In computer audio streaming, there are many terminologies and components involved which sometimes becomes the deterring factor to many audiophiles, especially during the set up stage: modem, router, switch, optical filter, renderer, streamer, Roon core, Roon nucleus, bridge, end-points,etc. The more complicated the path, the more potential sources of distortion and noise interference, be it just a simple transmission of ‘0’ and ‘1’.
Amongst all CAS hardware components, network switch receives the most interest from the audiophile community as one often uses it as a network filter filtrating high frequency noises from the internet. Having multiple switches in the chain often lingers in the mind of perfectionists to achieve the utmost cleanliness. However, the more components in the signal path, the more noises it radiate via power supply, cables and chassis creating a compounded distortion.
APL network switch conjures up my belief of ‘less is more’. In my CAS setup, I intentionally use one switch only. APL does the job exceedingly well unearthing wealth of details and silence between the musical notes making the music more emotionally touchable and soulful. Music is relaxing without the perceived agility caused by high frequency noises. The switch humbles somewhat in bass attack and weight. This is easily manageable by matching it with an appropriate power cable with speed and transient. In this case Sternklang Kannon serves the purpose well!
Inside the switch, it has a custom femto-jitter with ultra lownoise clocking to frame the data packet from the router to the receiving end. It is powered by built in LPS with custom Lundahl high quality transformer from Sweden. Superb build quality aside, it delivers a lively and intimate pacing of music making my previous switch sounds robotic.
The switch comes with 8 LAN ports running with fully discrete isolation transformers and filtering chokes. Each port has an either green light in the front panel to indicate a Cat 8 ethernet cable is connected or an amber light for a Cat 6/below ethernet. A tip in performance to share: use the ports farther away from the power socket would yield an even darker background reason being EMI/RFI noise is inevitably more intense nearer to the power input.
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上星期到訪AE Central音響室測試由英國剛抵港的Reiki Audio Optical bridge (OB) Extreme Pro/Pro （旗艦型號）。
未接上OB連專用PSO PSU供電時，Engstrom Monica 前級/Eric Encore後級已經安裝了Dalby 《驚天一式》新世代防震機腳，而且房間亦已重新佈置了AGS的房効配件去處理註波，因此播放音樂時的背景黑暗感和清晰度已大為改善，和諧道更上一層樓。 接上OB後，輸入Wadex Reference Server數位串流裏的雜訊被消除，因應不同的曲，音頻能量密度提高、結象/音場晶瑩透徹、音色變得分明、樂器與人聲之間的空間感更加連貫和諧（比分隔度清晰更高層次），因此現場演繹更真實、自然。 Wadax Atlantis Reference DAC，全程用2V輸出，房間完全沒有超載。
我充心期待Reiki OB蒞臨自家系統！
Reiki's PRO PSU (LPS)
Reiki's Optical Bridge
「光之昇華」
最近再次探訪中環御品，器材大致無變，但KK竟然把整個系統拉前了好一段距離，方便管理線材之餘，Goebel小神曲的聲音變得更有活力，更有音樂感；視覺上也更整齊，美觀。
今次的主角是Reiki Audio 的 Optical Bridge Extreme Pro/Pro (RAOB)。用「光」作隔離噪音不是新鮮事，巿面上也有不少類似產品，我之前也用了一個有相當効果的香港品牌光隔。lRA的光隔系統有多種組合設定：可以用一個 “master” 和一個 “slave”，又或是兩個 “master” ，自家製的 LPS 獨立供電給予分體的光橋，總共由四個部件組成。除此之外，四件部件分別有一個接地位，可接不同的地線。當然還日後可以換更高級的網線和DC線，升級的彈性十分高。
未接它前，我認為中環御品的播放水平，以我常測試的音樂而言，可算是「接近完美」，無論能量、音樂感、像真度都已無可挑剔。當一接上RAOB 後，我立即感受到小提琴的「質地」，聽到不同琴手原來是用不同的琴。以前描述小提琴只會說很像真，並假設所有琴原自同一牌子。雖然我不太認知各名琴的特色(例如不同年份的Stradivarius 、Gunerai等），但它們的辨識度大大提高，除了音色外，就連它們體積大小也能感受到。這真正是 “High Fidelity” 的境界。
Billie Eilish 的 “What was I made for?” 在未接 RAOB之前的確已很悅耳，但接了之後，才能斷定她是有氣有力有技巧地唱（而不是hea唱），腔音清晰無比，完全帶給我對「真實感」的全新認知！這次我真的不能返轉頭，而且這次demo全部是跟機線，日後升級空間極大。
即使各項噪音管理已各司其職，RAOB的出現仍然帶來如此的驚人大躍進，音質提升極緻的程度，實在令我驚訝。我十分期待它在寒舍下的表現，以及日後換了更高級的線材後，又可以昇華至甚麼境界呢？
Mike Yu
In computer audio streaming, there are many terminologies and components involved which sometimes becomes the deterring factor to many audiophiles, especially during the set up stage: modem, router, switch, optical filter, renderer, streamer, Roon core, Roon nucleus, bridge, end-points,etc. The more complicated the path, the more potential sources of distortion and noise interference, be it just a simple transmission of ‘0’ and ‘1’.
Amongst all CAS hardware components, network switch receives the most interest from the audiophile community as one often uses it as a network filter filtrating high frequency noises from the internet. Having multiple switches in the chain often lingers in the mind of perfectionists to achieve the utmost cleanliness. However, the more components in the signal path, the more noises it radiate via power supply, cables and chassis creating a compounded distortion.
APL network switch conjures up my belief of ‘less is more’. In my CAS setup, I intentionally use one switch only. APL does the job exceedingly well unearthing wealth of details and silence between the musical notes making the music more emotionally touchable and soulful. Music is relaxing without the perceived agility caused by high frequency noises. The switch humbles somewhat in bass attack and weight. This is easily manageable by matching it with an appropriate power cable with speed and transient. In this case Sternklang Kannon serves the purpose well!
Inside the switch, it has a custom femto-jitter with ultra lownoise clocking to frame the data packet from the router to the receiving end. It is powered by built in LPS with custom Lundahl high quality transformer from Sweden. Superb build quality aside, it delivers a lively and intimate pacing of music making my previous switch sounds robotic.
The switch comes with 8 LAN ports running with fully discrete isolation transformers and filtering chokes. Each port has an either green light in the front panel to indicate a Cat 8 ethernet cable is connected or an amber light for a Cat 6/below ethernet. A tip in performance to share: use the ports farther away from the power socket would yield an even darker background reason being EMI/RFI noise is inevitably more intense nearer to the power input.