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When it comes to audio equipment, I think we’re all familiar with the hum that a bad or missing ground can cause from your electrical hookup. Sometimes, there’s just other areas that the odd noises can sneak in. One that you may not have thought of is your networking cable. Sure, older audio equipment may not be networked, but newer stuff is. So, to help prevent that being a problem point, there’s the new SilentPower LAN iPurifier Pro.
SilentPower? Who are they?
Turns out, they’re a brand you’re already familiar with: iFi Audio. They’ve long had power isolation products, and now they’re breaking those out into their own brand. Hence, SilentPower. While the SilentPower LAN iPurifier Pro is their newest product at the moment, we see that the other iFi power products are available there as well.
SilentPower LAN iPurifier Pro: how does it work?
This is actually a fairly simple device, when you look at what it’s doing. You run an ethernet cable from your network into the box, and then hook a second one from the device into your audio equipment. Internally, that’s where the technical stuff happens. At a high level? It’s taking the input network, switching that to an optical signal, passing that to the other side, where it’s then converted back to an electrical signal to travel out on the ethernet.
On one hand, this seems like it would work, as you’re sort of “air gapping” things by making a break in the physical copper connection. However, it does make us wonder: if there’s a hum on the incoming networking, wouldn’t that just be translated into the optical signal, and then back out on the outbound copper?
What they say about it
Turns out, SilentPower has thought about that, and seem to have designed circuitry to address that specific issue. Here’s what their product page says:
Increased system noise significantly amplifies the streamer’s jitter, diminishing its performance and resulting in a more digitised sound that lacks the richness and authenticity of true audio reproduction. The LAN iPurifier Pro features Optical Galvanic Isolation to isolate electrical noise and interference, reduce system noise and errors from the router or network switch. Optical Galvanic Isolation technology converts incoming LAN signals into optical (light) signals and back again, accomplishing Signal Regeneration and Jitter Elimination.
silentpower.tech
How to get yours
If you’re looking to add the SilentPower LAN iPurifier Pro to your setup, you’ll need to sit tight for a bit. You can order the $299 device, but it’s currently on backorder. If you want to do that, you can do so – and read up some more on it – over at silentpower.tech
SilentPower LAN iPurifier Pro Tech Specs
- Ethernet: IEEE 802.3x
- Speed Supported: 1000Mbps / 100Mbps / 10Mbps
- Power: USB-C 5V DC/1A
- Input: 1x RJ45
- Dimensions: 99 x 92.8 x 24.2mm (3.9” x 3.7” x 0.95”)
- Net Weight: 241g (8.05 oz)
