LHY FMC vs the Sonore Optical Module Deluxe with LPS

Hello All,  quick question if anyone is willing.  Never paid any attention to my Ethernet supply other than using BJCables but am now streaming more than ever since discovering the joys of Qobuz.  Put an unmanaged Trendnet switch and Topping LPS in the other day to test the waters and am now convinced that there is an area for improvement in my ethernet delivery.  Am  looking at fiber and see that both LHY and Small Green Computer offer some great looking products so seeking opinions and thoughts on these two product lines.

DAC is a dCS Bartok so will be fed by copper Ethernet in.   Looking at a LHY SW-6 SFP router or Trendnet to either the LHY FMC or Sonore Optical Deluxe…?

thanks in advance for any thoughts you may share.

@wdwI see no one has replied to your post.  I am not remotely as knowledgeable as most on this forum.  However, I have experimented with fiber in my system.  If your internet is coming into your house with a coax cable, as opposed to fiber, you might hear an improvement by using two media converters.  You would need to go from ethernet to fiber with one converter, connect via fiber to another media converter, and then convert back to ethernet with a very short cable run into your dCS Bartok.  You can do this with inexpensive components (TP Link, for example) although many point out that you need a LPS on the media converter closest to your end point.  I believe the end effect of this technique is "galvanic isolation".

I am using a Sonore opticalRendu so I only need one converter.

If you are looking at the LHY or Trendnet you might consider an Etherregen as it can take the place of one of the media converters, as the Etherregen can be used "backwards" - ethernet in and fiber out.  I don't know if the LHY or Trendnet will work "backwards".  I have not tried an Etherregen in my system - yet.

the end result of much of this is a lot of black boxes.  I would love to have a "streamer" that I can just plug my ethernet cable into that would sound as good or better than my current setup with all the boxes.  But I don't have a $10,000 budget at the moment.....

@Boulder Bob  Thanks for your reply...in the few weeks since first posting this topic I've made a few changes to the ethernet end of my system and most follow along with your recommendations.  First added a unmanaged switch (sounded better) then added a Topping LPS (much better) so swapped out the small unmanned switch for a Trendnet switch with a SFP adding fibre with media converters to a FMC at the DAC end (better still) so swapped out the FMC for a new EtherRegen (great) so now wading through the long technical threads on this site to find out whether I should be swapping out the 10Gtek 10 Gigabit SFP+ LC Single-Mode Transceiver, 10GBASE-LR Module for the a FINISAR SFP 10KM FTLF1318P3BTL...it is at this end where my understanding gets very dodgy at best....also now wondering about direct attached cable and a LPS for the Regen...what a hobby !  When did listening to music get so technical ?

Nevertheless this has been a rewarding journey so far.

Regards 

I know - this is getting harder than azimuth, tracking force, VTA and cartridge loading

try a direct attached cable - they don't cost much

Trudat....too crazy for sure...

"try a direct attached cable" ....any recommends as to brand and are they sonically superior to fibre with transceivers each end?

On 9/7/2024 at 9:29 AM, wdw said:

whether I should be swapping out the 10Gtek 10 Gigabit SFP+ LC Single-Mode Transceiver, 10GBASE-LR Module for the a FINISAR SFP 10KM FTLF1318P3BTL..

Did exactly that this morning and the Finisar was audibly better to us.  Now on to an LPS for the ER….

@wdw these are the cables recommended by Uptone

https://www.mouser.com/c/?m=Amphenol&q=SF-SFPP2EPASS

2 hours ago, Boulder Bob said:

cables recommended by Uptone

from the Oracle himself...how could I possibly refuse ? 😀 😇

Ordered a 5 metre.....coming tomorrow or the next day.

Thanks to both of you for your comments.

Now to the LPS...anyone using the Sonora 7V LPS with the EtherRegen?

I have had these in my system for over a month now and they are not coming out. 

5 minutes ago, RepublicofTexas69 said:

I have had these in my system for over a month now and they are not coming out. 

Yes, Thanks...the cables are now in the hands of UPS so at their mercy but expected in the coming day or so...but damn, trying to pull out the SPF transceiver out of  the ER is a task...that sucker is so very hot...(but worth every effort as my system sounds delightful)

@wdw the Oracle says use Teddy Pardo power supplies....I have the Sonore in my system...

Yes, I know, we had that conversation...but TPardo are based overseas (Israel) and the piece must be brokered, etc....we're in SovietCanuckistan (Canada for those that didn't follow Pat Buchanan in the day) so our price before any government costs is in the $650 CAD...Happy to support Israeli business so still on the fence but Sonore seems attractive to me and Small Green a great group...Thanks for your tip about the Sonore

All the best

So the cable is leaving DFW airport as we speak into Vancouver BC by noon tomorrow …a truly modern world we live in.

On 9/7/2024 at 12:29 PM, wdw said:

@Boulder Bob  Thanks for your reply...in the few weeks since first posting this topic I've made a few changes to the ethernet end of my system and most follow along with your recommendations.  First added a unmanaged switch (sounded better) then added a Topping LPS (much better) so swapped out the small unmanned switch for a Trendnet switch with a SFP adding fibre with media converters to a FMC at the DAC end (better still) so swapped out the FMC for a new EtherRegen (great) so now wading through the long technical threads on this site to find out whether I should be swapping out the 10Gtek 10 Gigabit SFP+ LC Single-Mode Transceiver, 10GBASE-LR Module for the a FINISAR SFP 10KM FTLF1318P3BTL...it is at this end where my understanding gets very dodgy at best....also now wondering about direct attached cable and a LPS for the Regen...what a hobby !  When did listening to music get so technical ?

Nevertheless this has been a rewarding journey so far.

Regards 

 

 

So ... the advantage of Finisar (Coherent) is that they actually make the SFP module as opposed to 10Gtek who OEMs from either Finisar or Avago or. ...???? Finisar/Coherent and Avago/Broadcom are actual OEMs with factories that make stuff. Not many folks actually make SFP modules ... FWIW Avago/Broadcom is also a great company and there are others

Thanks for your reply as it confirms our musical impression that the Finisar was an immediately, albeit subtle, improvement over the GTEK…..here’s hoping the Amphenol has that same leap in ….?

A diminishment in electrical noise or ….?…..each of these improvements are, to us, wonderfully audible but what is happening here ….?

Non-audiophiles would think this is completely nutty.  

9 hours ago, wdw said:

Thanks for your reply as it confirms our musical impression that the Finisar was an immediately, albeit subtle, improvement over the GTEK…..here’s hoping the Amphenol has that same leap in ….?

A diminishment in electrical noise or ….?…..each of these improvements are, to us, wonderfully audible but what is happening here ….?

Non-audiophiles would think this is completely nutty.  

There is a separate thread I believe dealing with the DAC cable (I'm one of the OG testers, and the amphenol 1M skew clear beat out some others for me. The concept behind the DAC being better is that it doesn't have to make the conversion to optical, thereby cancelling two points of electrical activity. My opticalModuel actually runs almost cold compared to the mini heater it was with an SFP inserted (and I was using Finisair's before, and a Cisco AOC cable). 

AS far as LPS's go, I have a Sonore on the opticalRendu, and it is very good, and Teddy Pardo on the opticalModule, also very good. But, imo, before you spend $$ on a power supply for the 10Gtek, I would hazard that money is better spent on an opticalModule powered by an SMPS (the Uptone $15 one is very good actually). You'll get more bang for the buck than the generic 10Gtek FMC (if that is what you are using). . 

21 minutes ago, charlesphoto said:

before you spend $$ on a power supply for the 10Gtek, I would

Thanks for your comments on the DAC but to clarify one point above, am looking at an LPS for the EtherRegen.

1 hour ago, wdw said:

 

 

Gents,  

My thanks for your contributions and advice.....Amphenol now in my system and to quote RoT69 above, they're not coming out.  Tremendous sound and far lower noise floor when compared to fibre and the Finisar.

Kudos to Mouser Electronics as the order was placed around 2pm PST and the cable was sent from Dallas Fort Worth to Vancouver, BC, arriving at noon today.  Tremendous service !

Very happy for you. Such a great value considering the MELCO option.  Go Blackhawks!

On 9/10/2024 at 7:56 AM, wdw said:

Thanks for your comments on the DAC but to clarify one point above, am looking at an LPS for the EtherRegen.

Ah, sorry about that. 

On 9/9/2024 at 4:36 PM, Boulder Bob said:

@wdw the Oracle says use Teddy Pardo power supplies....I have the Sonore in my system...

…. Just ordered the Pardo…I do what I’m told….😃😇😐
 Wondering….heard some say the Sonore Optical Module “sounds” better than the EtherRegen…did you have the opportunity to compare these side by side?

On 8/23/2024 at 2:48 PM, wdw said:

Looking at a LHY SW-6 SFP router or Trendnet to either the LHY FMC or Sonore Optical Deluxe…?

I have not tried an LHY SW-6, but I did have an LHY SW-10 in-house for two weeks and preferred both the opticalModule Deluxe v2 and the EtherRegen to the SW-10, all tested with single-mode optical fiber and Finisar 1318 modules. A friend with a pricier system found the same result. 

On 9/27/2024 at 12:42 AM, wdw said:

…. Just ordered the Pardo…I do what I’m told….😃😇😐
 Wondering….heard some say the Sonore Optical Module “sounds” better than the EtherRegen…did you have the opportunity to compare these side by side?

I own both, both with Pardo supplies, but they have different purposes. The oMD is a pure FMC, with, I believe, a newer and better optical converter than the one in the original ER. The ER contains circuitry to shield your streamer from upstream noise. I suggest you pair them, with the ER closest to your endpoint.

Note that the oMD v2 is said to be a significant improvement over the original oMD.

3 hours ago, audiobomber said:

I have not tried an LHY SW-6, but I did have an LHY SW-10 in-house for two weeks and preferred both the opticalModule Deluxe v2 and the EtherRegen to the SW-10, all tested with single-mode optical fiber and Finisar 1318 modules. A friend with a pricier system found the same result. 

 

I own both, both with Pardo supplies, but they have different purposes. The oMD is a pure FMC, with, I believe, a newer and better optical converter than the one in the original ER. The ER contains circuitry to shield your streamer from upstream noise. I suggest you pair them, with the ER closest to your endpoint.

 

Note that the oMD v2 is said to be a significant improvement over the original oMD.

Many thanks for your comments….but it just seems like that Lewis Carroll quote (badly paraphrased),  it just gets curiouser and curiouser!

so the oMD reversed with a copper Ethernet into the ER….currently have a Amphenol from my switch to the ER….so a Sonore in that pathway with another Pardo….surely we’re insane….

anyways, this adventure has been very musically rewarding.   
Thanks to all for your comments