Again for interested folks, I found this video that was helpful.

The video, titled "How To Get The Best Sound From Your Digital System,"  from smallgreencomputer.com answers some of my questions about the Sonore hardware and hookup.  It also raises a few new ones.  It looks like a lot of parts (that may be related to a Roon hookup), and the cost is not stated.  

For those of you in the know, does this approach to improving digital audio make sense?

Here is the corrected video link:  https://youtu.be/iwtzN5spDUg

I doubt my ears could tell the difference, between that setup and your cxn v2.

Hi GS, from your suggestion above:

"...the video does outline a legitimate way to set up an audio network. I would use it as a guide of one approach. It can be modified with different products. Key points being optical isolation, low noise power supplies and clean side / dirty side of the network."

Focusing first on improving the power supply to the TP-Link media converter you introduced at the start of this topic, might that lead to improved (cleaner) signal processing? The power cable included with the media converter seems of minimal quality.

The video suggests a pretty high-priced replacement power source that is too expensive for me. A search of "low-noise power suppliers" resulted in many choices. Might you or someone following this question have a suggestion of one or more alternative low noise power sources to consider?  Also, would I need to buy two or just one low-noise power source - that one placed at the clean side of the conversion?

Finally, reading off the TP-Link power supply itself, it states, "Output: 9V - 0.6 A" is that what the replacement power supply should display, or is there some other match I should look for so that once installed, everything works together?

Thanks, Tony

Two things:  

I added the ifi Power to my T-P Link Media Converter, and it sounds terrific.  I need more time to determine if it sounds better than the previous power cable, as my current system sounds so good these days that it's hard to give credit to where credit is due.

The other thing to share is that Small Green Computer just released a 3-minute video on how to connect two media converters to your system. An excellent visual/demo of the concept behind this topic.  

Here's the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5F8B-e3TZw

GroovySauce,

The more Ethernet cabling you can remove from your audio LAN the better off you will be.

Or make every effort possible to keep as much of the Ethernet cable as far away from your audio equipment as you can.

You are moving in the right direction with the Sonore opticalModule, feed it with the best power possible, it makes a difference.

Try to keep the B side of the EtherREGEN as close as possible to your server/endpoint, to keep the Ethernet cable as short as possible.

I am guessing that you will feed the A side with fiber from the opticalModule.

Try to use Ethernet cables that do not have the shield connected at either end, I use the Ghent JSSG Ethernet cables.

The only Ethernet cabling that is in my audio LAN is 20 meters away from my equipment, I am fiber to my STi9 and renderer.

With the new gen 2.1 enhanced USB hardware installed in my KTE May I can once again use the Sonore Sig Rendu SE.

Unfortunately, while the EtherREGEN with master clock worked wonders with the MeLE NAA, it does not with the Sig Rendu at 1.4/1.5 MHz.

The Sig Rendu NAA at 1.4/1.5 MHz without the EtherREGEN & master clock surpasses the MeLE NAA with the EtherREGEN & master clock.

From above, GS asked:

Tony, Have you swapped out the PS back to the supplied one? Any observations?

Happy New Year, everyone.    

I waited for a time to sit and listen carefully for any differences that I could hear between my new "ifi" power supply and my older generic one that power the T-P Link Media Converter discussed above. I did not expect to hear that much difference going into the comparison as I was pleased with how my system sounded before installing the "ifi" power supply and then again after. However, the direct comparison of the two did reveal differences in favor of the "ifi."

I listened to three tracks that I know very well, and the fidelity was improved in each when listening with the "ifi" power supply. The differences were at times subtle and at other times substantial but consistently discernable. I could hear the improvement, specifically in the bass. Descriptors like more resonance and fullness come to mind. The improvement was pleasurable.

The second track featured male and female vocalists, and the difference between the two power supplies was unclear when they sang together. However, the bass introduction to their song was better with the "ifi."  

The third track featured piano and strings, revealing the most difference in SQ. The bass notes from the piano and then the higher pitch notes of the violin both sounded better. Less so for the cello, although it did sound fuller.  

This reasonably priced (about $100) power supply improvement to the original T-P Link Media Converter strategy discussed above worked well for me.    

kulafa,

If you do not go over 705.6/768 KHz PCM you will be fine.
I am not certain on SDM/DSD rates.

What I found was that 1.4/1.5 MHz is right on the edge of what the EtherREGEN can handle, with my equipment configuration.
1.4 would work 95% of the time, 1.5 was a no go.
Also, my few SDM files that I convert to PCM would not play at 1.4 PCM.

That is with the combination of equipment that I use, your equipment may not produce the same results, I hope that It works for you.

From what I gathered through my correspondence with JS and conversation with Alex, there are several factors to consider.
Flow control and pause packets have to play nice with HQPlayer and NAA FIFO.
A side Gigabit 1000 speed and B side Fast 100 speed crossing the mote.
I thought 100 speed was enough, but it may be some other bottleneck in my chain.

The optical Rendus require Gigabit speed ( systemOptique ), I don't know if the UltraRendu requires Gigabit speed, I had to go B -> A.
I even tried dual eRs, A -> B -> B -> A

Keep in mind that 1.4/1.5 PCM was not an option until recently on any DAC!

But there is hope that the next generation of little black boxes will support 1.4/1.5 and beyond.

For me 1.4 PCM with eR and clock was very good with the MeLE NAA.
The Sig Rendu still performed better without the eR and clock than the MeLE with the eR and clock and could do 1.4/1.5 without issue along with SDM -> PCM conversion.

The new 2.1 enhanced USB hardware for the May enabled me to once again use the Sig Rendu as NAA whose SQ is superior to the MeLE as NAA.