Do upgraded LAN cables/purifiers/switch box make a difference. What is recommended, if so?

@gournard I am pretty sure looking at @kerrybh 's gear he for him to say "expensive" it definitely was a switch substantially better than anything from Amazon. 

Not sure if it was up to level of one of the best reported switches Network Acoustics Tempus, or what ancillary cables or other devices were connected to it causing a bottleneck somewhere. Was there any dealer advice with this switch? Or borrowed from a friend? 

@kerrybh appears to have the budget for a Tempus, If he desires his streaming to approach the sound quality of his vinyl I wonder if he is curious to try this along with a couple of their network cables? 60 day money back guarantee. 

@mclinnguy My dealer brought a couple of these to audition. Its been a couple of years-Nordhost and maybe Melco. So, I'm pretty sure the setup was good. I just didn't hear any improvement which disappointed me-I was prepared to buy.

I respect that some have a different experience. That's only natural. Which gets to an issue that arises with a lot of forum advice. I can say for sure on the day I tried this gear that in my room, with my equipment, I didn't hear a difference. I don't extrapolate from that fact that switches can never make a difference. I think anytime someone makes a definitive, purportedly universally true statement. e.g., CDs are better than streaming, vinyl is better/worse than digital, tubes are better/worse than ss" its time to get a big grain of salt and be very skeptical. This is very subjective, we all hear differently and have different preferences. 

Otherwise, there would be a lot fewer brands. So, advice can point in interesting directions, but no one can definitively tell you what will sound "best" to you. So, in the end, you get a lot of honest advice that goes in opposite directions. It can be thought provoking and helpful, but rarely definitive. Listen for yourself, if at all possible is always good advice.

@kerrybh Thanks for filling in more details. 

Listen for yourself, if at all possible is always good advice.

Absolutely, beyond our ears and personal taste, my belief is we all have different qualities of power and internet entering our hifi, so if no benefit is perceivable spend the money somewhere else. 

kerrybh

. . .  but no one can definitively tell you what will sound "best" to you.

+1    Everybody’s system is different.   

The goal is to address Conducted EMI - and - Radiated EMI.    Fortunately, there are multiple solutions.   Whichever one works best for you - is the right one for you.

@mclinnguy, good point about his system photos which indicate a system capable of revealing differences. The point I was trying to make is that regardless of the quality of the switch, audiophile or not, that unless the last bit of cable is unshielded the noise (EMI/RFI) is allowed to travel along a conductive path and pollute the analogue side of your DAC. Sure, a better quality switch with more attention paid to the ingress of noise will bring better results.