A Confused streaming system - Mutec / SOtM Ultra

[David A]

I am new to this thread.

I am currently using a Mojo tuned Mac mini as a source connected with an audio grade Acoustic Review ethernet cable to a Netgear hub, then from the hub another acoustic review ethernet cable into the D250 Pro CI. The music is stored on an SSD connected to the Mac Mini by USB.

After years without changes to the system I had the chance to acquire new speakers and decided to re-open the topic of system optimization... :-)

I am looking at the source/networking aspect. I am thinking of adding an EtherREGEN. The most sensible location to do so is seems to me to be between the Mac mini (A side) and the Devialet (B side). Does this make sense and has someone tried this?

I see that some here are using a Mutec REF10 also. Is this connected to the EtherREGEN to increase the accuracy of its clock? I believe there is no way to drive the clock of the Devialet itself also with the Ref10 is there?

Thank you.

Cheers,
Bernard

Bernard,

You would need to connect both your Mac Mini and your Netgear hub to the A side of the EtherREGEN and the D250 to the B side. That's basically what I'm doing in my system except that I'm using a Roon Nucleus+ server with internal SSD for my music source whee you're using a Mac Mini. 

When I read your post, my impression of what you wanted to do was to replace the hub with the EtherREGEN and you can do that, but then your Mac Mini is no longer connected to the internet, just connected to the D250 (I'm assuming your Mac Mini only has 1 ethernet port because the Mac Mini I use as my desktop computer only has 1 ethernet port). By connecting both the Mac Mini and the hub to the A side and the D250 to the B side, you provide an internet connection to the Mac Mini and a network connection to the D250. Only traffic intended for the D250 will be directed to it by the EtherREGEN, other traffic to/from the Mac Mini will go to the Netgear hub for routing elsewhere.

I can't comment on the use of the Ref10 with the EtherREGEN since I've never used one. @Confused has provided advice on that. What I can say is that I would expect that adding the EtherREGEN as I've described above will deliver an improvement in sound quality for you but improvements in sound quality are subjective and you are going to have to try it for yourself if you want to know for certain, and if you want to know whether any improvement it delivers provides value for money. I'm very happy with the result I'm getting but YMMV as the saying goes. Uptone Audio do allow returns if you aren't satisfied.