Ansuz PowerSwitch D2 Review & Interview | In Conversation w/ Michael Børresen

[@plinid]

Very-very interesting interview. It gives a new prospective in many things in audio. I enjoyed it very much! Thank you! The phrase "you cannot hear the noise but you can hear it when it is gone" struck me! It is so true in many things, not only in audio. To all the people that hate these views because they do not conform to your usual mode of thinking, I say this: try to open your mind if you can. It would be ver y useful if we could hear the music produced by the products of this man. I haven't, but many say that the sound is excellent.

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

It's all nonsense. Reversed tesla coil. To my knowledge a tesla coil has not direction lol. It's static electricity hunting a ground. So that's rather debunked from the start

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

Almost as nuts as synergistic research claim to realign electrons with a tesla coil. How is that possible when there is no electrons in a passive cable? And how on earth should a tesla coil could realign anything when it's a static charge? Putting a high voltage in a cable won't do anything to anything. Electrons aren't there when not used. And even when they are. Electrons has no direction's. They are just there all the time in a long chain.. That's why your lights turn on the instant you flip the switch. Otherwise there would be a delay. So many things in audio has gone out of hand if you ask me. It's gone utterly ridiculous

[@Mark-rw3kw]

I don't hate these views, it is just that they are wrong, and fly in face of everything we know about computer data that is transmitted with TCP/IP over Ethernet. Nevertheless, you can buy shielded Ethernet cable for about the twice the price of regular Ethernet cable, which means about $15 instead of $7 (and spending $500-$1000 is a scam). The main benefit of shielded Ethernet cable is that the reliability of the connection is better, not that it sounds better. However, when transmitting digital audio over toslink, or coax, or from a music CD, high quality cables are important because errors are not corrected via retransmission of data (as they are corrected using TCP/IP over Ethernet), the bad data on those cables is just skipped causing distortion.

[@realleescoggins]

Well said. Subjective reviewing stays in vogue in part because many experienced audiophiles know that measurements often don't tell the whole story.

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

@@realleescoggins but the laws of physics can't be bend whatever the manufacturer state's.

[@DaveJ6515]

"You cannot hear the noise but you can hear it when it is gone". Perfect description of what I noticed once the setup of my new Ansuz Mainz8 D3 power distribution unit was finished. I was skeptical, plus I didn't install it properly, so at first it didn't sound good at all. Then a KZbin video helped me understand the problem: I had all the cables reversed, and I was using the different sockets in the wrong way. Once I got it sorted, everything started to sound just "right". Less noise, more air, ore details, a spectacularly natural decay, wider and taller soundstage, better dynamics. Way beyond my expectation. Is it for everyone? No, of course. Before you sink thousands of $ into a power distribution unit, there are other things to do about components and cables. Once you are up there at the right level, do yourself a favor and try the D3 (or A3 if you want something cheaper) and you will know what I mean.

[@andreas7278]

Very informative video and thanks a lot for your impression. Your system seems to be even one level higher than mine and I totally understand that the higher you go the more dramatic these types of changes are. Adding a good streamer from Audio Group Denmark has also been a revelation to me in terms of how crucial it is to system performance. I was specifically interested in that power switch, looking at the D3 since that would fit nicely my other system gear level (at time of your video only D2 was out it seems since D3 is rather new). It makes total sense what Michael says, that TCP/IP protocol with checksums and repackaging takes 100% control of the data packets arriving with the full information but you still have antenna effects, tons of EMI and RF noise, no grounding and mechanical coupling on your streamer or dac (depending on where you would otherwise directly connect your RJ45 to). It pretty much does already reduce a good amount of that before entering your streamer. A technical question that arises would be whether converting RJ45 to fiber optics and back (since that decouples it from RF/EMI and provides mechanical decoupling) prior to the streamer would not be similarly good enough. Apparently that other route is also not perfect but is something MSB is doing with its newer input modules now. Other than that this device does the typical recipe of Ansuz with resonance control, reducing antenna effects, noise cancellation etc so that this is heavily reduced since this enters together with the audio signal at your streamer/dac. The problem is not being able to completely decouple these effects entering your system since they are introduced together with the audio signal. While it's sad to see that there seems to be so much hatred spread around in the comments from people who don't even know each other and would probably get along well in the real world, the more loving it is to see how politely and respectfully you handled all these aggressive comments. This video was indeed very helpful, thank you for the great content!

[@owenlawlor5333]

Why do you guys even follow TAS if you're not going to be open to new things that you havent experienced firsthand? I’ve purchased several of the ultra high end switches as well as a half dozen non audiophile switches, run many experiments and every single one sounds different. Add LPSs and external clocks and you can transform an already very high performing system, or make an inepensive DAC sound as good or better than an uber expensive one. If you cannot hear what these switches do then either your system is not resolving enough or you should try another hobby where being open-minded is not a requirement.

[@drapur1]

Great stuff!

[@Hubbman32]

This video is driving me NUTS! You have an amazing set up.. This set up that will sound AMAZING as it is!! You introduce a new switch.. and you act like before you added the switch, your system was sub-par??? Come on!!!

[@realleescoggins]

My system sounded great before this but why not add something to takes it even higher?

[@Hubbman32]

@@realleescoggins Lee... I'm just syaing... you have one of the finest systems in the world... When I hear a guy with that level of system say that its gotten even better with the addtion of a network switch..... its insane! btw... I deleted my "BS" statement below... that was too harsh...... I have years of network technology expereince working in the tech world, so I understand how networks work... To hear you expound upon the attribues this switch brought to the table, it does drive me nuts because I see no way this magic box could provide such improvement based on the fundamental tasks a switch provides. You mention that they provided you with a plethora of other products to test. Perhaps you added those at the same time as the switch? is this magic switch taking credit for others work?

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

​@@Hubbman32exactly... It's physical impossible for a switch to have any impact on the sound. It's utter nonsense to state anything else. Unless your trying to sell something 😅😅😅

[@panchoki1d]

@AudioheavenDenmark I have extensive listening time with these Ansuz switches and was also skeptical before hand. I can assure you once you hear them A/B tested, you'll realize it's not impossible that a high quality network can dramatically improve sound of a hifi; only that our knowledge about how networking and hifi interact was incomplete and made it seem impossible. Just like the "it's all zeroes and ones" argument falls apart when you hear the difference between two different streamers. If you're not afraid to be wrong, I recommend you demo one, or ask a dealer to demonstrate for you, or show up to a hi-fi show where Audio Group Denmark is presenting and politely ask if they will demonstrate the difference between switch and no switch.

[@TheDanEdwards]

I am convinced that old-school audiophiles should stay away from talking about things digital. They become confused between "the internet" and a kind of data cable, for example. To get them to understand the difference between asynchronous serial communication and what actually happens in a DAC may be too much.

[@realleescoggins]

Dan, you can haved a different opinion without being insulting. Michael is a sharp guy with a strong background in electrical signals. I think you need to experiment more with ethernet switches instead of hurling personal insults.

[@konstantinost3185]

A "strong background in electrical signals" has nothing to do with the inner workings of the TCP/IP Network, which BTW is very robbust, so unless you have an Argus Network Analyser handy to show the claimed "noise reduction" in the Ethernet switch and cabling all you have is imaginary increase in sound quality. Spoiler alert, even the cheapest Routers and Switches have Isolation Transformers in every LAN socket that filters out any common mode noise, it is a requirement of the Ethernet Standard.

[@plinid]

@@konstantinost3185 An isolation tranformer with a lot of capacitance between windings, so not a real common-mode supressor at all in high frequencies. Common mode noise is a very underrated problem in audio. Note that even the best PSU transformers cannot avoid having significant cross-windings capacitance. Spoiler alert: E core types are much worse that U ones.

[@TheDanEdwards]

​@@realleescoggins "without being insulting." - well, yes, I guess there is a shade to my original comment that makes it an insult. And yet my assertion remains: video after video I come across audiophiles who clearly do not know the difference between data transfer protocols and what matters in a digital to analog conversion. "Michael is a sharp guy" - which does not alleviate the problem with writers making claims outside their expertise. "I think you need to experiment more with ethernet switches instead of hurling personal insults." - AS IF I or anyone are immune to biases? You know, I know, and everybody around the business and hobby knows that the reason double-blind tests are never conducted on these things is because no one wants to put up the money to do a proper psychoacoustics experiment for claims that are prima facie dubious. In case you don't know why so many claims about "ethernet switches" (to quote you) are dubious is this (and I hinted at it in my original comment): by definition _ethernet_ is asynchronous. That means the receiving and sending devices use their own clocks, that the data is communicated without need for synchronization. And the protocols implemented to send and transmit data either 1) succeed in data transfer, or 2) fail. Too many audiophiles confuse the ethernet capability with other interface capabilities on the back of their devices, such as S/PIDF (where one may have to worry about bit slip and clock drift.)

[@net_news]

"the internet is not grounded" wow just wow

[@TheDanEdwards]

This shocking fact will lead to a major national security crisis.

[@net_news]

@@TheDanEdwards 😂

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

Imagine sharing ground with the rest of the world online lol

[@net_news]

@@AudioheavenDenmark the sound would be amazing! Like a veil being lift!

[@yoddeb]

Yes, seem a bit unwell.

[@ethr95awd]

on drugs? stop it, get some help

[@realleescoggins]

The only thing I am high on is life!

[@stohl82]

Great video Lee!!. You will always have haters. Somehow it seems to be called Snake Oil if someone doesn't agree with the reviewer. Most are unwilling and/or won't try these products.

[@Hubbman32]

Not a hater Jeff, just an educated person with Data Network knowledge.

[@MBlazter]

This is so true i have been using Ansuz for many years and power cables/ethernet cables/powerbox and sortz/switch its just a most have all of those products you get your stereo sooo grounded

[@andrewchen8125]

Drank the Ansuz Kool-aid much? Completely absurd.

[@soundlysbananacam6182]

"Listening to an MQA TRACK!" Im not surprised you think an Ethernet switcher can improve sound.

[@realleescoggins]

I remain a fan of MQA. I do hear sound improvements from MQA encoding. I have to be honest as a reviewer.

[@yoddeb]

This video is completely insane

[@crash1307]

I avoid network switches anywhere near my setup, too much EMF. I went with Wi-Fi, but it didn’t sound musical. I think the air in the room was inhibiting the clear transmission of the carrier signal. I found the solution by buying three huge cylinders of Rarified Air. I vacated the room of all the regular air (almost suffocated) and replaced it with the Rarified Air. I can’t explain whether the improvement I heard afterwards was due to oxygen deprivation recovery or what.

[@andreimj]

So oxygen deprivation made you write this comment. Congrats

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

Switches don't even send audio. Utterly ridiculous statements. It's not possible to make a switch that has any impact on the audio what so ever. It's not audio being sent in the switch. But data package. It either come through or not. There is nothing in between.

[@realleescoggins]

Ken, have you tried these devices. They most definitely work and most definitely lower noise.

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

@@realleescoggins I've tried several of these high end network switches. And they all sound the same. It's not possible for a switch to do anything other than work or not. It's not music passing through them. It's a simple data package. It routes the data. And if there would be enough noise there to do any harm. The data wouldn't get passed. No amount of placebo science can have any effect on a data protocol. It either works or it doesn't. There is nothing in between. Any noise would also not be passed through as the network receiver is not connected to the switches power lines. But only the data stream.

[@yoddeb]

Insanity

[@realleescoggins]

@@AudioheavenDenmark I can only assume your system is not very resolving or you lack critical listening skills. These devices work very well indeed.

[@Hubbman32]

@@AudioheavenDenmark KEN SPEAKS THE TRUTH!

[@Mark-rw3kw]

This guy has no idea whatsoever how ethernet works.

[@realleescoggins]

Both Michael and I understand it well.

[@Mark-rw3kw]

@@realleescoggins I don't know who you are. Based on this video, Lee Scoggins is just peddling snake oil and he DOES NOT know how TCP/IP over ethernet works. The purpose of peddling the snake oil is to get the makers of the snake oil products to advertise with him. There can be no noise inside of a TCP/IP packet at its destination that is enough to change the digital bits without being rejected due to a checksum error (and then a request to re-transmit is made). If there is any noise on the wire (outside the TCP/IP packet), the receiving device (like a streamer) can easily filter that out just like a computer does. Just about all computers use TCP/IP over Ethernet (or fiber) and if a single bit error was encountered and not corrected with a retransmission (or rejection), every computer in the world would be constantly crashing.

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

@@realleescoggins fun fact. You can't reverse a tesla coil as they state. It's physical impossible as electrons doesn't have a direction. It's a magnetic fore that's static.

[@Hubbman32]

@@Mark-rw3kw Thank you Mark... you took the words right out of my head! Sounds like you have some data networking expereince in your past!

[@Mark-rw3kw]

@@Hubbman32 I worked in Information Technology for 40 years, on large scale systems like airline reservation systems, credit authorization systems, and many other financial systems. All of these systems use TCP/IP to communicate between computers, and if there were one single "bit" of data error that was not detected and corrected, none of those systems would work, and no financial data on any computer could be trusted. Many people confuse streaming TCP/IP over Ethernet with real-time streaming of audio from a music CD or other digital protocol not using TCP/IP, where errors are not corrected and where distortion is possible.

[@yoddeb]

Yes and it turns out this so called noise is completely inaudible

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

There is zero noise on the data line. 😂

[@allencurtis1529]

What a load of.........

[@yoddeb]

What is this nonsense???

[@HELLksk]

I dont think that they even believe it themselves..... I mean, they cant😆