Good mid-price audiophile switches

[RikkiPoo]

Tangent: I had an Uptone LPS1.2 powering a EtherRegen. Replacing the Uptone Meanwell SMPS powering the LPS1.2 with a LPS cleared up some grunge. I think it was pollution from the SMPS.

In another application I replaced the wall warts for my REL Longbow wireless with iFi SMPS's, the net effect was more noise in my system. The iFi's were worse than the wall warts. I am using the iFi's on the Longbow transceivers but have them off the dedicated lines for my system. I have removed all SMPS's from my dedicated lines.

 

[CKKeung]

Edison's products are becoming more and more popular not only in HK, Mainland China and SE Asia.

After having an official dealer in Japan, the Silent Switch OCXO has just received a praising review on HiVi, one of the most important hifi & ht magazines in Japan!

 

[Magnuska]

Edison's products are becoming more and more popular not only in HK, Mainland China and SE Asia.

After having an official dealer in Japan, the Silent Switch OCXO has just received a praising review on HiVi, one of the most important hifi & ht magazines in Japan!

View attachment 77089

Thank you. Was this the normal or extreme version? Do they publish any comparision with other audiophile swtiches?

 

[audiobomber]

I recently installed a new system and I thought I would start with a "cheaper" switch to start with something until I can refine / finalize my digital side of things so I got the silent angel bonn 8 with a ifi power supply. Some claim smps work better with switch vs lpsu.

That was my experience with a TP-Link 8-port switch. I tried it with a decent Welborne Labs linear PSU and it was awful. The new iFi iPower X worked really well. I heard from a digital designer (possibly on this site?) that linear power supplies are great for analog but not fast enough for certain all-digital components.

 

[audiobomber]

Tangent: I had an Uptone LPS1.2 powering a EtherRegen. Replacing the Uptone Meanwell SMPS powering the LPS1.2 with a LPS cleared up some grunge. I think it was pollution from the SMPS.

In another application I replaced the wall warts for my REL Longbow wireless with iFi SMPS's, the net effect was more noise in my system. The iFi's were worse than the wall warts. I am using the iFi's on the Longbow transceivers but have them off the dedicated lines for my system. I have removed all SMPS's from my dedicated lines.

The iPower has a reputation for being very quiet but it is ungrounded, which can be a problem in some installations. Possibly what happened to you?

I use only linear power supplies in my main audio system but I have a few SMPS's for my network gear. There's only so much room for extra boxes under my desk.

The SMPS supplied with my internet provider modem was creating havoc in my system. I don't listen critically to internet music, only my NAS, but this SMPS in the network was causing fuzzy highs in my audio systems. Replacing it with the iFi iPower cleaned it right up.

The basic iPower is noticeably inferior to the basic linear power supplies I use, but the upgrade iPower X is much improved.

 

[RikkiPoo]

The iPower has a reputation for being very quiet but it is ungrounded, which can be a problem in some installations. Possibly what happened to you?

I use only linear power supplies in my main audio system but I have a few SMPS's for my network gear. There's only so much room for extra boxes under my desk.

The SMPS supplied with my internet provider modem was creating havoc in my system. I don't listen critically to internet music, only my NAS, but this SMPS in the network was causing fuzzy highs in my audio systems. Replacing it with the iFi iPower cleaned it right up.

The basic iPower is noticeably inferior to the basic linear power supplies I use, but the upgrade iPower X is much improved.

That may be, I don't know. It wasn't humm I was hearing. I had them on a PS Audio Powerplant P10 along with the rest of my digital gear. The P10 was on a Shunyata Denali on a dedicated line. Moving the iFi's to a non dedicated household outlet made the badness go away. I did not notice the badness with the stock wall warts but I am sure they were behaving badly also.

I have since put the P10 and the Denali each on their own dedicated line. My analog gear is still on the Denali. Definitely better with their own lines, I think the P10 was polluting the Denali.

 

[audiobomber]

IME, digital grounding issues don't hum, as they do in analog systems. Ground issues in a digital system result in high frequency grunge and compressed soundstage.

 

[_Alchemist_]

That was my experience with a TP-Link 8-port switch. I tried it with a decent Welborne Labs linear PSU and it was awful. The new iFi iPower X worked really well. I heard from a digital designer (possibly on this site?) that linear power supplies are great for analog but not fast enough for certain all-digital components.

Yeah I got the power X. I didn't do A/B comparisons yet with other power supplies but I compared it with coming out of my internet provider box which has a decent LPSU and it was much better via the switch + ifi. Concerning smps working better than LPSU for switches, I heard it several times from Hans Beekhuyzen. I find his videos informative, he tried it many times and always preferred smps. I wasn't going to spend 5/600 euros for a LPSU for a 400 euros switch. The 100 euros ifi power X fits the bill.

 

[thyname]

I may be able to offer some real life / actual owner insights on your question in a few days. I just received today the EdisCreation “Extreme“ Silent OXCO Switch. You probably read my impressions of the “Standard“ EdisCreation Switch above on this thread. I now have both of them, and will “cascade”. Not exactly your inquiry, but close.

Give me a few days to put them in play and figure things out

‘Here is a follow up on this, as promised.

Disclosure: my impressions only, not backed up by any “measurements“ or ABX blind tests.

Getting the Extreme Silent Switch from EdisCreation was an audible improvement vs. the Standard version. Although, not as much as getting the Standard switch vs. base scenario. Cascading did not do much for me. Very subtle.

So, if I were to (purely subjectively) rate ‘ quantity my experience, in a scale of Zero to Ten, where Zero is base scenario (before EdisCreation switches), and Ten is my current status, with one Standard and one Extreme Switch:

1) Going from base scenario, the EdisCreation Standard is a 7.5

2) Replacing the Standard Switch with the Extreme Switch is a 9.5

3) Putting the Standard Switch to replace the consumer base main switch in my room: 10. This is where I am now, current status.

I did do quite a bit of experiments with these.

So if I were @Magnuska who asked that question, I would just get an Extreme EdisCreation switch, and be done with it

 

[CKKeung]

‘Here is a follow up on this, as promised.

Disclosure: my impressions only, not backed up by any “measurements“ or ABX blind tests.

Getting the Extreme Silent Switch from EdisCreation was an audible improvement vs. the Standard version. Although, not as much as getting the Standard switch vs. base scenario. Cascading did not do much for me. Very subtle.

So, if I were to (purely subjectively) rate ‘ quantity my experience, in a scale of Zero to Ten, where Zero is base scenario (before EdisCreation switches), and Ten is my current status, with one Standard and one Extreme Switch:

1) Going from base scenario, the EdisCreation Standard is a 7.5

2) Replacing the Standard Switch with the Extreme Switch is a 9.5

3) Putting the Standard Switch to replace the consumer base main switch in my room: 10. This is where I am now, current status.

I did do quite a bit of experiments with these.

So if I were @Magnuska who asked that question, I would just get an Extreme EdisCreation switch, and be done with it

Thanks thyname!
I think this is the first report of comparing the two Edison switch models and their mix&match.
Very useful!

 

[timztunz]

‘Here is a follow up on this, as promised.

Disclosure: my impressions only, not backed up by any “measurements“ or ABX blind tests.

Getting the Extreme Silent Switch from EdisCreation was an audible improvement vs. the Standard version. Although, not as much as getting the Standard switch vs. base scenario. Cascading did not do much for me. Very subtle.

So, if I were to (purely subjectively) rate ‘ quantity my experience, in a scale of Zero to Ten, where Zero is base scenario (before EdisCreation switches), and Ten is my current status, with one Standard and one Extreme Switch:

1) Going from base scenario, the EdisCreation Standard is a 7.5

2) Replacing the Standard Switch with the Extreme Switch is a 9.5

3) Putting the Standard Switch to replace the consumer base main switch in my room: 10. This is where I am now, current status.

I did do quite a bit of experiments with these.

So if I were @Magnuska who asked that question, I would just get an Extreme EdisCreation switch, and be done with it

Great report, thank you. Does your Extreme have the Bybee option?

 

[pjwd]

‘Here is a follow up on this, as promised.

Disclosure: my impressions only, not backed up by any “measurements“ or ABX blind tests.

Getting the Extreme Silent Switch from EdisCreation was an audible improvement vs. the Standard version. Although, not as much as getting the Standard switch vs. base scenario. Cascading did not do much for me. Very subtle.

So, if I were to (purely subjectively) rate ‘ quantity my experience, in a scale of Zero to Ten, where Zero is base scenario (before EdisCreation switches), and Ten is my current status, with one Standard and one Extreme Switch:

1) Going from base scenario, the EdisCreation Standard is a 7.5

2) Replacing the Standard Switch with the Extreme Switch is a 9.5

3) Putting the Standard Switch to replace the consumer base main switch in my room: 10. This is where I am now, current status.

I did do quite a bit of experiments with these.

So if I were @Magnuska who asked that question, I would just get an Extreme EdisCreation switch, and be done with it

Great work Thyname!
I will be hooking up the extreme tomorrow and not thinking about this subject again
Plenty of stuff left to fret over though
Cheers
Phil

 

[thyname]

Does your Extreme have the Bybee option?

Does your Extreme have the Bybee option?

Yes it does. I did not do any modifications when I ordered the Extreme. So it comes with the Bybee. I did not open my unit up to verify

 

[Magnuska]

‘Here is a follow up on this, as promised.

Disclosure: my impressions only, not backed up by any “measurements“ or ABX blind tests.

Getting the Extreme Silent Switch from EdisCreation was an audible improvement vs. the Standard version. Although, not as much as getting the Standard switch vs. base scenario. Cascading did not do much for me. Very subtle.

So, if I were to (purely subjectively) rate ‘ quantity my experience, in a scale of Zero to Ten, where Zero is base scenario (before EdisCreation switches), and Ten is my current status, with one Standard and one Extreme Switch:

1) Going from base scenario, the EdisCreation Standard is a 7.5

2) Replacing the Standard Switch with the Extreme Switch is a 9.5

3) Putting the Standard Switch to replace the consumer base main switch in my room: 10. This is where I am now, current status.

I did do quite a bit of experiments with these.

So if I were @Magnuska who asked that question, I would just get an Extreme EdisCreation switch, and be done with it

Thank you - very informative. The extreme or standard version could be a nobrainer for many people. In my situation who already have a good switch solution (eR+Afterdark OXCO clock+ 2xLPSU) its a bit trickier. Mabye the new Phoenix will better it. For me adding the OXCO clock to my eR was like going from a 6 to a 9 in increased SQ. I was not prepared for what the good clock can do. Your edison extreme will likely sound even better as the Mundorf, and Audionote caps will need a month or so to perform its best. The same goes for the OCXO clock. There is also another strong contender in the mid field segment and that is the cascade double Buffalo 2016 from Afterdark. https://www.adark.co/products/after...lack-modernize-edition?variant=39258125795446

 

[pjwd]

Well i have complicated the assesment with a new classic psu for nagra hd dac plus a new sablon ehternet cable all installed in the last few weeks prior to edison switch but there is no doubt a big improvement in streamed music (clarity detail etc. ... all the usual)
I also think there is a slight jump in music from hard drive ... but i might be dreaming

Thanks Thyname and CK for bringing this to my attention and testing

Has anyone noticed an improvement on a higher quality ethernet from wall to switch

Phil

 

[MadFloyd]

I just added an Edison switch to my digital chain. I placed it before my EtherRegen. It was not a positive addition. Pardon my ignorance but a couple questions:

1) What is the purpose of the switches underneath each ethernet input?

2) Does the unit need break in time before it sounds good? Obviously everything benefits from break in but usually you can hear positives immediately so I'm curious.

Thanks.

 

[thyname]

I just added an Edison switch to my digital chain. I placed it before my EtherRegen. It was not a positive addition. Pardon my ignorance but a couple questions:

You probably should try it replacing the EtherREGEN

1) What is the purpose of the switches underneath each ethernet input?

You should have received a piece of paper with the package. Just one simple page that explains it. Basically, it breaks the ground connection to that port. It has two positions, ground connected and ground disconnected

2) Does the unit need break in time before it sounds good? Obviously everything benefits from break in but usually you can hear positives immediately so I'm curious.

Yes, some break in needed, but as you said, if this works for you, you should hear some improvement right away, maybe upon leaving it on for a day or two

 

[MadFloyd]

Thank you!

 

[pjwd]

Thank you!

Intersting MF ..
That seems contrary to other reports ... i wonder if switching the order might also make a difference ..
All i know is that edison compared to nothing was an immediate improvement and there may have been burn in gains since but only small

Phil

 

[RikkiPoo]

I don't have an Ediscreation but I have 3 switches. My experience was each is a further improvement. I have the ER last ( on the streamer) and found it was better there than at the beginning (off the router). Power cables and ethernet cables matter a lot, as do the power supplies for the switches. I was amazed at what the ENO-AG ethernet filter does between the ER and streamer.

I think it takes at least several days for the OCXO to start to settle. Vibration control can also be an issue for the crystals.