"Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation

[Johnnydev]

Here is my EtherREGEN review after burn-in and extended listening:

Current Setup

A simple UPnP setup using a MinimServer to get music from a NAS and serving to a pair of Devialet Phantom Gold (on DOS1).  Running convolution room correction on MinimServer. Using wired connections with standard Cat6 Ethernet cables to a Netgear Orbi switch, except for a Supra Cat8 cable to the Dialog (connected via PLC to Golds).

EtherREGEN Setup

Added EtherREGEN to setup with an additional standard Cat6 cable on “A side” and connected the Supra Cat8 cable to “B side”.

Listening Impressions

“WOW!” Was expecting some improvement but not such a big jump. Often, a new component may introduce subtle changes which require careful listening and many comparisons to identify any improvement.  For the EtherREGEN, the changes were obvious in the first few minutes of listening.  The background was darker which allowed more detail to come through.  All smearing was removed with a clarity that was unsurpassed.  Diana Krall’s “My love Is” starts with finger snapping. I have never heard how precise that snap was until now! Similarly, an old favourite, Salvatore Accardo’s rendition of the 1st movement of Pagnini’s Violin Concerto No. 4, sounded wonderful. It is the closest violin rendition to my benchmark, a live concert at a dedicated concert hall.

Have spent a lot of time doing convolution room correction to correct both impulse and phase. Managed to remove a significant amount of smearing and improved the sound stage.  The EtherREGEN essentially “completed the room correction” (not sure how else to describe it?) by removing all the smearing.

An A/B testing was not necessary, but I did it anyway.  There was a stark difference between the current setup and the EtherREGEN setup with the darker background and no smearing the obvious differences.

I could not stop listening the first evening and am still amazed at what the EtherREGEN could do. I bought the unit to evaluate (has a 30 day money back guarantee). It is NOT leaving my setup! 

p/s a linear power supply does improve things, more later...

Last week I connected the ER like you snoopy8

So router > A side ER > B side ER > devialet Dialog and the phantoms gold via PLC.

It sounded very good with the ER in between as you described.

I now went back to my first setup.

So: Router > B side ER > A Side ER > Devialet Dialog and my phantoms gold via supra cat8 ethernetcables.

This sounds even better to me overhere.

I dare not yet to upgrade from DOS1 to DOS 2, but expect an improvement without the Dialog, the A side of ER only with the supra cat8 ethernet cables to the phantoms golds.