Listened to my recently purchased RenoLabs Ultimate switch first time. Right off heard increase in resolution, lower noise floor thing. Initially, most noticeable were sound stage or, imaging improvements, a little more 'pop' or separation of individual performers, a more spacious sound stage in macro sense. Detail improvements per se, therefore low level information always heard as sound stage and imaging improvements the past few years. The usual low level information improvements such as hearing some instrument or voice have long been exposed in my system.
And now I come to the not so sure part of initial listening session. For first few hours darker sounding system than previous, a bit less transparency, closed in sound. Over the next couple hours this improved somewhat, still a bit more colored, or less natural than pre switch.
At this point I'm going to put this down to settling and/or burn in issues, what I hear with every component burn in. Different configuration of previous equipment and the added new Audioquest Vodka ethernet cable, along with switch require settling and/or burn in. Based on improvement I heard over first listening session I'm expecting these minor issues will resolve. I also recall and have listening notes that confirm prior network equipment upgrades had burn in period. Prior to first network and USB upgrades I didn't expect burn in issues, this only reinforces the error of that mistaken assumption.
I also heard this improvement despite a previously nearly fully optimized ethernet chain. Previous: Router (LPS)>server and NAS (both LPS)>optical conversion-two TPLink FMC (both LPS)>Sotm SMS200neo (Uptone JS2 LPS)>Uptone USB Regen(LPS)>dac. Post: Router>RenoLabs switch>server and NAS, everything after same as before.
