Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Network Acoustics ENO filter

That is exactly my hypothesis. YMMV.

Even so, while my NUC isn’t fed by a LPS, I have recently added a DC iPurifier2 to its PSU - which effectively provides a regulated power supply for my NUC at considerably less cost than a dedicated LPS.

This tiny ‘Gum Packet’ sized device has made a subtle, yet profound, difference in the overall sound produced by my particular system. On first listening, I wondered if it had made any impact at all: but the longer I listened to familiar music via Tidal it didn’t take long to be pleasantly surprised by how much my system had improved.

Given Amazon’s policy of returning ‘unsuitable’ goods for refund, I recommend anyone (without a dedicated LPS) to purchase a DC iPurifier2 for their NUC or Nucleus/+.

In combination with my 8Switch, the DC iPurifier2 has bought about a substantive system improvement.

IIRC you mentioned this also in another thread a few weeks ago. Maybe I miss something but why are you held hostage to a router which makes you use USB not ID41? Surely there are straight forward options to add a switch or handle routing duties without causing streaming issues ? I tried both USB and ID41 in my 808 and ID41 was the clear winner.

Thanks for your kind concern. When I set up my streaming system nearly a year ago I reported these ID41 problems and several people, including you, made helpful suggestions to no avail. VK went to considerable lengths examining my Meridian configuration and tweaking it but could not get around the issue. I am very grateful for all the help I have received. And I must also add that without extraordinary help from Ratbirt I would never have been able to deploy a NUC at all.

However, from many reports, it seems that the ENO can deliver a worthwhile improvement in sound quality for both USB and ID41 users. It is a pity that more people have not taken up the offer of a free home trial so that they can decide for themselves in their own system. I note that Hans Beekhuysen has decided not to publish feedback and comments from people who have not actually heard it. He is fed up with trolling.

I took advice years ago to avoid USB in the chain, as this could be a source of noise on the/my network. Seems as we are not comparing eggs with eggs here.

Hector

What are you talking about?

Here, is an informative review of the SOtM Ethernet Hub.

I had not appreciated that having Coax supplied broadband could affect my music compared to a Fibre broadband connection.

Thanks for posting.

I found the following interesting: "I could do one of two things: Be egotistic and demand proof – or just hear it for myself. Which path one takes largely depends on personality. Although it was easier to dismiss these notions, I decided to just hear it for myself . . . As discussed, they just have a different personality. They’re usually . . . the close-minded, introverted, dismissive, cynical types . . . Ironically, they want to spread “the truth” but are actually misleading the masses. I have no clue what their purpose is in this space – but I’m positive they have too much time on their hands."

In other words, please hear the ENO filter for yourself before posting opinions about it.

Agreed.

+1.

I have one on order...

I'm going to weigh in on this after a week's worth of listening to the ENO (silver) with headphones. I honestly didn't expect a huge difference given that:

• I already have an Innuos PhoenixNet to reduce ethernet noise;
• Ethernet is only used to provide the music player with its connection to the outside world (and sits on its own network), the remainder of my headphone signal path is USB to the Chord mscaler followed by dual coax to the TT2 (one might expect the ENO to make a greater difference to an 8xx).

Whatever I expected, first impressions have been very positive: with the ENO, music sounds richer and more organic, the depth of the soundstage increases and bass is very well controlled. It made me smile - a lot. The ENO does need the first 48 hours to burn in, though - before then there were some artefacts that you'll likely want to bypass.

The reverse test, removing the ENO several days later, immediately made everything feel more clinical and less enjoyable. The longer you listen without it, the less long you want to postpone the inevitable [plugging it back in].

While the comments above apply to listening without the Innuos PhoenixNet switch (see below*), adding this back in with the ENO brought an increased sense of reality and timbre to instruments that I haven't heard to date.

I hope this adds helpfully to the comments above. If I were to try and rate this objectively, I would argue this is similar in significance to an 818v2 to v3 upgrade, beyond that of any switch I have heard to date (although, this isn't a switch). If you excuse me, I'm going back to listen to my music - it's that addictive!


* I found the Innuos PhoenixNet is sensitive to which port you use for the ENO. I plan to document what I know works when I get a moment.

Thanks for providing your insight.