The View
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Wow… this is seriously something different. What an immense amount of improved resolution with this new Jcat NET Card XE network card! Unbelievable. We’re not exaggerating when we say that everything just seems tighter. We hear more rhythm and microdetail comes off more easily and gets more of its own place in the whole.
Kruder and Dorfmeister show their skills even more compared to the set-up with the ‘normal’ network card and indirect link. We can see better and deeper into the arrangements and subtle details are given more freedom. Wow… this is really quite bizarre.
Peace
What happens, in our opinion, is that the noise level has dropped to practically 0 due to the absolute isolation. Perhaps Jcat has also done some work on package management in the firmware, so there is a more constant flow of data. That has influence we have tested before (QoS settings in the swich are slightly audible).
However, we estimate that it is mostly the extremely quiet voltage regulators and the improved galvanic decoupling. We find it genuinely fascinating, as we totally did not expect this to be so clearly audible. Now that extra resolution can just become overwhelming for some, we’ve noticed. We are sometimes shocked by the dynamics and speed. Seriously.
Ambre VS Audio PC
To get a better idea of the overall solution, we also included the Metrum Acoustics Ambre. We then compare the Audio PC with Jcat Femto network card and usb card with (direct network link on the ROON server) with the Metrum Acoustics Ambre which has the ‘fiber link’. However, the Jcat NET Card XE has two outputs. And we have one output paired with the fiber link. So both streamers benefit from this network card.
What we hear then is quite special. Both players play at a higher level. That is clear. However, we find that the Audio PC with direct connection shows more. In terms of detail. The Ambre plays a bit warmer and slightly larger, but the Audio PC shows more resolution.
This is partly a matter of taste. What are you looking for? More flow and a bit bigger, or more detail and precision? Which is more palatable?
What has become clear here is that there is much more at play in the chain than most people think. Even a network card in the server has an audible influence. We know our system inside out. And the fact is: we hear more. More resolution, tighter timing, more control…. Yes… this surprised us too.
Listen in
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JCat NET Card XE – Direct connection Audio PC
Metrum Acoustics Amber – Fiber coupling
Conclusion
We actually tested two devices: the Jcat NET Card XE and Optimo 3 Duo power supply. The NET Card XE costs 800 euros, the Optimo power supply 1500 euros. In short: 2300 euros for a network upgrade. That is a lot of money. And that is an understatement.But the fact is: this is really audible. The network card in the server and the power supply on the Audio PC simply show an improvement (not a change... improvement) in reproduction. We can listen deeper into the recordings. And we hear an improvement in timing and (micro) dynamics. In short... it works.
You mentioned XE cards were superior to the Ambre combo, but how did the Femto cards compare with the ambre and relation to XE?
You mentioned XE cards were superior to the Ambre combo, but how did the Femto cards compare with the ambre and relation to XE?