Ethernet optical isolation question

[Vangelis]

I've just returned from the Axpona show. At the show I spoke with the Roon guys. I told them I was considering a passive in line device to reduce noise on my Ethernet cable signal coming from my Synology NAS. They were firmly against the whole concept telling me"no, you need to optically isolate the electrical noise  in your ethernet signal path ".   I was told further to get several gigabit fiber optic media converters, one being the sender and the other being the receiver. Ok, so much of this makes sense, some of it does not. I've alway found optical toslink or even glass links sound poor. One old audio adage is that if you loose detail or data on the beginning side you can't reclaim on the other side. With this concept in mind won't an optical link become the new weakest point? If I'm wrong, then why not use one long optical cable and two short Ethernet cables? 

With this arrangement I'm isolating the NAS noise and the sending optical converters noise but am I not introducing a new switching power supplie's  noise with second converter after the optical isolation?  Should I seek out a certain optical cable?  Is there a certain desired max length for optical match up to the converter?

The Roon guys said a $49 converter should be fine but see many variants and wonder what specs are adequate?

 

Any help on this topic would really be appreciated.

[The Computer Audiophile]

If you want to optically isolate your network, don't worry about anything related to optical toslink. The two are apples and orange bicycles. Way different. 

 

Introducing two additional switching power supplies is troublesome. 

 

Fiber network cable can wrap around you house a few times without any length issues. If you want, it can wrap around your block as well. 

 

Get whatever optical cable you want. Monoprice probably has you covered. 

 

Many members of the CA community have done this and can recommend all the pieces you need. 

 

Who did you talk to from Roon, former AudioQuest computer audio person Steve Silberman?

[davide256]

buy optical Ethernet  cable solution and you can put "cable wars" to rest for your Ethernet connections, best of all it works for distances you will never approach in your house. Now if only I could change all my interconnects to an optical solution....

[jventer]

Lots of info here: 

http://www.audiostream.com/content/sonore-simple-design-microrendu-audiophile-odyssey#TK7CBgDYOOYuhdxt.97

[jabbr]

You can use the Clearfog either with HQPlayer -> NAA or install Roon bridge and either connect Roon through HQPlayer or bridge. I'm listening through HQPlayer -> DSD512 as I post this.

[Vangelis]

On 4/24/2017 at 7:37 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

If you want to optically isolate your network, don't worry about anything related to optical toslink. The two are apples and orange bicycles. Way different. 

 

Introducing two additional switching power supplies is troublesome. 

 

Fiber network cable can wrap around you house a few times without any length issues. If you want, it can wrap around your block as well. 

 

Get whatever optical cable you want. Monoprice probably has you covered. 

 

Many members of the CA community have done this and can recommend all the pieces you need. 

 

Who did you talk to from Roon, former AudioQuest computer audio person Steve Silberman?

I'm a bit confused. Are you saying I should avoid the fiber optic media converters because they introduce will two switching power supplies and a toslink cable? 

I'm under the impression that the cure can be worse than the illness.

 

If I replaced the optic media converters power supplies with a linear and a Fiber network cable would this create the isolation I'm seeking?

 

I'm over boxed and over wired already with nine required outlet with digital only front end, preamp pwr amp and active sub. One of the reasons I moved to the Synology NAS and MinimServer to the MicroRendu was simplicity and to ditch the computer completely out of my system. I continue to read I need to isolate my downstream NAS switching power supply noise, but the so called solutions recomplicate the whole mess with more D.C. power supplies wires, boxes etc. 

 

Perhaps instead of complexity of optic media converters, would I not achieve added isolation and similar sonic benefits by introducing the new Uptone ISO REGEN after the MicroRendu?

 

I spoke with several Roon guys, one of which had many years in the digital recording industry. I can not recall their names but I know neither were Steve Silberman.

[amir57bs]

On 4/25/2017 at 4:07 AM, The Computer Audiophile said:

If you want to optically isolate your network, don't worry about anything related to optical toslink. The two are apples and orange bicycles. Way different. 

 

Introducing two additional switching power supplies is troublesome. 

 

Fiber network cable can wrap around you house a few times without any length issues. If you want, it can wrap around your block as well. 

 

Get whatever optical cable you want. Monoprice probably has you covered. 

 

Many members of the CA community have done this and can recommend all the pieces you need. 

 

Who did you talk to from Roon, former AudioQuest computer audio person Steve Silberman?

 

i prefer to use optical isolation and i would like to know is there any ethernet opto-isolator?

[davide256]

13 minutes ago, amir57bs said:

 

i prefer to use optical isolation and i would like to know is there any ethernet opto-isolator?

That's a bit like asking if water can be made wetter... remember that we are talking about the use of optical in its intended mode as a data transmission medium using Ethernet protocols, which works at speeds up to 100gbps today with the right hardware

[amir57bs]

3 minutes ago, davide256 said:

That's a bit like asking if water can be made wetter...

 

:-))

[Albrecht]

On 4/27/2017 at 8:56 PM, Vangelis said:

I'm a bit confused. Are you saying I should avoid the fiber optic media converters because they introduce will two switching power supplies and a toslink cable? 

I'm under the impression that the cure can be worse than the illness.

 

If I replaced the optic media converters power supplies with a linear and a Fiber network cable would this create the isolation I'm seeking?

 

I'm over boxed and over wired already with nine required outlet with digital only front end, preamp pwr amp and active sub. One of the reasons I moved to the Synology NAS and MinimServer to the MicroRendu was simplicity and to ditch the computer completely out of my system. I continue to read I need to isolate my downstream NAS switching power supply noise, but the so called solutions recomplicate the whole mess with more D.C. power supplies wires, boxes etc. 

 

Perhaps instead of complexity of optic media converters, would I not achieve added isolation and similar sonic benefits by introducing the new Uptone ISO REGEN after the MicroRendu?

 

I spoke with several Roon guys, one of which had many years in the digital recording industry. I can not recall their names but I know neither were Steve Silberman.

""If I replaced the optic media converters power supplies with a linear and a Fiber network cable would this create the isolation I'm seeking?""

 

Worked for me, - and several others, - as I understand it.

 

If you've pulled the computer & the NAS out of the audio room, (and are using a microRendu) Roon, - then folks are saying that the Iso-Regen is still going to supply some benefit. Personally, - I am waiting on the Iso-Regen until I hear from folks who say that it works great, - since I already have a great USB to SPDIF converter that isolates, and also the LPS-1 that isolates.

If you hadn't already bought a microRendu, - I would've suggested the PSAudio LanRover or the StarTech.

 

Cheers,

 

[m5sime]

Hi,  I just bought these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MTUB926/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_ZGnczbKNM5WVV

and they work very well. I haven't tested for audio quality. They are Chinese made but use quality silicon. Qualcomm chipset in the adapter and ST power components in the smps. They take 5V DC so likely I'll modify another USB cable and power these from official apple chargers as they have been measured elsewhere being very clean. 

 

This model has a bidirectional optic so only needs ans single fibre connection. I couldn't find a 20m single as most are doubles so just bought one and will pull apart.  

[davide256]

57 minutes ago, m5sime said:

Hi,  I just bought these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MTUB926/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_ZGnczbKNM5WVV

and they work very well. I haven't tested for audio quality. They are Chinese made but use quality silicon. Qualcomm chipset in the adapter and ST power components in the smps. They take 5V DC so likely I'll modify another USB cable and power these from official apple chargers as they have been measured elsewhere being very clean. 

 

This model has a bidirectional optic so only needs ans single fibre connection. I couldn't find a 20m single as most are doubles so just bought one and will pull apart.  

tx/rx optic pairs should have a lower bit error rate than a full duplex single optics  solution

[m5sime]

2 minutes ago, davide256 said:

tx/rx optic pairs should have a lower bit error rate than a full duplex single optics  solution

I'm not expecting issues and all seems good so far!