So I did an EMF sweep of my system

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by PHC1

By the way, majority of EMF apps are used by people to detect "ghosts"... But I think we will leave that for another thread.

Ha! Yeah, I saw that! What are they called, EPVs, or something like that?

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Just expanding on the issue of common mode noise. This is a major source of "pollution" in this time of connected devices, e.g. smart phones and tablets, connected appliances e.g. doorbell, kitchen and household appliances.

Folks think that copper Ethernet cables can't impact sound quality because of the specifications for (copper) Ethernet: that everything is "bit perfect" and if a packet is dropped in transmission it gets re-sent, so what's the problem? Well, there's a whole host of problems. Copper Ethernet is actually pretty "dirty" with respect to susceptibility to noise factors. For IT applications, this is not a problem, as the output is "discrete"; either the pixel gets printed in a print-out, or displayed on a computer monitor or it doesn't. And with Ethernet "error correction", it almost always does....so, no worries.

But streaming musical content is NOT discrete; its "continuous data", and...the timing is, in the words of Hans Beekhuzen, "hyper-critical" (this is why folks use those ultra-trick clocks for DACs, etc., for example). Also, Ethernet cables, like many copper cable specifications, are susceptible to noise factors, e.g. lack of galvanic isolation, EMF, RF, etc. They are also very susceptible to low-impedance and high-impedance AC leakage currents, which are usually caused by crap switch-mode power supplies. These noise factors contribute to digital audio quality, adding "digital glare", jitter and...clock phase noise.

And then there's the common mode noise, as well.

The Shunyata Alpha and Sigma Ethernet cables are the only ones I am aware of that have an effective common mode noise filter, and the function of this filter is very clearly discernable. The Alpha brings a notably lower noise floor and cleaner, more "open", spacious and airy and extended over the excellent attributes of Venom. And Sigma, with two CN filters, builds further upon that; the addition of the 2nd CN filter brings presentation of subtle details, textures, articulation, and breath and phrasing in vocals. I'm literally hearing content on well-known songs that I simply have not heard before.

All this adds up to a musical presentation is much more "analog" in character.

But, one has to open to trying these cables to understand...

Great post Stephen.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Ha! Yeah, I saw that! What are they called, EPVs, or something like that?

EPV is Epstein-Barr virus, aka Mononucleosis. Not a pleasant thing.
EVP is electronic voice phenomena where ghostly voices appear in recordings. I don’t mess with white noise for that specific reason

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by PHC1

I've already ordered some EMF fabric which I will cut to size and use under components in the rack.

RF Faraday Fabric, EMF Shield, Blocker, Faraday Cage, RFID, Conductive Shielding, Military Grade to Block EMI

https://www.amazon.com/Faraday-Condu...gateway&sr=8-4

Cool!

IIRC, Stillpoints sellls an EMF fabric, as well...

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Cool!

IIRC, Stillpoints sellls an EMF fabric, as well...

I’ll start with just the basic amazon sourced stuff for fun and see where it takes me. No doubt they vary in effectiveness though

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by PHC1

EPV is Epstein-Barr virus, aka Mononucleosis. Not a pleasant thing.
EVP is electronic voice phenomena where ghostly voices appear in recordings. I don’t mess with white noise for that specific reason

Actually, its "EBV" as the TLA for Epstein-Barr Virus. I know it well from my scientific background.

But, you are also correct; EVP is the correct TLA for ghostly voices in recordings.

That mis-spelling for EVP was my bad, got those letters swtiched typing too fast.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by PHC1

I’ll start with just the basic amazon sourced stuff for fun and see where it takes me. No doubt they vary in effectiveness though

That's exactly what I would do, Serge! That Stillpoints stuff is expensive...

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Actually, its "EBV" as the TLA for Epstein-Barr Virus. I know it well from my scientific background.

But, you are also correct; EVP is the correct TLA for ghostly voices in recordings.

That mis-spelling for EVP was my bad, got those letters swtiched typing too fast.

You are right.

[Puma Cat]

Okay, a quick scan of my audio rack and every thing is reasonably quiet, with an average reading of ~40-45 uT. This includes the SOtM network bridge, the Uptone Audio LPS-1.2 UltraCap linear power supply, the Keces P3 linear power supply, the EAR 324 phono stage, and Gumby. The Shunyata Triton V1 was pretty quiet, per se, with an average reading of ~30-35, even at the back of the distributor where the cords and receptacles are. The Sonore OpticalModule was the highest with a value of about 50.

The highest values were from...the Koetsu moving coil cartridge and the loudspeakers. No surprise there as both of these devices use strong magnets.

The power amp and preamp aren't presently switched on, so I will check those.

I might make a little video with the Fuji X-H1 showing the values.

There's another app for $2.99 that lets you capture data and send it so you can put it into Excel...or better yet, JMP14!

I sense a possible DOE might be in the works...

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Okay, a quick scan of my audio rack and every thing is reasonably quiet, with an average reading of ~40-45 uT. This includes the SOtM network bridge, the Uptone Audio LPS-1.2 UltraCap linear power supply, the Keces P3 linear power supply, the EAR 324 phono stage, and Gumby. The Shunyata Triton V1 was pretty quiet, per se, with an average reading of ~30-35, even at the back of the distributor where the cords and receptacles are. The Sonore OpticalModule was the highest with a value of about 50.

The highest values were from...the Koetsu moving coil cartridge and the loudspeakers. No surprise there as both of these devices use strong magnets.

The power amp and preamp aren't presently switched on, so I will check those.

I might make a little video with the Fuji X-H1 showing the values.

There's another app for $2.99 that lets you capture data and send it so you can put it into Excel...or better yet, JMP14!

I sense a possible DOE might be in the works...

All seems nice and quiet in Stephen Audio Land. A video would be fun!