How do you know that a system is “highly resolving”? A fairly standard measure of resolution in a digital audio system is SINR, which can be assessed in dB or effective bits. Have you done any measurements on your system? Or is a system highly resolving because…
AJ
What did you have in place before as a switch? The answer I believe is mostly superior clocking, ‘noise’ isolation, and power regulation compared to inexpensive consumer products. If you had a networking ‘problem’ that would be dropouts etc or not working at all.
Fair question. Though you are looking for a quantitative method. Though qualitative methods work too. For myself, I can HEAR a highly resolving system with the right source material. Granted, I’ve been doing this a long time. But another metric might be this…
At the risk of stepping on toes (apologies, but being blunt here for clarification purposes), if you have some mass marketed audio gear - we’ll take anything Amazon branded as one example of many - and if you cannot hear that your hifi rig sounds worlds better, then you don’t have a highly resolving system.
But what if you do say, “Yeah, my hifi rig sounds MUCH better than that!”, you might. Not necessarily. But you might. So an ER might be worth a try. There is a return policy.
Previously I had a John Swenson recommended Netgear GS105 switch powered by an Uptone JS-2, used in the manner recommended by Mr. Swenson. An Eero Pro gen2 router was upstream, and downstream were my ROON ROCK and Mytek Brooklyn Bridge DAC, which is also powered by the JS-2. The Netgear switch was replaced by the EtherREGEN, using its stock power supply. Router and ROCK on the A side, Brooklyn Bridge on the B side. Not a radical change.
Maybe network problem is not the right phrase. No dropouts. I’m a retired network professional, and my home network works. But ERs address issues ON networks, like jitter causing excess voltage, that does not effect network traffic. So again, maybe network problem is not the right phrase. All all ears for what exactly to call that.
I have a couple of those Netgear switches in the drawer. The newer build Cisco 2960-16PS I now use for a main house/office switch sounded better than them (even with an LPS on the Netgears) so I’m not surprised the eR is even better. Even the old blue 2960’s I tried first were better than the Netgear.
I use a triple fiber bridge myself: multimode fiber out of the Cisco to an opticalModule (Uptone wall wart charger) > BJC Cat 6a > opticalModule (powered by an LPS 1.2) > opticalRendu. I’ve tried going direct from the Cisco to the oR, but the oM bridge brings the subtleties. And two oMs is even better than one.
Did you ever try the Mytek wireless?
Charles IMO everything you posted is just clear evidence that when it comes to the quality of digital music, delivered over a networks, it’s not all 1’s and 0’s. Other things are at play. And some MATTER. 
Thanks.
No experience with that. Sorry.
My rig. I’ve posted this elsewhere. No need not to provide it here too, as it is contextual information. Many posters here have much, much better systems. So in the grand scheme of things, it’s humble. But in the right physical space, this level of system can be enough to hear a big difference with an ER.
Why did you decide to not try wireless?
Personal experience. Just too many bad home network wireless experiences. I’m not suggesting it can’t work for some. And Roon in particular appears to work better with wired. I don’t have facts that I can back that up with, but I’ve been a “Roonie” almost as long as it’s been around, and that’s the impression that I’ve been left with.
If your system is highly resolving and you still don’t hear a difference are you then deaf?
Hard to say. Maybe none of the things an ER addresses are needed in your system. That would be one plausible reason, though in my limited understanding it seems unlikely.
The more Ithink about it, it’s more likely one of a few things…
If you can think of more, do please tell.
Guess I’m just lucky that over exuberant foot tapping salesmen can’t part me with my money because I’m happy with my choices then.
An interesting question! A truly highly-resolving system would detect the movement of iron ores across the world by ship, due to their effect (miniscule to be sure) on the magnetic force lines of the earth. Or the change in position of the moon and the planets as the solar system rotates through its dances! One has to draw the line somewhere.
Only if you wired the cables the right way though I’m guessing.
You mean your system is NOT affected by these??
Interesting…
Anyone been caught out yet raising the digital gain of a roon endpoint and hearing the volume go up only to realise that you was adjusting the wrong endpoint? No? Just me?
Sorry, but been giving this some thought. Short of quantitive metrics - none of which I’m well versed in - I think I know a pretty good qualitative metric…
Can you hear the difference between a 44.1/16 title, and a higher resolution track of the same? That question requires that the two tracks to have the same source, same mastering, only difference being resolution.
If you can hear it: likely a highly resolving system. And the more evident the differences are, the the more resolving.
And if you can’t: likely not highly resolving, or that you can’t hear it if it is.
It’s a simple qualitative test any of us can easily do. Hope that helps.
PS - Yes, I know that the availability of a high res track does not necessarily guarantee higher resolution material. So spread your test out across many such track pairs.
Surely a “highly resolved” system is simply spinning old 78s.
Oh sorry, that’s a “highly revolved” system. My bad!
Ha!
I sometimes think the old 401 is going into orbit when I crank it to 78rpm!
I applaud your patience and willingness to answer all the questions from the people who ask those questions. However, I am sadly sorry to say you are probably wasting your time. You will NOT accomplish anything, rather than showing you are a very nice guy.
