When “audiophile” Ethernet switches arrived on the scene a number of years ago, they were met with great skepticism. At the time, only a few manufacturers offered such a product. However, some audiophiles and manufacturers feel like a well-designed dedicated switch can improve a stereo system’s performance. As night follows day, a seemingly endless number of companies jumped on the bandwagon by introducing switches of their own.
It should not be surprising then that the next historically utilitarian network product to be given the audiophile treatment is the router. So far, the category is still small, but it’s growing. Shown here is Synergistic Research’s version, the Network Router UEF ($2,995 for the 110-volt version, $3,295 for the 230-volt model), which incorporates technologies you can read about here, includes the company’s Foundation AC power cord and Purple Fuse, and has a black carbon-fiber-topped chassis that’s not easy to photograph. The company offers a money-back guarantee.
The Network Router UEF has an understated look.
Multiple Ethernet ports are provided, as well as a jack for connecting to an SR Grounding Block.
The unit comes with a Synergistic Research Foundation power cord.
All images courtesy of Howard Kneller. Howard’s audiophile adventures are documented on his YouTube channel (The Listening Chair with Howard Kneller) and on Instagram (@howardkneller). His art and photography can also be found on Instagram (@howardkneller.photog). Finally, he posts a bit of everything on Facebook (@howardkneller).
