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+--- Thread: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation (/Thread-Audiophile-Grade-Ethernet-Switches-The-new-generation)
"Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - Confused - 01-Apr-2018
This is a controversial area I know, but many have reported improvements from using "Audiophile Grade" such as the AQVOX and similar. I have noticed recently that there are some interesting new products arriving in this category, in particular, new products from UptoneAudio and SOtM.
First the SOtM switch:
The SOtM switch will have 8 LAN ports and 2 SFP ports, the sCLK-EX clock board will be an option. Due to be released at this years Munich high end show, not many details yet but we do have some pictures.
Next the UptoneAudio switch, still a work in progress with the release planned for this summer:
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38968-etherregen-early-general-details-please-dont-ask-too-many-questions-yet/
Last but not least, the JCAT M12 Switch Gold. Although it may be last and least interesting, or should I say last but most expensive. $5000 anyone? (4165 Euros) As a warning, the link below includes a "Buy Now" button, be careful where you are clicking!
https://jcat.eu/featured/m12-switch-gold/
My bet, the Uptone switch is expected to be under $500 and I think it might just prove to be the best of the bunch. Time will tell.
RE: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - GuillaumeB - 01-Apr-2018
(01-Apr-2018, 11:23)Confused Wrote: This is a controversial area I know, but many have reported improvements from using "Audiophile Grade" such as the AQVOX and similar. I have noticed recently that there are some interesting new products arriving in this category, in particular, new products from UptoneAudio and SOtM.
First the SOtM switch:
The SOtM switch will have 8 LAN ports and 2 SFP ports, the sCLK-EX clock board will be an option. Due to be released at this years Munich high end show, not many details yet but we do have some pictures.
Next the UptoneAudio switch, still a work in progress with the release planned for this summer:
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38968-etherregen-early-general-details-please-dont-ask-too-many-questions-yet/
Last but not least, the JCAT M12 Switch Gold. Although it may be last and least interesting, or should I say last but most expensive. $5000 anyone? (4165 Euros) As a warning, the link below includes a "Buy Now" button, be careful where you are clicking!
https://jcat.eu/featured/m12-switch-gold/
My bet, the Uptone switch is expected to be under $500 and I think it might just prove to be the best of the bunch. Time will tell.
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Guillaume
RE: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - K4680 - 01-Apr-2018
(01-Apr-2018, 11:23)Confused Wrote: This is a controversial area I know, but many have reported improvements from using "Audiophile Grade" such as the AQVOX and similar. I have noticed recently that there are some interesting new products arriving in this category, in particular, new products from UptoneAudio and SOtM.
First the SOtM switch:
The SOtM switch will have 8 LAN ports and 2 SFP ports, the sCLK-EX clock board will be an option. Due to be released at this years Munich high end show, not many details yet but we do have some pictures.
Next the UptoneAudio switch, still a work in progress with the release planned for this summer:
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38968-etherregen-early-general-details-please-dont-ask-too-many-questions-yet/
Last but not least, the JCAT M12 Switch Gold. Although it may be last and least interesting, or should I say last but most expensive. $5000 anyone? (4165 Euros) As a warning, the link below includes a "Buy Now" button, be careful where you are clicking!
https://jcat.eu/featured/m12-switch-gold/
My bet, the Uptone switch is expected to be under $500 and I think it might just prove to be the best of the bunch. Time will tell.
Hi, Report to m12 switch!
https://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=4685&pid=69027&highlight=K4680#pid69027
#7
"Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - nicoludio - 01-Apr-2018
@ Confused, thanks for sharing.
RE: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - octaviars - 01-Apr-2018
Quote:My bet, the Uptone switch is expected to be under $500 and I think it might just prove to be the best of the bunch. Time will tell.
This is also my bet @Confused if John Swenson get everything right with the construction.
Quote: As Alex mentioned I am just finishing up a complex test system for actually doing an end to end clock analysis (digital data stream to DAC output) in order to really nail down what is going on in our systems. There are several hypothesis for what is going on, and several possible schemes for suppressing these, I will be testing all of these out, and the one that works the best will go in the switch.
This is not JUST a development project, there is a lot of fundamental research going on. I have been doing a bunch already, enough to know that SOMETHING is going on, but not enough detail to figure out what it really is. That's what this stage of testing is all about.
So even if I wanted to spill the beans, I can't, we don't exactly know what beans are going to be yet!
The result of the above is that there is no way to speed this up, I HAVE to go through the research first before we can get to the details. We know what seats we are going to have, what the dashboard will look like, probably what tires, but not sure what engine is going to be in there.
John S.
Right now I am thinking of replacing my Netgear GS108 that I run my NUC and endpoint from to one of these new ones. But my thoughts goes towards the SFP port if I should divide my network in two so the audio one is on the new switch and seperated with fiber. The Uptone looks promising with the special streamerport. Well time will tell what will happen.
"Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - amabrok - 01-Apr-2018
So what's the idea exactly? Are these supposed to sit between your router and ur networked audio components?
Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk
RE: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - baddog - 01-Apr-2018
I run a $29 switch. The reason I use the switch is to connect all the ethernet runs in the house back to my router.
It has run flawlessly without intervention for almost two years now.
I offer no opinion on the value of audiophile-specific switches nor ethernet cables.
RE: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - Martyn - 02-Apr-2018
This looks pretty cool. Would be interested in giving it a try.
RE: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - Confused - 02-Apr-2018
(01-Apr-2018, 19:08)amabrok Wrote: So what's the idea exactly? Are these supposed to sit between your router and ur networked audio components?
Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk
I think the idea behind the JCAT M12 Switch Gold is it sits between the audiophiles wallet and JCAT's annual profits account, it's primary function is to move money from one to the other.
Technically speaking, I think they are only of interest to people who run a remote computer to a network attached endpoint, such a microRendu, SOtM sMS-200 or similar. Maybe also with AIR or the CI board. Why do they work? Reducing noise is one aspect, so stopping RFI/EMI in the ethernet feed getting to your delicate hifi kit. Even a basic $20 switch will perform this function though, although not completely. There is then the controversial subject of high-quality low noise clocks in the switch, some say these are the route to audiophile joy, other say this is pointless for an Ethernet feed that will ultimately be buffered. I'd love to take part in a blind ABX test of the M12, I also bet that not one positive review of the thing will include a proper blind ABX test. I am not saying that the M12 will do nothing positive, just that the most glowing reviews will be subjective only.
For someone like yourself running an Aurender, they are of no use whatsoever, so you can save your money for something fun!
RE: "Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation - octaviars - 03-Apr-2018
If you look at Computer Audiophile where John Swenson writes about the upcoming UpTone "etherREGEN" this is what it is supposed to do more than moving 0,1 around.
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38968-etherregen-early-general-details-please-dont-ask-too-many-questions-yet/?do=findComment&comment=802257
Quote:The new switch does two main things:
1: blocks leakage current from upstream so no leakage current travels through the Ethernet cable to the renderer etc.
2: blocks clocking issues from upstream network devices and provides its own very low phase noise clocking on the "clean" port.
Because of the no leakage current on the downstream cable you don't have to worry about audio cables picking up noise from the leakage current. BUT the upstream cables still have leakage current running through them. Because of this it is a BAD idea to place the switch right in with your audio equipment. You want to keep it somewhat away from the audio system so noise from the upstream cable doesn't get picked up. Do not set this (or ANY) switch on top of your DAC etc.
You can use this as a general purpose switch to plug in routers, NAS etc and feed the clean port to the streamer, OR can use as a "clean up" device near the audio system with just one upstream connection and the clean connection. It's entirely up to you how you want to configure that. The extra ports are there to make it convenient for you to use it in many different configurations.
The added expense of the extra ports is quite small, so we decided that if we can fit them on the case somehow to go ahead and include them.
Why is the clean output 10/100 not gigabit? Because it is much cleaner to do so. A significant amount of jitter on a Ethernet cable come from noise on the power/ground (PG) networks inside the chip. The more stuff is going on and the faster it is doing it, the more noise gets generated on the PG network. Gigabit has way more stuff going on inside, thus generates a lot more noise, which causes significantly more jitter. By keeping it down to 100 the clean port has much lower jitter.
The SFP port is there because it is very easy to do and very cheap to add. Some people already have optical networks in their home, this just makes it a lot easier to use for them. There is no specific purpose for it, other than another "dirty side" port which makes it easier to use for some people.
Yes an LPS-1.2 can power it, but you have to be careful there. As with what I have been talking about in other threads, part of the leakage blocking needs a ground connection to the switch. The LPS-1.2 specifically isolates the ground so you will need another way to ground the switch. We will most likely be adding some form of grounding connection on the case for this purpose. The UASMPS provided with the switch already has the DC output grounded so no separate grounding needs to be done. The internal power network in the switch will be extremely good, the result is that there should be no advantage to using an LPS-1.2.
John S.