Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming LAN isolator anyone?

To answer several points:

Re GB or DS version: Yes, ID40 & 41 cards require only 100Mb, so only need two or the four balanced pairs, per recco on Acousense website. I liked Crion's advice re future-proofing for upcoming M products, or different future application. �80 difference isn't life changing for most of us. 1000Base-T is in use now in professional circles & I wouldn't be surprised if some version of that were to find its way down to the great unwashed in the next 18 months or so.

Re the point about potential for the GB version to inject additional noise onto the two unused balanced pairs, two reasons why this can't happen. First, the GISO is a passive device, using transformer coupling, so the only way you could end up with noise (that wasn't there already) on the two un-used pairs would be if the GISO was able to generate noise internally on the primary windings of those pairs. No voltage, no current, no signal on primary, so no induced signal on secondary winding. Second, the transformer windings are designed to present near-zero coupling for the higher frequencies where the noise sits. This, of course, is why the GISO is so effective at reducing noise in the two in-use pairs in the first place. So if there's any environmental noise whatsoever on the two unused balanced pairs (technically possible due to RF ingress), then the best way to get rid of it is to use a GISO which isolates all four balanced pairs. Of course, we're splitting hairs here, as it's likely that the signal lines of the unused pairs are open-circuit inside the ID4x, but just to allay any concerns, there is no possibility of the GB adding noise versus the DS.

Re other makes of audio-oriented LAN isolators, specs or not, we just won't know how they compare until others get hands-on with them. In fact, we'd really need someone to try both in one system ... and no, I'm not volunteering at this stage

Cheers
Dave