My Experience with Fiber Ethernet

So that would mean all streaming services would also have increased clarity, but also slightly thinner sound as all network backhauls and most local networks are optical, in the UK if you have broadband only the last section is wire if you have FTTC… :grinning:

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Fiber removes all electronic noise, so the last step is the important one. In my case, I get rid of all noise from computer (but same reasoning if using a vanilla switch). Less distortion → increased clarity but also thinner sound.

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So if fibre makes the sound thinner, does having local fibre make it even thinner???
From a networking perspective that’s hogwash, but if it makes you happy good for you…

It has nothing to do with the data, the data will be bit-perfect either way. Its about how much electronic noise reaches the streamer and DAC.

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I thought fiber ethernet eliminated the electrical noises?

it does, but those lasts meters of wire adds it all back in so you have to take it out again…

I do wonder if you have the new active speakers if you could use optical to reduce noise between the two?

Which last few meters of wire? The last few meters of the cable is the optical cable? Unless your DAC does not directly support fiber ethernet input, in this case, it is useless to insert some sort of media converter, and then add copper ethernet back to the DAC.

Indeed. The answer is to buy a proper DAC which has inherent immunity to noise… :upside_down_face:

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Can you get a DAC that has an input for optical network or do you have to convert pre DAC.
I’m not sure what the best option is, plus my DAC is about a foot away from my router so I’m not sure how I’d do this, I guess FTTP would be nice but we can’t get it yet.

Although having said all that I don’t hear any noise from my Topping D70 so I’m not sure what I would gain other than a thinner sound?

You could pony up £11.5k for a Lumin X1… Which has the facility to utilise optical ethernet.

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Or you could buy a properly engineered DAC for a lot less than that and utilise the savings to fund the therapy to treat your Audiophilia Nervosa.

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I’m waiting for optical I2S.

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iFi’s latest has this too. I think they include a copper ethernet to optical converter.

Dunno if it’s D to A is any good though.

An RME ADI-2 FS DAC with TOSlink input is gremlin free.

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Technical presentation by Hans Beekhuyzen, with graphs, about why digital players sound different.

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Has he lost his credibility? I am a bit disappointed that he “promoted” the AQVOX Switch

I think the voodoo Illuminati iconography “worked” for him - "the difference was clear, reproducible, and rather surprising " he says, sure :frowning:

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I don’t waste precious moments of my life watching Hans’ videos any more…

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He was never done nor will he ever do a single ABX blind test to proof just a single of his many claims. I would guess for a couple of very good reasons.

No cure for Audiophilia Nervosa I am afraid :slight_smile: , besides I already have a “properly engineered DAC”, RME ADI-2 fs.

But fiber still sounds different than regular ethernet cables. Having said that, the difference isn’t huge though, but its there.

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Its not magic though, its actually pretty simple. Every electronic device generates electronic noise, and every oscillator works worse when it gets noise, as does some other things like analog stage of the DAC.

And the worse a DACs oscillator works, the more internal clock-jitter you get.

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