In his review of the EE16 switch linked from the above review, he says:
āIntroduce extra noise into the equation and that noise could result in, for example, a āoneā being read as a āzeroā and vice-versa.ā
He clearly has absolutely no understanding of TCP networking protocolā¦
These reviewers talk about digital data transport over ethernet like itās some sort of Voodoo Magic that no-one understands.
The very effects they talk about are mitigated in the design standards of ethernet.
Were it not for the fact that unsuspecting schmucks are relieved of their hard-earned in exchange for promises of audio Nirvana, Iād find it all rather amusing.
That is a managed switch, so not recommended for use with Roon unless you know what you are doing. Even for the models which use an external power supply, it will likely just use switching regulators inside.
Youāll be wasting your money adding a linear PSU. As Tony said, these use switching regulators inside to derive the lower voltages needed internally from the main supply input.
Both of my switches are managed, and I have no issues with Roon, however, they needed a degree of configuration. A managed switch may not work well straight out of the box. If youāre network literate, you wonāt have a problem, but if youāre not, be prepared for an initially steep learning curve.
Mine is a managed switch that I configured without Power over Ethernet, due to noise and setup to my vLan network.
Yes - you need network skills to configure that I have - however I find it the features better than a un-managed switch.
The external PSU looks cheap and needs upgrading - hence to a linear psu.
Most SMPS look cheap, but Cisco will have chosen a design that works for the switch. Thereās no performance advantage in adding a linear supply - the switch will have further internal SMPS. Itās your coin thoughā¦
Well the impact of a linear PSU can easily be tested when you borrow one to test in your individuell setup. There are switches that really do perform audible better with a better LPS.
My belief system tells me that just getting rid of a cheap switch mode power supply on the circuit (in favor of a less noisy lps) can make an audible difference in some systems even if it doesnāt āclean upā the network switch.
The assertion that SMPS are noisy and LPS are better is another myth in the audio world. SMPS arenāt necessarily noisy and linear power supplies arenāt necessarily quieter:
@Graeme_Finlayson, while I agree with you, but you canāt ever convince anyone, as everyone has already set his mind whether an audiophile switch changes or does not change his life, just like either you a conspiracy believer or a un-believer, nothing in the world can change your mind.
Itās not about changing minds. Itās about hearing the bloody thing and seeing what it does to the noise level. Prices in audio are a completely different thing. You rarely pay for the cost of the components. You are paying for someone to spend a lot of R&D time trying to improve performance in areas that ordinary suppliers donāt bother with.
If you havenāt heard these in your own system (or another system you know well), then donāt bother with this kind of reply. You really arenāt qualified to comment, and you are just opinionating. There are good reasons why any studio is set up by qualified electricians and networking personnel with knowledge of how to overcome both powerline and network noise sources.
yes, you are right if you believe it in your head, that is fine.
FYi, i have owned the melco, the er, the ee8, etc. because i want to validate them for the sake of experiment even it doesnāt make sense scientifically, not because i am silly to buy into it.
@robbi_burdeck, please go ahead, buy the best audiophile switch that you can find, i think there are some that cost more than $10k.
Studios donāt normally buy āaudiophileā electrical or networking products. They buy proven, industrial quality hardware thatās fit for purpose.
to buy into it.