- Thread Author
- #1
HighEnd Switch
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
Great topic and post!
I may may think about network segregation for audio streaming from NAS for the reason of Ethernet power noise injection from switches with noisy SMPSUs.
The Synology NAS I have up has 4 Ethernet ports which can be link aggregated. Currently that is how I have it setup as 802.3ad to a 4 port LACP group on a smart Dell switch. Not only do large Dell switches have fans, but they have robust SMPSUs that were not designed to be clean by virtue of their conventional purpose!
Perhaps one option is to take one of the NAS Ethernet ports off the LAG and run it on another subnet just for digital audio into a quiet unmanaged switch powered by one of those great new iFi iPower SMPSUs that I am waiting to get my hands on!
Certainly, anything that is patched into the HiFi rig is shielded because as everyone knows, I only believe in shielded cables. As such, no argument will ever convince me that an unshielded cable can yield higher audio performance be it power, signal or data. So the perfect Ethernet patch lead for HiFi is Category 6a.
How far one wants to take this purist methodology gets down to what category of structured cabling is already running in your walls. Typically it will be a Category 6 solid core UTP (unshielded twisted pair). This may not necessarily pose a problem provided your installer ran that cable neatly well away from power. Another consideration is whether you have any PoE (Power over Ethernet) running on lengths that are bundled in the same looms traversing the segments of your home to where your HiFi is patched into. Eg. IP cameras.
Very interesting topic about power noise injection into Ethernet and endpoint sensitivity to that injection irrespective that it does not directly impact on the data packet switching result. Nevertheless, more and more people are saying that injected noise does impact on streaming playback quality on sensitive digital HiFi equipment. So there must be something indirectly associated with it....
I may may think about network segregation for audio streaming from NAS for the reason of Ethernet power noise injection from switches with noisy SMPSUs.
The Synology NAS I have up has 4 Ethernet ports which can be link aggregated. Currently that is how I have it setup as 802.3ad to a 4 port LACP group on a smart Dell switch. Not only do large Dell switches have fans, but they have robust SMPSUs that were not designed to be clean by virtue of their conventional purpose!
Perhaps one option is to take one of the NAS Ethernet ports off the LAG and run it on another subnet just for digital audio into a quiet unmanaged switch powered by one of those great new iFi iPower SMPSUs that I am waiting to get my hands on!
Certainly, anything that is patched into the HiFi rig is shielded because as everyone knows, I only believe in shielded cables. As such, no argument will ever convince me that an unshielded cable can yield higher audio performance be it power, signal or data. So the perfect Ethernet patch lead for HiFi is Category 6a.
How far one wants to take this purist methodology gets down to what category of structured cabling is already running in your walls. Typically it will be a Category 6 solid core UTP (unshielded twisted pair). This may not necessarily pose a problem provided your installer ran that cable neatly well away from power. Another consideration is whether you have any PoE (Power over Ethernet) running on lengths that are bundled in the same looms traversing the segments of your home to where your HiFi is patched into. Eg. IP cameras.
Very interesting topic about power noise injection into Ethernet and endpoint sensitivity to that injection irrespective that it does not directly impact on the data packet switching result. Nevertheless, more and more people are saying that injected noise does impact on streaming playback quality on sensitive digital HiFi equipment. So there must be something indirectly associated with it....
Last edited:
Randy Myers
Well-known member
The iFi iPower (that is recommended in the article) is a pretty good power adapter. I got one for my W4S Recovery USB reclocker unit. There was a small but noticeable improvement.
Dr Tone
Banned
A regular Cat 6a cable absolutely but not a shielded one in the sense of metal connectors on each end that just guarantees a ground connection at each end for the noise to travel on. They defeat the the galvanic isolation in the ethernet port.
For the above reason I think spending extra money on switches for any other reason than to deal with bandwidth and throughput issues is a bit of a waste of money.
Dr Tone
Banned
If your network is stable that last connection to the audio device should be the only one to be concerned about.
Kingsrule
Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2014
- Messages
- 646
I think another way to attack your audio network is to use fiber optic cable in place of copper...in my system it has made the biggest difference. I've tried "Digital" pc's, CAT 5, 5e, 6, 7, different brands, dedicated line, etc and while these things bring subtle differences, fiber make a huge difference.....
Kingsrule
Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2014
- Messages
- 646
Sure:
FIOS..ASUS RT-AC88 lan to DLink DGS1210-24 (which then serves up all my ethernet drops, both fiber and copper)......TP-Link TL-SM311LS....TP-Link MC220L to pc running roon core and HQPlayer another to NADAC and another to QNAP NAS. So my 3 music server components are all fiber connected. Any other roon controllers are all wireless. 6" CAT 5e from MC220L's to the pc and QNAP, the ethernet cable (Ravenna certified) that came with the NADAC to its MC220L
Using iFi ipower adaptors on the 3 MC220L's (this is mandatory IMO)
DLink switch and QNAP on a UPS.
FIOS..ASUS RT-AC88 lan to DLink DGS1210-24 (which then serves up all my ethernet drops, both fiber and copper)......TP-Link TL-SM311LS....TP-Link MC220L to pc running roon core and HQPlayer another to NADAC and another to QNAP NAS. So my 3 music server components are all fiber connected. Any other roon controllers are all wireless. 6" CAT 5e from MC220L's to the pc and QNAP, the ethernet cable (Ravenna certified) that came with the NADAC to its MC220L
Using iFi ipower adaptors on the 3 MC220L's (this is mandatory IMO)
DLink switch and QNAP on a UPS.