Audiophile Ethernet Switch

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Does a Cisco switch make an audible difference? Absolutely! If you don't use one, you don't get much audio through anything. If you use one, set up correctly, it just works.

You are describing a pathological failure, is that what you mean? This thread is not about that. We had a system to massively parallel on demand all the computers on our site to run huge IC simulations orders of magnitude more data, it just worked.
 
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You are describing a pathological failure, is that what you mean? This thread is not about that. We had a system to massively parallel on demand all the computers on our site to run huge IC simulations orders of magnitude more data, it just worked.

The topic generally was about if a switch can make a difference in an audio application, right? I gave an example where it does, admittedly and blatantly with a bit of a wink.

Look up "multicast" as it relates to AoIP before you try to shoot the concept down though. I doubt you tested a similar situation.

Or perhaps just getting that shot off was the goal.:scratch:
 
The topic generally was about if a switch can make a difference in an audio application, right? I gave an example where it does, admittedly and blatantly with a bit of a wink.

Look up "multicast" as it relates to AoIP before you try to shoot the concept down though. I doubt you tested a similar situation.

Or perhaps just getting that shot off was the goal.:scratch:

What am I supposed to think, "you don't get much audio through anything" actually means? Many places run 3 orders of magnitude more data through their Ethernet routers every day with no problem.
 
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"You don't get much audio through anything" means "silence". The source stream doesn't make it to the destination in a timely manner, packets are delayed or dropped, the destination can't assemble enough good packets in time to produce a valid bit stream to send to a DAC, and the output mutes. If you don't have a managed switch set up specifically to route multicast streams correctly, the more destinations you have, the less likely the system is to work well, or at all.

Sorry for the colloquialisms. Good now?
 
There is one area where the switch actually can make a difference. I work in pro audio, in one facility we use an AoIP (Audio over IP) system. The audio flies around the facility at 24/48 stereo (can also be 5.1), and communicates with other devices using "multi-cast" streams. Such streams need special handling at the switch, and so we only use managed Cisco switches with some specific programming. And one source can route to up to 36 destinations simultaneously in this particular facility. Lots-o-bits.

Does a Cisco switch make an audible difference? Absolutely! If you don't use one, you don't get much audio through anything. If you use one, set up correctly, it just works.

It's a real story, but I realize the home user won't bump into multicast all that much.

Yeah, and that's not at all how audio is transmitted on almost any home network.

Further, when the packets arrive it sounds perfect, and when they don't it is incredibly obvious. Deliberately introducing confusion does not help anyone. That is not what the original posters were talking about as a "difference".

Any implementation of any standard that only works on one manufacturers' switch is broken anyway.
 
Yeah, and that's not at all how audio is transmitted on almost any home network.

Further, when the packets arrive it sounds perfect, and when they don't it is incredibly obvious. Deliberately introducing confusion does not help anyone. That is not what the original posters were talking about as a "difference".

Any implementation of any standard that only works on one manufacturers' switch is broken anyway.
chris, I think you have read all of jaddie's posts before giving him/her a serve.
 
Yeah, and that's not at all how audio is transmitted on almost any home network.
I was quite clear about this being a pro AoIP application.
Further, when the packets arrive it sounds perfect, and when they don't it is incredibly obvious.
...but in that way, the Pro and home applications are identical. Point?
Deliberately introducing confusion does not help anyone. That is not what the original posters were talking about as a "difference".
Really? Did pointing out the (possibly) single case where the switch matters to the result confuse everyone? Really? I doubt that. I would think it rather further underscores how in every typical home AoIP application the switch doesn't matter.
Any implementation of any standard that only works on one manufacturers' switch is broken anyway.
I'm sorry, did I actually say the "standard" works only on one manufacturer's switch? Hmmm....

lemme check...

....nope, I did not say that. In fact, there are a number of managed switches that work in the pro AoIP world just fine. We happen to use Cisco because they're good, MTBF is like 15 years, and the re-certified ones are reasonable.

Now returning to your regularly scheduled thread....
 
I could never figure out people's affinity for real time A/B switching.

The results in this case, unsurprisingly, point to a poor system resolution, or a poor switch.

While that could be, usually these are not the crucial points.
It is most likely just a matter of familiarization (I assume the neighbor hadn't done any controlled ("blinded") listening test before) with an unusal task under new conditions.
 
Ah yes. The good old audiophool fall-back argument.

"If you can't hear the difference then your system sucks."

Is the demand for controlled listening tests (even "blinded") in your opinion just a "objectiphool" fall-back argument or is it a valid concern?

Although, as said above, IME the resolution abilities of a used reproduction system is not the limiting factor, any experimenter worth his money shall (and will) check if an additional element (like a switch) does not introduce new variables due to the physical realization.
 
Well said Tony. I would add that it also has to do with total lack of looking critically at your own reasoning and logic.

Jan

The interesting point .... each one of us thinks that it is just a problem of others.......

Btw, unfortunately my dutch is a bit rusty; is a google translation of the switch test description usable or way off wrt to test methodology details?


@scottjoplin,

Is it insane to say things that have a good chance of boosting your business? Another favourite tactic is to attempt to undermine your hearing acuity if you can't hear a difference.

And if you would look at the beginning of this thread (comparable in this regard to numerous others) how often - if one says he hears a difference - it is stated that it is just delusion, that he is to dumb to understand, that "fill in whatever already was stated" .

After all these years it could be (just a crazy idea) lead to more fruitfull discussion if we change the old mechanisms of only accusing always the (often just imagined) "other side who behaves wrongly" .
 
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When people imagine they hear things with no explanation, no logic, no evidence, and no basis in science, we should just go along with it and try it. Sorry lifes too short, and its a waste of money.

One can go round and round in circles with all this, as I alluded to earlier, who/what do you chose to trust? So, ultimately it makes most sense to trust the measurements. There have been a few calls for a technical discussion, even a mod put his hat on to make the point, no one really took much notice, wasn't that to be expected given the title of this thread and the opening (and following) post(s)? My first post was to ask the OP if he had taken any measurements, look at the response, says it all really......
 
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When people imagine they hear things with no explanation, no logic, no evidence, and no basis in science, we should just go along with it and try it. Sorry lifes too short, and its a waste of money.

I can't quite tell what your conclusion is. If we all agreed to and abided by your first sentence, we'd all be Scientologists - and that would definitely be a waste of money.
 
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