Go to designacable here in the UK. they will make some Belden 1303E or VanDamme TG Cat6A cables for you in any length. they offer quick and reliable service
All cabling makes a difference, and can make a huge difference. Over 20 feet, the cost of good wired cable may be $1000s. However fibre performs very well, and so does wifi with decent hardware, power supply and suitable context (walls, etc).
Consider something like Sonore Optical Module upstream, then fibre to EtherRegen or a similar switch with SFP, then a very good wired ethernet cable to your server.
Ideally, you may be benefit from using a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X SFP, which is easy to set up, or Mikrotik CRS with fibre which are not easy for novice. In both cases, they handle switching with a hardware chip rather than software. Either of these could be the upstream fibre.
For wifi, I suggest using a decent Wifi Access Points rather than the wifi in an ISP router. TP link have some affordable options, rather than high capacity and cost like Ubiquiti. The WAPs should be powered by LPS, or battery.
My router is my bedroom closet and my music system is in the living room. Upstream in the closet I I use the EtherRegen switch and Transparent Audio ethernet cables from my Fios router and than just standard in-wall Cat 6 to the living room. From the living room wall I use TA Ethernet to TA XL power Isolator. From the power isolator I have the EdisCreation Fiber Box II and Silent switch connected using WireWorld Starlight Platinum Cat 8 ethernet cables to the Network Acoustics ENO ag to the K50. Having better switches and cables closer to the server makes the biggest difference. Having a separate dedicated switch for audio and another switch for my wired network made a slight difference.
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I agree with the closer to the server part. I have a gigafoil right next to the server and a short run of high quality silver Ethernet cable. I think my weakspot is I need a new switch at the router (away in a closet across the room), trying to decide. I might get the SOTM since it clocks the signal on the way out and i hear good things about it.
I use the EtherRegen un-clocked A side, simply as a quality switch from my router (I do not like the sound from the clocked B side). The EdisCreation Silent Switch and Fiber Box both have OCXO clocks. I found when I added the Fiber Box directly upstream to the Silent Switch by the server there was a noticeable improvement in sound quality with the back to back re-clocking.
I have been on a long journey with ethernet and concluded the following.
Power suppies and cords are critical
Noise can travel between devices powered by the same power supply.
Power and ethernet Isolation are very beneficial (fibre, MOAT, wifi), ideally between devices, and mostly just prior to endpoint.
Put the router in my hifi rack where is can be powered via my power conditioner, and grounded with my audio system ground block.
Wifi is best by a significant margin as last leg to my endpoint. I use Devialet Pro, and have tried Auralic Aries G1 too with similar wifi superiority.
In between I have …
ISP > several metres Cat5e > wall outlet > Synergistic Research Atmosphere X Reference > EtherRegen 1 > fibre > router > JCAT Signature Gold> Antipodes EX > Shunyata Sigma > EtherRegen 2 > Synergistic Research Atmosphere X Reference > wifi access point (WAP)
All this has a cumulative improvement far more than when I upgraded from Antipodes Edge to EX.
The WAP is Mikrotik mAP powered by USB powerbank.
Each other digi/ethernet thing will also soon be powered by its own battery
I intend to improve upon the Cat 5e, attempt to rationalise the other cables and expense, install a Mikrotik CRS as router (which is all fibre), so may be settle on something like …
ISP > fibre > router > fibre > EtherRegen > EX > EtherRegen > WAP
I have Gigafoils too. They perform similar to stock EtherRegen, perhaps a bit better. But EtherRegen has advantages: it can be grounded, opened up to insert tweaks, and add external clock.
I hope this is of interest.
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I agree 100% about ac isolation and electrical noise. My server and switch are on a separate dedicated ac line with a CAD GC 1 used to reduce ac line noise. I have also grounded my DAC, K50 and switch with CAD GC 3. I use very up market power cords for all devices as well as isolation footers.
Did you also try positioning the Fiber Box between the Silent Switch and the server? If so, could you please tell us the differences with no Fiber Box and how that positioning compared to positioning Fiber Box upstream of the Silent Switch. Thanks in advance.
The EdisCreation Fiber Box II is specifically designed to reduce noise and sync the network signal to the switch. It is an active device with an internal LPS. It improved the sound quality by 20% or so. Just better dynamics, attack and clarity. I have not tried the Fiber Box downstream after the switch. Edison Wong the creator advised me on the location. I do use a passive filter, the Network Acoustics ENO ag downstream from the switch to the K50. That lowers the noise floor further without negatively impacting the tonal character of the music. It acts similarly to the CAD GC 1 and GC 3 in converting excess energy or noise into heat.
Thanks…Yeah I use the Gigafoil right before the Server, similar concept to the Edis stuff. We can’t seem to get the Edis here in the States. Looks like nice stuff though, I’d be interested since conceptually it’s before the switch itself and it has a clock, GF does not. I tried the ENO, literally A/B’d it against the GF and in my system the GF provided better results by a large margin.
I ordered direct from Edison it took about 3 weeks for the switch and 4 weeks for the Fiber Box to NYC.
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Just to clarify, every ethernet switch, FMC etc has a clock, most have low cost but some ‘audiophile’ stuff has better clocks. I recall Gigafoil has 2 regular clocks, given it is essentially 2 industrial grade FMCs back to back in separate steel chambers.
could any owner of the Firebox II give me your impression of this product ? do you think its better than the optical module ? or even using a fibre module in 2 sot switches ?
I am considering
Did you mean Fiber Box II? I would say it improved my network streaming somewhere around 15 to 20%. However if I could re-wire my apartment I would use fiber to my audio system.
Thanks Mark. are you using it in series with an audiophile switch ?
I am considering getting this firebox II. where did you buy it from ?
I am using EdisCreation Fiber Box II immediately upstream to EdisCreation Silent Switch. I purchased both directly from Edison Wong in Hong Kong. His company is N&E Audio. I do recommend both components the switch was superior to the EtherRegen in my system.
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Has anybody heard of a LAN RF filter called DX Engineering Iso-PLUS RF Ethernet Filter ? The company has a website I was looking at. The package is only $50 US !
Yes, heard of this on other forums, it seems like a simpler version of Eno.
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-iso-plus-2
I’m considering getting a Firebox II (FBII), but I’m trying to decide between a single FBII Extreme, or a chain of FBII standard & Silent Switch (SS) Standard. I don’t need the additional connections that a SS provides.
Given that both devices reclock with an OXCO, it’s unclear to me what value a SS would add, when placed after a FBII which has already isolated the noise from the signal. Did you ever try your FBII without the SS after it?
I have the extreme dc and standard ac versions of both the Silent Switch and FiberBox. I found when I added the FB II standard to the SS standard there was a distinct improvement in the sound. The Extreme dc versions of both with the FireBird LPS sounds significantly better than the standard ac versions. My streamed music is now on par with my stored music on SSD. If I had do it over again. I would first get the Extreme dc version and then add the other components as desired. I have my server and TV connected to the SS. I like having the flexibility of more than one networked input that the SS offers. I have never tried the FBII by itself. I also responded to your question in WBF.
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