Pimping your router isn‘t the same as routing your pimp😱 |
I am not sure I understand the question: generally ethernet connection tends to be preferable to wifi in most instances albeit with exceptions. The Acoustic Revive filter is mainly beneficial to ethernet connections. |
Sorry, I had understood that you connect the Lumin to the Actiontec via ethernet rather than directly to the router. In that case a direct ethernet link to the router would be preferable. |
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A little addendum to the original post:
In the meantime I have added a WA Quantum Tuning Chip to the incoming ISP and outgoing Ethernet cables directly at the router. Further improvement in dimensionality, location and attack as well as clarity of bass.
There are many things we don‘t yet understand about digital transmission is my take.... |
One more thing: make sure that there is maximum distance between your router and its power supply, whether wall wart or LPS. |
I suggest you stay away from wifi anywhere near your system or the router that serves it. If you need wifi, get a setup separate from your system. It‘ll do wonders to your music enjoyment. |
@aschuh,
the real test would be to have a dedicated hard-wired streamer feed your Oppo via ethernet or USB. In your current setup you don‘t really have a way of assessing the upgrade potential. Unfortunately wifi receivers have their own noise issues. Additionally you may be in a neighbourhood without bandwidth constraints on wifi through multiple users; most people tend to not be in that happy position. |
@ohmy,
the issue isn‘t about loss of data but rather about EMI/RFI as well as ground level noise getting into the system alongside the data and subsequently messing with analogue stages. This manifests itself with harsh treble, reduced imaging and a generally washed out, less dynamic presentation. Hence the lengths to which I have gone on keeping them out. Hope that helps. |
@richtruss,
the EMO filters RFI/EMI as well as ground level noise from long ethernet runs, whether you call or not call that a filter is your personal choice. As to your stated fact that one of these is also built into the streamer: there is plenty of evidence that multiples in series are beneficial and in my case the insertion of the EMO filter was significant for SQ
You will also note that I listed an additional Acoustic Revive filter higher up the list, this has passive characteristics as does your ENO filter.
Btw: you should make people aware that your post promotes your own product. |
@chorus,
The Etherregen allows you to go optical between the router and the ER and on most accounts that is preferable.
This eliminates ethernet related tweaks. Conversely the advice on cabling between the internet connection and the router, the improved power supply and shielding of the router and potentially the use of the Acoustic Revive filter at the router stay valid. Even if you decide on an optical connection, keeping distortions out of the chain from the onset has benefits. Also see above comment on the usefulness of filters between ER and streamer |
The principal benefit of fibre is its immunity to EMI/RFI and ground level distortion as well as clock deviations for the length of the cable. That however doesn‘t mean that distortions in the conversion from optical to electrical as well as back to electrical into the streamer are prevented. So whether fibre really brings an advantage over ethernet is highly situation specific. As a rule of thumb lenghts over more than 10m/30ft tend to favor fibre. |
@brenn,
Can you go ethernet to the Lumin rather than inserting wifi?If not, use a high quality, short cable (e.g. Meicord) between Actiontec and Lumin. If you can go ethernet, I‘d suggest inserting and EMO or ENO filter ahead of the server |
That equally applies to my Innuos Zenith Mk3. Nevertheless inserting the EMO isolator with a short Meicord Opal made a significant improvement. Not obvious, I agree... |
@timinphoenix,
your basic hypothesis is wrong. Yes, digital signals travel in mHz. The problem, though is that along the way they pick up RMI/EFI as well as ground level noise, and: no, Dacs don‘t fully filter them out. The result is distortion in the conversion to analogue that unfortunately is quite audible. Hence better cables and additional filters are useful and audibly so. |
A further addition at the risk of looking compulsive: move your router to a different power spur from your main system and give it proper power treatment: i.e. filter, better power supply and cable, better fuse. It never ceases to amaze me how substantially additional efforts at noise suppression pay in the digital part of my system. |
As far as improving the router power supply: in my case it helped quite a bit. As far as as the FIOS is concerned: wifi network extenders as they typically use the power lines tend to be noise collectors and as such are not good for audio purposes. If you have a way to go back to the router via ethernet using a switch, that is likely to be quite beneficial. |
@brenn,
the way I check is by using the Browse tab selecting ‘relating to you‘.
There may be better ways.
Sounds like your extender works gets its signal via wifi rather than power lines. I have good experience with a cheap Chinese linear Ps |
@arafiq,
unfortunately I am not familiar with your router. Assuming it‘s 5 or 12V DC though, you have a wide choice of LPSs. I have best experience with Kingrex but have also used $100 LPS on Alibaba with good results. The effect is best described as lower noise floor, less harshness in the treble and overall more air around individual instruments in a wider sound stage.
As to the switch: my experience has been that I got better results from the EMO filter than a standard switch. I cannot comment on ENO or Etherregen from personal experience. The Etherregen with its optical and 10m inputs sure looks intriguing, though |
@mikem,
the issue isn‘t the integrity of data packets nor their sequencing: it is the extraneous RFI/EMI and ground level grunge travelling alongside the data and having a nefarious impact on the re-conversion in the analogue domain. And: no, the noise rejection built into digital interfaces does not manage to reject that noise incursion fully. Hence all the rigmarole.
Enjoy the music |
And another addendum: changing from cat6 to cat8 ethernet cable brought significant benefits. Furthermore inserting a DXE ISO-Plus filter into the ethernet connection at the router and just in front of the streamer begets a whoa boost in clarity and attack, for a total outlay of $60 this is easily the biggest bang for the buck streaming improvement. |
The Etherregen should be directly in front of your streamer; the connection via Meicord Opal as short as possible. Rather than use a repeater consider using an Apple Airport as a repeater. Repeaters going via the power lines collect all sort of noise on the way. Alternatively you might use a mesh wifi setup.
From where I sit there is no need for a network bridge once you get the Etherregen since that is a 4 port switch in its own right. I’d also suggest you experiment with shifting the LPS to the Etherregen and consider getting a second one.
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Wow, that’s quite a shopping list!
Enjoy
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Another update:
I managed to insert a EMO EN-70HD in the ADSL link upstream of the router on the theory that galvanic isolation AHEAD of the router might be desirable to decrapify the incoming signal before it even travels in the Ethernet link downstream instead of directly before the switch.. Shazam! Significant increase in detail retrieval and soundstage. Never ceases to amaze how much fine tuning is needed on a proper digital link.
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Yet another update: while I originally used the Acoustic Revive RLT1 filter on my streamer and then Etherregen, I have now moved it to the Draytek Vigor 2860 router, i.e. right at the entry point of public ADSL. The resultant clean up of soundstage, insteument timbre, attack and decay is simply unbelievable. Very highly recommended.
Pimping your router is 101 for good streaming
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@agisthos
my general experience is that eliminating noise as close as possible to the source has substantial advantages to trying at later stages. Equally applies to improving your power: heavy work on junction and fuse box (e.g. Akiko Audio), separate spur with quality outlet (e.g. Furutech) and well shielded solid core rather than litz power cords (e.g. Acoustic Revive) have benefits stronger than subsequent power filters or conditioners.
in LPS I use a Zerozone 2020 on Router and Etherregen and a Sean Jacobs Dc3/4 on DAC and clock as well as Kingrex on Acoustic Revivr RR77. The problem with wallwarts is that they kick back grunge into the mains which then has a tendency to show up elsewhere in my experience.
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@jerrybj
have a look at Zoerax Cat8 on Aliexpress. I used Onti Cat8 originally and had to switch to it when Onti was discontinued. Great cables, both.
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