Audiophile Network Switches for Streaming ... really ?

[miktec]

Well done on taking the time to look at the new switch but I see no gold plated connectors on the back of the new Melco S100 Mk2 switch.

https://www.thespeakershacks.co.uk/2021/05/melco-s100-audiophile-data-switch-review.html

“Like the N100 that I just reviewed the S100 is the same width and depth but this unit finished in brushed silver, it looks and feels so well built with added vabration dampening and shielding, it came with Melco Audio’s own network cable which has gold plated connectors.”

.. unfortunately the blog doesn't allow linking to the large format pic - but I'm sure you have eyes and can read the text of the review...

As your tag team buddy likes to say ..... 'Priceless'
(or actually two thousand smackers )


My pleasure

 

[flutteringwow]

https://www.thespeakershacks.co.uk/2021/05/melco-s100-audiophile-data-switch-review.html

“Like the N100 that I just reviewed the S100 is the same width and depth but this unit finished in brushed silver, it looks and feels so well built with added vabration dampening and shielding, it came with Melco Audio’s own network cable which has gold plated connectors.”

.. unfortunately the blog doesn't allow linking to the large format pic - but I'm sure you have eyes and can read the text of the review...

As your tag team buddy likes to say ..... 'Priceless'
(or actually two thousand smackers )


My pleasure

Just to clarify;

You wrote

It must be really great - even the plastic bodied RJ45 connector is gold plated !! - like off of eBay luxury cables !!"

'It' being the S100 switch,which was the subject of the post you responded to, not about any accessories as they were not mentioned in said post.

So while your attempt at mockery has backfired this time, as has before, it's certainly provided some laughs, and I and no doubt others thank you for that. That's how it rolls as you say.

I enjoy your thorough interest in the thread you declared as dead multiple pages ago though. It seems each evening you jump on board for more till bedtime.

 

[miktec]

Just to clarify;

You wrote



'It' being the S100 switch,which was the subject of the post you responded to, not about any accessories as they were not mentioned in said post.

So while your attempt at mockery has backfired this time, as has before, it's certainly provided some laughs, and I and no doubt others thank you for that. That's how it rolls as you say.

I enjoy your thorough interest in the thread you declared as dead multiple pages ago though. It seems each evening you jump on board for more.

Yada yada yada ..... you lost - suck it up

 

[flutteringwow]

Yada yada yada ..... you lost - suck it up

While that isn't true, as shown above, is there something to lose? or win? Is that your motivation? It certainly isn't mine, nor I imagine it is @Fourlegs or @TheFlash either.

 

[miktec]

While that isn't true, as shown above, is there something to lose? or win? Is that your motivation? It certainly isn't mine, nor I imagine it is @Fourlegs or @TheFlash either.

Aww - and you were so happy when you thought you had scored a point ... never mind

 

[flutteringwow]

Aww - and you were so happy when you thought you had scored a point ... never mind

No, I just pointed out your failure which I felt was needed as you present yourself as a person that enjoys mocking others.

Still it's not a source of happiness for me, life enrichment comes in very different ways for me. Enjoyment isn't happiness, its merely an element that can create it, depending on other variables. You were able to measure happiness remotely though? Do you have a graph?

 

[sq225917]

I'm really beginning to feel like I'm missing out by not having a network between my music files and dac....

 

[Fourlegs]

While that isn't true, as shown above, is there something to lose? or win? Is that your motivation? It certainly isn't mine, nor I imagine it is @Fourlegs or @TheFlash either.

Exactly, it is bewildering why some, with so little interest in the thread subject matter, never the less spend so much time and effort posting (cheap jibes) in here. I suppose the sun is over the yardarm so that might explain a little bit.

 

[flutteringwow]

Exactly, it is bewildering why some, with so little interest in the thread subject matter, never the less spend so much time and effort posting (cheap jibes) in here. I suppose the sun is over the yardarm so that might explain a little bit.

I certainly believe there is an amount of psychological profiling that can be done on folk like that, but it seems only subconscious bias is allowed in such circles. Still, I enjoy your commentary on these things, as I know others do, so please don't stop giving your reviews of your kit and ideas etc.

 

[garyi]

Aww - and you were so happy when you thought you had scored a point ... never mind

Would you not be better quoting your posts so we don't think you are insane shouting to yourself?

 

[chiily]

It says that it's a proper audio switch, so it must be decent I guess.

Oh, and I did try my old TP link switch last night as the last hop to my PI streamer (I mean, am I okay with a PI streamer or does the noise on the ethernet leak on to the DAC, I need to know?). I took the audio out of of the streamer, compared it to before and after and there was nothing there. It was relief I can tell you.

 

[chiily]

Exactly, it is bewildering why some, with so little interest in the thread subject matter, never the less spend so much time and effort posting (cheap jibes) in here. I suppose the sun is over the yardarm so that might explain a little bit.

It's cheap jibes because, honestly it is so simple to capture the sound and compare. As people who say there is a difference in the sound of switches, "just try it for yourself", so try recording and compare.

And I do have a real interest in the subject of this thread, more in the human psyche than anything else TBH.

 

[chiily]

I'm really beginning to feel like I'm missing out by not having a network between my music files and dac....

According to the blurb on the switch you're missing out on data integrity.

 

[Fourlegs]

According to the blurb on the switch you're missing out on data integrity.

I’ve just had a look at the Melco web site and cannot see that in their blurb but I did have a look at the HiFiPig review of the Mk1 versions of the S100 switch and saw this which seemed to ring a few bells from what has been seen in this thread . . . (Out of interest I have mentioned that I have been trying the ADOT and hope to have time over the next week or so to compare it to other ‘non audiophile’ brands such as Perle which are on their way to me). Anyway, this is an extract from HiFiPig.

CONCLUSION
“The differences between the Melco S100 and a £1,000 switch like RANS-1 or the EE 16Switch, were not night and day, as it was for me moving from the original TP link switch, up to the Silent Angel, but they certainly added to my enjoyment of listening to music. As you can read in my review of the ADOT MC-01 fibre optic converter, the S100 has more to offer when fed via its SFP (Small Form-factor Plugable) input.

Following my previous reviews of audiophile network switches, I have seen many, sometimes heated, comments on social media from people who are unable to accept such devices can make any difference, even suggesting it’s all in the mind. I challenge anyone to listen to what the Melco S100 or the combination of S100 and ADOT MC-01 can do, in a system like mine, and not hear the improvements I have described. These two products have really improved my enjoyment of my system to a significant degree.

Whilst the S100, with its supplied PSU, gave a worthwhile, but not enormous upgrade over the Russ Andrews RANS-1 in my system (though at a cost), I feel this only tells part of the story in that the S100 has considerable potential to upgrade, via the addition of a high quality Linear PSU, or of course the ADOT MC-01 Fibre Optic kit.”

 

[chiily]

I’ve just had a look at the Melco web site and cannot see that in their blurb but I did have a look at the HiFiPig review of the Mk1 versions of the S100 switch and saw this which seemed to ring a few bells from what has been seen in this thread . . . (Out of interest I have mentioned that I have been trying the ADOT and hope to have time over the next week or so to compare it to other ‘non audiophile’ brands such as Perle which are on their way to me). Anyway, this is an extract from HiFiPig.

CONCLUSION
“The differences between the Melco S100 and a £1,000 switch like RANS-1 or the EE 16Switch, were not night and day, as it was for me moving from the original TP link switch, up to the Silent Angel, but they certainly added to my enjoyment of listening to music. As you can read in my review of the ADOT MC-01 fibre optic converter, the S100 has more to offer when fed via its SFP (Small Form-factor Plugable) input.

Following my previous reviews of audiophile network switches, I have seen many, sometimes heated, comments on social media from people who are unable to accept such devices can make any difference, even suggesting it’s all in the mind. I challenge anyone to listen to what the Melco S100 or the combination of S100 and ADOT MC-01 can do, in a system like mine, and not hear the improvements I have described. These two products have really improved my enjoyment of my system to a significant degree.

Whilst the S100, with its supplied PSU, gave a worthwhile, but not enormous upgrade over the Russ Andrews RANS-1 in my system (though at a cost), I feel this only tells part of the story in that the S100 has considerable potential to upgrade, via the addition of a high quality Linear PSU, or of course the ADOT MC-01 Fibre Optic kit.”

"The S100 has been built from the ground up as a proper audio switch, not an off the shelf IT accessory the S100 puts priority on sound quality and data integrity, whereas IT put all the emphasis on speed and throughput."

Obvs for IT the priority is not on data integrity. Really, come on now...when was the last time your Word doc was corrupted by TCP? Switch or PC or whatever on a network, use the same protocol the data integrity is the same.

It is marketing blurb and FUD.

Buy this switch else the data to your DAC is fubar.

Hence my interest in the human psyche with marketing, pre biasing, perception and peer confirmation.

 

[Fourlegs]

Whatever.

I have a full day of work tomorrow so enjoyable as this discourse might appear I will bow out and get some shut eye.

 

[gustavm]

The bits all get there via a standard IT switch, but they aren't caressed lovingly as they pass though in the way they are with a Melco!

 

[TheFlash]

And likewise, he heard it with his own ears, so it must be true

What other truth is there?

 

[kernow]

As soon as I saw "Russ Andrews" I couldn't take the rest of the post seriously tbh

 

[chiily]

I’ve just had a look at the Melco web site and cannot see that in their blurb but I did have a look at the HiFiPig review of the Mk1 versions of the S100 switch and saw this which seemed to ring a few bells from what has been seen in this thread . . . (Out of interest I have mentioned that I have been trying the ADOT and hope to have time over the next week or so to compare it to other ‘non audiophile’ brands such as Perle which are on their way to me). Anyway, this is an extract from HiFiPig.

CONCLUSION
“The differences between the Melco S100 and a £1,000 switch like RANS-1 or the EE 16Switch, were not night and day, as it was for me moving from the original TP link switch, up to the Silent Angel, but they certainly added to my enjoyment of listening to music. As you can read in my review of the ADOT MC-01 fibre optic converter, the S100 has more to offer when fed via its SFP (Small Form-factor Plugable) input.

Following my previous reviews of audiophile network switches, I have seen many, sometimes heated, comments on social media from people who are unable to accept such devices can make any difference, even suggesting it’s all in the mind. I challenge anyone to listen to what the Melco S100 or the combination of S100 and ADOT MC-01 can do, in a system like mine, and not hear the improvements I have described. These two products have really improved my enjoyment of my system to a significant degree.

Whilst the S100, with its supplied PSU, gave a worthwhile, but not enormous upgrade over the Russ Andrews RANS-1 in my system (though at a cost), I feel this only tells part of the story in that the S100 has considerable potential to upgrade, via the addition of a high quality Linear PSU, or of course the ADOT MC-01 Fibre Optic kit.”

In the review it is still back to us chaps "accepting" that there is a change because a decent chap reviewed the switch. I know you probably can't see it the way I see it, but truthfully, and I'm not being sarcastic, I can't see it your way until there's some imperical evidence, rather than somebody says. Only because I would rather have something that "genuinely" changes the music signal rather than something that is perceived to do so. I know that sounds quite foolish to say and you would say have a listen and I should have a listen, but as soon as someone says "have a listen cos it is better than the one before" there is an immediate expectation of improvement. As would a favourable review, an advert, an unfavorable review, whatever the cue is it will influence. Some people I'm sure some people can control that in themselves (really?), by measuring all that influence is removed.

It is as simple as that.