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(17-Aug-2017, 17:43)thumb5 Wrote: Just on a point of order, perhaps this thread should be moved to Tweaker's Corner? 
A bit late in the game now, I know...
Fair point it is a tweak after all.
Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research
220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD
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My Etalon Isolator arrived today. 
I connected it between switch and d1 server (which feeds Devialet master via AES).
Quite a big improvement across the board. Everything just seems to sharpen up image-wise, bass seems punchier and it's easier to follow individual instruments in complex pieces. It's not a subtle change in my system. Rufus was here and we were both in agreement as to what we were hearing. I think we were both surprised by quite how effective this LAN isolator was.
I originally got this isolator since I thought it might close the gap between Roon/AIR and Roon/totaldac so my next test is between switch and Devialet master.
So far I am very impressed.
Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research
220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD
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(23-Aug-2017, 18:36)GuillaumeB Wrote: My Etalon Isolator arrived today.
I connected it between switch and d1 server (which feeds Devialet master via AES).
Quite a big improvement across the board. Everything just seems to sharpen up image-wise, bass seems punchier and it's easier to follow individual instruments in complex pieces. It's not a subtle change in my system. Rufus was here and we were both in agreement as to what we were hearing. I think we were both surprised by quite how effective this LAN isolator was.
I originally got this isolator since I thought it might close the gap between Roon/AIR and Roon/totaldac so my next test is between switch and Devialet master.
So far I am very impressed.
Guillaume Hi Guillaume
how does the Etalon do on the RoonAIR stream? Do you own the Totaldac ethernet filter?
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11-Sep-2017, 11:51
(This post was last modified: 11-Sep-2017, 11:55 by GuillaumeB.)
(11-Sep-2017, 11:38)ogs Wrote: (23-Aug-2017, 18:36)GuillaumeB Wrote: My Etalon Isolator arrived today.
I connected it between switch and d1 server (which feeds Devialet master via AES).
Quite a big improvement across the board. Everything just seems to sharpen up image-wise, bass seems punchier and it's easier to follow individual instruments in complex pieces. It's not a subtle change in my system. Rufus was here and we were both in agreement as to what we were hearing. I think we were both surprised by quite how effective this LAN isolator was.
I originally got this isolator since I thought it might close the gap between Roon/AIR and Roon/totaldac so my next test is between switch and Devialet master.
So far I am very impressed.
Guillaume Hi Guillaume
how does the Etalon do on the RoonAIR stream? Do you own the Totaldac ethernet filter?
It also improves Roon/AIR but compared to the d1 server I seem to lose something.
Yes I have the Totaldac ethernet cable.
Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research
220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD
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(11-Sep-2017, 11:51)GuillaumeB Wrote: It also improves Roon/AIR but compared to the d1 server I seem to lose something.
Yes I have the Totaldac ethernet cable.
Guillaume
The d1 has the re-clocker? In that case it's probably similar to the Mutec MC3. Roon/AIR is extremely good, but can not compete with re-clocked streams. I tried Roon/AIR again yesterday and have a feeling that it has improved (Roon build 262) a little since the first release.
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(11-Sep-2017, 16:31)ogs Wrote: The d1 has the re-clocker? In that case it's probably similar to the Mutec MC3. Roon/AIR is extremely good, but can not compete with re-clocked streams.
Yes there is a reclocker in the d1 server. I agree whilst Roon/AIR is very good (as AIR was without Roon) it can't compete. There might be something about that AES input too. Perhaps the Core Infinity board will change this though?
Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research
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18-Jan-2018, 14:22
(This post was last modified: 18-Jan-2018, 14:31 by Axel.)
After advice from Guillaume, I’ve just put the Etalon Ethernet Isolator between my switch and Devialet. I am impressed! Improvements in sound quality were obvious as soon as I started listening.
My soundstage has grown in all dimensions, with front to back being most affected.
Vocals pop out, with a chasm behind them that makes my back wall disappear. Bass lines are easier to follow, while the top end seems smoother an any sibilance has been tamed, without affecting definition or clarity. Dynamics have taken a step up too, as has air and space around different instruments.
Overall, this is undoubtedly the best value tweak that I have made to my system for years.
There are plenty of reviews and opinions on this little box of tricks online. Most of them seem to be in French, so using Google Translate is a good way to go.
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Has anyone added an Etalon to a FMC setup?
Adding the optical isolation and powering it with a quality LPS was a big step up in sound quality for me. I preferred it to the Berkeley Alpha USB to AES convertor route but would love to minimize gizmo and power supply boxes from the living room!
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(18-Jan-2018, 18:20)nkbg Wrote: Has anyone added an Etalon to a FMC setup?
Adding the optical isolation and powering it with a quality LPS was a big step up in sound quality for me. I preferred it to the Berkeley Alpha USB to AES convertor route but would love to minimize gizmo and power supply boxes from the living room!
There are a few user reviews online comparing FMC and Etalon setups. The general consensus seems to come down in favour of the Etalon. It is certainly a more "tidy" solution, being passive and therefore not requiring a power supply, whereas the FMCs require power to both converters. Again, most of these reviews are in French and I find Google Translate does a good job of the translation.
Project Eperience X Pack with Ortofon Rondo Red MC, Oppo BDP 105D, 2 x Sonos Connect, QNAP HS251+ NAS with 2 X 6TB Western Digital Red, Mac 5K 32GB running Lifetime Roon, iPad Pro 12.9" for remote control. Etalon Ethernet Isolator, Devialet 440 Pro CI, Sonus faber Olympica ll with Isoacoustics Gaia ll feet, Auralic Taurus Mkll headphone amp., Denon AH-D5000, Sennheiser HD600 and HD800 with Cardas cable, Van Den Hul The First Ultimate and Crystal interconnects, Furutech power cables, GSP Audio Spatia speaker cable.
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I use an Aurender N10 to play music via an USB cable to my D200, will this Etalon be useful to me?
Synology 713+ -> Aurender N10 -> D 200 -> Legacy Audio Focus SE speakers. ClearAudio Emotion TT. Synergistic Atmosphere Level 3 UEF Speaker and Galileo (USB) Interconnects and Synergistic PowerCell UEF S - Virginia U. S. A.
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