Audio Netwoking and RFI Simplified

Well done, Huge - I had a good read of your earlier, draft version, and it's just what people (like myself) with limited technical knowledge need. Recommended reading for anyone who wants to get their audio network properly sorted.

I hope you didn't do this hoping it would reduce the number of posts from people seeking advice, it may well have the opposite effect!

Excellent post,  it looks a whole lot easier to understand.

Although I do wonder about the recommendation of a mains conditioning unit as I found that the one I tried had a detrimental effect on sq on my set up........

It actually specifically states...

There is a reasonably well supported view that these mains conditioning units can rob the sound of its vitality. However the degree to which this effect occurs does seem to depend on the particular audio equipment in use.

Warning: Controversial…
Whether this effect is worse than the degrading effects that RFI have on the sound is much less clear and may depend on the unpredictable nature of the RFI at your location.

Please also note that this guide isn't specific to Naim equipment (it doesn't mention any manufacturer by name).

P.S.  I use a mains filter (aka a mains conditioner) that for RFI filtering only uses inductors - the improvement in sound quality that I get is quite dramatic. Where I live there is significant conducted RFI on the mains.

Well done Huge, I hope you get a Naim badge... Great service to the cause... Only issue appears that Google drive docs don't appear on my iPad 

Simon

Simon,

I assume you've tried a direct link by pasting

"drive.google.com/file/d/0Byjlr9brl1ykUDg1dUNzSTNVS28/view?usp=sharing"

into a browser address bar.

It should be available using the direct link as well as via the Google Docs interactive UI.  I don't have any Apple devices to test, but this works on a Win7 PC.

And you use them as windows?  Well they are flat!

P.S. sorry I appear to be in a silly + sarcastic mood tonight!

Huge,

Excellent work, thank you!  Thank you also to Simon and Mike-B.

I plan to check for continuity and grounding with an ohmmeter.  Can I assume the metal around the connector on an STP cable is connected to the shield?  

I notice you recommend CAT5e cables.  Does this mean you prefer not to use CAT6 or CAT7 ?

My cable from router to switch is unshielded from the router for about 50 ft, then connects to a shielded cable the last 20ft to the switch.  I did this because this cable passes behind the HiFi rack to the switch and my Mac mini on the other side of the rack.  Is this even remotely sensible?  Being a mechanical engineer I thought, perhaps naively, that this might reduce EMI issues from the cable itself.

Again, thanks for your sharing so much with the community.

Charlie

Thanks!  Duly noted.

Thanks Huge, thanks also to Simon and Mike.

Im new to streaming and seem to be on a steep learning curve at the moment. Your document was easy to read and understand, and I will try implementing some of the techniques. Some of the smallest tweaks have made such large improvements in my system, so I read information like yours with great interest.

Thanks again

Dear Huge &C., thanks a lot.
Comes by me 2 minor questions (apologise me):
- are ferrites anyway useful when we use shielded cable, a picture shows STP cable with it?
- very often NAS comes with a class II power supply, in which usually there is not main ground connection and where shielded plugs are simply routed to the global 0V (I've checked with mine, continuity exist between ETH shield and the 0V of the DC inlet of the power plug) and so not to the local earth, is in this case still needed the 'straight through’ Ethernet RJ45 coupler?
Grazie, Maurizio

Ciao Maurizio, my Synology (with an in-line SMPS) has 0vDC connected directly to E,  its a straight thru & practically zero ohms.

N is set above E with capacitive coupling with L&N collectively producing 12vDC.  

I am not saying all NAS are so connected,  but it is for sure worth double checking. If you are convinced your checks indicate 0v is not connected to earth,  a UTP coupler is not required. 

Thank you very much Mike-B,

I'm sure because the main plug have only 2 pins (L&N), there is not a pin for local earth.

Aha  -  very high tech diagnosis  

This type of power supply are very common here.

Ciao Maurizio

You need to have only one connection from each shielded section to the Earth of the power supply.

If your NAS,isn't connected to earth then you don't need a coupler in it's Ethernet cable.

If Switch and/or Router do not connect to earth, and you have an UTP cable to your computer (or the router doesn't connect the shields together) then you don't need a coupler in the computer's Ethernet cable.

Ferrites are more important on UTP, but they can still have quite a big effect even with STP, particularly on the cable connected directly to the streamer.

Thank you Huge, you are very kindly to clarify these points for me.