Network Acoustics - Tempus network switch

[ssfas]

I guessed correctly on the Master fuse, per Andy, a top person at SR:
"Yes, we always use Master fuses in the switches we use in our reference room and at shows. It’s been universally beneficial in every setup we have done so far."
I have an SR switch on the way with that fuse and upgraded Euphoria SX AC cable. I really liked the Euphoria SX AC cable on my ground block where it made a large difference. Vangelis, do you think you had the stock AC cable on your SR Switch? I ruled out Dejitter It SwitchX due to higher power draw and concerns about climate change. Does anyone know the power draw of the Tempus? I hope to buy a smaller Microtik or other switch to front the audio switch and use vlans to separate the broadcast traffic, but first need to decide on a new house router.

The Ubiquiti switch arrived (next day delivery) and is installed.By adding this controller (about $100) it allows you to set up a wired VLAN and completely isolate your music traffic from the rest of the main network. I already have a reclocking switch just behind my server.

If you are worried about climate change, the reclocking/jitter audiophile switch I have uses a 12v/1A linear power supply. So if the world catches fire, don't blame me.


I was looking at a site that measures routers and switches.

A (very!) deep dive into network switches- listening and measuring

Fiber VS Copper Contents 1. Intro2. Cisco 110D-053. Cisco Meraki MS220P4. Dlink 1210 managed switch5. Dlink DGS-1086. Edimax ES5500G-V37. LHY audio switch8. Netgear GS108E9. Pura Amonite10. TP-Link SF1008D11. TXE064 PoE switch12. Fiber VS Copper13. Is there a connection?14. CommentsReaders and...

www.alpha-audio.net

Contrast with the guy from GTT and his SwitchX. Would trust him as far as I could throw him, and he's a big lad. Just trashes cheap products for no good reason, but measured some are bad and some like the Netgear GS108E measure very well, and it costs £36.

What is more interesting is that the load on the connection is really irrelevant. In this test copper (blue) v. fibre loaded (pink)and no load (yellow), all the benefit comes from fibre, whether loaded with data or not makes no difference.

 

[jasond]

I am still deciding between SR Pink or SR Master as a fuse upgrade to the NA Tempus. But most likely it will be the SR Master.

 

[Vangelis]

I am still deciding between SR Pink or SR Master as a fuse upgrade to the NA Tempus. But most likely it will be the SR Master.

What’s the fuse size in the Tempus? I pulled the fuse to look at it and forgot to write down the spec. I remember it’s a Slow T 5x20 but recall if it was 2 or 2.5 A.

 

[luca.pelliccioli]

What’s the fuse size in the Tempus? I pulled the fuse to look at it and forgot to write down the spec. I remember it’s a Slow T 5x20 but recall if it was 2 or 2.5 A.

Don't want to put you under pressure but… what’s your thoughts about the Tempus compared to PhoenixNET after your first days of listenings? Thank you, I’m curious…

 

[Network Acoustics]

What’s the fuse size in the Tempus? I pulled the fuse to look at it and forgot to write down the spec. I remember it’s a Slow T 5x20 but recall if it was 2 or 2.5 A.

Just to confirm; the tempus hybrid PSU uses a 5mm x 20mm/ 2.5a/ 250v standard fast blow fuse

 

[nyev]

I’ve had my Tempus just over 30 days now and I’m very, very happy with it. I also purchased a Muon Pro and two “Network Streaming Cables” which look very cool, and are very light and flexible. Wasn’t sure about the Tempus at first as it does require some run-in time. I initially had some issues with the image being unfocused but that issue resolved after 18 days. Also, I was playing the same album (Kind of Blue) on repeat, and it occurred to me late in the process that my Innuos Zenith Mk3 may be caching the album and music may not be “flowing” through the Tempus.

The Tempus with the Muon Pro has replaced my Innuos PhoenixNET which I also have found to be fantastic. Keep in mind I don’t use the following descriptors to say one is better than the other, but rather just pointing out differences. The Tempus is smoother, more refined, with a wider as deeper soundstage. Images are more consistently distributed within the soundstage. The PhoenixNET is excellent in these areas as well but with the Muon Pro which of course adds considerable cost, the Tempus threw a slightly wider stage with consistently distributed images (slightly less clustered). But I found the PhoenixNET to be more direct, more rhythmic, and with just a hair more high frequency sizzle that actually works well in my particular system. Keep in mind I was using the Muon Pro with the Tempus so it had an advantage over the PhoenixNET at a significantly higher total cost. Is the Tempus and Muon Pro (I group them together as they are additive and I feel like owners of the Tempus will end up with both in their systems) worth the added cost over the PhoenixNET? Hard to say for everyone but for me I’m very happy with the NA gear, and I look forward to future NA products (what an innovative company with a focused vision; we need more like this!). I had the opportunity to return the gear in 30 days if I wasn’t satisfied and I kept everything. The Network Streaming cables also matched my system well with a transparent yet very balanced and fleshed-out sound. But at the end of the day, I’d readily recommend either the PhoenixNET or Tempus for those seeking a premium switch (ok I know they can get way more extreme and pricey than this…). I think it’s one of those things that comes down to taste and system matching, and also, sonic priorities.

Regarding fuses: After a year, I tried replacing my Synergistic Purple Fuses in 4 of my components (the Tempus has been stock only) back to the stock fuses, one by one. Each time I went to stock, I got a bit more direct sound with a touch more bite, and a hair more air and space. A bit more towards the sound of the PhoenixNET’s sonic signature actually. But not better or worse, just different, which was unexpected! In the end I preferred the sound of my system with two of the 4 Synergistic Purple fuses in my system replaced with their stock fuses. But the biggest surprise was that the difference between the stock fuses and the Synergistic Purple fuses were not as big as I had led myself to believe. Based on the impact on sound that seems to be consistent from component to component, I don’t have any urge to make my Tempus more full bodied by switching out its stock fuse.

My results only of course and really only applies to my set of components! Which includes a Mola Mola Makua preamp with an embedded Tambaqui DAC and phono, a Gryphon Essence stereo amp, Audiovector R6 Arrete’s, an Innuos Zenith Mk 3, an Innuos PhoenixUSB reclocker, Audioquest Dragon power cables, Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker cables, a Townshend platform under my amp (amazing!) and Herbie’s tender feet under other components.

 

[luca.pelliccioli]

Thanks for sharing, very interesting. Have you had the chance to test the PhoenixNET WITH the MuonPro together? Or the Tempus without the MuonPro. Just to compare apple to apple the two switches. Curious to understand better the differences, sonically speaking.

 

[nyev]

Yes, I did test the PhoenixNET with and without the Muon Pro. The Muon Pro helped a bit (I think). Not as much as with the Tempus though. As I understand, it may be to do with the bit rate of the Phoenixnet not fully utilizing the Muon Pro.

 

[jasond]

Yes going completely full bandwith helped in my system too

 

[orange55]

Yes going completely full bandwith helped in my system too

Are you able to explain what is meant by this? “Full bandwidth”?

Thanks.

 

[jasond]

Are you able to explain what is meant by this? “Full bandwidth”?

Thanks.

Meaning 1Gb/s in your network setup. For example EtherRegen or 1st gen ENO and still a few currently released filters only support 100mb/s.

 

[orange55]

Meaning 1Gb/s in your network setup. For example EtherRegen or 1st gen ENO and still a few currently released filters only support 100mb/s.

Great. I am already there.

 

[nyev]

From what I’ve been told, going to 1,000 Gbps in and of itself won’t improve anything over 100 Mbps. However, if using filters that support 1Gbps alongside other equipment that supports only 100 Mbps (for example a network switch), the performance of that filter may be capped.

With my NA gear, including the Tempus and the Muon Pro, my dealer who spoke with NA told me not to bother increasing my internet service beyond 500 Mbps.

None of this fully makes sense to me and I’m not sure of the statements above; this is simply what I’ve been told, some of which came from my dealer and some from NA through my dealer.

Maybe Network Acoustics could chime in on this topic to offer some clarity?

 

[PYP]

From what I’ve been told, going to 1,000 Gbps in and of itself won’t improve anything over 100 Mbps. However, if using filters that support 1Gbps alongside other equipment that supports only 100 Mbps (for example a network switch), the performance of that filter may be capped.

With my NA gear, including the Tempus and the Muon Pro, my dealer who spoke with NA told me not to bother increasing my internet service beyond 500 Mbps.

None of this fully makes sense to me and I’m not sure of the statements above; this is simply what I’ve been told, some of which came from my dealer and some from NA through my dealer.

Maybe Network Acoustics could chime in on this topic to offer some clarity?

the 1Gbps vs 100 Mbps is an interesting area where switch manufacturers disagree. Two competitors think 100 Mbps sounds best. They do all agree that an excellent power supply is needed (sometimes included in the same case as the switch -- easy to see counterarguments for that approach). I wonder if there really is a one-size-fits-all solution. If not, what variables would the potential buyer consider?

 

[PYP]

The Ubiquiti switch arrived (next day delivery) and is installed.By adding this controller (about $100) it allows you to set up a wired VLAN and completely isolate your music traffic from the rest of the main network. I already have a reclocking switch just behind my server.

If you are worried about climate change, the reclocking/jitter audiophile switch I have uses a 12v/1A linear power supply. So if the world catches fire, don't blame me.
View attachment 130047

I was looking at a site that measures routers and switches.

A (very!) deep dive into network switches- listening and measuring

Fiber VS Copper Contents 1. Intro2. Cisco 110D-053. Cisco Meraki MS220P4. Dlink 1210 managed switch5. Dlink DGS-1086. Edimax ES5500G-V37. LHY audio switch8. Netgear GS108E9. Pura Amonite10. TP-Link SF1008D11. TXE064 PoE switch12. Fiber VS Copper13. Is there a connection?14. CommentsReaders and...

www.alpha-audio.net

Contrast with the guy from GTT and his SwitchX. Would trust him as far as I could throw him, and he's a big lad. Just trashes cheap products for no good reason, but measured some are bad and some like the Netgear GS108E measure very well, and it costs £36.

What is more interesting is that the load on the connection is really irrelevant. In this test copper (blue) v. fibre loaded (pink)and no load (yellow), all the benefit comes from fibre, whether loaded with data or not makes no difference.

View attachment 130124

@ssfas How difficult is it to setup the Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway Lite UXG-Lite for a newbie? I looked at the manual and the actual connections are easy, but I have no sense whether the Ubiquiti app requires that one's modem is a Ubiquiti. If it doesn't, seems like the first step would be to find out if the ISP's modem allows VLANs. Would the VLAN be configured via logging into the modem's setting and not the Ubiquiti Gateway's app?

In my setup, only the hifi is wired (in-wall copper ethernet). All other devices are connected via wifi.

 

[Network Acoustics]

From what I’ve been told, going to 1,000 Gbps in and of itself won’t improve anything over 100 Mbps. However, if using filters that support 1Gbps alongside other equipment that supports only 100 Mbps (for example a network switch), the performance of that filter may be capped.

With my NA gear, including the Tempus and the Muon Pro, my dealer who spoke with NA told me not to bother increasing my internet service beyond 500 Mbps.

None of this fully makes sense to me and I’m not sure of the statements above; this is simply what I’ve been told, some of which came from my dealer and some from NA through my dealer.

Maybe Network Acoustics could chime in on this topic to offer some clarity?

@nyev thank you for your question and we totally understand how advice regarding home network speeds and ISP speeds can appear a bit contradictory.

Quoted ISP speed is the maximum speed that data will be delivered into your home from the Internet. Your home network speed (or LAN speed) is the maximum speed that data will pass through your home network. All routers/switches/streamers/Music servers, indeed all devices on your network, have built-in memory to store/buffer data from the network. Therefore data can come into your home at one speed, and be buffered by the router/switch, and then passed onto the next device at another speed. There is no need to match the local home network speed to the ISP speed as the devices on the network's buffer memories handle all that. The important thing is to make sure the ISP (internet) speed is sufficient to handle all the data you wish to use in the home simultaneously. So if you wish to stream HD music while at the same time three other members of the household are streaming UHD TV, you have to make sure the ISP speed can handle that.

From a technical perspective 100Mb/s provides more than sufficient data capacity in order to stream Hi-Res music, but our listening tests have repeatedly proven that when listening to the same streamers and servers, they universally perform better with data running across the network at 1Gb/s compared to when running data at 100Mb/s.

With 1Gb/s, the data is sent in short bursts, whereas with 100Mb/s the same data is sent in longer bursts, so there's more network activity for a longer time, making the signal more susceptible to network noise.

Our experience is that music modern streamers and servers do sound better with our products at 1GB local network speed, rather than 100Mb. It's for this reason we have moved from 100mb/s to 1GB/s designs with all our ethernet products. This is not to say if you have a switch or cable which is 4-wire 100mb/s, that you wont benefit from using our Filter's because you will but partnering them with 1Gb/s capable switches and 8 wire cables will give you an even bigger improvement in performance.

We hope this helps and thank you, we very much appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on our products. Please dont hesitate to come back to us either here or directly info@networkacoustics.com if you have further questions.

NA

 

[LeBlanc]

From a technical perspective 100Mb/s provides more than sufficient data capacity in order to stream Hi-Res music, but our listening tests have repeatedly proven that when listening to the same streamers and servers, they universally perform better with data running across the network at 1Gb/s compared to when running data at 100Mb/s.

With 1Gb/s, the data is sent in short bursts, whereas with 100Mb/s the same data is sent in longer bursts, so there's more network activity for a longer time, making the signal more susceptible to network noise.

Our experience is that music modern streamers and servers do sound better with our products at 1GB local network speed, rather than 100Mb. It's for this reason we have moved from 100mb/s to 1GB/s designs with all our ethernet products. This is not to say if you have a switch or cable which is 4-wire 100mb/s, that you wont benefit from using our Filter's because you will but partnering them with 1Gb/s capable switches and 8 wire cables will give you an even bigger improvement in performance.

We hope this helps and thank you, we very much appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on our products. Please dont hesitate to come back to us either here or directly info@networkacoustics.com if you have further questions.

NA

Interesting finding. Out of curiosity: was this conclusion solely based on NA listening tests and is the difference in susceptibility to network noise only a hypothesis so far, or was the lower noise measured as well?

 

[Network Acoustics]

Interesting finding. Out of curiosity: was this conclusion solely based on NA listening tests and is the difference in susceptibility to network noise only a hypothesis so far, or was the lower noise measured as well?

Everything we do in trying to optimise our home LAN networks and digital equipment is aimed at getting the cleanest and most accurately timed 'clock' signal possible at the Digital to Analogue Converter. The DAC is incredibly sensitive to fluctuations in the timing of the clock signal that is used to tell the DAC exactly when to convert the incoming digital code into a voltage. Fluctuations in the clock signal timing can easily be heard, but measuring them is a very difficult thing to do. This video shows the effect of using our Muon Pro Ethernet filter on the DAC clock signal, and demonstrates how difficult and costly this is to measure. It is much much simpler to just listen. Our ears are more sensitive than the most advanced test equipment, and to us at NA, the listening experience is more important to our product development than a measurement graph. Thank you for your question we hope this helps. NA

 

[Frankie67]

Everything we do in trying to optimise our home LAN networks and digital equipment is aimed at getting the cleanest and most accurately timed 'clock' signal possible at the Digital to Analogue Converter. The DAC is incredibly sensitive to fluctuations in the timing of the clock signal that is used to tell the DAC exactly when to convert the incoming digital code into a voltage. Fluctuations in the clock signal timing can easily be heard, but measuring them is a very difficult thing to do. This video shows the effect of using our Muon Pro Ethernet filter on the DAC clock signal, and demonstrates how difficult and costly this is to measure. It is much much simpler to just listen. Our ears are more sensitive than the most advanced test equipment, and to us at NA, the listening experience is more important to our product development than a measurement graph. Thank you for your question we hope this helps. NA

Hi guys. I’ve been reading this thread with great interest.

My current digital chain is composed as follows: Fiber Optic Ethernet >>> Vodafone Modem (with a linear Plixir PSU and Entreq ground box) >>> ENTREQ KONSTANTIN ETHERNET cable (18 m) (grounded with an Olympus Ten Tungsten ground box / Eartha Silver cable) >>> Reiki Audio Optical Fiber switch >>> optical cable >>> SOtM sNH-10G Ethernet switch (grounded on Enter ground box and power by Plixir PSU) >>> ENTREQ KONSTANTIN REVELATION cable (1,65 m) >>> dCS Vivaldi Upsampler. A Roon Nucleus (with a linear Plixir PSU) is attached to the Vodafone Modem.

I am thinking to replace the SoTM switch with a new more efficient switch, as long as I can ground it. What would you recommend?

Thanks,
/F.

 

[Network Acoustics]

Hi guys. I’ve been reading this thread with great interest.

My current digital chain is composed as follows: Fiber Optic Ethernet >>> Vodafone Modem (with a linear Plixir PSU and Entreq ground box) >>> ENTREQ KONSTANTIN ETHERNET cable (18 m) (grounded with an Olympus Ten Tungsten ground box / Eartha Silver cable) >>> Reiki Audio Optical Fiber switch >>> optical cable >>> SOtM sNH-10G Ethernet switch (grounded on Enter ground box and power by Plixir PSU) >>> ENTREQ KONSTANTIN REVELATION cable (1,65 m) >>> dCS Vivaldi Upsampler. A Roon Nucleus (with a linear Plixir PSU) is attached to the Vodafone Modem.

I am thinking to replace the SoTM switch with a new more efficient switch, as long as I can ground it. What would you recommend?

Thanks,
/F.

@Frankie67 thank you for the question we will contact you directly with some suggestions NA