Fuck? ! Audiophiles go to nice lengths to make sure they’re getting the absolute best sound, however is it value spending $100 or so to remove audio glitches from an Ethernet connection? One firm appears to assume so, providing a dongle that they declare can clear up streaming audio.
Audio gear firm ifi has launched a small gadget that connects to an ethernet port and claims to remove sign interference from sound transmitted over the connection. The distinctive product, known as iSilencer, appears to be aimed toward audiophiles who already spend some huge cash getting pristine sound from web sources like music subscription companies.
The iSilencer connects to an Ethernet port in your router, to your gadget’s Ethernet socket, or to an Ethernet wall socket. A diagram says it is for streaming units with a wired connection, however would not point out WiFi, which might omit merchandise like sensible audio system or telephones.
The product web page mentions superior galvanic isolation, which eliminates stray currents by separating circuits. They additionally point out a zero-jitter reminiscence buffer and a transient voltage suppressor to defend towards energy surges.
In addition, the designers promise that the dongle is not going to decelerate the web velocity, supporting gigabit connections. The iSilencer features a shielded field to reduce packet loss and stabilize the sign.
It’s unclear how a lot the $90 add-on will enhance audio high quality. According to the dongle’s Amazon web page, the iSilencer launched on February 23, however no {hardware} reviewer appears to have examined it.
One evaluate on the Amazon web page gave it 5 stars. Reviewers declare to have $40,000 value of audio gear, warning that networking equipment and cables needs to be the very last thing customers spend money on after extra necessary parts like audio system and receivers. ifi additionally describes the iSilencer as the ultimate piece of a high-end audio system.
Commenters on the discussion board both mocked the gadget or expressed combined impressions of it. Some customers appear to listen to barely totally different sound high quality, whereas others declare a major enchancment.
Amazon’s evaluate of one other iFi gadget — the USB Audio Interference Canceller, launching in 2020 for $60 — had an analogous take. It performs the identical operate as an Ethernet dongle when plugged into a pc’s USB port, which opinions recommend is a noteworthy however maybe not transformative change.
