I’m sent an email from Small Green Computer about a new product and am trying to find out why (as claimed) it might be more effective than the fibre optic bridge I and others use, with much cheaper and universally available products.
If a manufacturer comes onto a user forum, and I am a Roon user, promoting a new product effectively as a game changer, and I have quoted their marketing verbatim [ We tried to minimize his presence with expensive high-end Ethernet cables, Ethernet filters and more. However, that Uncle never seems to truly disappear.UNTIL NOW!], they should be prepared to explain their claims, and in terms that any reasonable potential customer might understand.
So far no straight answers, other than that the marketing might not be entirely honest.
If this is just a more convenient way of implementing fibre optic cabling, then fine, which is welcome, and I have now said that three times.
The TPLink solution is widespread and has been discussed here long before I joined. In such a thread, 2 years ago, Dev23 said, with remarkable foresight,
“It does of course open a market for audiophile fiber media converters”.
Well, here we are!
Sean2016 then said:
“I would replace the most upstream ethernet cable with as much fibre cable as possible and keep the DAC/streamer side ethernet cable to 6-inches if you can.”
which is what I have done. I cannot say I took his advice, it just seemed obvious.
So as predicted on this forum two years ago, we now have an audiophile media convertor and I’m waiting for an explanation I understand that might encourage me to spend 8 times more than I and zillions of others paid for the non-audiophile product.
In the referenced thread, a manufacturer of streamers with a fibre input (he said he sold 30 and since then is banned from Roon) said the most important aspect was ultra-low noise power to the media converter. I went that way, so have a £30 converter with a 9v SOTM battery supply that in the UK costs £450. I was lucky to get one for £200 and it can power two TPLink devices.
The UK retailer for Sonore offers a range of power supplies, including the well regarded iFi unit for £50, but not the SOTM unit.
So a further question is whether money is better spent on the converter or the power supply, and why. I chose the latter route. I doubt I get an answer to this either.
p.s. The long posts are due to food poisoning and having time on my hands.
p.s.s. Plus the fact I and about 1.5 billion other people are watching the cricket and it keeps on stopping for rain. My posts are mostly synchronous with the rain.