About: Computer Audio
General Stereo articles
In an earlier article, we talked about how Jumbo Frames can improve music playback, and how the emotion connection is lost without it. If you havn’t read that article yet, hit it up and read that article first before this.
Up to speed (No puns intended)? If so, let us continue on!
This article will expand on the first article and discuss network strategies - in other ways, describe various connection methods. This is part #2 of of the networking series.
A curiosity happened in late September 2019. This was when I added the Ryzen 5 as the Snakeoil development server. The network between my NAS and the Ryzen are changed as such:
In an attempt to simplify my home setup. I have decided to purchase 2 dual port 10Gbps NIC - one for my NAS, and the other for the new Ryzen. These network cards will be connected at 10 Gbps to my main switch, and also a direct connection between the NAS and the server itself (dedicated iSCSI connection).
iSCSI works like a SATA cable, but it’s connected via normal networking equipment rather than between your SSD and motherboard. Now for some reason that still eludes me, the iSCSI data just refuse to work properly with Jumbo Frames on.
So in an attempt to troubleshoot the problem, I have disabled Jumbo Frames throughout my entire network. Unfortunately with a MTU of 1500, the sound I get from my Hifi just do not sound right.
In late March 2018 AVTech Media Ltd (UK) purchases Home Tech Network from TEN Publishing Media. The latter is the owner of Stereophile and AudioStream. As it always seem to be, a takeover usually brings about changes, and unfortunately some people were let go in early Apr (e.g. the editor for AudioStream).
And here’s a comment from Michael Fremer in one of the discussions talking about the layoffs (Source):
Fremer is echoing the sentiments of the majority I’m afraid. Computer Audio is dying.
Nobody seems interested in Computer Audio any more. Why? Then it dawned on me - Fremer’s notion of computer audio is not the same as mine.
The trend looks clear to me - more and more people are moving away from computers and drifting more towards consumer products, e.g. SoTM. The reason? The latter just works.
Sure I may well be quoting Fremer out of context here, but for me I really do find Fremer do not get computers, and he is not the only one 
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And here’s the topic of the day MQA - Master Quality Audio.
MQA is a topic that generates a lot of negativity these days. One commentator even labeled the discussion as ‘nasty’ (Link). As with every audiophile topic on the Internet, audiophiles have taken sides without really looking at the one thing that’s important - the music itself.