Thanks Simon - I think largely by chance I found on 'that' site the same spec switch as yours. I'll see how it compares with my current Netgear switch.

I was already cautious about the isolators so that's very helpful advice.

Hi Nick, I use two 2960s currently... the one I use connected to my streamer is an 8 port with powersupply built in.  Good luck 

Switch arrived yesterday (IEC type cable). Did a factory reset at work. Got home. Plugged it all in. It works.

Yay!

Hi [@mention:1566878603997807] I'm interested in the cisco 2960 switch as well...would you have a link to the model/version you refer to?

I currently use a Cisco SG110D-08 switch, not sure what/if the 2960 could bring more?

thank you

Hi [@mention:69426746497974136] - I think posting the link might breach forum rules, but the model I bought on 'that' auction site was:

Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960-8TC-L Managed 8-Port Switch

As you may have seen, there are several different varieties of the 2960, but this happens to be the same spec as one of the models which [@mention:1566878603876589] posted about on another thread a while ago. (I think it's the same model which [@mention:4804681823084713] bought, again based on what Simon posted.) It came with an IEC UK mains cable/plug. It cost me £90. I hope that helps.

nickpeacock posted:

Hi [@mention:69426746497974136] - I think posting the link might breach forum rules, but the model I bought on 'that' auction site was:

Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960-8TC-L Managed 8-Port Switch

 

As you may have seen, there are several different varieties of the 2960, but this happens to be the same spec as one of the models which [@mention:1566878603876589] posted about on another thread a while ago. (I think it's the same model which [@mention:4804681823084713] bought, again based on what Simon posted.) It came with an IEC UK mains cable/plug. It cost me £90. I hope that helps.

thanks a lot [@mention:1566878603997807] what does this switch bring that another cisco switch may not bring? my switch is fanless as well. Just trying to understand what makes this switch particularly fit for purpose...

Ha - at this point, others on the forum are better techinically qualified to answer - I am, as they say, "standing on the shoulders of giants"!

It is too early to say whether the sound is better - I haven't had anyreal  listening time since I plugged it in.

However, I can unequivocally say that I prefer the somewhat industrial appearance of the Cisco switch to my previous Netgear model.

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Hi Nick, I use two 2960s currently... the one I use connected to my streamer is an 8 port with powersupply built in.  Good luck 

hello simon,

i have a neatgear gs105 , because i need only 3 ports. Do you know if there is good 4 ports switch with built in ps? thanks

Hi Pierre, I am not aware of such a device, 8 ports is the smallest I know with built in powersupply.

Simon

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Manu68, these Catalyst switches can bring a better performance of connected streamers... not dissimilar to the effects of fancy Ethernet leads. My theory of why is that these switches use better quality physical layer synchronisation clocks as they support PTP (Ethernet precision time protocol) which works in part at the physical layer. A better more precise clock will produce less intermodulation interference frequencies (think FM) in the  connected device thereby reducing digital noise.

Simon

See, shoulders of giants...

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Hi Pierre, I am not aware of such a device, 8 ports is the smallest I know with built in powersupply.

Simon

thanks

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Manu68, these Catalyst switches can bring a better performance of connected streamers... not dissimilar to the effects of fancy Ethernet leads. My theory of why is that these switches use better quality physical layer synchronisation clocks as they support PTP (Ethernet precision time protocol) which works in part at the physical layer. A better more precise clock will produce less intermodulation interference frequencies (think FM) in the  connected device thereby reducing digital noise.

Simon

Thanks you Simon, crystal clear!

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Manu68, these Catalyst switches can bring a better performance of connected streamers... not dissimilar to the effects of fancy Ethernet leads. My theory of why is that these switches use better quality physical layer synchronisation clocks as they support PTP (Ethernet precision time protocol) which works in part at the physical layer. A better more precise clock will produce less intermodulation interference frequencies (think FM) in the  connected device thereby reducing digital noise.

Simon

from all the posts on this topic, i choose finally to go for ifi power for my switch, i have a neatgear gs105. Do you think, simon, that it is worth for me to take a cisco catalyst 2960 8 port?  will it improve a neatgear gs105 with ifi power?  I need only 3 ports, so i wonder if it worth....  have you personally tested different switches and compared sound quality?

Pierre, it may do... it will be your own subjective assessment. However using a switch with better clocks and using a less noisy powersupply for the most part address different things. 

I have compared some Netgear switches and combined router switchports with my Cisco Catalyst switches and I have heard a positive benefit with the latter. So my comparison is not comprehensive, so I put it out there for people to try. Many but certainly not all forum members who have tried them have experienced varying degrees of  improvement in using these devices.

@@Simon so this Cisco switch has internal power supply?

Hi the WS-C2960-8TC-L has its now internal power-supply 

I bought the Cisco switch recommended above and it is one of my best purchases. As well as sounding better it has cured a problem I have had with my Superuniti losing my network and needing as many as 3 tries to reconnect. My old switch was a very cheap thing but my TV and NAS never lost connection so I thought it was functionally OK.  "Old generation" Naim networked products do seem rather  finicky - let's hope the new ones are better.

Bottom line is that in my experience a switch has more influence on performance than you would think and the Cisco 8 port is a bargain S/H.

What Simon and others mean by an "internal power supply" is shown in the pic below of the back of my switch:

In other words, you connect the switch direct to mains power using an IEC-type mains cable.

thanks gents

Keler Pierre posted:

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Manu68, these Catalyst switches can bring a better performance of connected streamers... not dissimilar to the effects of fancy Ethernet leads. My theory of why is that these switches use better quality physical layer synchronisation clocks as they support PTP (Ethernet precision time protocol) which works in part at the physical layer. A better more precise clock will produce less intermodulation interference frequencies (think FM) in the  connected device thereby reducing digital noise.

Simon

from all the posts on this topic, i choose finally to go for ifi power for my switch, i have a neatgear gs105. Do you think, simon, that it is worth for me to take a cisco catalyst 2960 8 port?  will it improve a neatgear gs105 with ifi power?  I need only 3 ports, so i wonder if it worth....  have you personally tested different switches and compared sound quality?

I switched (sorry) from a Netgear GS105 with a iFi iPower to the same model of Cisco Catalyst 2960 8-port switch with the internal linear PS that S-I-S and others on here use and managed to convince myself there was a welcome improvement. As I bought the Cisco pre-loved on that auction site for £55 there was no real financial risk.

BTW I only use 3 of it's 8 ports. No problem with that.

nigelb posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Manu68, these Catalyst switches can bring a better performance of connected streamers... not dissimilar to the effects of fancy Ethernet leads. My theory of why is that these switches use better quality physical layer synchronisation clocks as they support PTP (Ethernet precision time protocol) which works in part at the physical layer. A better more precise clock will produce less intermodulation interference frequencies (think FM) in the  connected device thereby reducing digital noise.

Simon

from all the posts on this topic, i choose finally to go for ifi power for my switch, i have a neatgear gs105. Do you think, simon, that it is worth for me to take a cisco catalyst 2960 8 port?  will it improve a neatgear gs105 with ifi power?  I need only 3 ports, so i wonder if it worth....  have you personally tested different switches and compared sound quality?

I switched (sorry) from a Netgear GS105 with a iFi iPower to the same model of Cisco Catalyst 2960 8-port switch with the internal linear PS that S-I-S and others on here use and managed to convince myself there was a welcome improvement. As I bought the Cisco pre-loved on that auction site for £55 there was no real financial risk.

BTW I only use 3 of it's 8 ports. No problem with that.

you say" i managed myself to convince me" it was an improvement vs neatgear gs105/ifi power. So it was a minor improvement or you are not 100% sure it was an inprovement? thanks

Keler Pierre posted:

nigelb posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Manu68, these Catalyst switches can bring a better performance of connected streamers... not dissimilar to the effects of fancy Ethernet leads. My theory of why is that these switches use better quality physical layer synchronisation clocks as they support PTP (Ethernet precision time protocol) which works in part at the physical layer. A better more precise clock will produce less intermodulation interference frequencies (think FM) in the  connected device thereby reducing digital noise.

Simon

from all the posts on this topic, i choose finally to go for ifi power for my switch, i have a neatgear gs105. Do you think, simon, that it is worth for me to take a cisco catalyst 2960 8 port?  will it improve a neatgear gs105 with ifi power?  I need only 3 ports, so i wonder if it worth....  have you personally tested different switches and compared sound quality?

I switched (sorry) from a Netgear GS105 with a iFi iPower to the same model of Cisco Catalyst 2960 8-port switch with the internal linear PS that S-I-S and others on here use and managed to convince myself there was a welcome improvement. As I bought the Cisco pre-loved on that auction site for £55 there was no real financial risk.

BTW I only use 3 of it's 8 ports. No problem with that.

you say" i managed myself to convince me" it was an improvement vs neatgear gs105/ifi power. So it was a minor improvement or you are not 100% sure it was an inprovement? thanks

I heard a definite improvement with the Cisco. Don't want to exaggerate but I liked the Cisco over the Netgear. Going to the Cisco was a bigger improvement than adding the iFi iPower onto the Netgear.

If you buy secondhand Cisco 2960 switch from that auction site make sure it is has a reset to factory settings unless you are able to do this yourself.

nigelb posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

nigelb posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Manu68, these Catalyst switches can bring a better performance of connected streamers... not dissimilar to the effects of fancy Ethernet leads. My theory of why is that these switches use better quality physical layer synchronisation clocks as they support PTP (Ethernet precision time protocol) which works in part at the physical layer. A better more precise clock will produce less intermodulation interference frequencies (think FM) in the  connected device thereby reducing digital noise.

Simon

from all the posts on this topic, i choose finally to go for ifi power for my switch, i have a neatgear gs105. Do you think, simon, that it is worth for me to take a cisco catalyst 2960 8 port?  will it improve a neatgear gs105 with ifi power?  I need only 3 ports, so i wonder if it worth....  have you personally tested different switches and compared sound quality?

I switched (sorry) from a Netgear GS105 with a iFi iPower to the same model of Cisco Catalyst 2960 8-port switch with the internal linear PS that S-I-S and others on here use and managed to convince myself there was a welcome improvement. As I bought the Cisco pre-loved on that auction site for £55 there was no real financial risk.

BTW I only use 3 of it's 8 ports. No problem with that.

you say" i managed myself to convince me" it was an improvement vs neatgear gs105/ifi power. So it was a minor improvement or you are not 100% sure it was an inprovement? thanks

I heard a definite improvement with the Cisco. Don't want to exaggerate but I liked the Cisco over the Netgear. Going to the Cisco was a bigger improvement than adding the iFi iPower onto the Netgear.

If you buy secondhand Cisco 2960 switch from that auction site make sure it is has a reset to factory settings unless you are able to do this yourself.

i found aqvox aq 8 audiophile switch. In devialet chat forum they are very impressed by it, finding it superior by a good margin to a paul pang switch. I think i will go for that in next future.

Yes I would be wary of anything that calls itself an 'audiophile' switch. Of course there is no such thing really with our TCP transfers. It is simply how some aspects of switch design interact with certain connected devices. The Cisco Catalysts are beneficial for many with the current crop of Naim streamers. That might be different with new Naim architectures in the forthcoming Uniti series and or different vendor architectures and physical interface designs.

Certainly if anyone purports to benefits of a particular device, ask want in the design contributes to this and what connected hosts has it been assessed with. Again I would be wary on something that simply focuses on the 'powersupply' as that, unless the switch is very low quality, should largely be a side show.

Simon

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Yes I would be wary of anything that calls itself an 'audiophile' switch. Of course there is no such thing really with our TCP transfers. It is simply how some aspects of switch design interact with certain connected devices. The Cisco Catalysts are beneficial for many with the current crop of Naim streamers. That might be different with new Naim architectures in the forthcoming Uniti series and or different vendor architectures and physical interface designs.

Certainly if anyone purports to benefits of a particular device, ask want in the design contributes to this and what connected hosts has it been assessed with. Again I would be wary on something that simply focuses on the 'powersupply' as that, unless the switch is very low quality, should largely be a side show.

Simon

take a look on this switch, you have a lot of technical descriptions on the site:  aqvox aq switch-8 audiophile high end network switch. But maybe the cisco 2960 catalyst is better for naim...

the problem with my system is that i have 2 switches after, tplink-optical fiber-tplink to nds. So i don't know if this switch like cisco or aqvox will really improve. My first switch is neatgear gs105, with an ifi power to arrive soon...