6 ms·

This is utterly hilarious. Is it satire? The idea that an Ethernet switch could have any impact on listening other than maybe some weirdness with a ground loop

This is utterly hilarious. Is it satire? The idea that an Ethernet switch could have any impact on listening other than maybe some weirdness with a ground loop or whatnot is absurd. If an audiophile were really truly worried about Ethernet they should use fibre, and then they’ll never have to worry about anything.

R0b0t1 5y ago
No ground loops in Ethernet. The signalling wires are driven through transformers, isolating them from ground to improve noise immunity. Latency maybe, but the article doesn't talk about it, and this is typically solved the same way it is inside your computer when feeding the sound card: deliver too much info then wait. The real time delivery constraints that you can patch into the Ethernet stack on Linux are only necessary for reducing roundtrip time.
- odiroot 5y ago
  If only USB did the same. Would be a big improvement to USB connected instruments and audio interfaces. A man can dream.
  - cassianoleal 5y ago
    Indeed. I had to get a USB ground loop eliminator in order to run my Line6 Helix connected to the computer. Now with USB-C-only computers, it's Helix -> cable -> ground loop eliminator -> adapter -> computer. Without the need for it, I'd have just replaced the USB-A cable with a USB-C one and connect directly to the computer.
- walrus01 5y ago
  technically you can ground-loop passive high powered PoE gigabit ethernet (like for 85W radios or big beefy heated pan/tilt/zoom cameras), but that's not the scenario here.
- Nextgrid 5y ago
  Not defending this BS by any means, but certain cables have metallic connectors which I believe are connected to the cable's shielding jacket, and if the ports on either side are metal they are probably connected (maybe unintentionally though physical contact with the chassis) to the device's ground, so wouldn't that create a conductive path for interference?
  - R0b0t1 5y ago
    When made properly this is only supposed to be on one end. If it's on both you do get a loop, but the disruption to the signalling doesn't manifest as audio noise in the way the website seems to be speaking of.
ddlsmurf 5y ago
This is a novel idea ! Sell bullshit to people who think of themselves as audiophiles. Surely no one has done that before.
wayoutthere 5y ago
It has to be? The albums look chosen to represent a certain strain of aging hipster that doesn’t realize the world has passed them by. If this isn’t satire, the author is astoundingly self-unaware…
kelseyfrog 5y ago
Fibre has its own challenges -- crystalline structure, IoR homogeneity, and polarization effects can affect the entire audio spectrum. I wish I could say it's better, but ultimately ju/st a different game.
- walrus01 5y ago
  this assumes you're transmitting analog data through fiber. fiber as an ethernet link is packetized and has error correction. 1Gbps and 10Gbps stuff is just OOK blinking LED on and off. Pretty hard to screw up unless you have a chipped ferrule/facing, dirt on the fiber, or dirt in the connectors.
  - kelseyfrog 5y ago
    Someday we will invent a transmission medium which preserves the fidelity of satire
    - eptgrant 5y ago
      Funniest comment I've read in quite some time. Well done
    - walrus01 5y ago
      but which FEC is best suited for satire? I'm going to say turbo product codes can we maintain high fidelity satire close to the shannon limit? what do the varying code rate waterfall curves look like for satire FEC on modern equipment?
      - notacoward 5y ago
        > which FEC is best suited for satire The best I can think of is Hamming codes, because "hamming it up", but improvements would be welcome.
    - Rarok 5y ago
      In the times that I used forums with phpBB and SMF I really liked that I could select the font that I wanted to use, using Comic Sans is a nice way to let people understand that you are using the satire.
soneil 5y ago
I'm not sure it's satire, but it certainly hits the mark. I do wish there was even a hint of basic physics in there, anywhere. I can see the logic behind a properly isolated switch - for example, I have optical everything as my amplifier has a terrible habit of turning switching power supplies into chainsaw noises. Anywhere I can isolate shared noise is a win. But that's achieved with amazonbasics toslink cables, not .. magical pixie dust, or whatever these guys are selling.
ansraliant 5y ago
Unfortunately it is not satire. The audiophile community has a lot of these "snake oil" products, and they have their own followers. I believe they take advantage of the continuous pursuit of audio quality audiophiles have, even though it is not well founded, not does bring any quantifiable improvement. You will see things like really expensive HDMI cables, or Power Cords that increase the treble, and many more.

R0b0t1 5y ago

No ground loops in Ethernet. The signalling wires are driven through transformers, isolating them from ground to improve noise immunity. Latency maybe, but the article doesn't talk about it, and this is typically solved the same way it is inside your computer when feeding the sound card: deliver too much info then wait. The real time delivery constraints that you can patch into the Ethernet stack on Linux are only necessary for reducing roundtrip time.

odiroot 5y ago
If only USB did the same. Would be a big improvement to USB connected instruments and audio interfaces. A man can dream.
- cassianoleal 5y ago
  Indeed. I had to get a USB ground loop eliminator in order to run my Line6 Helix connected to the computer. Now with USB-C-only computers, it's Helix -> cable -> ground loop eliminator -> adapter -> computer. Without the need for it, I'd have just replaced the USB-A cable with a USB-C one and connect directly to the computer.
walrus01 5y ago
technically you can ground-loop passive high powered PoE gigabit ethernet (like for 85W radios or big beefy heated pan/tilt/zoom cameras), but that's not the scenario here.
Nextgrid 5y ago
Not defending this BS by any means, but certain cables have metallic connectors which I believe are connected to the cable's shielding jacket, and if the ports on either side are metal they are probably connected (maybe unintentionally though physical contact with the chassis) to the device's ground, so wouldn't that create a conductive path for interference?
- R0b0t1 5y ago
  When made properly this is only supposed to be on one end. If it's on both you do get a loop, but the disruption to the signalling doesn't manifest as audio noise in the way the website seems to be speaking of.

ddlsmurf 5y ago

This is a novel idea ! Sell bullshit to people who think of themselves as audiophiles. Surely no one has done that before.

wayoutthere 5y ago

It has to be? The albums look chosen to represent a certain strain of aging hipster that doesn’t realize the world has passed them by. If this isn’t satire, the author is astoundingly self-unaware…

kelseyfrog 5y ago

Fibre has its own challenges -- crystalline structure, IoR homogeneity, and polarization effects can affect the entire audio spectrum. I wish I could say it's better, but ultimately ju/st a different game.

walrus01 5y ago
this assumes you're transmitting analog data through fiber. fiber as an ethernet link is packetized and has error correction. 1Gbps and 10Gbps stuff is just OOK blinking LED on and off. Pretty hard to screw up unless you have a chipped ferrule/facing, dirt on the fiber, or dirt in the connectors.
- kelseyfrog 5y ago
  Someday we will invent a transmission medium which preserves the fidelity of satire
  - eptgrant 5y ago
    Funniest comment I've read in quite some time. Well done
  - walrus01 5y ago
    but which FEC is best suited for satire? I'm going to say turbo product codes can we maintain high fidelity satire close to the shannon limit? what do the varying code rate waterfall curves look like for satire FEC on modern equipment?
    - notacoward 5y ago
      > which FEC is best suited for satire The best I can think of is Hamming codes, because "hamming it up", but improvements would be welcome.
  - Rarok 5y ago
    In the times that I used forums with phpBB and SMF I really liked that I could select the font that I wanted to use, using Comic Sans is a nice way to let people understand that you are using the satire.

soneil 5y ago

I'm not sure it's satire, but it certainly hits the mark. I do wish there was even a hint of basic physics in there, anywhere. I can see the logic behind a properly isolated switch - for example, I have optical everything as my amplifier has a terrible habit of turning switching power supplies into chainsaw noises. Anywhere I can isolate shared noise is a win. But that's achieved with amazonbasics toslink cables, not .. magical pixie dust, or whatever these guys are selling.

ansraliant 5y ago

Unfortunately it is not satire. The audiophile community has a lot of these "snake oil" products, and they have their own followers. I believe they take advantage of the continuous pursuit of audio quality audiophiles have, even though it is not well founded, not does bring any quantifiable improvement. You will see things like really expensive HDMI cables, or Power Cords that increase the treble, and many more.