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(18-Jan-2017, 15:08)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]To be honest I'm hoping though that things don't improve so I can leave it like it is now. Smile

Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin

I actually missed what it was you did but I know there will be more to come.......
LOL...yeah yeah yeah, I know and do see the irony there...but it's true; I'd rather not move the/another computer back into the living-room, however I won't deny myself an easy to accomplish SQ improvement either. In any case I'll get used to the idea and it'll be like YabaVR once mentioned: "the seed is planted"... Wink
Today I've tested the most direct network path available by hooking up the music server in my living room and bypassing the FMC's: music server (powered by a non dedicated AC outlet) -> AQ Diamond ethernet -> sMS-200. The music server also had the primary NIC connected to the network as I temporarily used the network connection that goes to my streamer PC. It even has a EMO Systems EN-HD70 LAN isolator inline.

I really had to A/B test this multiple times but could not reliably tell a difference, in fact if anything it sounded a bit worse so I'm back to the previous setup with the music server upstairs and the 2 FMC's and 20m fiber optic cable in between. The FMC closest to the sMS-200 is powered by my Hynes PSU. This may explain why both Romaz and I don't hear a clear difference but others using lesser PSU's do, not sure of course, just guessing here.

One more thing to do/try now is connect the EMO Systems EN-HD70 LAN isolator inline in between the ethernet cable from my music server to the FMC and power the FMC there not using the supplied SMPS walwart but the 'el cheapo' linear PSU I still have but currently not in use anywhere. This too is rather counter intuitive since both are used before the fiber optic cable but easy enough to try.
The Romaz tweak is highly recommended! Things become spookily real with it. Surprised not many other mR/sMS-200 owners have tried (or shared they did). They don't know what they're missing. Smile
(22-Jan-2017, 15:54)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]The Romaz tweak is highly recommended! Things become spookily real with it. Surprised not many other mR/sMS-200 owners have tried (or shared they did). They don't know what they're missing. Smile

In my set up the PC is over 6 metres away from the Devialet.  Without going into too much detail, the room is perfectly set up (with hard wired Ethernet) for running a mR in the traditional way, that is computer/router/switch/mR.  OK, I could try this, but it would cause compromises elsewhere.  Also, I have to be honest here, and whilst I fully understood Romaz's original suggestion re direct connection, I did not fully understand your subsequent posts regarding FMC's, I think I'd need a diagram and an explanation of what an FMC is! 

Back to the direct connection approach, this did make me think of the Sonic Transporter.  Maybe they could make a derivative of this suitable for direct connection?  As things stand the Sonic Transporter only has a single Ethernet port, so is not suitable.  Just a thought!
(22-Jan-2017, 15:54)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]The Romaz tweak is highly recommended! Things become spookily real with it. Surprised not many other mR/sMS-200 owners have tried (or shared they did). They don't know what they're missing. Smile

How would this aproach work if you run AIR? I know this is with Roon endpoint but it got me thinking och adding a extra network card to my computer and run my 440 on one this card and the other connection to my Router. Then Roon core, AIR3 would talk directly to the amp without going through the router I suppose, computers is not my strongest thing here in life Big Grin
(22-Jan-2017, 15:54)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]The Romaz tweak is highly recommended! Things become spookily real with it. Surprised not many other mR/sMS-200 owners have tried (or shared they did). They don't know what they're missing. Smile

+1. I can only only confirm your findings.

After some extended testing, I am also surprised as to the enhanced stability this has brought to my setup.  I have always suspected that my Cisco SG-200 switch (or its settings) has been a source of issues regarding drops/stuttering when streaming high res files. With my music PC now directly connected to the mR, all of these problems have disappeared.  

Also strongly recommend this relatively easy modification if your setup allows.
(22-Jan-2017, 17:06)Confused Wrote: [ -> ]
(22-Jan-2017, 15:54)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]The Romaz tweak is highly recommended! Things become spookily real with it. Surprised not many other mR/sMS-200 owners have tried (or shared they did). They don't know what they're missing. Smile

In my set up the PC is over 6 metres away from the Devialet.  Without going into too much detail, the room is perfectly set up (with hard wired Ethernet) for running a mR in the traditional way, that is computer/router/switch/mR.  OK, I could try this, but it would cause compromises elsewhere.  Also, I have to be honest here, and whilst I fully understood Romaz's original suggestion re direct connection, I did not fully understand your subsequent posts regarding FMC's, I think I'd need a diagram and an explanation of what an FMC is! 

Back to the direct connection approach, this did make me think of the Sonic Transporter.  Maybe they could make a derivative of this suitable for direct connection?  As things stand the Sonic Transporter only has a single Ethernet port, so is not suitable.  Just a thought!

Hi Confused,

I know exactly what you mean, all my networking stuff here is invisible as well but now I have the direct connection I have a fiber cable that's running over the floor and down the stairs until I find a way to hide it from sight. Wink  It requires a new path since I can't make sharp corners with such a cable (for CAT cables this is less of an issue) so need to drill some new holes here and there etc. Undecided

A FMC is a 'fiber media converter'. It's a small networking device which converts fiber optic based ethernet to regular copper based ethernet. It allows one to cross much greater distances than coppper ethernet cables can. Of course we crazy audiophiles use them to get full galvanic isolation. A FMC connects to any standard ethernet port so if one uses a pair you can effectively replace a single ethernet cable run with it. It's not required for this tweak to work so you can forget about it if you want.

Once I get my Visio software up&running again I'll update the diagram I posted a few pages back to reflect the new situation.

Personally I don't like the Sonic Transporter appliances, I want full control of the hard- and software of my PC's but I can imagine they fit the bill for many who don't want to configure and maintain a computer. I did read on CA that some have already asked the manufacturer to consider adding this dual network interface functionality.


(22-Jan-2017, 20:30)octaviars Wrote: [ -> ]
(22-Jan-2017, 15:54)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]The Romaz tweak is highly recommended! Things become spookily real with it. Surprised not many other mR/sMS-200 owners have tried (or shared they did). They don't know what they're missing. Smile

How would this aproach work if you run AIR? I know this is with Roon endpoint but it got me thinking och adding a extra network card to my computer and run my 440 on one this card and the other connection to my Router. Then Roon core, AIR3 would talk directly to the amp without going through the router I suppose, computers is not my strongest thing here in life Big Grin

There are some caveats but it works just fine. I've run things like that right up to the moment I switched over to USB in 2014. See page 2 of this topic, post #15. Smile There are multiple topics about this setup on this forum. If you search for 'direct ethernet' you'll find some of them like these two:

http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=22
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=38


(23-Jan-2017, 10:27)baconbrain Wrote: [ -> ]
(22-Jan-2017, 15:54)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]The Romaz tweak is highly recommended! Things become spookily real with it. Surprised not many other mR/sMS-200 owners have tried (or shared they did). They don't know what they're missing. Smile

+1. I can only only confirm your findings.

After some extended testing, I am also surprised as to the enhanced stability this has brought to my setup.  I have always suspected that my Cisco SG-200 switch (or its settings) has been a source of issues regarding drops/stuttering when streaming high res files. With my music PC now directly connected to the mR, all of these problems have disappeared.  

Also strongly recommend this relatively easy modification if your setup allows.

Great to read! That Cisco SG-200 is quite the problematic switch for many, I've seen it being mentioned in many multicast related issues on CA. Sometimes a 'dumb' and unmanaged switch is the best in our home situations though these not always provide all the options one might need in a more complex network of course. I work with many Cisco devices at work up to and including the big Nexus 9000 stuff and their ASA firewall range but for me at home it would be serious overkill, even their smallest offerings. Smile
From what I've picked up on any forums I follow, 'enterprise' switches in the home nearly always lead to some sort of issue for audio playback. They seem popular among networking engineers (or former engineers). I guess they have no real need for them at home but probably just like to obsess about the settings, or they picked them up cheap from work or whatever. That said I did think of making my next netgear switch (I'm out of ports) a 'plus' model so at least have some visibility of what's going on.

Back OT, so the Romaz tweak I would imagine only allows you to play to one 'endpoint'? I play to grouped zones in Roon so - physical restrictions on cabling aside - don't think I'd go there. Also, I'm sure it works (I've no doubt if you guys hear it) but this Romaz chap does seem to change opinion a bit doesn't he? I thought Rednet was his audio nirnava, yet somehow it 'glared up' at some point before his latest tweak, if I skip-read his comments correctly?
Hi Hifi_swlon,

Though the SG-200 isn't enterprise level but rather small business/SOHO I agree with your view on the use of Cisco stuff at home. These need to be configured properly to allow multicast traffic needed for uPnP/HQplayer's NAA, zeroconf/Bonjour (for Airplay) and similar protocols. A simple unmanaged switch or smart/plus semi-managed switch in most cases/for most people suffices. Unless you know you need functionality these type of switches don't offer. I myself too currently use Netgear (Prosafe Gigabit Plus GS108Ev3) switches, they're cheap and solid and do what I need them to do which is little but forwarding packets. Smile

With the Romaz tweak you could still use multiple end-points but instead of connecting all your endpoints to one or more switches you'll connect one to a dedicated, second NIC (network interface controller) on your music server. All other endpoints still remain available through the first, primary NIC.

I'm fairly sure you're confusing Romaz with that rb2013 nutcase! Big Grin He was the guy on head-fi who advocated the use of the Rednet stuff but he is back to USB now. Romaz did try Rednet but found it to perform not as well.