Network & Signal Filters

Network connections carry not only data but also high-frequency noise and ground potentials that reach the streamer and from there the audio chain. A network filter reduces these disturbances directly at the input of the device. Many listeners then notice a quieter background and a clearer image.

Power distribution works on the voltage that flows to the components. Signal filtering works on the signal paths themselves, that is, on network, USB and the analogue connections. Both reduce disturbances, but they act at different points in the chain.

USB signals often carry noise from the computer or streamer that reaches the DAC. A USB filter cleans this connection and decouples the source of the noise. The result is often finer resolution and a less nervous, digital sounding presentation.

The effect depends on the setup. In systems with sensitive sources and many digital components the gain is often clear, because many sources of noise come together there. It is usually heard not as louder or different, but as quieter and more ordered.