Good question, Nick. Everyone hears sounds differently just as some people lack a taste for a certain style of wine and prefer another. Some people are color brand while others are too sensitive to certain kinds of light. So it’s tricky business I think when we assign a universal value to anything audio. And yet….at the end of the day all we can invest confidence in to any degree is a consensus of multitudes.
So, as for what my friends and I heard “improved” or better when introducing quality fiber, was more warmth, greater detail, “meatier” mids and cleaner bass, better imaging and sound staging, and yet somehow achieving a bit more transparency at the same time. Everything more musical. I know it must seem like hyperbole but we’ve all experienced much the same.
I have a friend who is a premium cable manufacturer whom I liken to a piano tuner with perfect pitch. He’s got the best ears I know, and he is aligned with what I perceive. I think there is that factor of pairing that is key to this aspect of our hobby. It explains why some people prefer Cisco SFP transceivers and others like me prefer the Finisar transceiver I posted about. For my system it’s been pure magic. It may not be for your system. and maybe your friend’s prototype wasn’t ready for prime time. Who knows?
What I can say is that the media converter itself is CRITICAL, as is the power supply that feeds it. . Comparing an Amazon TrendNet converter for $50 to, say a Sonore Optical Module Deluxe is akin to expecting a 4 cylinder used VW to a new 125k Porsche 911. The converter is very much like the suspension system in a car. Without that great foundation like what’s found inside that Sonore Module one can only get so much benefit. That’s been my experience as I myself started out the “frugal” way, but eventually “saw the light “ and unvested in true audiophile grade converters and switches. The combination of the Sonore Module and Uptone’s EtherREGEN is simply sublime. And yes, those Finisar SFP’s are expensive at $200 a par; but they’re so good (to my ears” I’d pay $500.
Hope that helps!
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Bob, thanks for the reply and dialogue.
For me this debate is ALL about noise and its destructive and distortion inducing characteristics when it gets into the DAC. I have got to be very sensitive to these noise artifacts and their effect on sounds because of my endless experiments and refining of the RF filtering digital cables that I manufacture.
Generally therefore I tend to run a mile from any description that includes ‘better imaging’ or ‘better soundstage’ as often these are mistaken (not in your case I’m sure) for the enhanced emphasis that I notice on percussion or plucked notes. But if nothing else, it has taught me that one must be wary of placing too much trust on what other people say they hear.
The nearest I have got to getting fibre to sound OK is when I powered the final convertor with a ultra low noise Sean Jacobs LPS but even then that was not quite as good as the Innuos PhoenixNET that I use (good being defined as per previously by me as least emphasis on percussion and plucked notes etc).
I have said before that one of my go to test tracks when assessing network devices is Spiral Stair by Mammal Hands. It has a quite complicated percussive background and it is very easy to mistake any emphasis on this as being ‘more detail’ or ‘better imaging’ or ‘better soundstage’ when in reality all that is happening is that this part of the track is coming to the fore due to the subtle distortion induced by the the noise generated from the fiber (and other) circuits. With this track at its best there is a transfixing saxophone taking the main stage with a very subtle background of the percussive instruments and effects. Unfortunately the only way I can probably show you exactly what I mean is to sit you down and listen to my system as I demonstrate what happens to the sound quality of this track when any part of the network (or indeed other digital device) is below par. And as an aside one part of the digital playback highlighted by tracks such as this is the playback software and Roon does not come out of this test very well, hence why I use Squeeze + Squeeze on my Oladra. In the same way I have elected to use the BNC output from the Oladra having tried all the other outputs on the Oladra when playing this track. Interestingly, although in theory the optical output ought to have the least noise it was my least favoured output on the Oladra for sound quality.
Anyway, hey ho. Thanks for humouring me and reporting back on your experiences. I am guessing that your use of the USD in prices means that you are not in the UK but if anyone else on here is in the UK and wants to have coffee with me and listen to some tracks to hear what I mean then please do invite yourself to come over. My Oladra 2 is linked up to an InnuosNET and feeds an Mscaler + Dave (all powered with Sean Jacobs ARC6 LPS) and all connected with WAVE Storm RF filtering digital cables and playing through ATC 150 active speakers.
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Yes, Nick, I reside in the desert in Phoenix, AZ. Have been to GB a few times and love it there. If I am back in your country I’ll be sure to hit you up for a listen. I DO have one final question: which power cord are you using for your digital gear? I mentioned I have a friend who is a cable manufacturer , though not just ANY manufacturer. He is on to some technology that for me changed everything, I am using the full loom of Cerious Lumniscate. Owner states that of all cables it is the power cord that is most transformative . Maybe that may help you. You can find several reviews on Audiogon and What’sBestForum. And while we have become friends (as he is local), I do not work for the man. Full disclosure 
His Graphene Lumniscate s quite special . Graphene Lumniscate – Power Cables – Cerious Technologies Cheers-