Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Ethernet switches

Hi William

I think you're taking an entirely sensible approach to power :-)

Are you using your Meridian speakers for the AV system? You should be able to get fantastic sound quality from them, but I suspect it will be dependant on how good the source is. Sadly, I no longer have my Meridian surround sound system, but in its day, the 568 hooked up to a decent DVD player blew the socks off any cinema I visited at the time!

If so, I'd be inclined to test using SPDIF from Bluray over coax into the 808 to see what level of quality that gives you. Assuming that works well, then you should be able to work backwards to figure out where the issue is. [PS Bluray players aren't necessarily the last word in digital audio output, but I'm willing to bet they're better than a Sky box!]

Interesting to hear Chord's taking a new approach to HDMI cables, I'll do some reading up on this...

As for ethernet switches, I highly recommend the SOtM at the top end (if specified with their master clock) and UpTone's EtherRegen (a bit more fiddly to use in practise, but less expensive and - to my ears - almost as good). Second hand AQVox SE's may be found for reasonable amounts too - they take second place to the SOtM, but can probably now be bought for much less money. BTW I've just bought SOtM's USB re-clocker and it has made a huge difference to my headphone setup!

Hope some of this helps - let me know if any of the ramblings above didn't make sense!
J.

+1 for the Etherregen. Outstanding after a few days settling in.

I don’t get the Running in thing on a switch. Surely they could soak test them to run them in at the factory? They either work or they don’t is how I see it. Of course, I could be wrong... 😂

In post #291252 (at the start of this thread), I cited the emergence of the 8Switch by English Electric.

Since then, there has been a favourable review of the 8Switch by HiFi+, and also by Hans Beekhyzen.

Martins in Norwich (Meridian PP) sells them. I would be interested in knowing their perspective on using the 8Switch in streaming Roon to Meridian kit.

This is an interesting topic. I do not stream music per se, but increasingly am streaming TV.

I generally find TV sound poor and am very keen to find ways of improving it (if it can be improved).

Would be interested to know if incorporating one of these “audio file” streamers does improve TV sound, or is the data packaging just too different?

Feed back from those who have taken the plunge would be much appreciated.

Having spending most of today reading Naim owners’ experience of using the 8Switch, some dealers are happy to loan an 8Switch for home evaluation. The caveat is that there are few U.K. dealers.

Get a Meridian 518 and route your TV sound through that to your preamp. Add gain as required. Works for me... TV sounds great.

With regard to your current situation - what is it that you find poor about TV quality audio?

I do a lot more streaming now, especially Netflix. My Sony AG8 65” is the source, with an optical out cable to my 861V4.

Maybe I am used to the audio but generally I find it ok. The only time I get annoyed is with Netflix, when at times, I can hear a repeatable ‘bubbling’ type noise under the main audio track, with 5.1 content. More notable in the rear channels with opening credits or music in the programme but overall quite subtle. It reminds though of the video issues I see from time to time around dark scenes - blacks don’t always resolve well, there is an element of macrblocking. I am not sure if the issues I hear and see are due to the compression methods ie it’s just the way it is and or limitations of my TVs processing.

I think this topic is discussing the finest of fine detail improvements. A TV stream such as that from BBC iPlayer doesn't sound any different to me compared to the same programme via Freeview.

Out of interest, has anyone blind A/B tested these audiophile ethernet switches?

Chris. I know it sounds unbelievable, what difference can a switch make. For heaven’s sake a switch can’t make the difference surely?!
I have switched switches earlier this month and I am flabbergasted what de EtherRegen does in my set up. It completed my search...For now...

Try it and let your ears decide what it does in your kit. Maybe it won’t make any difference maybe it will. That is all i would say.

Critics never believe reviews. Hans Beekhuijzen does great reviews I think.

What I like about uptone is their own design philosophy many others rebuild oem stuff. Personal preference and i have not compared anything further.

Cheers.

PS enjoying SD’s Gaucho mqa on tidal as i write. Very very happy.

It’s worth watching this video - by Silent Angel - explaining the inherent noise in typical data Ethernet switches compared to audio grade Ethernet switches.

Much as I appreciate (and benefit from) the improvements that can be gained from an audiophile switch, I believe there are probably other improvements that would bring a greater gain on the AV front.

Most of the AV equipment (like the Amstrad designed Sky boxes) in use today was built to a price point and, as mentioned previously, I would start with the power supply and conditioning. That said, HDMI cables did bring a surprising improvement to our OLED Panasonic TV.

The reality is that the sound is probably too compressed for a switch to make a huge difference (although, I could be proven wrong). I do wonder whether an HDMI reclocker would make a difference...