SOtM sNH-10G - SOtM’s first network switch

Just now, MayfromSOtM said:

Hi rickca, if I understand your question correctly, the optional sCLK-EX installation for sNH-10G means the sCLK-EX board will be installed into the sNH-10G.

 

Thank you.

Best regards, May

Of course, that's why it costs an extra $700.  I am asking whether you can install a clock connect PCB in SNH-10G and use clock points from an sCLK-EX board in another component instead of installing an sCLK-EX board in the sNH-10G itself.  If possible, it would be lower cost.

3 hours ago, rickca said:

Of course, that's why it costs an extra $700.  I am asking whether you can install a clock connect PCB in SNH-10G and use clock points from an sCLK-EX board in another component instead of installing an sCLK-EX board in the sNH-10G itself.  If possible, it would be lower cost.

I sincerely hope we'd be able to clock it (with the appropriate connections) from the extra clock points of the tX-USB Ultra or the sMS-200 Ultra...

Will the switch without the sCLK installation include an SMB connector for those of us who would like to use our tX-USBultra to re-clock the switch?  If not, how do we order this configuration, and what is the cost?  The SOtM website does not make this clear.

Knowing how May is flexible in customising devices, it wont be a problem at all.

It will be interesting to compare these new “audiophile” switches with an inexpensive (used) Cisco Catalyst. The almost new (Nov. 2017 mfg) 2960L-16PS-L I picked up for $155 totally transformed my system, and was even better than the 2010 2960’s connecting via SFP I had in place before. 

Colour me intersted in May's feedback. That's a solid question.

I've been out of the optical game (playing with FMCs) for a while now.  So dumb question: what goes into the SFP port of this switch? Some kind of transceiver, right? 

Is there a transceiver for 1Gbps that people recommend? I think I still have this FMC in a drawer somewhere: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AVRLZI . So if I use this FMC upstream of the switch, followed by a length of fiber like this one (also in my drawer): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053H51I6, what kind of transceiver would I need for the SFP port?

@austinpop you need to find a SFP tranciever that uses 850nm so it will work with the FMC.

For example this.

https://www.fs.com/de/en/products/11774.html?currency=SEK&paid=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw_b3cBRByEiwAdG8Wqk3DkjQM16HGTW5nPHU9MRFASp6jz86-e1OlHRFCe4B4ZLuMPBWMORoCJ8kQAvD_BwE

And then you need a new cable with this contact setup.

https://www.amazon.com/Meter-Multimode-Duplex-Fiber-Optic/dp/B001B1DV3K

Regarding clocking the sNH-10G internally vs externally, May believes that the best approch is clocking it internally.

It has to do with how the power is delivered to the unit and also the very nature of external connections and how they might affect the sound.

If one insists on using SMB connections, they must realise that the unit should be powered up at the same time as the sNH-10G or in advance for proper operation.

 We'll need someone to do an unbiased comparison of internal vs. external reclocking SQ.  ?

I am interested in tests optic vs standard ethernet, will optic sound better?

1 hour ago, Cooler said:

I am interested in tests optic vs standard ethernet, will optic sound better?

Optic will drop all upstream noise but add the noise of,the downstream FMC and jitter from the optic stage.  My experience is that an "audiophile" switch provides better noise reduction than optimized optic because there is still the jitter from optic.  Jitter reduces sound clarity.

Hi fellows... 

So here I am, debating whether to order the new switch and if to do the clock + master interface upgrade (I have a REF10). Putting it in context, I'm getting a sMS-200 Ultra with a master clock interfac that will feed a cascade of two MC3+USB enslaved to the REF10 (the SQ is already fantastic). So the switch is quite far upstream. 

The upgrade is costly, doubling the price. Should I? Anyone with a first hand experience?  Help me make a decision, please. 

I'm being recommended the ISO CAT6. Does it really make a difference or is it a close kin of the snake oil family? 

Thirsty for some input... 

1 hour ago, LowMidHigh said:

I'm being recommended the ISO CAT6. Does it really make a difference or is it a close kin of the snake oil family? 

 

Thirsty for some input... 

Well from photos (http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/sotm2/3.html) you can see that the iSO-CAT6 is a passive device based on an Ethernet transformer module which is surrounded by a network capacitors and diodes.

So while that is not active full digital isolation, it likely has the effect of providing additional blocking of leakage—beyond that provided by the transformers present at every Ethernet port.

BTW, according to someone here at CA who met with the SOtM engineer at a recent show, their sNH-100G switch is based on the iSO-CAT6 tech.

Hope that helps a little.

2 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Well from photos (http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/sotm2/3.html) you can see that the iSO-CAT6 is a passive device based on an Ethernet transformer module which is surrounded by a network capacitors and diodes.

So while that is not active full digital isolation, it likely has the effect of providing additional blocking of leakage—beyond that provided by the transformers present at every Ethernet port.

 

BTW, according to someone here at CA who met with the SOtM engineer at a recent show, their sNH-100G switch is based on the iSO-CAT6 tech.

 

Hope that helps a little.

Indeed it does! I'm impressed you're kind to the competition...I may still get your new switch if it becomes available in the next few months.

A fellow-up question, if I may: Do I place the iSO-CAT6 between the router and the switch, or between the switch and the sMS-200?

Thanks!

29 minutes ago, LowMidHigh said:

 

A fellow-up question, if I may: Do I place the iSO-CAT6 between the router and the switch, or between the switch and the sMS-200?

You'd want your best LAN cable after the switch in order to preserve the signal reaching your endpoint or DAC as much as possible.

I'm also considering this switch but am undecided.

Be intrigued to hear how you get on as I also have a clocked signal and the switch would be upstream.

Cheers,

Alan

Mine will be arriving in about 2 weeks. I ordered the sNH-10G with clock, 75 ohm input and good bits from Crux. 

It will be interesting to compare to the Cisco SG200-08 which already sounds superb.

Just now, tedwoods said:

Mine arrived today !!!

First impressions: huge dynamics and everything sounds like it's been newly remastered!

What is your power source?

1 minute ago, auricgoldfinger said:

 

What is your power source?

s-booster 9V

7 minutes ago, romaz said:

Could this switch sound 80-90% as good without the sCLK-EX board at nearly 50% of the price?  As I have never tried this switch without the sCLK-EX board, I am left only to speculate.

Are you able to speculate on the result of using this switch without the sCLK-EX but instead using a clock point (via SMB) from a tX-USBultra that is re-clocked by an OCX10?  Are there any issues you can foresee with this approach?

I would be most grateful for your thoughts.

1 hour ago, romaz said:

I've had my sNH-10G switch for a few weeks now.  Mine has the sCLK-EX board, Evox caps, OCC silver DC leads and 75-ohm master clock input.  All told, just under $2k and so pretty expensive.  With high cost comes high expectations but this one does not disappoint.  As posted on another thread, this one is a dynamics monster and behaves almost like a gain stage.  But not just better dynamics, detail articulation, tonal richness, and noise floor are significantly better.  

 

Powered with the sPS-500, it sounds very good but with my SR7, it sounds several notches better.  This switch really scales to a better PSU even with the ultra clean regulation that is already built into this unit.

 

Regarding the iSO-CAT6 tech that is incorporated into this switch, I own an iSO-CAT6 LAN isolator and I would say it makes a subtle difference at best and is almost disappointing.  It is another example that the impact of leakage current is variable from system to system but overall, my experience is that the impact of leakage current is overblown.  What I will say is the impact of this switch is not subtle at all.  This is not just about adding an iSO-CAT6 to this switch.  Having owned/tested many SOtM products, this is easily the most impactful of their products that I have tried in my system and in my case, well worth what I spent for it.  I find it more impactful than my tX-USBultra even though the tX-USBultra connects directly to my DAC and so I find this to be a remarkable feat.

 

Does higher level clocking impact this card?  Yes, when connected to my REF10, there is greater refinement with a slightly more open sound stage and better timbre but a master clock is more of a finishing touch rather than a must have.  This switch sounds very very good without the REF10.  It leads me to wonder how important clocking is for this switch as I have never heard clocking result in such improvement in dynamics.  Could this switch sound 80-90% as good without the sCLK-EX board at nearly 50% of the price?  As I have never tried this switch without the sCLK-EX board, I am left only to speculate.

 

Here is another significant benefit afforded by this switch.  Some are aware of how I am using this switch between a noisy, high-power Roon server and a low-power NUC endpoint and I have to say that this switch has basically the same level of impact as the NUC itself.  Well, these benefits apply to video also.  Using a TIVO Bolt as my video server and a TIVO Mini 4K VOX as my video renderer, I noticed a significant uptick in both video and sound quality when I power my TIVO Mini 4k VOX with an LPS-1.2.  This is a wonderful application of the LPS-1.2.  However, when I place the sNH-10G switch between the TIVO Bolt and the TIVO Mini 4K VOX, the improvement in both video and sound quality is even greater.  Video clarity and sound dynamics are better but especially noticeable is that dialog is clearer and better articulated.  With this inexpensive ($179) TIVO Mini 4K VOX powered by an LPS-1.2, connected to the sNH-10G switch, connected to my Chord M-Scaler/DAVE via optical and to my 4K projector via optical HDMI, this very easily surpasses what I was getting from my tricked out Oppo UDP-205 with OCXO and upgraded linear power supplies.

A stellar review. Thank you. I'm still going to wait for up-and-coming UpTone. They swear it'll be the bee knees at 1/3rd of the price.