Best Upstream Chain
 

For my digital steaming playback to my Lumin T2 I’m running from dual band router via 15’ Ethernet cable to fiber converter to fibre converter back to Ethernet to Lumin. If it was to add an Audio grade network switch that has the fibre connector, where in the stream would this be best placed? Should I even use the fibre or eliminate it completely? I’m considering the SOtM sNH-10G Ethernet Switch with external power supply.

I really like having the optical fiber in the loop to eliminate any potential issues. Similar to you i have a switch with a fiber connection that runs from my wireless router down to my two channel room where I have a Small Green Computer Optical Module which converts it back to eithernet for the 1m distance to my dCS Upsampler.

I hope the next iteration of dCS Vivaldi Upsampler has a optical input so I can eliminate that last bit of ethernet.

Jim has a good set-up. I'd use his set-up as an example. If you're going to get the SOtM switch, which has very good optical SFP ports, I'd put the switch furthest downstream closest to your Lumin T2. That way you'll have a good clock in the SOtM switch before converting back to Ether to connect to the T2 that will remove any phase noise from "upstream" and send it straight into the Lumin before it can be "degraded" by phase noise from an el-cheapo clock in a "generic" FMC between the destination optical end and the Lumin T2. My recommendation would be NOT to eliminate the run of fiber.

If you have the budget, I'd also get the OpticalModule Deluxe FMC and use it either "upstream" or "downstream", whichever sounds the best. The nice thing is, you could try both and go with what sounds best.

Yeah, that'd be nice. I wish more manufacturers would include an optical SFP cage....fiber really has advantages in that it will not transmit leakage current, which copper Ethernet cables (depending on their design), can. The leakage current results in threshold jitter.

I would second Stephen's advice to NOT removing the optical. It was the single most noticeable addition I made in lowering the noise floor. It's been a couple years and I still remember that wow moment after hooking it up.

Optical (linear sully in the RX end, modded optical RX with low noise tcxo) is the ONLY thing that has made a difference in my digital signal chain.