Neat "Tweaks" to improve the SQ of your streamed music!!!
After over 40 years of playing around with high end audio gear, I would consider myself a pretty well oiled audiophile (old fart). My current audio system is very highly resolving, if I may say so myself. At this juncture, I stream exclusively, so I concentrate on and strive to obtain the highest quality of sound from my streamed music. I have installed several wonderfully effective tweaks throughout my audio system over the past few years, but two of the greatest and most effective tweaks that I feel so fortunate to have discovered were the iFi LAN iSilencer and the Puron AC Conditioner. I use iFi iSilencers on all three of my ethernet cables, and I also use two of the Puron Conditioners in my listening room. I’ll let you do the research for more details on these incredible devises for yourself. But, all I can tell you is this, once I added the devices to my already highly detailed, transparent and resolving system, everything improved!!! Palpability, realism, organic-ness, see-through transparency, etc., all shined though to an even greater degree. When added to the elements of my system that are critical to the overall SQ of my streamed music, these devices actually elevated the sound quality of my audio system to a higher plateau. What these devices do so well is they effectively filter out, cleaning up and eliminate the grunge and noise from the electrical signal in the listening room, and also the ethernet signal itself, to help create a blacker, quieter background in the music. And, all at, IMHO, an extremely reasonable price. Mind you, I’m in no way associated with either company. I’m just passing on to others my own personal positive experience with these two incredible devices. They're quite amazing!!! Happy listening.
For starters one thing stands out ,The router modem combo ,the crappy $5 wall wart that powers your router induces a ton of noise. I put a excellent Linear Tube Audio LPS power supply ,night and day cleaner and comes with a excellent DC cable that goes to the router most charge $150 just for 5he cable. they were $50 off if bought on Audiogon , also a decent Ethernet switch LHY- SW8; for $599 a very good buy ,it has a Tamura LPS , a OCXO over controlled clock, low noise regulators , night and day better then the $30 ones just use a good powercord n both and I also used 2 quality fuses 1-Synergistic purple tothe LPS, a Gold supreme Hifi tuning + plus quality Ethernet cables ,of the 2 the best one should be at your streamer . |
As great as I though my dedicated streaming system was performing, somehow, I had this eerie, nagging feeling that something was still missing from the music. To my ears, I just wasn’t hearing quite the same level of that dreamy inner detail in the music that I was so used to hearing when I used to spin CDs. I felt that, perhaps, the problem was that there was still a bit too much noise within the signal paths of my streaming devices, which caused a degree of blurring of detail, and was preventing a degree of transparency from shining through in the music. Well, I though, the one iSilencer, and the one Puron that I had installed in my system a few months ago, made a very wonderful and noticeable improvement in the blackening of the noise floor in my system, so why not add even more of these incredible and affordable devices to even further reduce the noise floor. So, I added two more iSilencers, and one more Puron to my system/room, and, "Vaila," that did the trick!!! The inner detail and transparency is all there. Now I’m done. Happy listening. |
I have a puron with the Furutech blades which I compared with the regular puron better image and sound staging ,for Furutech using very high purity Copper and gold plated ,Cryo treated. The standard one uses gold over brass, copper is 3x better conductor , .$350 vs $250 the $250 model I put on tv makes a noticeable improvement in picture. |
+1 @upshift I did this a couple of years ago. Adding a fiber optic ethernet connection before the streamer is the best bang for the buck upgrade you can do in my opinion. |
This is an informational and fun thread. Thanks to the OP. Not sure if $1,000 upgrade is a "tweak." But here's go- My Aurender N200 is connected to my ARC Ref 6SE CD player/DAC. Since the DAC can upsample up to 196, I added a Singxer SU-6 and an AES/EBU cable. This has tremendously improved the streaming sound quality. |
some tweaks I used: townshend seismic isolation podium (this was the biggest/most impactful tweak) synergistic tuning modules ( I would like to try the master tuning module but at $425 it seems very expensive for what it is, and i cant find any reviews or user feedback. The gold bullets are excellent though) Puron conditioner (biggest bang for the buck. Very surprised at the impact it makes for the price) LPS, Master Clock, and Heatsink for etherregen The most recent tweak as ifi LAN iSilencer. Very minor, but positive tweak
One user however mentioned optical run and it had me thinking. I use a lumin u2 which has an optical network connection. I tried to run fiber from the etherregen directly to the lumin. I wasnt sure I liked so there is no longer any fiber in my chain The difference is stark. HUGE difference. But... problematic It sounded so pure. It’s hard to describe. More pure than vinyl or even direct rip from music server. Very clear, separated, lots of sparkle ext. Unfortunately, and I want to be careful with my words as I dont want to call the sound sterile. It seems to miss some body. I dont want to use the word "thin" but it definitely felt like the bass was missing In the past I used a lumin x1 with fiber connection and I didnt have this problem. back then I was using copper speaker cables and now I use silver helium filled cables. I wonder if the combination is "too much" I want to get the positive effects without the negative. I’m wondering if it would make sense (or if there is a good product out there) that can convert my connection to fiber into etherregen and then use rj45 with a standard ethernet straight into my lumin. I wonder If this way I can get the benefits of fiber without the downsides
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Even going cheap -at least comprehensively so - can render some great results right off the bat. I was struggling for a while, wondering why after all that I’d done with my system and room that things just didn’t sound like it should. Some tracks pretty nice, most of my favorites kind of meh and semi unbalanced, seemingly out of phase at times. Then I checked out some Alpha Audio suggestions along with some other good sources explaining how simply adding a switch could really make a difference. So I got an 8 port d-link, a few blue jeans cat6a cables and these cool little line filters that also really improved upon the rest:
I have to agree that taking even some low cost steps with strategy will transform a system! I now have trouble getting away from my listening room 👍🏼 |
I bit the bullet and bought the IFIan. I've worked in recording studios for almost 50 years and this thing does work. I don't know the scientific facts about it at all. I A-B'd it many times, walked away from it, went back and can confirm it does enhance things. I listened to Flim and the BB's, Alan Parsons all the way to the metal Pathogenic. I guess I'll have to save up for Puron Conditioner. |
+1 on the Purons. I have had two in my system for about 100 hrs now. At first, I thought that the improvement was simply because I was listening to well-recorded music. But I have now realized that everything that I listen to . . . even bootleg Led Zeppelin concerts have noticeably improved soundstage and placement of instruments. I have particularly noticed that where the music was really locked in in the center of the soundstage, it is now dispersed better from one side to the other. At $250 per Puron, it is a great buy. |
questforhifi: Suggest you consider the Sonore opticalModule, opticalModule Deluxe – Small Green Computer available from Small Green Computer. Contact Andrew on their website, he can be quite helpful. |
Here is the setup I got off of Amazon, two transceivers and a cable.
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Thanks @upshift |
I will second the Puron conditioner. For $200, it is a silly and definitely not subtle improvement to SQ. I put two of them into my system, let them run for 24 hours and then did some serious listening. At first, I had picked well recorded "test" music, which was noticeably better. then I put on some low quality stuff, like Led Zep soundboards and there was still a noticeable improvement in soundstage depth and a blacker background. When I can put something in my system for $400 that makes an audible difference, you can't go wrong, IMHO. |
Based on some reviews, I ordered and installed an iFi i.Silencer. I attached the Silencer to my Holo Red streamer, and my Vodka ethernet cable from the router into the other end of the Silencer. Streamer to PS Audio DSD I DAC. Immediate audible improvement, and not that subtle either. Much clearer and more natural, instruments emerge from the recessed background, all around more enjoyable music. Cheap tweak that works, at least in my rig! Neal |
