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Post by stellabagpuss on Jul 10, 2024 6:27:11 GMT
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Post by ChrisB on Jul 10, 2024 16:19:16 GMT
3 posts moved Damien.
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Post by stellabagpuss on Jul 10, 2024 17:06:57 GMT
Thanks Chris!
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Post by protegimus on Jul 13, 2024 12:32:46 GMT
Has anyone tried an ACC active cable? They have an additional IC used to actively reduce noise (intended for longer cable runs). To ensure you are getting exactly what you want with cable types you can look them up on the UL database if they are marked. |
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Post by orange55 on Jul 13, 2024 14:47:05 GMT
Has anyone tried an ACC active cable? They have an additional IC used to actively reduce noise (intended for longer cable runs). To ensure you are getting exactly what you want with cable types you can look them up on the UL database if they are marked. Do you have a link to an example cable? |
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Post by protegimus on Jul 13, 2024 17:23:53 GMT
Have a look at this Amphenol part for example. 3m length also available part number SF-SFPP2EACTV-003 |
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Post by orange55 on Jul 15, 2024 19:54:23 GMT
My Amphenol 3m DAC arrived today. Plugged in cold and listens to 1m of two songs. Straight off I can hear the lower noise floor.
I am coming from the Cisco AOC which runs between my two SOtM switches, which my streamer is then plugged into, along with my Apple TV. ( which now runs on a Plixir balanced elite power supply. The power supply had a major, major impact on the Apple TV sound and vision.)
Tara is now doing its stuff to run it in.
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trhh
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 24
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Post by trhh on Jul 18, 2024 13:00:33 GMT
Some PICs from the original/standard cable: Amphenol SFP+ 10GbE direct attach passive copper cable (DAC), quad-shielded 30 AWG twin-axial SKEWCLEAR wire (SF-SFPP2EPASS-002)  Torben |
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Post by orange55 on Jul 18, 2024 13:48:45 GMT
Some PICs from the original/standard cable: Amphenol SFP+ 10GbE direct attach passive copper cable (DAC), quad-shielded 30 AWG twin-axial SKEWCLEAR wire (SF-SFPP2EPASS-002) Torben Thats how mine arrived. Although it was in a silver bag also. No mention of Belden on the cable, but not worried about that as it clearly works. |
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Post by palace on Jul 18, 2024 15:02:44 GMT
Some PICs from the original/standard cable: Amphenol SFP+ 10GbE direct attach passive copper cable (DAC), quad-shielded 30 AWG twin-axial SKEWCLEAR wire (SF-SFPP2EPASS-002) Torben Thats how mine arrived. Although it was in a silver bag also. No mention of Belden on the cable, but not worried about that as it clearly works. Gentlemen I confess to being lost with these DAC cables, do they just plug into any ethernet socket offering an audible improvement over something like a UGreen CAT 7/8? |
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Post by MartinT on Jul 18, 2024 15:10:43 GMT
No, they only plug into an SFP cage.
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Post by palace on Jul 18, 2024 16:37:12 GMT
No, they only plug into an SFP cage. MartinT thank you. |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 6, 2024 16:51:00 GMT
My new 4m Amphenol DAC cable, kindly manufactured for me, has just arrived. Is this the only 4m in existence?  |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 6, 2024 17:29:26 GMT
This one is not marked Belden, so it's either from a different production run or a different supplier.
Now in circuit and sounding pretty spectacular from the off. I shall leave it running some Tara Labs tonight.
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Post by NigelB on Aug 6, 2024 20:49:28 GMT
My Amphenol 3m DAC arrived today. Plugged in cold and listens to 1m of two songs. Straight off I can hear the lower noise floor.
I am coming from the Cisco AOC which runs between my two SOtM switches, which my streamer is then plugged into, along with my Apple TV. ( which now runs on a Plixir balanced elite power supply. The power supply had a major, major impact on the Apple TV sound and vision.) Tara is now doing its stuff to run it in. The most important cable is the one from your noise-reducing switch to your streamer; what is this please? |
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Post by NigelB on Aug 6, 2024 21:05:00 GMT
Gentlemen I confess to being lost with these DAC cables, do they just plug into any ethernet socket offering an audible improvement over something like a UGreen CAT 7/8? The Direct Attach Cable (DAC) has an SFP "thing" at each end and plugs into an SFP port; usually these ports were intended by the device manufacturer to accommodate SFP transceivers which convert optical signals to electrical signals or vice versa. Optical connections theoretically offer no-noise connectivity as noise can't travel over an optical cable, but the transceiver's signal conversion process can generate significant noise of its own so experiences and opinions on the pros and cons of optical network links are mixed. A DAC does away with the conversion but of course also does away with any benefits from an optical connection in the network.
You may see references to an AOC which is an Attached Optical Cable; it looks very similar but consists of an optical cable joined by two "hard-wired" converter modules. In general, it offers the pros and cons of an optical connection outlined above.
If your streamer and other devices have only ethernet (RJ45) sockets then DAC cables are irrelevant to your system as it stands, but I thought you might find the above of interest.
Best wishes, Nigel
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Post by MartinT on Aug 7, 2024 4:34:39 GMT
The most important cable is the one from your noise-reducing switch to your streamer; what is this please? That is the DAC cable we're talking about, going from the EtherREGEN SFP cage to the Rendu (streamer) SFP cage. The premise, as first highlighted by Alex of Uptone, is that eliminating the optical connection relies on there being isolation (in this case, the ER's moat) but brings large benefits in reduced noise due to not having two optical conversions at each end of the cable. The proof is in the sound quality, which is the best I've yet attained and a considerable step up from the optical. |
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Post by NigelB on Aug 8, 2024 20:53:20 GMT
That is the DAC cable we're talking about, going from the EtherREGEN SFP cage to the Rendu (streamer) SFP cage. The premise, as first highlighted by Alex of Uptone, is that eliminating the optical connection relies on there being isolation (in this case, the ER's moat) but brings large benefits in reduced noise due to not having two optical conversions at each end of the cable. The proof is in the sound quality, which is the best I've yet attained and a considerable step up from the optical. Thanks Martin, I can absolutely see this elimination of the optical-electrical conversion inside the streamer bringing an audible improvement. If I were going to use an optical connection it would be into not out of my switch; the last thing I'd want is the noise inside my streamer generated by an optical-electrical conversion there. This seems to undermine the point of the switch (in your case the ER) in the first place.
Have you had the chance to compare the DAC cable with the RJ45 to RJ45 equivalent? Any difference at all?
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Post by MartinT on Aug 9, 2024 5:56:54 GMT
Have you had the chance to compare the DAC cable with the RJ45 to RJ45 equivalent? Any difference at all? I cannot make a direct comparison with RJ45 as my Signature Rendu Deluxe streamer has an SFP cage only. |
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Post by orange55 on Aug 15, 2024 13:43:20 GMT
I have been running the DAC cable for about a month now and here are my findings.
For context I am running it between two SOtM switches and did have the Cisco cable in place before.
I found that burn in did help the cable. Key points were around the 70 hours mark and then above 120 hours. Roughly as I wasn’t listening all the time but these were key points at which I noticed changes.
When I first installed the cable instantly I heard a lower noise floor. Each individual element seems to have more space around it. I would describe it as though somebody had come along and swept up around each element and now they were standing out more.
Next thing was dynamic range, maybe obvious given the drop in noise floor, but sounds now jumped out at you more.
After the 70 hours make I noticed that the bass had improved. It now had more weight, but actually I think it is better described as being better defined and having more detail, in turn giving it more texture and naturalness. This was quite a shift, not subtle but also not massive weight gain. This element alone has become addictive.
After the 120 hour make I noticed an improvement in timing, along with the space around the elements seeming to be more obvious. Burn in was pretty subtle and I never had a down days. The timing is interesting as well known tracks just seem to have more spring in them. Found my foot tapping just a touch more.
Add all these things together and it’s a massive hit. I am surprised by the improvement. I was concerned taking to optical out of the system on a couple of accounts. First I had previously tried Ethernet between the two SToM switches and it was a step backwards. The noise floor was not as good as the Cisco, despite being a high end Ethernet cable. Second was how good are the SPF port implementation on the SToM switch. Well pretty good is the answer.
Hope that helps.
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