Upgrade wall wart with L.P.S,is it worth doing?

[Cable Monkey]

I thought that improving the routers p.s.u would have a positive effect,as it's a switch as well,with two streamers a NAS running through it,surely lowering the noise floor would be a good thing for music.
I don't really want to complicate things further by adding a switch and L.P.S.U,unless I have to,of course

To be honest you have two issues.
1. The EE router will be the lowest quality it is possible to get away with. The BT router I use has gigabit capable connections but is virtually incapable of passing a fraction of that between its ports. In short, as a switch it is awful. A cheap T-P Link switch performed that function much better.
2. It doesn’t belong to you, and the small print will specifically mention only using the supplied PSU.

 

[wonky1969]

looks like I'm going to get a switch,see what if any difference it makes,or not,and go from there with regards to a L.P.S.U for it.

 

[TheFlash]

looks like I'm going to get a switch,see what if any difference it makes,or not,and go from there with regards to a L.P.S.U for it.

And ensure you install it as close (ie with as short a cable) as possible to your streamer, not just after your router. And use unshielded standard CAT6 cable not CAT7 or 8.

 

[wonky1969]

And ensure you install it as close (ie with as short a cable) as possible to your streamer, not just after your router. And use unshielded standard CAT6 cable not CAT7 or 8.

Can you please explain,in idiot terms,why use cat6 unshielded,and not cat7/8,as have a supra 8m cat8 going to system two,and a blue jeans 10m cat6a going to the main rig.
I am going to install the switch next to the router as only practical place for it,the bj cable goes to my innuos zen,and a meichord opal from that to my linn streamer.

 

[rabski]

Can you please explain,in idiot terms,why use cat6 unshielded,and not cat7/8,as have a supra 8m cat8 going to system two,and a blue jeans 10m cat6a going to the main rig.
I am going to install the switch next to the router as only practical place for it,the bj cable goes to my innuos zen,and a meichord opal from that to my linn streamer.

Cat cable with twisted pairs is inherently noise rejecting. Ethernet sockets include a small transformer that provides galvanic isolation and breaks the ground connectivity between items (deliberately). Using shielded ethernet cables can join the ground connections on equipment, bypassing the inbuilt isolation and introducing ground-borne noise.

 

[wonky1969]

Cat cable with twisted pairs is inherently noise rejecting. Ethernet sockets include a small transformer that provides galvanic isolation and breaks the ground connectivity between items (deliberately). Using shielded ethernet cables can join the ground connections on equipment, bypassing the inbuilt isolation and introducing ground-borne noise.

Thanks for the reply rabski.
So a unsheilded cat 6 from router to switch will suffice?
But what about the bj cat6a and supra cat8 going from the switch to innuos and cxn respectively,surely not replacement for cat 6? As both long runs of 8/10 metres acting as antenna if not shielded.when I replaced my old cat6 cables with the blue jeans and supra,there was a definite improvement to SQ,more detailed and better seperation of instruments and vocals,I would be very reluctant to take a backwards step and revert to cat6

 

[StingRay]

And ensure you install it as close (ie with as short a cable) as possible to your streamer, not just after your router. And use unshielded standard CAT6 cable not CAT7 or 8.

So Im doing it all wrong then, I have CAT7 from router to switch and CAT8 from switch to streamer.

 

[rabski]

The idea of ethernet cables acting as some sort of aerial is unlikely, as (as before) twisted pair balanced signals effectively cancel out any injected noise.

That said, if different cables have resulted in what you find an improvement, then leave alone. Or experiment. Decent CAT6 cables are cheap.

I've long abandoned the 'it cannot make a difference' theory for digital, because often it does, even when the mechanism ought to make it impossible.

 

[wonky1969]

I have ordered a switch and cat6 cable,i will report back when installed,I have zero expectations,so if it doesn't make a difference,only £26 outlay won't break the bank,but if there is a positive difference,i will then get a L.P.S.U to suit.

 

[StingRay]

The idea of ethernet cables acting as some sort of aerial is unlikely, as (as before) twisted pair balanced signals effectively cancel out any injected noise.

That said, if different cables have resulted in what you find an improvement, then leave alone. Or experiment. Decent CAT6 cables are cheap.

I've long abandoned the 'it cannot make a difference' theory for digital, because often it does, even when the mechanism ought to make it impossible.

I have some BT ethernet which seems to be 5e, do you think that would be better than my CAT7 and CAT8 cables?

 

[JohnyT]

I have some BT ethernet which seems to be 5e, do you think that would be better than my CAT7 and CAT8 cables?

I would have thought cat7 and 8 would be better than 5e

 

[StingRay]

I would have thought cat7 and 8 would be better than 5e

Yes but if you read some of previous posts there maybe reasons why it is worse.

I will give a try later, its an easy swap.

 

[bencat]

I fully agree with @rabski I am beyond the point were I would say with any certainty using digital that this or that item makes no difference . I know that those with lots more technical knowledge will tell me that it can not change anything but sadly it does . Now I am not going to argue that this may well be imagined or self induced or any other mind created effect . The fact is for me it exists and I hear it so as the final results are for me better then I will report that and let whoever wants to either try it out for themselves or ignore it .

 

[ziggy]

The Ethernet cable in my system is all Cat 8. A short length of high quality DH Labs connects the router to the first Cisco switch. This is connected to the Network Acoustics Eno filter by a long length of Farnels cable. The Eno is supplied with a short length of quality Cat 8 (no choice there), which connects to the second Cisco switch. This switch connects to the Sonore OpticalRendu streamer via optical cable.

 

[StingRay]

I tried my BT 5e cable in place of my CAT7 and did not like it, sounded thin and harsh, switched back now to my CAT7.

 

[TheFlash]

So Im doing it all wrong then, I have CAT7 from router to switch and CAT8 from switch to streamer.

Did you hear a difference when you installed the switch?

I'm not sure there are wrongs and rights here but the point of installing a switch just before the streamer is to eliminate the noise accumulated to that point. Yes, some switches will generate more noise than others themselves but fundamentally, with a budget switch in particular, you're looking to galvanic isolation to do most of the heavy lifting, and a shielded cable will negate that.

 

[TheFlash]

The idea of ethernet cables acting as some sort of aerial is unlikely, as (as before) twisted pair balanced signals effectively cancel out any injected noise.

That said, if different cables have resulted in what you find an improvement, then leave alone. Or experiment. Decent CAT6 cables are cheap.

I've long abandoned the 'it cannot make a difference' theory for digital, because often it does, even when the mechanism ought to make it impossible.

Well the noise is getting in somewhere... right back at the router perhaps? Whatever, installing a switch made a much more clearly audible difference here than I expected for a £30ish gamble.

 

[TheFlash]

I tried my BT 5e cable in place of my CAT7 and did not like it, sounded thin and harsh, switched back now to my CAT7.

Do you mean you changed only the cable between your switch and streamer? A 1m (or less) length I presume.

 

[StingRay]

Did you hear a difference when you installed the switch?

I'm not sure there are wrongs and rights here but the point of installing a switch just before the streamer is to eliminate the noise accumulated to that point. Yes, some switches will generate more noise than others themselves but fundamentally, with a budget switch in particular, you're looking to galvanic isolation to do most of the heavy lifting, and a shielded cable will negate that.

Yes I did hear an improvement. But changing to 5e was a backward step in my opinion.

 

[TheFlash]

The Ethernet cable in my system is all Cat 8. A short length of high quality DH Labs connects the router to the first Cisco switch. This is connected to the Network Acoustics Eno filter by a long length of Farnels cable. The Eno is supplied with a short length of quality Cat 8 (no choice there), which connects to the second Cisco switch. This switch connects to the Sonore OpticalRendu streamer via optical cable.

This bit (bold) is where your magic is happening.