SOtM sNH-10G Network Switches x2 : The NEW KING of USB/Network Gadget Setup

[orange55]

I am planning to buy two switches sotm 10g. As far as I understand, you disassemble them to insert new sfp modules? What sfp modules are the best today to replace the standard sotm? And what ethernet cables do you recommend for the end point on the streamer (Auralic aries g2.2). I am also interested in what power cables were selected for the plixir power supply and from plixir to sotm. I want to order a complete setup. I am studying the options. Thank you. I already have a sotm usb ultra regenerator. I want to assemble a complete sotm line.

You do not need to dismantle the switch, they have spf slots so you can insert which ever brand you like.

Regarding which SPF cable to use, I have tried pretty everyone you will see listed in this forum and a few more. I have a draw full of them. The best I have heard is this one: Amphenol SFP+ 10GbE direct attach passive copper cable (DAC), quad-shielded 30 AWG twin-axial SKEWCLEAR wire (SF-SFPP2EPASS-002) Note it is not the most expensive either.

I have used both the standard Plixir DC cable from Plixir to the switch and the Plixir statement version. The statement is better.

However, you get a better upgrade by changing the fuse in the IEC input on the Plixir. I am running SR Purple 20mm slow blow fuses and they really opened the sound. I would do that first before changing the DC cable.

Hope that helps.

 

[orange55]

@Darion I should add I did find a benefit of running two power supplies and not having a dual powering both switches.

 

[valicu2000]

I am planning to buy two switches sotm 10g. As far as I understand, you disassemble them to insert new sfp modules? What sfp modules are the best today to replace the standard sotm? And what ethernet cables do you recommend for the end point on the streamer (Auralic aries g2.2). I am also interested in what power cables were selected for the plixir power supply and from plixir to sotm. I want to order a complete setup. I am studying the options. Thank you. I already have a sotm usb ultra regenerator. I want to assemble a complete sotm line.

Hi Darion,

No, the SFP modules can be inserted/extracted from the outside, you don't need to open the switches.
Best SFPs are from Finisar, CISCO, FS as long as they have 1310nm wavelength, single-mode, industrial grade (up to 85 degress C).
For the Ethernet cables I recommend Audioquest Diamond for detailed, crisp and 3D sound.
Plixir linear power supply is a really good choice for SOtM switches, it's better than the iFi Elite. I personally have the Plixir feeding the SOtM switch and the power cable is a SOtM pCBL-SS8 with Furutech FI-38 Rhodium connectors (instead of the stock Viborg). I would highly recommend the Audioquest Mistral power cable and Audioquest Mistral Schuko and IEC connectors (these are silver plated and they sound very detailed and smooth)

 

[Darion]

Thanks for the advice. And what is the fuse rating in amperes needed for plixir? As I understand it - 20 by 5mm, slow.

Ps
And is it possible to change the fuse in sotm. If yes, then where.

 

[valicu2000]

Thanks for the advice. And what is the fuse rating in amperes needed for plixir? As I understand it - 20 by 5mm, slow.

Ps
And is it possible to change the fuse in sotm. If yes, then where.

Plixir 12V 6A has a 3.15Amp slow blow fuse.
The SOtM switches don't have a fuse.

 

[orange55]

Thanks for the advice. And what is the fuse rating in amperes needed for plixir? As I understand it - 20 by 5mm, slow.

Ps
And is it possible to change the fuse in sotm. If yes, then where.

The SoTM switches only need a 2 amp Plixir which has a 2.5 amp fuse in it.

The 4 amp Plixir has a 3.15 amp fuse.

 

[Darion]

Tell me, has anyone connected them from the second sotm 10g with a cat8 cable and an iso cat8 filter? Is this combination worth taking?

 

[orange55]

Tell me, has anyone connected them from the second sotm 10g with a cat8 cable and an iso cat8 filter? Is this combination worth taking?

I have tried cat8 cables, but my Chord Company cables all sound better, even the entry level cable. This was after a month of burn in.

Depending on your budget for cables, friend of mine has the G1 and uses the Chord Shawline Ethernet. To me this is the best value chord streaming cable. However, when you get to the signature that is where the magic begins.

I am using Chord Music Ethernet into my streamer and Chord Sarum into my Apple TV.

Rather than cat8 filter, I would look at an external clock, when I added the Mutec REF10 clock to both my switches it was a mega upgrade.

 

[QuadDiffuser]

Purchased about 6 years ago, I have a pair of sNH-10G switches connected via the SoTM sCBL-Cat.7 LAN cables.
Does anyone know if a contemporary newly-designed AOC cable (such as the one from FS) can be used to connect them together, via the SFP ports?
The sNH-10G's optical ports support both 100M and 1G speeds; I'm assuming that modern 10G AOC cables are backwardly compatible to these slower speeds...

 

[valicu2000]

Purchased about 6 years ago, I have a pair of sNH-10G switches connected via the SoTM sCBL-Cat.7 LAN cables.
Does anyone know if a contemporary newly-designed AOC cable (such as the one from FS) can be used to connect them together, via the SFP ports?
The sNH-10G's optical ports support both 100M and 1G speeds; I'm assuming that modern 10G AOC cables are backwardly compatible to these slower speeds...

View attachment 163390

Hello @QuadDiffuser

I strongly believe that the 10G AOC will not be supported on the SOtM sNH-10G.
An AOC cable = 2x transcievers and a fused patch cable, and you get no information about any of them, I would personally avoid getting such cables. Instead carefully pick good transcievers and a good fiber optic patch cable.

 

[orange55]

Purchased about 6 years ago, I have a pair of sNH-10G switches connected via the SoTM sCBL-Cat.7 LAN cables.
Does anyone know if a contemporary newly-designed AOC cable (such as the one from FS) can be used to connect them together, via the SFP ports?
The sNH-10G's optical ports support both 100M and 1G speeds; I'm assuming that modern 10G AOC cables are backwardly compatible to these slower speeds...

View attachment 163390

I have the same switches and the answer is yes, they work. But they are not all equal.

I highly recommend the Amphenol DAC cables with Clearskew technology. They are the best cable I have heard connecting my SOtM switches and I have tried a lot. Much better than the FS.com cables.
https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/produc...N09Hvb3uIScuaCIUYyqcsZyOEUZ564d8aAnLqEALw_wcB

This cable sounds better than the highly regarded Finisar FTLX1475D3BTL spf module with Corning fibre cable in my system.

 

[jaxdr]

Agree with orange55, I have connected 2 sNH-10g's with a DAC cable. I have used several brands of DAC cables to connect the switches and all
sound better than using fiber. I am currently using the Melco C1 which has been the best sounding in my system but unfortunately priced at $700. However I have not used the Amphenol DAC cables.

 

[valicu2000]

DAC vs Fiber Optic ... Fiber has the only advantage of galvanic isolation, the noise floor drops, blacker background, deeper bass ... but thin sounding. Copper (DAC) is fuller and one must go for the shortest length for best results.

I've replaced my 10G fiber optic between the router and the backbone switch with a DAC cable just because for the same 0.5m length, the fiber has +70% more latency than the DAC.

 

[jaxdr]

DAC vs Fiber Optic ... Fiber has the only advantage of galvanic isolation, the noise floor drops, blacker background, deeper bass ... but thin sounding. Copper (DAC) is fuller and one must go for the shortest length for best results.

I've replaced my 10G fiber optic between the router and the backbone switch with a DAC cable just because for the same 0.5m length, the fiber has +70% more latency than the DAC.

VG summary valicu2000...in many ways I do wish I preferred fiber for it's cost and ease of use. In other systems with different equipment, fiber may be preferred by it's user. My ears drive my preferences and at least with Taiko, Emile has been clear that DAC cables work better in the Taiko environment and I have found that true.

 

[QuadDiffuser]

Thanks folks, for chiming into my question about which of the many varieties of optical fiber modules would be compatible and most suitable for improving the sonic performance of my pair of SOtM nH-10G switches. There is a detailed discussion on MSB's forum on this topic (URL /red hotlink below). Granted there will always be slight idiosyncratic differences in the sound of optical transceivers and optical fiber combos, there isin fact an explicit warning from MSB Technologies to NOT use DAC cables.

About MSB Fiber Connections

MSB Fiber Connections - Stock SFP Transceivers and AOC Cables This technology can get complicated fast, so please watch the entire video or read this entire guide all the way through before experimenting with your MSB equipment. Your DAC could be permanently damaged if the wrong...

forum.msbtechnology.com

"DO NOT Use the Following Cables - DACs and Passive Cables​

Do not use Direct Attach Copper cables — often called “DAC” cables.
They may look similar to AOCs, but they bypass isolation, can carry electrical noise, and will damage your DAC’s motherboard.
Another cable to avoid is called a “passive” cable. This is a hardwired version and will similarly damage the product.
MSB products are designed specifically for optical cables/transceivers only."

More details are in the video below.
How is this relevant to the SOtM nH-10G switches?
Please help me understand.

I'm actually quite certain that AOC cables are engineered to remove the potential deficiencies of the discrete "double" optical transceivers connected by a stock SFP optical cable. I've heard positive improvements in my MSB Cascade DAC when the AOC unit was installed.

MSB describes the advantages of AOC as follows:

"An AOC combines the fiber cable and the transceivers into one closed system. No separate modules. No separate cable. A closed and perfectly matched system. The simplicity of this system is key. You remove extra junctions with no mismatched parts, no dirty fiber ends, no half-seated connectors. This matched system can run at twenty percent reduced power consumption achieving further benefits with a lower noise floor. The cable itself is tuned for the specific laser light wave length and cable length and doesn’t need to overcome any air gaps. While the results may vary somewhat by a listener’s system, the overwhelming response of our beta testers have consistently reported significant improvements using AOC on the Cascade DAC and Digital Directors alike."

 

[valicu2000]

Hello @QuadDiffuser ,

I'll try to explain a bit this fiber tech.

SFP and SFP+ are hardware layouts, they are identical from physical point of view, SFP+ has higher electrical requirements.
SFP can handle data rates up to 1Gpbs while SFP+ can handle data up to 10Gbps.
There is another standard (SFP28 which can handle up to 25Gbps) and has the same physical configuration. It depends on the main device what speed can be achieved, but generally speaking SFP+ is backward compatible with SFP (vice-versa is not true).

The transciever (metal module that is inserted in a SFP/SFP+ cage in a device) can be used for DAC (passive, copper cable), AOC (active optical cable, basically an easy solution for lazy people providing the fiber cable and transcievers soldered together), RJ45 output or optical output.

Fiber optic cables - there are 2 main categories: single mode (abbreviated SM) and multimode (abbreviated MM).
SM has one thin core and can transmit optical signal for several km while MM has a thicker core and a much lower maximum distance (550m if I'm not mistaking).
SM is more expensive but has lower attenuation, only one ray can travel across. MM is cheaper, multiple rays can travel across and has greater attenuation.
SM cables have only one OS2 flavor (yellow jacket), while MM cables come in OM2 (orange), OM3 (cyan), OM4 (magenta), OM5 (light green) ... the higher the number after "OM" the better the cable.

Then there are the connectors for fiber, I won't get into details, LC are the most common. There are some grade B LC connectors that have lower insertion loss and are more reliable for data transmission.
Then, there is the angle of the "connector" (I'm missing the correct word now) which, if mismatched, can ruin the signal transmission due to reflection angles:


So, let's break down:

Fiber optic:

PROs
- great for galvanic isolation (immune to EMI and RFI)
- low footprint
- can run for long distances (single mode can run for more kilometers)
- consumes far less power than RJ45
- has lower latency than RJ45
- sounds more precise but thin
- multiple fiber optic cables on the same path add to noise filtration (but also lose some details and increase latency)

CONs
- fragile
- must have a 5cm at least as bending angle
- higher attenuation than copper
- very hard and costly to custom build (add connectors) by yourself

TIPS for buying transcievers and cables:
- SM sounds much better than MM due to lower attenuation
- 1310nm wavelength sounds much better than 850nm
- grade B LC connectors have lower insertion loss
- industrial transcievers (up to 85 degrees C operating temperature) sound more detailed than the consumer grade ones (70 degrees C)
- AOC uses MM transcievers and cables (cyan) so they are not very good for audiophiles


Direct Attach Copper (DAC)

PROs
- silver plated cores
- the fastest (lower latency) of all cables (for 0.5m run, the fiber optic has 60-70% more latency than a DAC cable)
- it transmits raw signal (like I2S) without any conversion/delays
- sounds fuller and faster

CONs
- the cable has a very high attenuation, maximum length is 7m
- cannot be custom terminated
- it transmits noise from source to destination



LE: for the SOtM switches you can use any of those SFP cables ... DAC for absolute speed and fullness, but with the drawback of noise travel from the source to the destination, optical SM + industrial 1G SFP 1310nm transcievers for best sound on galvanic isolation (blacker background, thundering bass, somewhat thinner sound).
I haven't used AOC so far just because I tested MM and I want to stay away from it in the audio chain. Perhaps MSB has a point here as there are 2 junctions (where fiber meets the transcievers) that are prone to attenuation / signal loss and by having those points soldered could yield better results than with SM fiber and separate transcievers (including 2 junctions) ... Still I would prefer to build my own with better connectors and cables, "ready to eat" is not the best recipe.