There I was happily listening to my streaming system which included an optical ‘bridge’ to sieve out the RFI and EMI gremlins.
For the past year I have been using this system: Wi-fi router –> Cat 8 cable –> Silent Angel Bonn N8 audiophile network switch –> Cat 8 cable –> TP-Link MC220L media converter –> SUBTel SFP transceiver –> Molex fibre optic cable –> SUBTel SFP transceiver –> TP-Link MC220L media converter –> Wireworld Starlight 8 ethernet cable –> Silent Angel Munich M1T network media transport –> iFi iSilencer+ –> Shunyata Omega USB cable –> iFi iPurifier3 –> FiiO K9 Pro ESS (this is the latest acquisition).
I have been enjoying the smooth sound till I bumped into Gan of Hifi Paradis who told me he had Finisar SFP Transceiver modules in stock. When I was researching optical transmission using SFP Transceivers for audiophile purposes, many other audiophiles had recommended Finisar SFP Transceiver modules.
The problem with SFP connections is compatibility and I was afraid that the Finisar would not work with the TP-Link MC220L media converter. So I opted for the SUBTel.
A few days after that fateful meeting with Gan, I felt very gatal (itchy) in a way that all audiophiles will know. I was thinking…if the Finisar modules do not work with the TP-Link, I could just return them to Gan. So I contacted him and the Finisar SFP Transceiver modules were couriered to me. I quickly plugged them into the system…and they worked.
Was there a difference? It took a few days for the sound quality to stabilise and I noted that the images were leaner but more distinct and the depth increased by quite a bit. Also I could hear more of the ambience of the recording location.
Did the itch stop? Yes, for the time being. I may want to change the fibre optic cable…
