Audio Snake-oil

[Roscoe Primrose]

Walt, read Paul's post again.... I'm pretty sure he's talking about a fiber optic link between the Ethernet switch and whatever device is actually talking to the DAC...

Roscoe

Any referral to fiber-optics was nowhere in his post. ???? He was talking Ethernet (as in wires) and galvanic isolation (as in pulse transformers).

He was talking about Ethernet, and switches. Galvanic isolation on Ethernet is done with fiber, not pulse transformers...

[DaveR]

Galvanic isolation can be achieved with opto-isolators.

[Pelliott321]

No I am not using fiber.
But I also feel, at least in my system, I compared quite carefully different switches and ethernet cables I heard very positive results using a good quality shielded Ethernet cable and a switch with isolation xformers.
Any time I make a change I do one thing at a time. Listen for a couple weeks. then undo the change to confirm what I thought I heard.
Like most tweaks these are very subtle differences. If I put a $30 switch and cat 5 cables back in I would still enjoy listening to music on my system. I lost the excitment of these small changes quite a while ago. I just listen to the music.

[SoundMods]

Walt, read Paul's post again.... I'm pretty sure he's talking about a fiber optic link between the Ethernet switch and whatever device is actually talking to the DAC...

Roscoe

Any referral to fiber-optics was nowhere in his post. ???? He was talking Ethernet (as in wires) and galvanic isolation (as in pulse transformers).

He was talking about Ethernet, and switches. Galvanic isolation on Ethernet is done with fiber, not pulse transformers...

Then that is not galvanic isolation -- it's optical isolation. Two different animals.

[DaveR]

This just in from the Oracle:

Galvanic isolation is a technique that physically and electrically separates two circuits, allowing data and power to be transferred between them without a direct electrical connection, which is typically achieved using components like transformers, optocouplers, or capacitors. This separation prevents unwanted current flow, eliminates ground loops, and provides protection from electric shock and high-voltage transients.

[Roscoe Primrose]

Then that is not galvanic isolation -- it's optical isolation. Two different animals.

No, it's just one way to do galvanic isolation...

[SoundMods]

[/quote] No, it's just one way to do galvanic isolation...[/quote]

Taking a risk to beat this dead horse -- this industry is a victim of a past manufacturer's marketing department's misuse of that word to hide the fact that they were simply using isolation transformers in their digital product. Since "transformer" might be considered inferior -- the term galvanic-isolation apparently came to be to justify an excessive selling price. Here is the definition of galvanic:

Galvanic -- adjective
gal·van·ic gal-ˈva-nik

Synonyms of galvanic
1a: of, relating to, or producing a direct current of electricity a galvanic cell
1b: caused by galvanism —used especially of the corrosion of metallic objects as a result of electrolytic action … an effective alternative to conventional copper paints that cause galvanic corrosion of metals underwater.
2a: having an electric effect : intensely exciting a galvanic performance
2b: produced as if by an electric shock had a galvanic effect on the audience

galvanically
gal-ˈva-ni-k(ə-)lē
adverb

So -- the bottom line? Galvanic isolation could actually refer to the use of batteries in lieu of connection to AC power.

[Pelliott321]

I thought it was just a 1:1 isolation tranny to keep the noise out.
Whatever, I apologize it I used the wrong terminology.
The little box (It does say its a switch. It has one isolated RJ45 port for the music server and 4 regular RJ45 for other connectivity). I have it on the ethernet cable between my network and my music server does sound better (to me) than without it.

[TubeDriver]

I thought it was just a 1:1 isolation tranny to keep the noise out.
Whatever, I apologize it I used the wrong terminology.
The little box (It does say its a switch. It has one isolated RJ45 port for the music server and 4 regular RJ45 for other connectivity). I have it on the ethernet cable between my network and my music server does sound better (to me) than without it.

If it sounds better, thats all that really matters IMHO. Of course, something else could sound better but until then, go with what sounds best up till now.

[SoundMods]

I thought it was just a 1:1 isolation tranny to keep the noise out.
Whatever, I apologize it I used the wrong terminology.
The little box (It does say its a switch. It has one isolated RJ45 port for the music server and 4 regular RJ45 for other connectivity). I have it on the ethernet cable between my network and my music server does sound better (to me) than without it.

You were correct -- a Transformer.

What happened here was an issue of audio syntax having a way of exciting emotions. The marketing goal.

What sounds better? "Isolation Transformer?" --or-- "Galvanic Isolation?" One sounds basic (aka. cheap) -- the other sounds organic (aka. expensive/exotic).