So I figure this is as good a place as any to ask this.
I have an eversolo streamer w 10tb of usb external hd hooked to it. Works great. If my only other config possibility was to hook the external hard drives to my laptop w jriver and hook the laptop in some way to the eversolo - would there be any benefits in adding the laptop back into this chain?
If the external USB drive is working why would you want to add a computer back into the mix. What would you be trying to gain?
Only thing I can think of is it would allow you to use an upsampling player or post-processor running on the laptop - HQ player or some such.
Right ā¦ I agree w both of you. I didnāt know if there was some inherent advantage here of getting the usb drives off the streamer. My thoughts are that this is a very simplistic path for the music. If someone disagrees or thinks that a different setup would decrease noise - Iād be interested in that take.
That will be your quietest option. I believe in keeping streaming as simple as possible which is why I prefer to stick with streaming devices that have a wireless option. As long as it gets a strong reliable signal on my Mesh network then no need for switches, cables or other bits and pieces. From looking at the threads here I seem to be in the minority though as expensive add-ons seem to be all the rage here. Iāve got four streaming systems set up in two houses all running Wi-Fi off of Mesh systems without a switch, Ether-Regen, or high priced Ethernet cable in site. Any local files are directly attached.
I have one central location containing modem, large switch and QNAP. Pairs of copper and fibre ethernet cables run to the hifi and AV equipment locations. Cat7 cables run to four WiFi access points. The three locations (hub, hifi, AV) each have a dedicated power feed from the consumer unit.
This is inexpensive. All the cables are generic stuff from Amazon, the switch was $150, each access point about $130, in the AV cupboard I have a small switch and a media converter, both $30 items from Amazon with $70 ifi low noise wall warts. The only cable cost more than generic were the power cables from the consumer unit, total cost about $600.
This gives me music in about 10 zones, plus lots of home automation, including most of my lighting, about 90 IPs active.
Last week a hifi dealer tried to sell me a SoTM switch that alone cost more than my entire network and cabling, including power cabling. He also wanted me to buy a power supply for an additional Ā£600.
The Innuos PhoenixUSB webpage reads really goodā¦ as do those of the audiophile switchesā¦ and maybe Iād be tempted to buy a used PhoenixUSB from one of you, but I am still wondering whether it matters for a DAC that operates like the DS MK2, with DSD up-sampling. Or even for that matter with FLAC files that are unpackedā¦ I assume by the DACā¦ into uncompressed PCM first. Though maybe that is done as a stream and not as a fileā¦ Do I have to PM to Ted??? Anyone else know from an engineering background?
PS, looks like the SOtM sN-10G has 10x 1G Ports and no 10G portsā¦ cheeky and maybe deceptive product naming.
Ted didnāt answer much less complicated questions for several months, so I guess you will not be very lucky 
It doesnāt have SFP sockets either.
G2.2 review here. Another good one.
https://the-ear.net/review-hardware/auralic-aries-g2-2-spellbinding/
Flac is unpacked by the streamer / endpoint, not by the DAC, though the two might be in the same box dependent on your solution,
Ah yes of course, good point there in my case with a DS MK2 usually being fed over USB, if no upscaling to DSD is engaged somewhere upstream first, then FLAC is already unpacked and sent as PCM to the DAC. DSD I usually send packaged in PCM as DoP.
Given asynchronous USB, I think I would need a free trial of a PhoenixUSB first. And/or a 50% discount to be really tempted.
p.s. I suppose you could say that MQA counts as the DAC doing some unraveling, but that, for me, doesnāt count because an MQA DAC is doing more than just DACing (and was a big flippinā con anyway )
Agree understood initially was a December release but it seems to have gone quite and there is no mention of it on there web-site. Interesting statement in the manual - I know I read a manual for a product I donāt own yet - seems they recommend wifi over wired ā¦ may have to test this theory out
They have always recommended WiFi over wired all the way back to Aries Mini. It has always worked for me with four different units.
It amuses me that over a year ago, someone here suggested ripping everything to AIFF. So I now do that. Does it sound better than uncompressed FLAC? Who knows? But it takes up more space and does meta data nice enough. It might sound better thoughā¦.
Aye it might sound better, dependent on equipment, but AIFF is somehow a cooler format, always was, even back in the day 
Hmm. Something seem incompatible here, ācoolā with Apple.com media container. FLAC8 for me all the way!
Oh boy do I ever agree with the thinking behind that comment! I love hating Apple. But this must have been accidental for them. I will overlook the pinkness of it all.
I have been ripping to AIFF too. I remember it did sound better a couple of years ago. Now my system has had a lot of changes from then, I may rip a few different formats to hear if thereās indeed a difference.
Darn, I need to break in my new power cord. So, never mind. Iāll try that next year when I find a time without any upgrade.
