8Bit Gigabit HIFI Network Switch w/ OCXO

[ZGoode]

Stumbled upon this when looking for NOS OCXO's and thought it was hilarious.  What gets me is that it shows 1 sold, lol
The caps might provide some slight, slight benefit (like 0.1% probably), but come on, $600 USD for an 8 port switch?

eBay auction: #https://www.ebay.com/itm/354407685382

[pcprogrammer]

The link to the auction is faulty. Here is the proper one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/354407685382

You have to be a sucker to be fooled into buying one. 

Digital audio stability is not improved with taking out some jitter and power supply noise in the data communication, and certainly not with a single part of the whole communication chain. 

[ksjh]

Digital audio stability is not improved with taking out some jitter and power supply noise in the data communication, and certainly not with a single part of the whole communication chain. 

Bit timing is also completely unrelated to playout timing here. Ethernet is packet switched, i.e., there are packet headers (of various protocol layers) in between all those payload bits you want to play out with a constant rate (for uncompressed audio). Also, there is silence on the network between those packets. You always need some playout buffer for streaming multimedia data over packet switched networks, otherwise, there is no way to feed the payload to the DAC with a constant bit rate. This product makes absolutely no sense at all. Implementing AVB or TSN would make sense for multimedia streaming over Ethernet to limit the influce of cross-trafic with QoS differentiation and keep the jitter and therefor the playout buffers small. So, what might help under certain circumstances has not been implemented, what has been implemented is completely meaningless for the intended purpose.

[ZGoode]

I do have to say though, even if it is total snake oil, I do kinda like the enclosure and fact it doesn't need another stupid power brick.  If I could buy a dlink, tplink, etc in a case like that with a standard IEC plug I probably would.  But not for $600 lol.  Maybe $40, idk?

[Haenk]

They did not use audio grade caps, so that construction is a total failure.
Also I noticed the RJ45 ports are not gold plated, so some bits might get stuck. So that's already two major design flaws.

[magic]

Digital audio stability is not improved with taking out some jitter and power supply noise in the data communication, and certainly not with a single part of the whole communication chain. 

That's why you use linear power supplies and OCXOs in every link of the chain, including Ethernet switches

Waiting for audiophile HDDs now...

[ksjh]

I do kinda like the enclosure and fact it doesn't need another stupid power brick.

Yes, instead of a stupid power brick, you get an even more stupid (for this application) linear power supply and need such a massive case to get rid of the produced heat. Not sure I would want that.

[HwAoRrDk]

LOL, the bottom-right PCB clearly is repurposed from another manufacturer's off-the-shelf switch, what with the footprint for a crystal (why put that if the whole point of the product is using an OCXO?), the unpopulated barrel jack top-left (why is it there if the device is mains powered?), and the bodged caps.

Edit: hah, I should have looked at the eBay link, they actually unashamedly call out the network switch part as being a Linksys LGS108!

[tszaboo]

I do have to say though, even if it is total snake oil, I do kinda like the enclosure and fact it doesn't need another stupid power brick.  If I could buy a dlink, tplink, etc in a case like that with a standard IEC plug I probably would.  But not for $600 lol.  Maybe $40, idk?

I agree, nice enclosure there.
No GPSDO for the ethernet switch is a fail though.

[Phil1977]

Don't forget to lay your patch-cables in shape of an alto cleff. The spatial and aural vibrancy will be on a totally new level if the IP packets can experience the beauty of the music also while going through the cables.

And no, please never, never ever transfer music via WLAN. It mixes there with the aura of your neighbours, and you can never know what kind of bad taste they have. And did you know your prolific microwave oven mixes in there too?   

[madires]

No wooden feet? That must cause a cold metallic sound. That's classic audiophoolery nonsense!

BTW, there's a thread about a similar ethernet switch modifaction. IIRC, the vendor replaced some electrolytics and changed the quartz crystal to a TCXO, 300 bucks or so.

[daqq]

I'm confused, where do I pour the liquid nitrogen?

[krebacz]

Digital audio stability is not improved with taking out some jitter and power supply noise in the data communication, and certainly not with a single part of the whole communication chain. 

Waiting for audiophile HDDs now...

Here you go...
https://jcat.eu/product/m-2-femto-ssd/

[magic]

Nice.
shut_up_and_take_my_money.jpg

Are they also modding spinning disks with better capacitors, OCXOs and ultra stable linear regulators for the motor? I'm not an engineer, but as an audiophile I'm sure that the inertia of the rotating mass inherently reduces bit-to-bit microjitter, unlike flash storage which can ever only be as good as its master main clock generator.
 

[radiolistener]

Typical routers generate a lot of EMI noise, which can interfere with radio reception. The idea is good, but it needs to be tested to see if it actually produces less noise compared to standard cheap routers. Overall, the device's casing, circuit boards, and assembly look quite good. However, the $600 price tag seems unreasonable. I don't see why a router with reduced noise levels should be so expensive. Additionally, the use of an OCXO raises doubts - it's unclear how this would significantly reduce EMI from the router.

I would like to test this router for radio interference levels, but the price seems exorbitant.