SOtM ISO-CAT6 passive isolator --Anyone use or consider this device?
 

"With the advent of full-resolution streaming à la Qobuz and WiMP/Tidal subscriptions, the Ethernet link between router and PC has become more critical for SQ. Or so audiophiles who are invested not in WiFi but designer CAT6 cables believe. That incidentally is a subject rife with derision from the IT quarters. Their folks know that the Ethernet protocol is immune to cable quality. Either the connection passes signal. Or it drops out. There's no middle ground. Period. Amen. Those intrepid adventurers who've actually compared generic Ethernet meds to the costlier chems dispute it. This has opened the doors to €4'000+ luxo Ethernet cables. Their buyers are likely hip to this fact. Most ambitious DACs use miniature isolation transformers or opto-couplers on their digital inputs. Here galvanic isolation for USB DACs has become one of them busy buzzy words. Computers are noisy evil doers. Keep their noxious HF chatter away from our pure signal. That's the task at hand. Do you imagine that these same audiophiles have grown restless again worrying whether their music computer's Ethernet port is equally fortified?

South Korea's Soul Of the Music aka SOtM iSO-CAT6 inline 'black box' inserts a digital isolation transformer plus sundry unreported bits into the Ethernet pipeline. That strips off noise which invades from the routers' ground plane. As Wikipedia reports, "network isolators are installed as part of a copper Ethernet system as galvanic isolators. Network data continues to be transmitted across an electrically non-conducting barrier through the applied principle of electromagnetic induction whereby high-frequency AC voltages conveying data are induced across an isolating gap. The network isolator is therefore a passive device and functions without any requirement of an external power supply."

$350

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/sotm2/3.png

Thanks

Bob

I have been looking into this for a while, did not know about the SOtM offer yet.

The one from Aqvox might be an option also, almost the same cost.

http://www.myhifishop.de/Devices/AQ-...ml?language=en

RJ-45 jacks in routers and switches are already transformer isolated. Isolation is part of the IEEE 802.3 specification that defines the physical layer of the Ethernet. So I'm not sure what this device would actually do. It is transformer coupling an already transformer coupled signal. It will most likely degrade the performance of an Ethernet cable which may have an audible effect. Not sure.

The AQVOX switch could actually do something that a basic switch doesn't do. Love to try one out on a no-risk basis to see if I could hear an improvement in SQ.

I have ordered an Aqvox yesterday, I only pulled one ethernet cable to the area of my equipment, with two streamers and TV it is getting a bit of a hassle to change the cable everytime. Delivery time is two weeks maximum, wil report my findings here.

On the Devialetchat.com website there is already a thread on this switch with good results.

I'm in the same situation - a single Ethernet cable to my rack and then a switch to handle the devices. If this switch makes a difference it will be worth it.

Received the confirmation email that my "audiophile" switch is on the way, if it not degrades anything (what I hear normal ethernet switches can do) I will be happy with it, if it improves streaming Tidal that will be the icing on the cake

my apologies for hijacking the thread, but I guess it is interesting for members that are looking into the subject of ethernet cable isolation. (passive or active)

Yes, it will be great to see if the Active aqvox switch will make a sonic improvement.

It is also good to point out that unlike USB and coax connections, Ethernet is all transformer coupled and galvanically isolated.

Ethernet can still induce noise into your system. An isolator won't really help because in order to pass the Ethernet signal some noise will pass along with it.

An active switch has the potential to strip off any extraneous noise coming in on the Ethernet cables.

I'm not really sure it's a true isolation transformer even though that's what they call it -- besides, most provider connections cannot support Gigabit Ethernet isolation. 10/100Base -T sure as noted in 802.3an layering.

SOtM says using their CAT 6 (or 7) cable along with their box consists of passive electronic parts which don't influence the LAN signal but do affect noise. They call it "The 10GBASE-T Ethernet Magnetics is an Ethernet isolation transformer but the only one which supports the 10GBASE-T specs."

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/sotm2/8.png

Still though quite interesting and there are several similar devices out there all claiming better performance.

Best Sirs,

Bob