Not going there (but I do own a Autioquest Cinnamon cable and Jitterbug though not using the USB cable at the moment), but you can buy the TP_link adapters fairly cheap, but you need two of them, hence the mess of power and cables.
Something like this, and for new gear I buy a lot of 10GTek media converters 10Gb SFP+ to Ethernet etc and I highly recommend them. But TP-Link is what I tested this on.
Looks like under £100 all in for 2 media converters, SFP+ adapters and Fiber cable.
Pretty impressive for a test
You know that I was thinking to change the Zen Dan v2 for the Zen Dac signature. I think the dac change might be better than the optical media converters. And from my logic after the 100 for the converters and cables also the final media converter needs a better power source. So more than 100. Still I would like to compere the Neo to Zen Dac (well I did not look at the specs)
That might be one to ask @Steven_Klemow as he has experience with them both.
Do you use Headphones? as the Zen Dac Signature is just a DAC, though it looks nice.
I looked at using both the Signature Hifiman headphone rig and the Signature Dac, it was looking expensive to do that for a device I do not often use.
Hard for me to get over the annoying wire and uncomfortable wearing. So I did not invest in it. Only some HD 569 for walking.
Since I’m pretty happy with the Zen Dac, happier than with CA 200M, I was thinking that the signature would be a good update for the Zen Stream. Maybe better than Neo that would replace both stream and dac.
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AceRimmer
(Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast!)
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Unfortunately I was stupid and when did my network put some crazy shielded cable, now too lazy to open 20 meters of floor and 4 big holes in my walls. So I did what Ryan did last week at Rugby meeting, slightly cut at the and of the cable and remove the foil.
I’ll have to get a crimping tool and redo the end…
That optical LAN runs a very short distance, and I haven’t noticed any difference between using it vs just running a simple Ethernet cable to the unit. From a technical standpoint, cat 5e or 6 should be more than enough bandwidth to carry the most data-intensive streams audio can muster between a router and a streamer at the distances required here—I haven’t even noticed a difference using the NS with Wi-Fi on DSD 512 signals.
I suppose the optical LAN might be of value if running longer cable lengths, but that isn’t the scenario here, unless iFi offers a longer cable I’m unaware of. As it is currently implemented, I think it’s a gimmick meant to curry favor among those who mistakenly believe in network “purifiers” or who are misinformed about how TCP/IP handles data errors.
The Zen DAC is a terrific unit and the ZS would complement it perfectly! You already have a DAC so the NS would be redundant. I’d for sure save your dough for your amp and headphones, there’s nothing about the NS DAC that is going to offer you anything more than what ya got!
What about optical input? I2s output? Balanced AES/EBU output? These are big time interfaces for some of us out there. Plus, there are no sub-$1,000 units on the planet that I am aware of with all of those options. There are a few around $1k with I2s outputs but none with optical input. I believe the only two out there are Lumin ($$$$) and Sonore ($$$). We can debate how much or how little difference a fiber optic LAN makes but it’s what I’ve chosen in my home, so you know which side I’m on. The NS is in a league of it’s own, for now anyway.
Hi @audiom3 no one is arguring that there is not great value in the Neo Stream.
I personally see no value (to me) in the optical network unless you already have noise, and I run miles of fiber for work and have tried it in my house. But I do not discount it’s benefits to some
Steven is an iFi fan through and through and we were comparing basic USB use vs the Zen Stream and so his comments were related to that.
@Michael_Harris understood. Thanks for your input. I am late to the party but await mine as we speak. I will try it with fiber direct and I’ll give it a go using iFi’s ‘fancy’ media converter/re-clocker. I expect fiber → fiber to win but I always go into these things with an open mind and two open ears.
Hey, those outputs are useful for the DAC section of the Neo Stream (which I own—I used to use the ZS before I got it at launch). They aren’t really germane to the streamer capability itself, and I was mainly comparing their features on that front, sorry if I wasn’t clear!
I knew when I got the NS that I would be staying with the Topping DAC I already own, and just using the NS as a streamer. Since I haven’t used the DAC, I’m not the right guy to comment on it for sure!
However I am somewhat grumbly about the new Gustard unit I posted above, which has the kind of DAC I like integrated with a streamer that sounds pretty impressive—at basically the same price point as the NS! It doesn’t offer me anything I don’t already have, but it looks awfully nifty, and Gustard’s stuff is designed and built masterfully…
Steven I saw your post in another thread.
The Gustard looks like it should be a great Roon Ready and HQPlayer streamer with DAC built-in.
I have read comments that it is short of memory, but not much else against it. I am surprised that there are not yet more YouTube reviews about it
Headphones I do not know, maybe