Puma Cat
Well-known member
You can't buy an OpticalRendu anymore, they've been discontinued, unfortunately.
Ethernet switch test
- Thread starter Michaels HiFi
- Start date
You can't buy an OpticalRendu anymore, they've been discontinued, unfortunately.
Swisstrips
Member
? The Sonore site says OR is sold out not discontinued. The MR says discontinued though.
Can’t imagine they would discontinue the OR, maybe a new version but discontinued?
Rnrmf
Member
My internet goes from Modem > Netgear Orbi Router > Trendnet switch with fiber port > FIBER > Trendnet switch with fiber port > Shunyatat Omega ethernet cable > Vitus streaming board
I'm testing out ethernet patch cables between the Modem and router & router and Trendnet switch.
The newest ones I'm testing are the best of the 3 I've tried.
They are Monoprice unshielded CAT6 spec with 550Mhz bandwidth; I'm surprised to be hearing much better separation and clarity. I've gone back and forth a few times making comparisons and surprised that this cheap cable seems to improve the clarity I'm hearing while I'm streaming Qobuz. A home run for a $9 change in cables. I identify characteristics of the sound of each set of the 3 types of patch cables I have.
If I try the BJC ethernet patch cable, it won't be for 2-3 weeks but I think I'm hearing the lowest amount of distortion I've heard and it's hard to imagine the BJC being better. But it is supposed to be a higher spec as a CAT6A so maybe worth a try.
The Lumin suggestion of using unshielded cables upstream seems to have merit even though I'm converting to fiber before my streamer.
Puma Cat
Well-known member
As far as I know, they are not building or selling any more OpticalRendus and haven't been for at least a year to year and a half now. I think the reason is they cannot get key parts for it due to the "chip shortage" in China induced by the pandemic. I have a hypothesis the reason the OpticalRendu was discontinued may be for the same basic resaons EtherREGEN was discontinued: parts unavailability, shortage or untenable increase in price. In the case of ER, the cost of a 6 or 7 dollar FPGA went from a few dollars to something like $64/each. Which made the cost of the product no longer tenable. But, I don't know this for fact, so please don't assume it is exactly the same scenario. It's merely a hypothesis.
still-one
Active member
You can still order the Sonore Optical Module from Small Green Computer. I have been using one for several years.
My set-up modem > Netgear Orbi Router > Trendnet switch with optical port > long run fiber optic > optical module > Shunyata ethernet > dCS Upsampler
I can't quantify SQ improvements but it is very quiet and rock solid.
My set-up modem > Netgear Orbi Router > Trendnet switch with optical port > long run fiber optic > optical module > Shunyata ethernet > dCS Upsampler
I can't quantify SQ improvements but it is very quiet and rock solid.
Which brings up a question about the relative importance of Ethernet cables compared to the upstream devices (i.e., cable modem, router, their power supplies, etc.). Every now and then I read some opinions and observations at Audiophile Style about different modems and routers and their possible effects on sound quality, without any carefully conducted listening tests that I have read.
Like Steve I don't use streaming for critical listening, so much of that may not be important for me (but "may not" means the same thing as "may"). Critical (digital) listening is from files on a NAS that are cached in RAM on the server prior to play.
mep
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Why bother to pay to stream music if it's not good enough for "critical" listening?
Michaels HiFi
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- #48
I know you can't judge SQ though YouTube, but you can certainly still here a difference between the switches on this video. It's up to you whether or not you feel its worth spending money on the switches. But even between mass-market crap brands I have heard audible differences in my testing the last few weeks.
Live Stream Switch Test - Paul Pang - NuPrime - English Electric - Cisco - SOtM - YouTube
still-one
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Puma Cat
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mep
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For me, critical listening is when I'm reviewing a piece of gear. The rest of the time I'm listening for enjoyment. If someone thinks that streaming music isn't good enough for their "critical" listening, I for one wouldn't waste the money on purchasing a subscription.
Michaels HiFi
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- #52
To round out the testing of mass market switches, I just purchased two NetGear GS108's to compare to the TP-Links the won the previous round.
I did compare them to the NetGear I had on hand but I released it is over 10 years old and wanted to try dual fresh ones in comparison to the TP-Links.
I have on order a high end switch and should receive that in the next two weeks in which I will commence tests in the high end switch world after 100 hours burn in.
I also just received a GigaFOIL I ordered from Mike and will try that with the winning mass market switches and with the high end switch.
I did compare them to the NetGear I had on hand but I released it is over 10 years old and wanted to try dual fresh ones in comparison to the TP-Links.
I have on order a high end switch and should receive that in the next two weeks in which I will commence tests in the high end switch world after 100 hours burn in.
I also just received a GigaFOIL I ordered from Mike and will try that with the winning mass market switches and with the high end switch.
It is more than adequate to determine if I like the music well enough to purchase it and whether or not "hi-res" offers an improvement over 16/44.1 (often much less expensive to purchase), which is often not the case for albums with today's typical mastering style (which "blurs" the advantages I would like to hear with hi-res). In addition, the Qobuz subscription gives me a substantial discount on downloads for purchase, which easily pays for itself.
I should perhaps not describe my attentive listening as "critical". Focused, as opposed to background, would be more appropriate. "Background" is enough to determine whether or not I like the music. As always, YMMV.
My post to which you made this response did not mention switches. It did mention cable modems, routers and Ethernet cables.
mep
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I find more times than not (especially with jazz music) that the Quobuz 16/44.1 version of an album stomps on the so called hi-rez version. I seriously think that many of them are nothing more than upsampled versions of the original 16/44.1 files.
The albums you listen to may be different than the ones I purchase. Other than the obvious upsamples (albums known to have been recorded at 16/44.1) almost none of the albums I buy in hi-res are upsamples; the frequency spectrum will clearly indicate this. OTOH, depending on the specific release and its mastering, a particular CD may well sound better than a different hi-res release of any given album.
Michaels HiFi
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- #57
Mike - feel free to delete this post if it breaks a forum rule.
But as I research more ethernet audio, I can across this review on an ethernet cable from a few years ago. The posts in the comments section back and forth between cable skeptics and the staff is very entertaining!
Review: Heresy with a Nordost Heimdall 2 ethernet cable - Part-Time Audiophile
Here is my favorite reply. In fact I think I'm going to borrow it and add it to my signature.
Editorial Staff says:
JANUARY 23, 2018 AT 3:39 PM
We are all billionaires because of the huge piles sweet dough rolling in from our participation in the ongoing campaign to suck your collective brains through a stirrer-straw.
ETA: this other AWESOME response:
But as I research more ethernet audio, I can across this review on an ethernet cable from a few years ago. The posts in the comments section back and forth between cable skeptics and the staff is very entertaining!
Review: Heresy with a Nordost Heimdall 2 ethernet cable - Part-Time Audiophile
Here is my favorite reply. In fact I think I'm going to borrow it and add it to my signature.
Editorial Staff says:
JANUARY 23, 2018 AT 3:39 PM
We are all billionaires because of the huge piles sweet dough rolling in from our participation in the ongoing campaign to suck your collective brains through a stirrer-straw.
ETA: this other AWESOME response:
Last edited:
Darrel
Member
I ran across the Supra Cat-8 cables a few years ago. It IMO brought some quieting to my digital end. So, I ended up replacing my basic ethernet cables to computer,TV,GigaFoil, modem, Orbi wifi router coming from the English 8 switch. For a rather low price point they helped create a very stable digital side of my systems streaming. Pictured mess below.
Michaels HiFi
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- Thread Author
- #60
For $50 each (1M) they are definitely a good cable and a no-brainer . Though I don't feel they are the dragon-slayer others (not you) have claimed them to be.
I just finished some extensive testing with them today and surprisingly have only found them to be slightly better than BJC certified Cat 6+. This REALLY surprised me.
Before I updated switches the difference was almost non-existent between the two. Then after updating the Supra was a bit nicer than the BJC, but I expected better of it (I am certainly not saying it is a bad cable, just expected more from it).
I then moved to a $700 SOtM cable today we received for testing and that was definitely more noticeable, but again, I think people are missing out by spending money on cables first and not figure out what works best from a switch point of view. I am currently testing THREE and FOUR name brand switches inline and will have a review soon.
To put it in perspective I got a much bigger improvement with the switch set up I will be detailing than I ever got with just any cable - even the $700 one.