Router for Audio Streaming


I have been streaming Pandora, Spotify and Qobuz through a wifi network streamer from a Netgear AC1750 R6400v2 router with no sound quality complaints.

Recently a router firmware update failed (a known issue with these) and as a result it is no longer accessible for administration.  It still seems to perform ok and accepts new devices however the network settings are "frozen" and I am unable to view device IP addresses or traffic, neither via desktop browser nor via the Nighthawk app.

I will try a factory reset but have read that quite often this does not work in these situations, so I started investigating getting a new router to be able to pull the trigger quickly if needed.

I heard/read that routers can make a difference in sound quality, beyond just being able to keep up with streaming with no buffering.  I'm wondering what router experience and recommendations folks have here for reliable audio streaming with superior sound quality at a reasonable price.

Thanks!

yoramguy1

I wouldnt worry too much about the router as its being fed noise from all over your network. I would concentrate on isolating your streamer/hifi from the network, first with a dedicated switch ideally with an uprated quiet PSU. This will act as buffer reclocking and transmitting a fresh signal, removing a large amount of the high frequency interference from the ethernet signal, from there run the best ethernet cable you can afford to the streamer. You can also add a passive filter in here which would clean up the signal before you reach streamer.

Router > Standard ethernet cable > Switch with quiet psu > your best ethernet cable > Passive ethernet filter > Streamer 

You can upgrade the router too, but anything happening before the switch is likely to have far more subtle effect on SQ.  I would add a simple switch D-link DGS105 with an ifi ipower PSU, both can be bought and returned from amazon for $70 and this should give you a noticeable improvement on its own, or atleast is very good risk-free way of experimenting and see if you like the results.

@yoramguy1, I use a $100 Calix Aspire CAT6 router that was provided by our cable company, and it does its job without any fuss. My point being that you don’t need a fancy router to stream music and watch football at the same time. What you do need to do as @teknorob23 suggested is to isolate your streamer from the network. And to that end I have two moderately priced network switches with their own iFi power supplies in cascade, or in sequence back to back as it were, a decent Ethernet cable between the two switches, and then a passive ENO Streaming filter before the signal ones to my music server. 
 

  To say that I was skeptical about even trying this type of setup would be a humongous understatement. But taking things slow and going step by step eventually convinced my brain that what it was hearing sounded much better than the music did before. 

@retiredfarmer I actually have a 1400 and a 1010 router. They are the best routers I own, puts my Bosch and my Porter Cables to shame. And you can use an upgraded power cord with them.