Sorry, another question…. Is your fiber converter a self contained unit like a GigaFoilv4, having only Ethernet cable input and output? If so, it is probably in the best spot directly before Upsampler, so long as it has a low noise power supply.
I sympathize with your frustration. I’ve been there too, but once worked out streaming can be sublime.
I was about the ask the same question… and am similarly enlightened!
I don’t recall fibre optic having been mentioned before. This is the perfect isolator and no noise from the wall circuit will get through it. This is good news, though leaves me at a bit of a loss as to how your streaming SQ can be quite so disappointing…
As @SJF says, you could consider putting the fibre optic converter between the wall socket and the switch, with unshielded ethernet cable from SoTM switch to upsampler. Some PSUs for fibre-optic media converters (FMCs) are noisy, and some FMC’s are (reportedly) noisy.
In an earlier post, you mentioned [quote=“Frankie67, post:13, topic:5458”]
there are three Fritz repeaters in other rooms creating a meshed Wi-Fi network
[/quote]
Are the ethernet sockets in the walls hardwired? I just want to confirm whether the wifi “mesh” is in your audio playback chain at all.
Yes they are hardwired. No the Wi-Fi is not in the audio playback chain.
Thanks Franco. That’s the right answer if there is such a thing
I’ll start by moving the fiber optic converter before the switch and replacing the “last mile” Ethernet cable with a good unshielded cat 6 cable. Will then consider changing the various cheap PSUs with better ones. It’s incredible how inferior streaming is now as opposed to the other sources of my system in terms of SQ.
This is what concerns me and no doubt others: with such high end dCS kit, streaming really should be right up there in terms of sound quality. Hence all the questions about your network to try to work out if there is something weird going on with your setup.
Don’t let the below get in the way of a structured approach to testing various parts of your network setup but for whenever…
You have a Fritz 7590 and 3 Fritz repeaters in other rooms. These are not connected to the ethernet port in that room, that’s not how they work. Correct?
Why then is the gigabit switch, which connects to the in-wall ethernet wires, connected via the 7590 and not direct to the Vodafone router? In other words, why is your music signal passing through the 7590 if the mesh is nothing to do with your music playback chain?
UPDATE: I think I get it now, having looked at the QuickStart guide for a 7590…
Quick question: Are you able to listen to a similar setup at your dealer to form a baseline comparison?
This might indicate whether it’s an issue with your network setup or simply that streaming doesn’t sound as good as their CD/SACD player.
PS I moved from CD’s to streaming some time ago and the latter would open up Pandora’s box as to whether I need to prioritise the dCS transport over my next upgrade!
The key wording in your statement is “Sq in your system”
You have by far the best sounding source components in dCS I have ever heard regardless of format.
Honestly it should be blowing away vinyl.
There has to be an issue in your digital chain somewhere down the rather over complicated line.
Please try the route one solution offered here before you spend anymore money on unnecessary components in the chain. (Remember to take roon out of the equation too)
I’m pretty sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised
Thanks guys for all your help thus far. I’ll do some tests and report back.
In my experience there can be unexpected bottlenecks in a streaming system that affect SQ, I installed a balanced lineair powersupply for my ethernet switch.
I thought it sounded ok and left it in my system for a while and never went back to the original power supply, over a few months I started to notice that playing a CD on my Rossini was drawing me much more into the music then streaming with Qobuz, which was not the case before installing the lineair powersupply.
Going back to the original powersupply of my switch made the SQ vs streaming on par again. After that I tried an Ifi elite SMPS and that lifted the streaming SQ by a considerable margin, resolution, transients and PRaT have improved.
My dealer was a bit sceptical about my findings, but did give another client, who is running the same switch, an ifi elite to try at home without telling the client anything else. A week later that client reported simular gains in SQ and bought the ifi elite.
I have no explanation for the differences in SQ caused by the different powersupplies (tried 3 lineair and 2 SMPS), but I am happy that with a stroke of good luck I found a great match for my switch.
For clarity, I am running the following equipment:
Ziggo modem (Ifi wallwart) → AQ vodka → Asus router (ifi wallwart)–> supra ethernet cable → AQvox ethernet switch → 12 mtr certified CAT 6A → Melco S100 (ifi elite) → Sablon ethernet cable 1 mtr → DCS Rossini
Yes it is. Gonna give it a try after I receive the new unshielded cables.
I can talk about some key things that worked for me.
All four added a bump in sound quality.
Small things (EURO) can have a very nice indirect impact on SQ:
AUTH 503 and 506 with every SMPS.
Torben
I too had similar issue, not Vivaldi upsampler but it was with the Network bridge. I believe dCS has their own way of presentation (apply filters) and if you like you like it otherwise it is difficult to take. I use PhoenixNet and not very expensive cables but good quality shielded Cat7+ cables. I was happy with dCS sound until one day I switched to Oppo player with same network configuration. I found Oppo player to be better both in streaming and ripped CD playback than Network bridge with PhoenixNet.
I got rid of Network bridge and went to computer based audio with premium JCAT cards powered by Sean Jacobs linear power modules to both computer and the JCAT cards. It was totally a different world, like never heard from my Vivaldi DAC before. I have Mutec in the chain along with Vivaldi master clock.
I was once desperately planning to buy Vivaldi upsampler but with the Network bridge experience I am no more thinking of it. Vivaldi DAC and clock are still better.
