Changing to Digital and Audiophile Network Switch

[Nopiano]

Today, I am surprised to find out that Peter Swain sells EE8. Does he recommend or offer anything positive about it?

If I were a dealer I’d be happy to sell Chord cable products because they have something for every situation and are well liked. And it’s a high-margin product that helps keep me solvent. I’m not a great fan myself, though I happily used a purple Chord mains cable for many years.

 

[quinn_t]

If I were a dealer I’d be happy to sell Chord cable products because they have something for every situation and are well liked. And it’s a high-margin product hat helps keep me solvent. I’m not a great fan myself, though I happily used a purple Chord mains cable for many years.

My dealer also sells EE8, but he said to me that he does not personally want to know anything about it, and it’s up to me to keep it or return it in 3 months if I am not pleased.

Sure enough, it went back to the dealer in 3 months! it does not sound bad or anything like that, it’s just a regular switch, and I am not willing to pay a hefty price for it. A regular switch from Amazon cost around $20.

 

[Nopiano]

My dealer also sells EE8, but he said to me that he does not personally want to know anything about it, and it’s up to me to keep it or return it in 3 months if I am not pleased.

Sure enough, it went back to the dealer in 3 months! it does not sound bad or anything like that, it’s just a regular switch, and I am not willing to pay a hefty price for it. A regular switch from Amazon cost around $20.

I’m in the same boat. I use a Netgear switch that Linn and Lejonklou both approve of and that’s good enough for me!

 

[garn63]

The Zyxel switch (if reading the many reports) should offer a small gain in s/q & is available for only £17 ?

 

[StingRay]

My dealer also sells EE8, but he said to me that he does not personally want to know anything about it, and it’s up to me to keep it or return it in 3 months if I am not pleased.

Sure enough, it went back to the dealer in 3 months! it does not sound bad or anything like that, it’s just a regular switch, and I am not willing to pay a hefty price for it. A regular switch from Amazon cost around $20.

Who is your dealer?

 

[StingRay]

The Zyxel switch (if reading the many reports) should offer a small gain in s/q & is available for only £17 ?

Yes correct, they have a 5 port version which is even cheaper. I have the 108Bv3, it works well, improved the SQ and is very small, so easy to tuck away. Well worth trying.

 

[quinn_t]

Who is your dealer?

I intentionally left his name out from my previous post, but let’s say he used to be one of the largest Naim/Linn dealers in Southern California.

 

[Harryup]

Do you try out the network gear using any kind of power filtering?

 

[quinn_t]

Do you try out the network gear using any kind of power filtering?

I suspected that the issue of power supply or power filtering would be brought up here, and I am aware that people have been spending in excess of $10,000 on such devices such as Innuos Phoenix or Statement in order to achieve some questionable marginal SQ improvement !!!

I much prefer a simple approach to using the NGKDSM/3 optical ethernet, the simplest setup to achieve what’s needed, rather than go down the rabbit hole of spending thousands on some power supply to some switch with copper ethernet.

Some people may think that optical SFP modules sound different, or worse, but I trust what I hear, and I think the NG DSM/3 with the Cisco switch + optical sound superb.

PS: That’s said, nothing can sound more musical than a well setup LP12.

 

[quinn_t]

Btw, has anyone here tried HQPlayer NAA with USB in the NGKDSM/3? I use a Mac Mini + HQPlayer NAA + USB to up sample to 384k/24, and it sounds pretty good (to me) as well. Some can even compare HQ Player up sampling as good as the Chord Hugo M Scaler (if not better).
For some who do not have the NGKDSM/3, you can also try the SPDIF or Optical in with the HQPlayer software solution.

 

[quinn_t]

Yes, some of the replies have been very interesting. Usual believers and non-believers rhetoric.

But I can only comment on my system, what we’ve done and whether we liked it. It’s our ears after all. We really like the streamer and are very happy with it. The sound is very detailed and clear with good soundstage. Bass is very deep and well controlled.

Enjoying listening to a lot our favourite albums, plus ones we haven’t played for a while. I must admit that initially, I thought that I would miss the LP12, but no, far from it. The streamer is on most of the day, either with Jazz24 radio as background music, or when we are listening as such to the variety of albums.

Apart from having a neater rack, one other benefit, which I hadn’t considered is the space for storage for the records and CDs. Gone are the five record storage units (200 capacity each) and CD storage cabinet (760 capacity). Consequently, we’ve now got a lot more space, so just busy redecorating that area.

The set up is now virtually finished, just waiting for delivery of the last two Naim PowerLine mains cables for the two Naim NAP250 amps.

With regard to the post, it has developed into a rather technical post, which is way over my head. But very interesting, nonetheless.

@DiggyGun, I believe I see your friend here in this thread:

https://www.hifiwigwam.com/threads/networking-logic-intro.119032/page-9#post-2433333

Very entertaining indeed.

 

[StingRay]

Just come across this company which is UK based: https://www.reikiaudio.com/shop

only started last year.

 

[quinn_t]

Just come across this company which is UK based: https://www.reikiaudio.com/shop

only started last year.

Nice!

Inspired by Japan
Designed, Engineered and Hand Assembled in England​

 

[parcelmonkey]

Just come across this company which is UK based: https://www.reikiaudio.com/shop

only started last year.

Expensive products, flashy case and website blurb. No FAQ's, that bit of the site they seem to have forgotten about and do they really work?



Actually I'm a monkey...

 

[StingRay]

Expensive products, flashy case and website blurb. No FAQ's, that bit of the site they seem to have forgotten about and do they really work?



Actually I'm a monkey...

No idea, I thought some Linn users would try them out. Not expensive compared to some Linn systems.

 

[parcelmonkey]

No idea, I thought some Linn users would try them out. Not expensive compared to some Linn systems.

I agree - definitely not expensive to most Linn systems but is it relevant and VFM? I would have thought their FAQ's section would be spouting all sorts of relevant info. Yet nothing, which as everyone knows; you have a much better perspective of things when in darkness. I hope someone trials one and reports back. I've blind tested things properly and had my eyes and ears opened, despite naysayers opposing...

 

[Newton John]

Streaming is like the perfect wife who meets my needs in every way possible.

Yet, I'm not truly satisfied with my lot. I still have a yearning for a long lost love, vinyl.

As the years pass, I miss her more and more. However, there's no going back to put things right with her. She's gone forever.

Logically, I know I am blessed to have a wonderful marriage with streaming, but still the melancholy from losing vinyl remains.

 

[DiggyGun]

@DiggyGun, I believe I see your friend here in this thread:

https://www.hifiwigwam.com/threads/networking-logic-intro.119032/page-9#post-2433333

Very entertaining indeed.

It’s changed again since then.

This is the present incarnation.


DG…

 

[DiggyGun]

I agree - definitely not expensive to most Linn systems but is it relevant and VFM? I would have thought their FAQ's section would be spouting all sorts of relevant info. Yet nothing, which as everyone knows; you have a much better perspective of things when in darkness. I hope someone trials one and reports back. I've blind tested things properly and had my eyes and ears opened, despite naysayers opposing...

Interesting that they use an IFI power supply on the Master Plus version.

DG…

 

[Nopiano]

Expensive products, flashy case and website blurb. No FAQ's, that bit of the site they seem to have forgotten about and do they really work?



Actually I'm a monkey...

I was intrigued, and it looks like there are a couple of article links in the FAQs.

https://www.reikiaudio.com/fiendish-anticipated-questions

Has anyone tried one?