I’m very satisfied with my current rig, using a DSJr with a modified Mac Mini (Mojo Audio LPS), using bridge and optical inputs only on the DSJr side (I found USB has no value anymore, even with expensive cables, sotm gizmos and Jcat isolator vs a simple optical cable)
The problem is I have 2 x 20 feet ethernet cables for my local network : 1 from my router (crappy smps…) to the Mini, then from the DSJ to the router. So I’ve decided to use a switch on the Mini side. I would be able to use only 1 long ethernet cable, then 2 short ones from the switch to the Mini and the DSJ. The other advantage is that I could power the switch with the very high quality linear power supply I already own, as the switch is 12v DC.
I can get a used sisco Sg300-10 at a very good price. It has a metal enclosure, is manageable, so I can choose to activate some settings on the advanced menu…i.e. Desactivate EEE (energy saving), choose priorities in the QoS menu, or just connect it and it would work as it is…
Do you know any settings I should choose for the switch when playing music through bridge, who could improve SQ ?
i found this (in French, but there’s the same page in English) for configuring a switch for audio when using Dante protocol (audio over ip) :
Jean Francois, I have recently been quite focussed on the noise and power concerns within my system. Please review the Fiber Optic to Ethernet Converter section of this forum. We have discussed the use of Fiber to isolate the network noise. Also, there is a way to eliminate the need for the ethernet switch by using the Mac Mini to replace the switch which means you only need one 20 foot ethernet run from your router to the mac and then ethernet from the mac to the DS jr. The only additional hardware you will need is an inexpensive Apple thunderbolt ethernet adapter plugged into the mac. I hope this helps.
…about the fiber optic to ethernet, I know also it can be a nice add, but I wanted first to eliminate cables and power supplies everywhere. I know some of us are using switches, and I wonder just if managed switches LPS powered with the right configuration and priorities for audio stream can even improve SQ ?
I had typed out a reply but lost it… the short version: I have not used that Cisco switch - there may therefore be others who can better advise you. But I usually do disable energy saving. QOS is a bit more complicated. if you can prioritize by IP address or for streaming data in general, you can certainly try that, but a) remember that it may negatively impact other traffic, and b) on a home network if you are running gigabit ethernet…I’d say it’s probably not necessary unless you have a ton of other traffic, packet loss, or latency issues. I generally have not bothered, myself, and have never had any issues on my network even when streaming at hi-res to the Bridge.
I think what David J suggests is also worth a try. At the moment I am just using an ethernet isolator, but I will probably try going the fiber route at some point if only to see if it makes a difference. It can be done pretty inexpensively.
…The problem is I have 2 x 20 feet ethernet cables for my local network…
Why is this a problem?
You don’t need a managed switch for this application. There is ample spare bandwidth on a 10/100 switch port for streaming music without any issue at all. If you want a step up from a vanilla switch installation buy a preconfigured AV priority unmanaged switch such as Pakedge SW8-GBP. You can find used ones on eBay from time-to-time for less than $50.
