"Audiophile Grade" Ethernet Switches - The new generation

[Flashman]

Earlier than expected, I got my hands on the Silent Angel Bonn N8 switch today. It is still early days, as I only have it connected and doing it's job for less than an hour, but as with many nice tweaks, the effect is easily and immediately audible. No uncertainty about that.

So here are my first impressions @Flashman: Although the effect is still growing, the reproduced music sounds different indeed. Apparent is the bigger and deeper soundstage. But there is something else. The music seems, to my ears at least, somewhat more balanced and natural sounding. The standard switch I used before made the music sound a bit sharp edged and sometimes made recordings sound a bit "thin". Very detailed, but less balanced as mids and lows were less present in the mix. This now is different. Details are still there, but they are less 'in your face'. Lows seem to go deeper, but are still very clear and maybe a bit more layered than before. So far I am impressed.

I will take some more time to let the new switch settle in, before I will report back with my final opinion. In comparison with the cost of some other brand switches this switch seems to do a nice job for those who want to tweak their streaming network without busting the bank.

Thanks for your report @kerkhoffd  Your findings echo mine.  I listened again last night to several songs and found many of the attributes that you cite.  I am still pretty amazed that a switch could make this much of a difference.  As with you, I wasn't willing to pay too much for a switch, as I had my doubts about its ability to make a difference in my system.  At a cost of USD339, this was a rather simple decision for me.