Improving on the stream of a combined streamer dac

@rivinyl cool! Keep us posted. 
When you get the 🐍 Ethernet, I would suggest your wireworld to feed the switch, purist to your server, and 🐍 to DAC. 
Allow the new cable 200hrs to settle just to be sure. I know my WW Starlight 10 Twinax took a few weeks to break in. 

Please report back. 
 

As a side note…I was listening to vinyl for a couple hours last night and while it’s really good, digital is great as well. It’s a matter of being able to enjoy both formats. Don’t compare. Just listen to music. Easier said than done…I know. Lol

As I'm writing this, I'm waiting for the delivery for my TP-Link. I already took delivery for the LHY battery LPS & solid Silver Ethernet cable (Chinese). as of direction in the "What's the best Forum" 

Here's the directions;

Setup WR902AC:
1. Look at the back of the unit. It should say the name of the device Wifi.
2. Power up the unit using the 5V micro USB. Give it a minute.
3. On a computer select the 2.4Ghz Wifi from the TPLink. Type in the password, this is on the back label on step #1.
4. Once you’re connected, go to http://tplinkwifi.net
(If this step does not work use a fresh browser after deleting the cache)
5. The first time it will force you to set a new admin password.
6. Once you’re in the menu, cancel the quick setup.
7. On the left bar go to the Wireless 5Ghz. Turn off this radio.
8. Go to USB settings. Under Storage Sharing and FTP Server tabs disable both.
9. Go to System Tools, Time Settings, and click on Daylight Savings, Save, Get time from PC, Save. Close the browser.
10. Unplug the power from the TPLink.
11. On the left side of the device move the physical toggle down to CLIENT.
12. Reattach the power. Select the TPLink wifi again and connect.
13. Open the browser again and go back to TPLinkwifi.net
14. Go to Quick Setup. Click Next. Now select CLIENT. Next.
15. There should be a list of your home’s 2.4Gz wifi channels. Select your Wifi with the highest signal strength. On the next screen it will ask for your Wifi password. Click Next, then Next.
16. At the end of the setup it will ask you to click FINISH. Then the device will reset. This will take 2 minutes.
17. At this point the TPLInk Wifi ID will disappear from your computer’s Wifi list. The TPLink is now an extension of your home Wifi. If you connect your computer to the TPLink via LAN it will be an ethernet hotspot (turn off your computer’s Wifi first!). Run a test by opening a browser and you should have normal internet access.
18. You’re all set up! Connect the TPLink to your music server using a dedicated low-noise battery and enjoy! Make sure the battery back is detached from any charging input as that can add noise.
 

Hope this helps. Will report soon.

Hi @rivinyl,

I’ve read through this thread and I want to validate what you are hearing. You are not "foolish" or "naive" for noticing that local files sound better than your stream. You have stumbled upon the "dirty little secret" of high-end streaming that standard advice about cables and switches often fails to solve.

The problem isn't your Electrocompaniet, and it isn't that "Roon is garbage" as some have suggested. The problem is that our home networks are too fast for digital audio.

The "Why": Bursts vs. Flow

Because a 1 Gbps LAN is so fast, standard protocols (like Roon’s RAAT or DLNA) send audio data in erratic bursts and pulses rather than a smooth, steady stream. Even with a great streamer, your endpoint's CPU has to constantly spike its activity to process brief but intense waves of incoming packets. These rapid fluctuations in processing load cause fluctuations in current draw, which generates low-frequency electrical noise (RFI/EMI) that the DAC is unable to completely filter out.

When you play a local file, the network overhead is lower, the processing is steadier, and the noise floor drops. That is why your downloads sound better.

The "Band-Aids" vs. The Cure

Most of the advice here—buying expensive silver ethernet cables, $1,000 switches, or filters like the ENO2—amounts to various "band-aid" fixes. They try to clean up the noise before it enters your streamer. But they do nothing to stop the streamer itself from generating noise as it processes that bursty network traffic.

The Solution: A 3-Tier Architecture with Diretta

If you want to beat the sound of local files, you need to address the root cause of noise at the source. The most effective way to do this today is by moving from a 2-Tier setup (Server -> Streamer) to a 3-Tier Architecture using the Diretta protocol.

Here is how the architecture works, which many of us are building using simple Raspberry Pi hardware running AudioLinux:

1. Tier 1: Roon Core. Your heavy server. Keep this far away from your audio rack.

2. Tier 2: Diretta Host (The Bridge). This machine connects to your LAN. It buffers erratic Roon data bursts and converts them to the Diretta protocol.

3. Tier 3: Diretta Target (The Endpoint). This small device connects only to the Host via a direct, galvanically isolated link. It connects to your DAC or DDC via USB.

Why This Fixes Your Problem

The Diretta protocol uses a "Host-Target" model where the Host sends data in a continuous, precisely timed stream of transmissions. This "averages" the processing load on the Target, stabilizing the current draw and preventing the generation of electrical noise near the DAC. It also physically and logically isolates the DAC from your noisy network.

I have implemented this using Raspberry Pi 5s. With this setup, CPU usage on the endpoint drops significantly, and the power draw becomes a flat line. The result is an unusual "calm" from streaming. There's a "blacker" background and a natural ease to the music that makes standard streaming sound mechanical by comparison.

Before you spend another dime attempting to mitigate symptoms, I encourage you to try an architecture that sidesteps common sources of digital noise.

Happy listening.

Thanks for your perspective on streaming.  I do have a couple of questions regarding Diretta.  Is the Diretta Bridge (and Host) a device?  If so where does one find such a device.

And secondly, would a filter ( such as the Stack Audio Smooth Lan FIlter) which operates up to 100 mbps serve as a means to limit the speed that the streamer sees?  Or would downgrading one's internet to a lower speed bypass the issues poised by the super high speed internet we purchase (but don't really need )?

Many thanks for an interesting perspective.