth of a Innuos PhoenixNET that Luca is crazy about, so it is not a big waste of money. I am afraid I will hear a difference. 
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Depending on any other “noisy” characteristics of a given switch, I can understand why this might be the case.
I’m in the market for a switch. A few seconds into this review I couldn’t help but think this guy really shouldn’t be writing anything for mass consumption! Now I need a brain wash…
He’s been that way for over 20 years and multiple publications before starting his own. Has a loyal following though. Some days he’s worse than others. I think in this case he could have just said it sounds great and I bought it and stopped but felt the need to fill the space with something.
Luca is right about the PhoenixNET switch. Expensive to be sure, but it is amazing in a good streaming system. I have no regrets whatsoever…
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I think some ESL may be a factor.
The Innuos looks great, too. As goes the Nordost. I suppose if you’ve already got an Innuos product and looks matter…
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A few days ago I installed an EE 8switch, replacing a TrendNet 50g (cheap office-supply store item). Everything below describes what I heard using uncompressed FLAC and DSD64 files stored on a Synology NAS and played via Bridge II, with AudioQuest Vodka Ethernet cables. Both the old and new switches were powered from an HD Plex linear power supply.
Before getting into the 8switch, I should say that three weeks ago I installed a Pink Faun LAN isolator between the Ethernet cable and the Bridge. At first I wasn’t sure I liked it; the sound seemed softer, less involving. But after a minute I realized that I was hearing less digital hash (or whatever you want to call it)–like how a bright speaker can seem attractive and involving at first but is not really accurate or enjoyable long-term. The biggest improvement was that instruments sounded more as they do in person, with more body and noticeably more accurate timbre. I heard this on many albums and the difference, as they say, was not subtle with the LAN isolator in place. I noticed also some additional details or instruments more audible in the mix on various other recordings. Female vocals were incredibly lifelike. For the price ($150 US including shipping from Europe) I can certainly recommend this tweak!
Now back to the 8switch. With a few hours of break-in, I heard improvement. The whole presentation was kicked up a notch, particularly in soundstage and overall cohesion. For instance, I listened to an album of choral music that I know well. Some the tracks used to sound ragged; not as bad as a ‘hole in the middle’ but somewhat uneven and unfocused. With the 8switch I heard a group of singers arrayed in a nice line between the speakers, with a better sense of the church acoustic in which the tracks were recorded. I noted similar improvements on several albums, along with a few additional details I hadn’t heard before.
So yes, improvements, but not quite as much as I hoped for. Worth $700? That depends on one’s system and budget; if it cost half that, I’d say definitely. I decided to keep the 8switch because I see network switches and cables, power regenerators, and so forth as the foundation for the various components I own. Having a strong foundation is always good. The switch will (I assume) last for years, and I can now forget about upgrading this part of my system. I had two four-port switches and eliminated one, which cleaned up the cable mess some. And the 8switch worked with the LPS I already own. A cheaper switch that needs an external power supply in addition would get into the same price range.
I should note that I was too lazy to test using the small power supply that came with the 8switch. I have read several reviews of audiophile switches, and most of them report improvement using an upgraded PS. I already had the HD Plex unit, and this probably contributed to the good results I heard from the 8switch.
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Innous PhoenixNET Switch here. Expensive, but very effective…
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