Streaming newbie

dCS Products
1

hi
im new to the world of streaming and this is my first contact with the docs community
I ve just got myself a nwb to go with my Vivaldi dac . I’ve connected the nwb to my Virgin router via a Melco cable. ill be very grateful for any ideas for ways to upgrade the sound wi
Do I need to replace my router? What is a network switch?
Is getting a music server a good idea ; downloading the music prior to playing it rather than streaming of the internet
Im subscribed to Qobuz ( which I use for my aster kern mobile player)
Ill be grateful for any ideas
many thanks

2

Welcome to the forum Ranko!

Here’s my take on your questions:

  • No, you don’t need to replace your router
  • A switch is just a junction box for connecting bits of network together. Your router has one inside
  • A music server (or NAS - network attached storage) is a good idea if you want to store local files. I listen to both streamed and ripped (locally stored) files but most of my listening these days is streamed. YMMV
  • Qobuz is great. Lots of hi res content available which sounds great through the Vivaldi

One important thing though. dCS recommends unshielded ethernet cables for the final connection to your dCS streamer (i.e. the NB). Melco has both unshielded (e.g. C100) and shielded (e.g. C1AE) variants. In their case the unshielded (in actual fact it is not unshielded, it simply has a shield that is not connected at one end, which is the same thing from a dCS perspective) cable is more expensive. Important to note that this is not universally true. Unshielded cables can be cheap as chips and anyone who knows what they are doing can lift (disconnect) the shield on a shielded cable themselves.

3

Hello Ranko and welcome to the forum. I hope that you will find your time here useful.

The questions that you are asking all have complex ramifications and are not easy to deal with as in most cases people’s subjective opinion of changes cannot always be predicted. All I can offer are outline responses.

  1. No you do not need to replace your router. However if you are experiencing any issues such as being unable to use Mosaic let us know.
  2. A network switch and router have some similar functions. A network switch switches between incoming information streams and their intended destinations. A router does this as well. Although it is difficult to find objective reasons, specialised audiophile switches are offered and some find them beneficial. A router is used in conjunction with them for internet access. If you are interested them my advice is that you will need to try one and see how you feel about its use before you commit any expenditure.
  3. Music server is currently a term used in audio to describe different devices. It can mean a box which provides access to your locally stored music files and a variety of streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer, Tidal or Qobuz. This function is, however, already provided in your Network Bridge. It can mean this but also including storage for your files ( examples include Innuos or Melco). Alternatively streamers without storage require this to be provided by an external device. THis can range from USB HDD drives to Net attached Storage( NAS) units from companies such as Synology or QNAP.Again your subjective opinion of which you prefer can only come from your own experience. You must also install UPnP server software on the NAS storage device. dCS only support MinimServer.
  4. Downloading music can be a good idea. Some feel that it may offer better quality than streams but this is variable depending on equipment used and the service subscribed to. Moreover it cannot be guaranteed that any item available on a streaming service today will be available tomorrow. So I always advise that if a piece of music is important to you ensure that you have a permanent copy by purchasing it and downloading.
  5. Yes, Qobuz is great.

I see that @struts001 has already dealt with cables and would just add that unshielded cables that have been properly certified are what is recommended by dCS ( e.g. CAT 5e). These can cost very little.

4

Here:
Fiber optic network XGS-PON
Router/Switch Fritz!Box 5530 (v8.0)
WLAN to iPAD mini 6 (iPadOS 17.7) for Mosaic (v1.43)
Patch cable to Ethernet extensions (IEC) Cat6a S/FTP (shielded) 0.5m Dätwyler
Two Ethernet extensions to any room with connection sockets, cable unknown
Ethernet patch cable (IEC) Cat6a S/FTP (shielded) 1.5m Dätwyler
5 port Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch Netgear GS305E
Ethernet cable supplied with NWB
NWB (1.02; 1.43 (513))
Ethernet cable supplied with QNAP HS-264
NAS QNAP HS-264 (v5.2.1.2930) with 2 SSDs (2x 8TB), Minim Server (v2.2);
completely silent, no fan

All works flawlessly.

5

Yup, for a networking and streaming newbie, your post totally clarified what he needs to do :roll_eyes:

1 Like
6

I know this topic has been very well covered in other posts, but honestly I am a bit confused and do not fully understand. When my dealer installed my Rossini dCS he brought and included a Cardas Clear network (ethernet) cable. I’ve never given it a thought until I read this thread this morning.

The written description of the Cardas Clear is that it the construction is “arranged in shielded pairs, each pair with its own drain wire. The bundle of pairs is wrapped in a foil shield.” And therein lies my confusion – was my dealer wrong to use this cable and should I replace it?

Sorry if I am not as technically adept as most who respond here – I simply love my Rossini APEX and the organic and natural quality it delivers. I do not want to damage my machine or limit the quality of the signal passing through it.

Do I have a wrong ethernet cable that should be replaced?

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Hi ksweiss,

A properly certified ethernet cable should never damage your system and shielding, if properly executed, should be beneficial in helping protect the signal from RFI.

However. Some ethernet switches with poorly executed magnetics (ethernet receptacles contain small transformers that should provide galvanic isolation but some poor examples don’t work too well) have been found to pass noise along the shield. So for the last hop to your dCS equipment dCS recommends unshielded cables, or cables with the shield lifted (disconnected) at the switch end.

But if your system is sounding good with the Cardas cable then you clearly don’t have a problem.

8

Thank you, that helps to clarify what I needed to know.

As an aside, is this the first of your responses in your new role at dCS? Well done!

1 Like
9

just a thought further to @AndrewS post. Dealers will only supply what they stock. What they stock will not include the basic type of ethernet cables that are perfectly suitable for dCS equipment. Why ? They are too cheap to provide the margin that dealers need to keep a healthy business.

So , aside from the earthing issues that Andrew refers to, all that has really happened is that you have spent a little more than you needed to. However no harm will result.

So just enjoy.

10

And I do enjoy it everyday! Thank you Pete for your follow-on comments.

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@PAR

Pete,

While we’re on the topic of Ethernet cables, I use a Shunyata Omega Ethernet cable. I didn’t see any mention of shielded vs. unshielded on their website. I sent an email asking this question. Do you or anyone on the forum know if the Shunyata Ethernet cable is certified as a Cat 5e?

Thanks,
Brian …

12

I have just looked at the specification of every Shunyata cable from Alpha to Theta . All are specified as CAT 6a. The two topmost ( Gamma and Theta) have the addition of the words “proprietary”.

I would guess that that the latter additional wording means hat they are not certified in accordance with accepted standards but in accordance with Shunyata’s own provisions.

Anyway looking at their specifications and accompanying graphics all appear to be shielded products ( shield connected at both ends as far as I can tell).

Before anyone responds; yes, you may like what you are hearing. That is absolutely fine. It’s your system after all.

1 Like
13

My list may appear a little bit scary, but the principle is very simple:

Except for the WLAN and the Ethernet outputs of the Router/Switch or optional Switch, everything is connected in series (one after the other).

  1. Connect your Router/Switch (usually provided by your Internet Provider) to your incoming network.

  2. Activate WLAN on your Router/Switch and connect your tablet to it.
    Download Mosaic to your tablet.

  3. Connect your NWB with the cable supplied to one Ethernet output of your Router/Switch.

  4. Connect your NAS (Network Attached Storage) with the cable supplied to a second Ethernet output of your Router/Switch.

  5. If NWB and NAS are too distant from your Router/Switch (the cables supplied are too short), add one long enough Ethernet cable (e.g. (IEC) Cat6a S/FTP (shielded); industry standard from an IT store) and an optional Switch (e.g. 5 port Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch Netgear GS305E) to cover the distance.

  6. Connect your NWB and NAS with the cables supplied to 2 Ethernet outputs of your optional Switch.

A Network Switch essentially splits one incoming Ethernet connection to multiple outgoing Ethernet connections.

Spending extra money for an ‘audiophile Ethernet cable’ or an ‘audiophile Switch’ does not make any sense, since this will only fill your dealer’s wallet but not improve SQ in any way (the PCM outputs of your NWB are bit transparent; no losses, no additional jitter).

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@par

Thanks Pete. I have a full loom of higher end Shunyata cables which I really like but you’ve now got me curious to compare SQ using an unshielded Cat 5 cable connected to my Rossini Apex. So, I’m looking for a certified Cat 5e cable - correct? A Melco Cat 5e cable was mentioned in this post. Is that a good place to start for an SQ comparison?

Thanks,
Brian …

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Hi Brian,

I use this one, and am very happy:

Hirschmann Unshielded Industrial Ethernet 24 AWG Cat 5e Patch Cable, RJ45 to RJ45

1 Like
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The Melco ethernet cables are shielded and are CAT 7. dCS really only requires unshielded cable ( UTP) which is properly certified. It is commonly found and inexpensive, much cheaper than what a Melco cable would cost . I only mentioned CAT5e as an example and will PM you further.

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@Ermos Thanks Ermos. Which ‘jacket type’ do you recommend - TPE or PVC?

Thanks,
Brian …

1 Like
18

Brian, I have sent you a PM but it a copy is not showing up in my personal file on the forum. I have had issues with the messaging system before and the message may turn up for you later. Would you kindly let me know if you receive it but give it an hour or so if you haven’t it already.

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@Cycles2 Brian, both are fine for use at home, but the main differences are, apart from price:

  • PVC or polyvinyl chlorine is particularly abrasion-resistant and has difficult flammability

  • TPE is a thermoplastic elastomer material and commonly used for flexible cables, as it can reliably withstand mechanical loads and has resistance to external influences such as chemicals and extreme temperatures

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Check out Blue Jeans Cable in Seattle.