What's in your audio LAN?

Network Audio
1

No matter the means of pushing data for audio, noise always seems to be an issue.

Some times you do not know its an issue until you stumble across a culprit.

I recently removed a switch from my LAN path, that I thought was providing a layer of isolation and the sound opened up!

Then installed EMO EN-30 LAN isolators before my switch ( from NAS ) and before my SSR ( from switch )

Things really opened up, I never new I had such a noise problem that severe.

Here’s the current wire path, the NAS and SSR are connected to the 2 high priority ports on the PPA SW.

NAS > Cat6A STP 6" stub > MC100CM FMC > twin fiber > MC100CM FMC > Cat6A STP 6" stub > EMO EN-30 > Cat6A 6" stub > PPA SW

PPA SW > Cat6A 6" stub > MC100CM FMC > twin fiber > MC100CM FMC > Cat6A STP 6" stub > EMO EN-30 > Cat6A 6" stub > SSR

A wireless hub is connected to the PPA SW on one of its normal ports for control.

The FMCs are powered with Mean Well LPSs on a separate branch circuit from the audio power circuit.

The NAS and PPA SW are powered by an HDPlex LPS.

2

Have your FMC’s been mod’d by SoTM? That makes a big difference.

Are LPS1’s downstream of your meanwells?

3

MrDerrick,

I have some of the same LAN isolators waiting for me when I get back home in a few days. Have not yet tried fiber but probably will at some point. Can you post a link for which Meanwell power supplies you are using?

4

cxp,

I was using the 9 volt output from my HDPlex for the FMC before my renderer, see following findings below. I had seen where replacing the caps in the FMC with better and higher value helped, but I am not aware of the SoTM mods for the FMCs. I would like to try out the UpTone LPS1, I have the Mean Well to charge it, but need to maximize what I am working with now first.

Bob,

The Mean Well part number that I have is GST25A09-P1J, sourced from www.trcelectronics.com .

It does not come with a IEC power cord, if you get some, consider a IEC to male adapter and plug the Mean Well right into an AC outlet.

You also might want to consider 5 volt supplies or 5 volt battery supplies, see following findings below.

When I removed the extra isolation switch and the sound improved, it was obvious that the switch was injecting noise into the system.

What was surprising to me was that the switch noise was masking other noise in the system.

I have been trying different power/isolation schemes since my first post to see what works best for me and what does not.

Powering the FMC closest to the renderer with my HDPlex LPS 9 volts sounds better than with the Mean Well, but using a battery supply at 5 volts sounds better than the HDPlex. It has been suggested that powering the FMCs with 5V instead of 9V lowers the self noise they generate. Using a battery supply also provides complete isolation from any other equipment. ( though not the smoothest and most constant power )

The HDPlex works best powering only my NAS ( 12 volt ) and my PPA switch ( 5 volt ) sound wise. Too many loads connected to the HDPlex causes a loss in sound quality. Possibly due to the interaction of the connected loads.

I have removed the FMCs and isolators connecting the NAS to the PPA switch, in the current configuration there is no audible benefit.

The connection path from the PPA switch to the SSR renderer is now as follows;

PPA SW (HDPlex 5V) > 6" Cat6A STP > EMO EN-30 > 6" Cat6A STP > MC100CM FMC (Battery 5V) > twin fiber > MC100CM FMC (Battery 5V) > 6" Cat6A STP > EMO EN-30 > 6" Cat6A STP > Sonore SSR renderer

The EMOs along with providing isolation for the signal carrying conductors, also provide a break in any shielding that STP provides. This may be a benefit with regards to breaking ground loops that noise may travel on.

Suggested reading on the CA forum under Networks would be the Network Isolation and Optical Fiber threads. There are many things to try, LPS, SMPS, Battery PS, Supercap PS, isolation, grounding, shielding, the list just keeps on growing.

I need to pull my Theta Data Universal II transport out of mothballs and take it for a spin connected to my DirectStream. I am starting to wonder if shiny silver disks might sound just as good or better than all this complicated LAN stuff ( with all of its self noise )

5

Further progress;

Added ifi DC Purifiers to the input of the NAS, PPA switch and the FMC before the Sonore SSR.

All incremental and worthwhile improvements.

Tried powering both FMCs with a Y adapter on the load side of the ifi DC Purifier and single battery output, this was a step backwards. Possibly due to the max output of the battery connection being 2 amps and the FMCs drawing 1.08 amp each a 5 volts. I will have to try paralleling a pair of the 2 amp outputs on the battery supply. I would keep this FMC load in mind if you consider using an LPS1, I believe that the max output is 1 amp.

Using separate battery supplies for each FMC with the DC Purifier on the FMC before the Sonore SSR was marginally beneficial over using the seperate outputs of the single battery supply to power each FMC.

Are we having fun yet?

CORRECTION:

The MC100CM FMCs are only a 2.5 watt load, the specs that I referenced were for the power supplies, 9V @ .6A and 5V @ 1.0A

The UpTone LPS-1 should be able to power a pair of the MC100CM FMCs.

6

I have my Modem/Router and NAS powered by a Paul Hynes SR5 LPS with SoTM dBL-CAT7 cables connecting them. They then feed into my Lumin S1 via another set of SotM dBL-CAT7 --> SoTM ISO-CAT6 LAN Isolator --> SoTM dBL-CAT7 feeding into the LUMIN S1 streamer.

Am def curious about these FMC solutions though.

7

My labors are not over yet, I tore everything down and rebuilt from scratch, re-listening to each wiring scheme.

Currently the FMCs are not in line and I am quite pleased with the resulting sound.

What I have done so far that has worked for me;

Shunt grounding of the negative lead on all SMPS

Powering only my NAS from the HDPlex LPS

Powering my PPA switch with an UpTone LPS-1

One EMO filter between my wifi router bridge and my PPA switch

No Ethernet cables totaling less than 1.5 meters in length connecting equipment, SSR to PPA switch and NAS to PPA switch

Ethernet cabling utilizing JSSG faraday shielding technique

Disconnecting my P3 from my LAN network ( way to much cable acting as an antenna )

I would suggest reading up all that you can digest at the Computer Audiophile Forums as noted;

Networking topic threads - Overall Isolation, Optical Network Configurations, Network Isolation

Uptone Audio sponsored forum;

SMPS and Grounding

Dealing with AC leakage current and stray radiated fields first is what I have found makes a significant improvement.

If you don’t deal with these first, the FMC’s can help reduce their effect, but at the expense of imparting their own negative effects.

8

Hello Mr Derrick

‘‘Powering only my NAS from the HDPlex LPS’’

May ask if this made a large enough improvement that can be heard in your system?

I am hoping to the HDPlex 200 watts for my Synology DS216j operating 2 pcs 3 tb hds.

Thank you.

9

terryakhan,

When I first installed the HDPlex I think that I had 4 separate loads connected to it including my NAS.

What made the most significant change for the better was when I only had my NAS connected to it.

But I also connected the other loads to their own LPSs and that more than likely also contributed to the improvement.

What I can not say is if the HDPlex was an improvement over the supplied SMPS that came with the NAS. ( I never used the SMPS that was supplied with it )

The HDPlex that I have had a blinding LED lamp in the front cover, I tamed it down with a small dot of blue painters tape over the hole.

10

Hello MrDerrick

Order this Teddy Pardo https://www.teddypardo.com/teddy12-4.html

It carries a single output 12 vdc to supply my NAS

Will post findings.

Thank you again

11

Since I am waiting for my Teddy Pardo 12vdc to feed my NAS, I managed to plug my NAS via a 12 ft pc into one of my P10s.

Even at this distance the music improved, fresh and full of life.

12
terryakhan said

Order this Teddy Pardo https://www.teddypardo.com/teddy12-4.html…

$500+. Crikey, my eyes are watery. I'd like to see what's inside its gizzards.
13

The Teddy Pardo PSU is now feeding my NAS has created a dramatic improvement really huge.

Hard to believe that my system could offer so much more resolution. The music is rich, strong, effortless and full of life, don’t want to stop feeling and listening but life has to go on for me.

Hoping to do the same with my DSD DAC by using another Teddy Pardo to feed 12vdc to analogue board, and the stock psu feeding only the digital section.

The digital section power supplies feeds are not as simple as the analogue supply rails, so for now I am going to leave it alone.

However should someone who have attempted to insert an out board psu to the digital section pls chime in.

14

Now that I have implement my second Teddy Pardo feeding the Analogue pcb in my DSD dac I really can see how noisy the stock psu is.

The greatest dramatic improvement was replacing my NAS’s psu and now followed on my DSD.

The music is so fresh and so alive, I still cannot understand power supplies and regulation can vary the music so much.

Looked at the BHK pre but it is impossible to disconnect the low voltage DC so I am going to leave it alone.

My 17 year son, just before all this started, was helping me install my third P10 and said something mind boggling to me.

He indicated that I am buying the best photo copiers with bullet proof glass and highest coping resolution on the planet and I am still using cardboard for making photo copies.