I have recently attained what I consider to be a final resting place (at least for now) for the streaming side of my system. It's been a journey so I thought I would share in the off chance it is interesting or informative.

For years, decades really, my music listening was either vinyl or through the computer into headphones. About two years ago I tested streaming into my main system. The first rendition was an RCA cable connected to my phone. The sound was pretty meh, but I liked the convenience and found I was listening to more music. The next version was a Fiio streamer/DAC, but as it only connected to Tidal via bluetooth, I swapped that out for a Cambridge MXN10. The Cambridge sounded pretty good and the interface was decent. I stream only through Tidal—no Roon, no local files—so the connect feature that allows for high resolution streaming is crucial. At the same time, I knew it wasn't nearly as good as it could be (my computer setup still sounded better). So, I set out to make some (hopefully) well informed upgrades.

The first thing I did was call my internet provider to ask about speed upgrades. Turns out an upgraded speed package was actually cheaper. I am almost certain the speed increase doesn't not matter (it definitely doesn't matter on paper), but worth a call and it actually saved money. An upgrade that saves money: a first in audiophilia. Then I switched from a wireless network with the basic provider router/wifi to a mesh network with the TP-link Deco. It's really great and improved all of the internet connections around the house. This would have been worth it even without the music. I placed one node close (not too close) to the stereo so I could connect the streamer via ethernet. This made a noticeable difference in clarity and detail. It is here that I wonder if the mesh network is actually better than using long ethernet runs (in my case, I would have had to run an ethernet cable from the front door—not really an option).

My next upgrade was the streamer. At the time, I knew Eversolo was about to release the T10, so I waited for some initial reviews and when they came back resoundingly positive, I put in an order and then went hunting for a DAC. Eversolo has a great reputation and it has more bells and whistles than I have had a chance to explore. It is also relatively affordable so as streaming changes and improves, I could conceivably upgrade.

Other than the streamer, I like that everything in my system is locally made and that I can contact the makers and ask questions. So, for the DAC, I went with an LTA Aero. It is an NOS DAC and the sound is rich and detailed, but not soupy. It is the opposite of the Eversolo: very few bells and whistles. It has the ability to run 6SN7 or 12SN7 tubes. I have some Sylvania JAN-12SN7GTs and they sound great—I like JAN-era Sylvania, and these are significantly cheaper than the 6SN7s. The combo of Eversolo and Aero mixes a high quality, very transparent, and very detailed source with a rich and expansive DAC. Perfect.

The last thing I did was convert the ethernet to fiber with an LHY FMC. I tried the Sonore, but it didnt work with either the T10 or the SFP modules I was using (it is now for sale in the classified section). Fiber conversion gives the source that last bit of detail and crispness I wanted. The fiber conversion is fully isolated so any noise coming through the network should be mitigated. More importantly, I could immediately hear an increased sense of space and sonic distribution. I am connecting the T10 to the Aero with coax so that all the clocking is maintained and because I don't need the highest res options afforded by USB.

At this point, I feel like I am in diminishing returns territory. The sound is spacious, rich, and detailed. After the streamer everything else is tubes so there is no chance it will sound cold or clinical. There are better streamers and DACs, for sure. But this combo is sounding really great. It is definitely different. I think I still prefer vinyl—more texture, more sense of depth—but I am now at the point where vinyl isn't "better," just different. Certainly less convenient.

Anyway, most importantly, here is a photo:

I was using single mode SFPs—Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL—with a single mode cable. I also tried one other cable and two different modules (always the same module on either end). Eversolo requires single mode. Neither Sonore nor Small Green Computer were super helpful and they don't publish or give out specs so I couldn't figure out exactly what the deal was. That's why I ended up with the LHY.

In the interim I tried the 10Gtek fiber converter. It's very cheap and available on Amazon (and worked perfectly). It has nearly all the sonic qualities of the LHY. If anyone is curious about fiber converting definitely try that one, or the TP-link version if you want a low cost and returnable option to test the waters.

I was considering ethernet filtering instead of fiber converting, but after reading some postings here and my other post, I went with fiber. I haven't done an A/B with ethernet filtering, but I am happy. Either way, if I was going to do an ethernet filter, I would have tried the DX engineering filters as opposed to something significantly more expensive like the Muon.