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Dhar•ma (n): ‘dɑrmə’; [DAR-muh]. In Buddhism, the path to rightness…also, the path to enlightenment.

My earliest involvement with streaming digital music in an audio system was centered around a laptop that was attached to an entry-level High Resolution Technologies’ Music Streamer II. Even though the setup had a network connection, it was primitive and self-contained (the DAC chip was built-in), and I had zero awareness of online streaming services. Music playback was limited to a relative handful of CD rips and digital downloads that resided on the laptop’s hard drive. Getting the Sonore microRendu streamer for evaluation and my first standalone DAC were eye-openers; the microRendu was equipped with a built-in ethernet port that allowed for online access to device setup menus and open source music player applications. Those experiences with a higher level of streaming represented the lightbulb moment for me, when I realized that network access was de rigueur to achieve higher-end digital file playback. Subscriptions soon followed for Roon, Tidal, and Qobuz, but despite the remarkable improvement in sound quality compared to the High Resolution Technologies device, I still felt that my streaming system didn’t sound completely right.

Streaming in today’s digital audio environment has moved into a different universe from a decade ago. Network connection options can get fairly complex, especially from the hardwired angle, where the inclusion of ancillary devices like a NAS or a digital music server, with potentially multiple storage drives, can greatly increase streaming system complexity. Just getting your network to discover those devices can be quite an ordeal. Network gateways, routers, and NAS devices can also generate a fair amount of operational noise, and ideally should be located outside of your playback area; having them in close proximity to your audio system risks exposing it to unwanted RF that can easily be picked up by devices or cabling.

Wireless seems to be the option of choice among those who are primarily concerned with easily getting music from their cellphone, tablet, or iPad to their system. I generally consider the wireless option to be the least desirable of the connection schemes, especially for those of us who are focused on ultimate musical fidelity. When I built my previous home, I talked with a professional about hardwiring the home network, and he stared at me as if I had three heads. “Why would you even think about doing that? Everything is wireless now!” Using Bluetooth for music transmission has become a viable alternative that’s capable of producing really good results, but in terms of achieving true high fidelity, it’s still somewhat half-baked. I’m sure most blind listening panels would probably arrive at a different conclusion, but I only know what my ears tell me: wireless is a definite no-go in any system with high-end pretensions. Wireless comes in handy for system management on a tablet or iPad, but for file transmission, no thank you.

That leaves the hardwired network connection, which generally employs the venerable copper-wired ethernet cable. It’s the interface of choice for the vast majority of digital streaming setups. But is it the best choice? My experience tells me NO! While it’s undeniably the industry standard, it’s also very likely the absolute worst possible hardwired choice. It’s fraught with potential issues, most problematic of which is its potential to transmit system noise through connected devices, especially routers, switches, and the like. Another problem that continually lurks in the background is copper wire’s susceptibility to current spikes generated by lightning strikes and transient voltage surges. Ethernet cabling entering your home is particularly vulnerable to this; I’ve been involved in five(!) separate lightning strikes and line surges in the last decade, and every one either came into my house or was spread via copper-wired ethernet connections, resulting in the catastrophic destruction of computers, routers, switches, telephones, televisions, and audio components. Copper-wired ethernet systems are unbelievably susceptible to voltage surges, so much so that it almost rubber-stamps the decision by many listeners to just go with a wireless network.

Of course, another hardwired choice is available, one that’s at the forefront of technology and offers complete immunity from noise and voltage surges: a fiber optic network connection. And no, I’m not talking about Toslink fiber digital, which is rather limited in its transmission capabilities. I’m lucky enough at my new home to have full AT&T fiber optic service from the street all the way into my house, and it’s pretty miraculous. My new construction home wasn’t wired for ethernet, but an exterior port allows for a direct fiber optic line to the network gateway inside. It was done that way so that whichever provider I chose could then snake his own wiring from the exterior to that box, where the gateway interface could provide Wi-Fi for the entire home. So even though I run fiber optic into the house, it’s not fiber all the way to my equipment stack. There’s a fairly lengthy run of CAT 6A copper ethernet cable from my eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router that runs to my system, which is then reconverted to fiber optic by the use of a pair of digital media converters that deliver the signal to my equipment.

This is not my first rodeo with regard to fiber optic-connected streaming equipment; I reviewed the Sonore Signature Rendu SE streamer several years ago for Positive Feedback. It had a built-in fiber optic SFP (Small Form-Factor Pluggable) port, which allowed for a direct fiber optic connection. In my experiences with the Signature Rendu SE, the absolute lack of noise, improved clarity, and transparency of sound offered by its playback was impressive. Why more manufacturers don’t offer SFP ports on high-end streaming equipment is a mystery to me. In addition to Sonore, SFP-equipped, single-box music network music players are available from Linn, Lumin, and Eversolo, but both Lumin and Eversolo have firmly embraced the ESS Sabre DAC chipsets I’m less than enthusiastic about. Linn’s Klimax unit features a custom-designed DAC that’s built in-house, but its $23k price tag probably presents a bit of a stretch for most music lovers.

There’s no need to despair, though. A workaround costing as little as $100 exists that can provide an optical signal to your streaming stack and give you a healthy portion of the goodness that a direct fiber optic input delivers; I’ve had a similar setup in my digital source system for years now. You only need a pair of gigabit digital media converters, appropriate SFP modules, and a length of fiber optic cable. Single-mode fiber optic setups work best for longer cable runs, and multi-mode works well in short-run situations, so buy the SFP modules and optical cable runs accordingly. Ideally, place your router as far from your audio equipment stack as possible, then run an ethernet cable (I use Blue Jean Cable CAT 6A, which maintains gigabit signal transfer) to the first media converter. Insert one of the SFP modules into the first converter, then insert the fiber optic cable into that module. Follow the same process with the second converter, then run the shortest length of ethernet cable possible (about ten inches in my setup) from the second module to the ethernet port of your streaming device. The supplied wall-wart power supply is perfect for the first module, but the second module will benefit greatly from being attached to a linear power supply. If providing clean power to your system is anywhere near as much of a priority as it is for my system, there’s usually an available 5V power port on one of the multiple LPS’s everything is connected to. I’m certain you’ll be genuinely impressed with the results!

So what does Dharma have to do with any of this? For me, listening to music is a spiritual process, and when it’s playing across my system with a greater sense of rightness, it becomes a much more enjoyable and enlightening experience. Converting copper-wired transmissions to optical is a next-level experience that presents noise-free music with greater clarity and transparency, and also guarantees that your investment in high-end digital streaming is protected from current surges and lightning strikes. It’s undeniably the right way to listen!

All images courtesy of the author, Sonore, High Resolution Technologies, and Wiki Commons.