iFi LAN iSilencer connection

@tksteingraber

+1

(1) it made absolutely no difference where you plugged it in.

(2) Regardless , the iFI LAN Silencer is an enticing marketing gig and I regrettably drank its KoolAid . It was a total bust compared to first upgrading with installing high-end quality build Ethernet CAT 7 cables; , and then installing a quality build external power supply mated to a Silent Angel audiophile network switch

In hindsight, it’s no great surprise . The IFi LAN Silencer is enticingly cheap to buy hoping for an audio improvement, but it is just a cheap quality build tweak made to its pricepoint .

there are other peer tech like options out there to boot …it ain’t no landmark technology here.

It's been long proven that electrical interference can happen in ethernet in certain cases. While the data may be ones and zeroes, it's carried by an electrical signal and the cables are subject in interference from other devices and power cables.  Attach to the device at point of use, not at the source (router). High quality well shielded cables reduce but not eliminate the issue, and for many, the bundles of wires at the stereo can be a huge source of interference. That said, I would not buy one unless I had a proven issue that could not be resolved with proper cable management first.

My impression so far is there is a very subtle improvement in tone (slightly smoother highs and a bit tighter bass) and separation of instruments.

I have a DH Labs ethernet cable but it’s coming directly out of a Cox cable router and I am sure that if I used an optical or other decent switch it would make zero difference.

I’ve ordered a SmoothLan and will compare.

Lastly, I had no expectations but it is a zero risk tweak that I can return and then say it did or did not work for me in my system.

@mikhailark

Even if you are skeptical, which everyone should be really, you could start by understanding what these products "claim" to do - which in this case has zero to do with recovering lost bits.

@antigrunge2 I well understand now networks operate. I don’t need “opinions”. If there is benefit, it should be described properly, as in what exactly the device does and how does it benefit the unit hardware and software in terms of network operation. I am yet to hear that.

And it is a free country. 

@dean_palmer of course it does. This is why the network is designed with recovery. Surely, if you unable to own files from cloud or Netflix is broken, then yeah, time to check cabling and equipment. It is a pretty trivial test - like copy large file few times to cloud and back. Is there a performance degradation? File comes corrupted? No? Then you are good.