Ediscreation Fiberbox III version Extreme | Silent Switch OCXO II version Extreme Review

After evaluating the Ediscreation Firebird LPS and Silent Switch OCXO Extreme about a year ago, this review focuses on the Ediscreation Fiberbox III Extreme version and the Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme version.

Ediscreation

Ediscreation was established in 2014 by Edison Wong, an experienced electrical engineer deeply committed to crafting exceptional audio products.

Wong’s expertise lies in developing advanced electronic circuits and intricate 3D mechanical structures. He has a background as a product engineer for multinational and local manufacturing firms and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his work.

All Ediscreation audio components are proudly manufactured in Hong Kong. Each product is meticulously designed to ensure superior performance, reliable operation, and excellent after-sales support. Wong also collaborates with various local audio platforms to actively promote the region’s audio culture.

To this day, he inspects every product before it leaves the workshop, ensuring that his passion and commitment are reflected in every piece.

Fiberbox III version Extreme

The Fiberbox III Extreme Version is a state-of-the-art optical network isolator was engineered from the ground up to eliminate EMI noise from the router, and is capable of establishing a flawless high-fidelity network environment.

Fiberbox III Extreme Version features a multi-stage DC power design, an audio-grade toroidal transformer, and a built-in OCXO system clock that offers extremely low jitter and exceptional frequency stability, guaranteeing the finest audio performance. Its innovative low-latency connection, when paired with the Silent Switch OCXO II, further enhances the natural and immersive quality of the music.

This high-end network isolator is built with top-tier components such as Neutrik audio-grade LAN sockets, a red copper chassis, Furutech IEC inlets, Audio Note gold capacitors, Mundorf capacitors, and UPOCC interconnection cables.

Constructed with premium 6061 solid aluminum, it complies with IEEE and CE safety standards, ensuring reliable performance and durability for any high-fidelity audio setup.

The Fiberbox III Extreme Version was envisioned as an around device, ready to serve the needs of audiophiles, home audio enthusiasts, and professional sound engineers who demand the highest level of network performance and audio quality.

Key Features

Designed to Isolate EMI Noise from routers via simple, high-end optical network isolation to create a noise-free HiFi network environment.

Multi-Stage DC Power Design:

  • First Stage: Discrete circuit design for a pure linear power supply that delivers fast response and low-noise DC power for subsequent stages.
  • Independent LDO Power Management: Separate power regulation for the OCXO clock and fiber modules.
  • Audio-Grade Toroidal Transformer
  • Built-in high-precision OCXO System Clock with extremely low jitter (0.25-0.35 ps) and high-frequency stability (±10 ppb phase)
  • Innovative technology with extremely low latency enhances overall music quality and provides a more lifelike listening experience.
  • Neutrik Audio-Grade LAN Socket: Ensures the best possible signal connection and supports oversized LAN cables.
  • Premium Quality Optical Cable
  • Ripple Base Footer: Provides excellent vibration control using patented technology.
  • Copper Chassis: Improves sound texture and quality.

High-End Audio-Grade Components:

  • Furutech IEC inlets, FI-06 NCF
  • Audio Note gold capacitors
  • Mundorf capacitors
  • UPOCC interconnection cables

The Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme Version

The Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme Version was engineered from the ground up for demanding music lovers and audiophiles seeking the highest standards in network performance and audio quality. It integrates cutting-edge technologies, including a multi-stage DC power design, an audio-grade toroidal transformer, and a built-in OCXO system clock for ultra-low jitter and superior frequency stability.

The synchronized clock bus technology ensures seamless, low-latency connectivity with the Fiberbox III, enhancing the music’s realism and clarity.

Equipped with independent SFP modules, a Neutrik audio-grade LAN socket, a CNC heatsink core module, and a ripple base footer for vibration control, the Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme Version audiophile network switch guarantees exceptional signal integrity and noise isolation.

It also features premium components such as Furutech IEC inlets, Audio Note gold capacitors, Mundorf capacitors, and UPOCC interconnection cables, ensuring top-tier audio performance. The Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme Version was depicted as an essential addition to any high-end audio system, delivering remarkable stability, effective noise suppression, and enhanced overall sound quality.

Key Features

Multi-Stage DC Power Design

  • First Stage: Discrete circuit design for a pure linear power supply, providing fast response and low-noise DC power for subsequent stages.
  • Independent LDO power management for the OCXO clock, MUC, and SFP modules.
  • Audio-Grade Toroidal Transformer
  • Groundbreaking Ground Isolation Switch: A world-first innovation in network switch design that effectively eliminates ground noise from your router, resulting in a significantly enhanced audio background.
  • Built-In OCXO System Clock: Delivers extremely low jitter (0.25-0.35 ps) and exceptional frequency stability (±10 ppb phase) using a high-precision OCXO system clock.
  • Innovative Low-Latency Connection: Enables the Fiberbox III and Silent Switch OCXO II to connect with very low latency, providing a more lifelike and immersive music experience.
  • Independent SFP Modules: Ensures noise-free channels for connecting music servers, DACs, and other network devices.
  • Neutrik Audio-Grade LAN Socket: Guarantees the best possible signal connection and supports oversized LAN cables.
  • CNC Heatsink Core Module: Offers superior noise shielding while reducing operating temperatures for optimal performance.
  • Ripple Base Footer: Patented technology for superior vibration control.
  • Copper Chassis: Enhances sound quality and texture.

High-End Audio-Grade Components

  • Furutech IEC Inlets (FI-06 NCF)
  • Audio Note gold capacitors
  • Mundorf capacitors
  • UPOCC interconnection cables

Synchronized Clock Bus Technology

The Synchronized Clock Bus Technology is a sophisticated technology aimed to enhance the quality and performance of networked audio systems. Below is an in-depth look at its functionality and how it contributes to better music quality:

How It Works

Clock Synchronization:
Clock Synchronization technology enables multiple devices, such as the Fiberbox III and Silent Switch OCXO II, to operate using a shared, highly precise clock signal. By synchronizing them to the same clock, the system achieves perfect timing alignment, significantly reducing timing errors, or “jitter.”

Low-Latency Connection:
The dedicated bus for clock synchronization allows for a low-latency connection between devices, minimizing transmission delays, that are particularly critical for real-time audio streaming, and ensures that data packets are processed and delivered with minimal lag.

How It Improves Music Quality

Reduced Jitter:
Jitter refers to small, rapid timing variations during digital signal transmission. High jitter levels can cause timing errors that degrade audio quality. With a unified clock signal, the technology minimizes jitter, delivering a smoother and more accurate audio signal for enhanced sound quality.

Improved Signal Integrity:
Synchronized clocking ensures that audio data packets are transmitted and received in the correct sequence and timing, preserving the integrity of the audio signal. This accurate timing eliminates potential errors and artifacts, providing a cleaner, more detailed sound.

Enhanced Musical Detail and Realism:
With lower jitter and improved signal integrity, listeners can experience heightened musical detail and realism. Instruments sound more distinct, and the overall soundstage gains more coherence and depth. This benefit is particularly noticeable in high-resolution audio formats, where timing precision is crucial.

Consistent Performance Across Devices:
Synchronized Clock Bus Technology guarantees that all connected devices, such as a music server, DAC, and network switch, operate with the same high degree of timing accuracy. This consistency is essential for multi-device setups, ensuring the entire audio chain performs in unison, resulting in a better audio experience.

Summary

The Synchronized Clock Bus Technology provides a shared, more precise clock signal to multiple devices, ensuring they work in perfect timing harmony. This synchronization reduces jitter, maintains signal integrity, and delivers enhanced musical detail and realism. By incorporating this technology, devices like the Silent Switch OCXO II and Fiberbox III can offer an unparalleled listening experience, making the music sound livelier and closer to reality.

The Music

As usual, here are the positive, music-related standout attributes of the Fiberbox III Extreme and Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme.

It was fascinating to observe how the Silent Switch OCXO II version Extreme performed intensely and impartially with the splendid The Peddlers – Suite London.

When properly connected, I could instantly appreciate and recognize the more profound and subtle changes in the music. But that’s not all—the music retained its warmth, sounded punchier—when needed, didn’t lose its natural, raw grit, and most importantly, didn’t mask the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s presence and momentum.

The Silent Switch OCXO II version Extreme allowed each note to float more freely while preserving the harmonic integrity of the music, creating a more balanced listening experience, without inducing fatigue.

Its ability to delve deeper into the music and reveal additional layers was immediately evident with The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis. When something is amiss in the system, particularly with streaming, this album can sound blurry, chaotic, and kaleidoscopic.

However, the Silent Switch OCXO II version Extreme brought a notable order to the music, making it more tangible.

This was especially evident in “Fly on the Windshield,” where the interplay of drums, electric guitars, and Peter Gabriel’s signature singing and compelling narrative, backed by beautiful instrumentation, created an even more epic sonic and musical experience.

The Silent Switch OCXO II version Extreme’s ability to reflect the nature of reality, evoke a time-capsule effect, and radiate with the music’s aura is no coincidence. Its effectiveness endures throughout the album, making it truly unique and stand out.

The soulful The Sugarhill Gang – The Sugarhill Gang – 30th Anniversary Edition perfectly captures the spirit of the era and showcases an intriguing sonic landscape.

The Fiberbox III version Extreme highlighted a few key attributes—improved spatiality, more naturally extended echoes of decays and delays, and allowed the music to expand further into the listening room, both horizontally and vertically.

With any addition to streaming paraphernalia, there can often be an immediate disturbance. Our brain is highly sensitive to anything unnatural, which can cause an uneasy feeling that disrupts the full enjoyment of the music.

With the rhythmically dense The Sugarhill Gang, the Fiberbox III version Extreme presented the upbeat music with a more assertive and dynamic delivery, without rounding off the notes. On the contrary, it sharpened the attacks, allowing the beats to lock together with better back and forth interaction.

Screenshot

I could also sense a better frequency balance and greater consistency with Gustav Brom – Plays For You Pop Jazz And Swing. The Fiberbox III version Extreme expertly avoided aural discrepancies. It didn’t merely interpret the music, but rather conveyed its very essence, facilitating the core momentum where the music truly comes alive.

The Conclusion

The topic of audiophile Ethernet switches would have once sparked heated debates, with some even questioning the rationale behind their use. The primary concern often revolved around Ethernet’s handling of data. In the past, when analog sources were more common, digital sources relied on physical media, and streaming was just emerging, the need for such components was neither recognized nor discussed.

For those familiar with data transmission, IP protocols, and optical data systems, the increasing complexity and demand for stable data delivery have become apparent as the number of users continues to grow. What might still seem trivial to some in the audio world is a well-known concern in other fields, where maintaining data stability is a routine challenge.

I’ve often highlighted in my reviews that while analog front-ends are intricate systems with numerous factors at play, the digital landscape—especially with the rise of streaming and CAS (Computer Audio Systems)—has introduced even greater complexity, where even the smallest deviations can influence digital playback quality.

With the surge in data management needs, introducing audiophile-grade Ethernet switches and associated paraphernalia like optical isolation became almost inevitable.

Like the previously reviewed Ediscreation products, the Fiberbox III Extreme and Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme work instantly and effectively, cleaning up unwanted frequency bumps in the lower regions, midrange, and highs, without altering the timbre, tone, or color. In an upper-echelon system, it can also introduce a new level of acoustic density and a higher grade of acoustic nodes, triangulate harmonic density, and make it easier to decipher melodic sophistication, dynamics, and emotional interactions—attributes worthy of all attention. These devices are designed to address the complexities associated with today’s digital audio streaming.

Audio streaming quality is influenced by many factors, such as internet speed and stability. The real question is: What kind of “penalty” do you incur from less-than-optimal handling of all the variables involved in streaming? To complicate matters further, each streaming service utilizes its encoding methods, adding another layer of variability to the listening experience. Most generic routers and external power supplies for various audio components are mediocre at best. Without a refined core, there are always drawbacks.

The intricate pursuit of sonic excellence is often a challenging journey, demanding significant effort to achieve synergy between all the components in an audio system. As has been proven over the past few years, audiophile switches are far from being “set-and-forget” devices in a high-end audio system.

I’ve had the luxury of evaluating or testing quite a few of these solutions on the market behind the scenes, and in reality, not every audiophile switch is suitable and can significantly impact the sound.

Unlike many competing devices, the Fiberbox III Extreme and Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme have an impact that is far from subtle, effectively eliminating the hubris that masks or blurs not only the micro and macro details but the overall perception of the music.

The sheer number of variables is simply staggering when it comes to finding the right combination and equilibrium in a high-end audio system. However, Ediscreation offers a solid solution at both ends of the spectrum, with tangible features that not only suffice but can set a new reference point.

Edison Wong has mastered the complex architecture of the Fiberbox III Extreme and Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme, allowing the fibers of music and their endless intertwining webs to come more alive, without disguising their expression in compositional textures that are simply vibrant and full of life.

At the heart of these relatively compact models is a powerful core that, when used in a potent high-end audio system, can harness a massive tonal palette and infinitely extend the expressiveness of the music.

Although the number of review slots is limited, Ediscreation’s products merit inclusion due to their ability to address the nuanced demands of digital audio systems. Both evaluated devices have demonstrated their ability to positively influence sonic subtleties and dependencies on multiple levels, all without diminishing or compromising the integrity of the music. This makes them a compelling addition to any high-end audiophile setup as they are specifically crafted for passionate audio enthusiasts and discerning audiophiles and engineered to establish a refined sonic structure while unveiling intricate details that often remain concealed.

The Fiberbox III Extreme and Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme are bold continuations of vital products, with a resounding difference, and are an important consideration for anyone looking to further refine a 21st-century high-end audio system.

As with the Ediscreation Firebird LPS 2023 and Silent OCXO Extreme, the Fiberbox III Extreme and Silent Switch OCXO II Extreme should not be underestimated. I am pleased to highlight both with the Mono & Stereo 2024 Highly Recommended Product Awards.

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Price

  • Fiberbox III version Extreme MSRP HKD16950
  • Silent Switch OCXO version Exteme MSRP HKD16830

Specifications

Fiberbox III version Extreme

  • OCXO clock for extremely low jitter 0.25-0.35ps. Frequency – Stability ±10 ppb Phase.
    • 1000Mbps LAN Speed.
      • Meet IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3U Standard.
        • Neutrik Audio grade LAN socket.
          • Ultra Low noise LPS inside 40µVRMS (10Hz to 100kHz).
            • Top quality 6061 solid Aluminum CNC Case and Footer.
              • Meet CE safety standards.
                • Commercial grade Network switch MCU for best and stable performance.
  • Size: 267L x 93H x 220Dmm
  • Weight: 4kg
  • Power Consumption: 18W max

Silent Switch OCXO II version Extreme

  • OCXO clock for extremely low jitter 0.25-0.35ps. Frequency – Stability ±10 ppb Phase.
    • 5 ports with 1000Mbps LAN Speed.
      • Meet IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3U Standard.
        • Ground isolation switch for breaking off Ground noise from Router easily.
          • Neutrik Audio grade LAN socket.
            • Ultra-low noise LPS inside 40µVRMS (10Hz to 100kHz).
              • Top quality 6061 solid Aluminum CNC Case, Heatsink, Footer.
                • Meet CE safety standards.
                  • Commercial grade Network switch MCU for best and stable performance.
  • Size: 267L x 93H x 220Dmm
  • Weight: 4.2kg
  • Power Consumption: 12W max

Contact

Email: edison@ediscreation.com

Web: www.ediscreation.com