Network Acoustics - Tempus network switch

A tempus landed here a little over an hour ago. I honestly can’t believe that a switch could have such a profound impact - especially in the terms of realism. Unbelievable.
 
A tempus landed here a little over an hour ago. I honestly can’t believe that a switch could have such a profound impact - especially in the terms of realism. Unbelievable.
Got that Veridion Discover PC on it?
 
Got that Veridion Discover PC on it?
Yes that’s what’s powering it. A Veridion Discovery Ethernet cable exits it as well. Fiber is incoming but more Discover has been purchased to replace the fiber.
 
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Yes that’s what’s powering it. A Veridion Discovery Ethernet cable exits it as well. Fiber is incoming but more Discover has been purchased to replace the fiber.
I have found NA's streaming cables, which BTW are no joke, really excel when paired with eno2, muon pro or Tempus.
 
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I have found NA's streaming cables, which BTW are no joke, really excel when paired with eno2, muon pro or Tempus.
I am sure they are excellent. What one gets from a $250 investment in a Discovery Veridion is astonishing though. I found that I preferred it to a Shunyata Sigma. At some point I may still want to try one of NA’s streaming cables.
 
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A tempus landed here a little over an hour ago. I honestly can’t believe that a switch could have such a profound impact - especially in the terms of realism. Unbelievable.
is it the only switch in your setup for this test?
 
A tempus landed here a little over an hour ago. I honestly can’t believe that a switch could have such a profound impact - especially in the terms of realism. Unbelievable.
Is this just with the Tempus? No additional filters?
 
Is this just with the Tempus? No additional filters?
Yes just tempus with no additional filters. Fiber feeds the tempus though so there is some isolation.
 
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The switch I just replaced (ER) had an unfair advantage. This may strike many of you as unbelievable, but the QSA Lanedri DC extension cable that was offered for a short time at $1000 delivered one of the biggest bangs for the buck I have ever heard from any cable. This extension cable has female barrel connector on one end male on the other. I think it’s 2.5mm but not sure but it fits the tempus perfectly. Despite it bringing a big lift to the ER, I left it off to the side with the tempus as I wanted to get a good feel for the stock unit while also letting the tempus settle in a few days at least. Last night I finally opted to toss it in.

Probably a bit cruel on my part to mention this extension since it’s no longer available and nothing has replaced it at that price - the latest iteration is 4x as expensive. What I can say though is that this extension cable has made me even more impressed with the tempus. Don’t ask me to explain what the QSA treatment actually does but my take on it is that it actually reduces impedance somehow. That’s critically important with digital gear and a big reason why power supplies are so important. I know how silly it is to toss out a percentage increase as every listener perceives things differently, but to my ears tossing in that extension cable improved every area the tempus improved by another 20-30% - especially in regards to transparency and clarity. As great as the tempus is, it would appear that it can even scale further, which boggles my mind. What an insane hobby we have.
 
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Daisy chain two Tempus give me a superb result !
 
I have been going around on the idea of a new switch. Streamed music as is, is not much different than what I get from HQ player, with or without the ethernet cable plugged in. I have tried this. That to me means adding better and better network equipment isn't going to make my streaming much better as its already very close to my stored files. Only a transport might up the whole experience. Correct?
 
I have been going around on the idea of a new switch. Streamed music as is, is not much different than what I get from HQ player, with or without the ethernet cable plugged in. I have tried this. That to me means adding better and better network equipment isn't going to make my streaming much better as its already very close to my stored files. Only a transport might up the whole experience. Correct?

What is your current setup? I'm assuming laptop/PC using HQ Player / streaming service directly via USB to your DAC?

If so, you'll be better served by a streamer than network devices, yes.
 
What is your current setup? I'm assuming laptop/PC using HQ Player / streaming service directly via USB to your DAC?

If so, you'll be better served by a streamer than network devices, yes.
Dedicated Mojo Audio server, usb to Mojo Audio DAC. Server and DAC both have independent power supplies for the USB.

EERO 6+ Mesh router to room with 3 switches. 2 standard Belden and the 3rd one to the server is a Linear Solution switch.

Proprietary software in server, RAM root style. Qobus is an App on server. No Roon. HQ player is version 4. No filters or upsamplimg. All in bypass. HQ player is just a way to pull files from a SSD in the server to play them.

For a while I had no ethernet to the room so it was only HQ Player. Once I added the mesh router and internet, I didn't notice a change to the HQ Player.

Everything is plugged into a Torus RM20. All of the room. Not my favorite, but best I can do at this time. I want my 4.5KVA Torus and all copper panel back. That won't happen for a year.
 
Probably a bit cruel on my part to mention this extension since it’s no longer available and nothing has replaced it at that price - the latest iteration is 4x as expensive.
News dropped today that a much more affordable version will drop soon. See this.
 
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I ordered a Tempus last week, so hopefully It'll arrive by next week. It'll be replacing an LHY SW-10, which was a big improvement over what I had prior (several FMCs on linear power supplies). I know they aren't talked about a ton here in this thread, but for me, having multiple SFP ports was a must. My LAN is utilizing Corning SMF-28 fiber (10G) and Finisar modules exclusively. Needless to say, I will never go back to copper (only where endpoints necessitate the use of it). Anyway, long story short, I am looking forward to putting this switch through it's paces with both audio and video equipment.
 
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When my tempus first landed a couple weeks ago, I had no room on my rack for it, so I just set it on a bamboo cutting board laid on top of a Shunyata Typhon (original). The Typhon itself has the optional SSF-38 feet and these sit on another bamboo board. Not ideal but not the worst starting point.

1757192392024.jpeg

A few nights ago I shuffled things around so the tempus would get a shelf to itself on my rack. Stillpoints Ultra SS are under the tempus and under the tempus power supply are some MoFi footers that I only just learned about as they were advertised as discounted on one of their emails. My original Denali power conditioner went to the floor to free up that space on my rack for the tempus. I also used this opportunity to better organize the cables behind my rack, taking more care to keep power cables away from signal cables.

1757192600768.jpeg

To my surprise, this reconfiguration brought a very noticeable improvement in sound quality. Too many things changed so l can’t say what should get credit. Part of it could be from the tempus settling in further, but it gaining its own shelf I would think helped too. There’s actually a Stillpoints Aperture panel hanging on the wall behind my rack, so I’m also thinking that having the Denali on that shelf might have been limiting the panel’s effectiveness. I can’t say - but this just further shows how much everything matters in this hobby.

I’m curious if an other tempus owners have any insight into whether stacking the power supply on top is a suboptimal way to go.
 
When my tempus first landed a couple weeks ago, I had no room on my rack for it, so I just set it on a bamboo cutting board laid on top of a Shunyata Typhon (original). The Typhon itself has the optional SSF-38 feet and these sit on another bamboo board. Not ideal but not the worst starting point.

View attachment 157581

A few nights ago I shuffled things around so the tempus would get a shelf to itself on my rack. Stillpoints Ultra SS are under the tempus and under the tempus power supply are some MoFi footers that I only just learned about as they were advertised as discounted on one of their emails. My original Denali power conditioner went to the floor to free up that space on my rack for the tempus. I also used this opportunity to better organize the cables behind my rack, taking more care to keep power cables away from signal cables.

View attachment 157582

To my surprise, this reconfiguration brought a very noticeable improvement in sound quality. Too many things changed so l can’t say what should get credit. Part of it could be from the tempus settling in further, but it gaining its own shelf I would think helped too. There’s actually a Stillpoints Aperture panel hanging on the wall behind my rack, so I’m also thinking that having the Denali on that shelf might have been limiting the panel’s effectiveness. I can’t say - but this just further shows how much everything matters in this hobby.

I’m curious if an other tempus owners have any insight into whether stacking the power supply on top is a suboptimal way to go.
Looking good bet it sounds great!
 
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When my tempus first landed a couple weeks ago, I had no room on my rack for it, so I just set it on a bamboo cutting board laid on top of a Shunyata Typhon (original). The Typhon itself has the optional SSF-38 feet and these sit on another bamboo board. Not ideal but not the worst starting point.

View attachment 157581

A few nights ago I shuffled things around so the tempus would get a shelf to itself on my rack. Stillpoints Ultra SS are under the tempus and under the tempus power supply are some MoFi footers that I only just learned about as they were advertised as discounted on one of their emails. My original Denali power conditioner went to the floor to free up that space on my rack for the tempus. I also used this opportunity to better organize the cables behind my rack, taking more care to keep power cables away from signal cables.

View attachment 157582

To my surprise, this reconfiguration brought a very noticeable improvement in sound quality. Too many things changed so l can’t say what should get credit. Part of it could be from the tempus settling in further, but it gaining its own shelf I would think helped too. There’s actually a Stillpoints Aperture panel hanging on the wall behind my rack, so I’m also thinking that having the Denali on that shelf might have been limiting the panel’s effectiveness. I can’t say - but this just further shows how much everything matters in this hobby.

I’m curious if an other tempus owners have any insight into whether stacking the power supply on top is a suboptimal way to go.
I don’t recommend stacking power supply. Actually, it is very sensitive to footer than the switch itself.
 
I received my Tempus last night. I didn't even try any 2-channel audio through my Roon/Ayre setup yet. I wanted to watch some of the TNF NFL game plus it was movie night with the wife.
I don't know how these guys (and others who offer high end networking components) do it. It goes against almost everything you read on the internet about networking and that it either works, or it doesn't. There is no grey area and nothing can change the 1s and 0s for better, or worse - except a bad cable or switch. Well, I can honestly say that's complete rubbish. This thing was so obvious that my wife congratulated me two minutes into the movie... lol. She is Mexican and believe me, knows nothing about our crazy hobby or what changes, upgrades, bias or anything can or will do for a setup. We watch movies and/or shows off my NAS nearly every night. Needless to say, she was not prepared for what she saw or heard last night.
My take on networking, since I started down this path 3-4 years ago... With each positive change, it wasn't about a blacker background or a wider soundstage or whatever else the common descriptors used are. For me, the two most obvious traits gained from switching my LAN from copper to fibre, or adding a nice CAT6/7/8 cable were: dynamic range and pin-point imaging. I run a 5.4.1 surround setup, so I have a fair amount of area covered with speakers but I also have a large room. So there are plenty of 'gaps' in there without noise-makers. What cleaning up a network has proven to me is getting rid of the speakers entirely. So when I have sound coming from an area 6'-8' where no speakers exist, it is fascinating. We watched a movie last night which is not known for having a spectacular soundtrack, but it was the best damn one I've ever heard. During a helicopter scene, it sounded like it was coming from my backyard, then over-head to the left as it moved to the front right above my room. Mind you, this movie was not in Dolby Atmos or DTS-X. It was just lossless 5.1. But I swore my Atmos speakers were producing sound. Broken glass is another sound I use for demoing. When there is more network hash in the LAN, you lose a lot of that super extended treble. So it almost sound like it breaks, but in the next room or something. Still can sound great but you don't know what you are missing, until you hear it. And I keep taking steps in simplifying my network which prove to be a little closer to where it could be. And with the Tempus it easily sounds the best it ever has with glass sounding like it's shattering right in my OLED. Piercing but never harsh where you have to reach for the remote. That dynamic range is a major factor. Maybe it's the PSU? But just like the real thing. It's loud, maybe a little too loud and jarring but pleasing when it sounds so real without that nasty distortion... Mind you, I have thousands of hours into my media room. It's not like this is a new home or remodel as I've had my equipment (upgrading over the years, obviously) in here for over 23 years now. So familiarity with my room and/or gear is an understatement. Looking forward to cranking up some familiar titles via my 2-channel Ayre gear tonight! I put Roon on repeat last night, so it'll be running for nearly 24 hours prior to my first listen.
 
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It goes against almost everything you read on the internet about networking and that it either works, or it doesn't. There is no grey area and nothing can change the 1s and 0s for better, or worse - except a bad cable or switch. Well, I can honestly say that's complete rubbish.
Imagine some people stream their whole lives without treating their network delivery chain. Boggles my mind why they won't even try to prove they're right.
 

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