Also note that if you go FifoPi, it comes with 2 OK clocks to test/make sure it’s working properly. To swap out the clocks, you have to either source clocks in full size 14 pin dip packages (note that there are only 4 pins that actually stick out), or have smd soldering skills enough to solder smd clocks to adapter boards (which Iancanada sells).
I haven’t been able to find good clocks in 14 pin dip packages lately - at least from sellers I trust. A lot of fleabay sellers are actually selling outright fakes of questionable quality or used clocks. I have even read of people buying dip package clocks on fleaby only to find out it was actually cheap clocks with stickers on them. I went with the CCHD clocks from Digikey and bought the adapter boards. The CCHD at least used to come in dip packages, but I don’t know if it’s a victim of supply chain issues, or they just don’t make them in that format anymore because there really isn’t a market for that package these days.
Yes but that is not the same what we are talking about with etherRegen or any other good “audiophile switch” and then with better ocxo clock to fight against ground and phase noise,emi/rf in ethernet path. Same madness as cleaning usb signal. And differences are very easy to hear.
Ted doesn´t use clocks with digital inputs but does that mean that any signal you feed there is perfect then and sound the same? nope.
You may want to try some ethernet toys yourself too and get pleasantly surprised
I am still waiting for John Swenson to prove his switch does anything with phase noise and how does this phase noise affect the DirectStream when none of the clocking information is used?
I have listened to a setup with the EtherREGEN and heard no difference. In fact, the guy that had it was sure he could he a huge difference until I had him try to tell the difference between the EtherREGEN and a NetGear switch properly grounded. He picked the NetGear 6 times out of 10.
This is something I need to try! The Bridge II didn’t sound good to me until I removed the USB (Nuc > Matrix > DSD) that was simultaneously attached, but I didn’t remove the Bridge II when testing the USB chain. I’ll do that next, whilst waiting for my Mano Ultra II to arrive!
Hopefully, @speed-racer will check in to confirm but I believe you misunderstood his assertion.
I believe the point was he observed that a properly grounded, plain old network switch (a NetGear model in the subject instance) performed as well as the EtherREGEN.
I always wanted to try an EtherRegen. My NetGear NightHawk modem router switch did improve. It took the following. Replace SMPS with High current R-core LPS. Good boost in sound. Replaced stock DC cable with Ghent Gotham LPS. Quieter again.
Took off cover placed 3M AB7050HF absorber on all internal ICs. More 3D soundstage.
Replaced power Cord with 10 gauge BAV. Huge uptick in system bass and quieter
Added two layers of RF shielding Al and Cu tape with RF drain to ground to BAV power chord. This provided the biggest leap in soun.
All theses mods likely about half cost of EtherRegen.
But yes I am still desiring to try an ER and additional clock that is oven controlled.
Lesson learned it all matters. So saying one is better than the other is also dependent on power chords and other environmental noise considerations and the ability for your system to resolve differences.
It’s posts like these that make me skeptical of anything the person says. Any time I see any non-component change cause a “huge uptick” in anything I doubt what I am reading has validity.
I just had some dry humor there,Scotte1. It´s not about measurements but listening as what we hobbyists do. I´ve had my share of ethernet tweaks,first lan Isolators from Emo safe EN-70E and 4 of them daisy chained. Then Aqvox switch with various LPS and ethernet/DC cables and Emo´s. Then etherRegen with all kinds of tweaks to finally OCXO clock and Farads …and not to forget different routers and their settings ( QOS ) have changed sound markedly too.
Not even once I could have said there wasn´t a difference. Believe it or not but changing DC cable that powers my router from Hdplex makes FAR bigger difference than listening to DSD dac or Lindemann 820S dac for example. Think about that for a second…a dc cable does that.
So far this ER +OCXO + Farads + Gotham dc cables + BAV power cables + BJC cat6 is easily the best SQ I ever had streaming. My streamer has been the same all the time,Innuos Zen. Not to forget USB out…another list of stuff
This was about Mano Ultra…we have discussed ER already a lot. But anyway everything clearly plays a role with digital. My 0.00002c
An ounce of skepticism never hurts. Most of these trial and error approaches are very system dependent and may not be transportable. It is nice that some one can implement changes, add interface boxes and typically hear an improvement. I am glad it works for them.
You can also use medical isolators, which have been around for some time and are known commodities because they are already used in medical facilities to protect patients - and they’re cheaper (by a little bit):
Be careful of many of the ones on Amazon and Fleabay though, as many of them are just ethernet SURGE protectors and not ISOLATORS.
I would first check though, if your equipment already has pulse transformers, as some routers and and switches already use pulse transformers to isolate the terminals. If they do, the use of an isolator may be redundant since the terminal is already isolated - unless you have a complicated network.
Note, I once inquired as to whether the Bridge had a pulse transformer at the input because I didn’t notice any in pictures, and I didn’t feel like getting back there and pulling mine. The response was that the Bridge does NOT use pulse transformers.
Edit: Anther thumbs down for many of them on Amazon and Fleabay is that they are not gigabit capable - they are only 100mbps (aside from not being TRUE isolators).
Most differences we discuss as audiophiles are small when viewed from the perspective of the real, rational world - making almost all audiophile statements appear to have highly questionable validity.
Applying my audiophile hyperbole filter nicely puts things in perspective. It is rare I find a fellow audiophile’s opinions and observations to have no value. YMMV
Real numbers real frequencies. What we try to remove from our digital equipment this cord does. So not removing it and pumping it down a DC cable powering a switch is a performance advantage in your mind? It couldn’t possibly make a difference removing that noise from the source going to the DAC, line stage and amps? You are not skeptical about buying the best source music. And waxing about it. Everything that makes you doubt ER and its capabilities Galen explains. Since the ER designer did not explain it I get that.
BTW the same power cord was nothing special on the component preamp and performed worse there in direct swap. Why because the BAV cord cleaned up the RF in the source where the wire world power cord with composilex did not. Though WW is better than stock cords on the router’s LPS, it did not give the same boost as a BAV did used upstream and left mids muddy and fed RF noise down through the component chain that didn’t give equivalent balance as the BAV did across the audible spectrum. At first I thought it was BAV that was muddied but it was simply a lesser cord on the equipment upstream.
I am an Engineer by education and trade. Nothing goes in my system without making technical sense that it can improve the sound.or have a successful following if I can’t demo live. @Somppsa had already expressed his success with BAV in streaming chain before I repurposed mine from a P20. . I don’t doubt a single of his successes after trying a chain of his cable tweaks nor Galen’s designs.
I have shared many tweaks with this forum and many have had similar successes as I have with them. Everyone’s systems are different as is their preferences and hearing. Believe what you want and doubt what you want.
