In my profession you talk with many people
and that includes people with far more knowledge  than me.
That’s great for it lets you think about
how you look at the world.
Or in this case at digital audio.
I frequently get comments that bits are bits
and therefore nothing can go wrong.
Frequent viewers know that my experiences
differ and I am not the only one.
Until a short while ago someone I take quite
seriously said to me that - if all is well
designed - it should work flawlessly.
A correct statement, of course.
Taking that as a starting pointy, I evaluated
my experiences over the last years, focussing
on the most criticised videos - well, relatively
seen for worst case only a very low percentage
gave negative comments and that included internet
trolls.
It all started with the Sonore microRendu.
A small box that receives audio over the netwerk
and sends it over USB Audio Class 2 to a DAC
and does that so that it sounds clearly better
than when the DAC is connected directly to
that computer.
Now, following the adagium that it should
work flawlessly when designed well, you could
say that the computer has a poorly designed
USB port.
And you might be right since the USB port
on a computer has loads of high frequency
pollution from other clocks in the computer,
might have a very polluted ground plane, a
very polluted 5V power feed - needed for many
DAC’s for identification - and so on.
But then the SOtM sMS-200 network bridge came
on review and that sounded a tiny bit better,
followed up by the SOtM sMS-200 Ultra that
sounded so much better again that I now have
to conclude that both the microRendu and the
sMS-200 - although better designed than the
USB port on the computer, were not designed
optimally either.
Changing the power supply of any audio device
of quality normally changes the sound too.
Raspberry Pi’s with audio HAT boards - sound
cards for normal people - sound better when
powered from an audiophile quality power supply.
Often that is a linear power supply, one that
uses a real transformer and thus is bulky.
So often we speak of a linear power supply
as a quality power supply but that only goes
in our audiophile bubble.
But a really well designed switching mode
power supply usually is more expensive than
a linear type of the same class.
And the medium quality power supplies, like
a linear type by Audiophonics and a switching
mode power supply by iFi perform about equal.
Could be say here again that when properly
designed, there should be no difference?
Perhaps the most criticised reviews were the
AQvox and SOtM network switches.
To be hones, I doubted for a long time to
do the review.
Only when I had some people I take seriously
had commented very positively on the AQvox.
And rightly so, see my review.
The SOtM switch sound only a tiny bit better
(actually, hardly worth mentioning) when used
with ethernet cable.
But using fibre optic cables it sound again
a bit better.
In the mean time people had reported to me
that second hand 100 megabit Cisco routers
would sound as good or even better.
So I got me one on amazon.de for 79 euros
and it sounded a lot better than the four
different consumer grade switches I have laying
around the house.
But I preferred the AQvox AQswitch SE and
the SOtM remained the winner.
People that say that bits are bits are only
right if the equipment used is designed and
built up to spec.
It also proves that affordable equipment almost
always is either poorly designed, poorly built
or both.
No surprise considering they start at only
25 euros while a comparable professional switch
will set you back somewhere between 700 and
1000 euros - prices including 21% VAT.
Those cheap switches work fine for almost
anything, save audio.
Now, what should I tell you?
That you should never buy a cheap switch since
they are poorly designed and built?
Or should I tell you that you can start with
such a switch and if you are not satisfied,
try a better one?
O, and by the way, that 4000 euro stereo you
have is also poorly designed and built.
You should go for at least a tenfold investment.
Those are also not perfectly designed and
built, but not as bad as your 4000 euro set.
I hope you get the concept of cynicism .
Due to personal circumstances this week a
shorter video but then again a video I wanted
to make for some time now.
What qualities people need will differ, Since
most of us can’t afford perfectly designed
and built equipment, it would be idiotic to
only accept the perfect.
And, by the way, you know my saying: perfect
is a goal, not a reality.
Next week there will be another video, as
always at 5 PM central European time.
If you don’t want to miss that, subscribe
to this channel or following me on the social
media so you’ll be warned when new videos
are out.
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up.
Many thanks to all that support this channel
financially, it keeps me independent and thus
trustworthy.
If you also feel like supporting my work,
the links are in the comments below this video
on Youtube.
I am Hans Beekhuyzen, thank you for watching
and see you in the next show or on theHBproject.com.
And whatever you do, enjoy the music.
