audiobomber

I expect a JS-2 powering both will be better than an iPower + JS-2, especially since the second FMC is galvanically isolated from the downstream gear and DAC. Here's a post about this from @Superdad:

Thanks, I see it now.

I don't see the problem. The MC220CM has one ethernet port and two SFP ports, one GigaBit and one for lower speeds. Just pull the SFP out of the GB port and push the Finisar in its place.

Can't you use a Finisar 1318 in the MC220M? The Finisar 1318 works great in my MC220L.

I agree with @SQFIRST.. From MC220M to 10GTek gigabit FMC is a lateral move. (I own an MC220L & a 10GTek Gigabit).

The SMPS that comes with the 10GTek is very poor. If you want to upgrade, you should look to 5V linear power. The next upgrade could be the Sonore opticalModule Deluxe, with the same linear supply. We recently compared my oMD and Pardo MiniTeddy to a friend's LHY SW-10 in his very high resolution system. We both preferred the oMD, He intends to replace the SW-10 with an oMD or the EtherREGEN v2. Yes, some do, some don't. If you compare, please post here. From reading here and in other forums, I suspect you will find greater resolution with the Finisar setup and warmer tone with the Cisco. The way your system leans and your personal preferences will determine which suits you best.

Most of the people here would disagree strongly with that opinion. I suspect you have never tried an EtherRegen or other audiophile switch?

I believe the Harman Curve was based on the work of Floyd Toole at Canada's NRC, before he joined Harman.

The Harman curve was originally conceived for loudspeakers, and is definitely not flat. It slopes gradually from low to high frequencies.

Also Qobuz Canada, in CD quality only. I first found Chico Freeman via Cecil McBee's album "Music From the Source". Well worth a listen.

You could use other inputs with different sources. I use the sMS-200 in my desktop system via USB, and a PC/iPurifier2/Schiit Eitr via coax. In my main system, the DAC is fed from a renderer via USB, a CD transport via coax and TV via optical. Actually, I believe it is superior to all other options, including I2S, if the USB input is well implemented. The main problem with I2S is that the clock and chip are connected by a long cable, which can pick up EMI/RFI and increase jitter.

I agree wholeheartedly, the HD 650 is a universal standard, and it's always useful to see it discussed in a headphone review. Because if the reviewer thinks the HD 650 is wonderful, I need to discount the rest of the review. 🙃 Preferences vary so widely, and so do systems. A system can be symbiotic with any particular headphone, or work against it, even when the specs say everything is compatible. For example, an HD 650 with a Bottlehead Crack makes it almost tolerable. I love my Grado GH4 and Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (Analytical pads), which I have compared to multi-kilobuck planars and electrostatics, and found nothing to envy. But I have a couple of different headphone systems, and each headphone excels in one situation. Josh thinks Grado and Beyerdynamic are too bright. Chacun a son gout, which is why I think this was a great article. There is no universal truth in audio.

The CD Doctor kit does more than clean, it is a buffing compound that will remove a scratch. There are instructions for repairing light scuffs and scrapes, and a more in-depth procedure for deep scratches. I've only used this on a few discs where simple cleaning didn't solve the problem. I would have liked to provide a link to the product but it looks like it's no longer available. Too bad, it was a useful tool.

There's no point in using more than 16GB in an sMS-200. Waste of money.

The first thing I do with a damaged disc is to polish it with CD Doctor: "Repairs scratched CDs and DVDs"