After my initial skepticism and subsequent baptism of fire with audiophile-grade network switches, I emailed Nordost, the venerable US manufacturer of some of the best cable and ancillary products I’ve reviewed, for their version of an audiophile-grade network switch, the QNet.

I want to thank Meredith Gabor of Nordost for shipping the QNet along with their QSource linear power supply and assorted supportive devices designed to wring the very best performance out of the QNet.

The QNet is a boutique, ground-up design, not a modified, run-of-the-mill network switch found in most electronic stores. Audio companies often adapt cheap and cheerful network switches and substitute a better power supply and clock. But one deleterious fact remains, noise is transferred to your system. For sure, these modified units are better than the stock high street boxes but Nordost wanted to max out the effect and design of its QNet to eradicate the noise, heard and unheard, that degrades the sound of your carefully curated system.

After living with the Ansuz Acoustics PowerSwitch D2 for a year, the technology from superior companies such as Audio Group Denmark (Ansuz Acoustics, Aavik Acoustics and Børresen Acoustics) and Nordost has me utterly convinced of the outstanding audio and musical outcomes heard from these devices. Sure, expensive, but if you stream as your primary music source and have a highly resolving system, a boutique audiophile switch can make a heck of a difference in your daily enjoyment. Before continuing, you may want to read my full review of the Ansuz Acoustics PowerSwitch D2 (€5360). The Nordost QNet by comparison retails for USD 3199.99. However, the QNet ships with a 9V wall wart power supply. Nordost kindly sent me their QSource linear power supply (USD 2749.99) which is a substantial upgrade and brings the price of the combined units to about the same MSRP as the Danish network switch.

My Use

Along with the QNet unit and QSource hefty power supply, Gabor sent me a Premium QSource DC Lemo Cable to connect the QNet and QSource with stands and “Sort BC Kones” for QNet and QSource support. I gave the QNet the full Nordost treatment. As such, I reviewed the sound of the QNet with the upgraded power supply, cables, stands and cones in place. Like sending your child to school in their Sunday best on the first day of school, manufacturers want their “children” to show in the best light possible. At Audiophilia, we encourage this and want to give products every possible chance to shine. Therefore, I also matched the QNet and its ancillaries with superb power cables and Ethernet cables including the Ansuz Acoustics Mainz D2 Power Cable x2 (€8800/metre) and Ansuz Acoustics Digitalz D2 Ethernet Cable x2 (€2160/metre). Streaming and DAC duties by the Aavik Acoustics S-280 Network Music Player (€10,000) and the Aavik Acoustics D-280 Digital/Analog Converter (€10,000). An Ansuz Acoustics Digitalz D2 Digital Interconnect (€7200/metre) was used to send data from the streamer to the DAC.

“The Nordost QSOURCE (USD 2749.99) is a fanless Linear Power Supply designed specifically for hi-fi audio applications.” The QSource was paired with the QNet for the majority of the review.

A cheeky quick listen to the QNet with its supplied 9V power supply and a couple of reasonably-prices AudioQuest Cinnamon Ethernet Cables into a Lindemann Limetree BRIDGE II gave a very good, clean account of the streaming (through the excellent DAC of my MBL CD/DAC). If your budget will not push to all the extra Nordost goodies and the very high-price Ethernet cables mentioned, the $80 cables and the $800 Lindemann connected to the QNet will elevate your streaming significantly.

Back to the full Nordost/Ansuz lineup.

Interestingly, there is some cross-pollination between the two companies as Lars Kristensen (AGD CEO) and Michael Børresen (AGD CDO) had long careers at Nordost before forming AGD.

I was unsure if break-in was required, but did so dutifully—about a day of repeat on some Mozart and Beethoven symphonies.

The QNet is a circular design with plenty of space between the 5 ports. Together with high-end Ethernet cables which tend to be a little unwieldy, rack placement may be problematic. YMMV (see photo below).

Nordost explains the spacing and port functionality:

Externally, the QNET is manufactured using an extremely durable aluminum housing. This housing not only acts as a heat sink and shield for the device but also provides physical separation for the five, independent ports, each accommodating an 8P8C (RJ45) connector. The physical separation of each of these ports is a critical and unique design element, ensuring minimal crosstalk and interference within the device.

Each port on the QNET is optimized for its application. Three of the five ports are auto-negotiated 1000BASE-T (1 Gbps) capable, which should be used for the router and other generic network devices. The remaining two ports are fixed to 100BASE-TX (100 Mbps), a speed at which internal noise reduction is possible, making these ports best used for primary audio servers/players or external media sources.

The QNet in my rack without assorted stands and Kones. I’m not a curve guy for component design and a full circle is problematic for my situation with CD and vinyl sharing listening duties with streaming. If streaming is your primary source for listening and you have the space, I think the QNet (and stands/Kones/QLinear power supply) will look good and it does sound great. Some, like me, will prefer a box-like aesthetic, easy to tuck away.

Features

The QNet is feature-rich.

Internally, the QNET uses a high-speed, multi-layered, impedance-controlled layout, which optimizes signal routes, minimizing reflections, interference, and crosstalk. It also boasts an extremely low-noise, stable oscillator for the main clock of the device, which allows for minimal jitter and phase noise. It is equipped with six dedicated power supplies, which provide unencumbered current to all parts of the switch while minimizing noise cross-contamination and ensuring clean, interference-free operation.

Specifications

QNet: Unmanaged Ethernet switches with five Ethernet ports with 8P8C (RJ45) connectors. Ports 1–3 are 1000BASE-T/100BASE-TX–capable of auto-negotiation and auto-MIDI/MID-X support. Ports 4 and 5 are 100BASE-TX full-duplex only. DC input: LEMO, 9V/1.2A (supplied by Nordost).

QSource: Linear power supply. Input: 15A IEC, switchable 110/220VAC 50/60Hz. Outputs: Two variable, four 5V fixed, Variable output "A" switches between 9, 12, and 19V, with 9V intended for the QNet.

Dimensions: QNet: 6.5" (165mm) diameter × 1.35" (34.25 mm) H. Weight: 31oz (880gm).

Warranty: 24 months to the original purchaser only.

“Data is data”

I’ll digress slightly before getting to the superb musical performance of the QNet by dropping some comments from my Facebook post advancing this review. For some reason, “absolutists” go ape when they read anything mentioning high-end cables or switches such as the QNet. “Data is data” are their watchwords.

My simple information post garnered this immediately from one of my “followers”, certainly not a “friend”.

I add this for informational purposes and to give you Børresen’s expertise. Guaranteed, the moment this review goes live, along with interesting questions and comments, I’ll be “managing” (deleting) a torrent of nonsense. When I lived in England, we called these people “cloth ears”. Questioning is fine, criticism, too, but many of the anti-cable cultists have their minds made up, their ridiculous rhetoric ready to fire back immediately. As it’s unfertile ground, I don’t bother anymore.

Sound

Much like the Danish team at AGD, seems the QNet engineering team is concerned with noise reduction. The noise produced in the microdomain is the hobgoblin to producing the very best streaming. All the Ansuz and Aavik cables and components I mention above feature Michael Borresen’s “advanced technologies”. These noise-suppressing techniques have been very effective in my streaming setups. Happily, the engineers at Nordost have accomplished the same resulting in improvements with the soundstage, imaging, and most of all instrumental and vocal timbres. It’s been my experience that accurate, realistic timbre is the bugbear of mainstream streaming in concert with a sometimes uninspired (flat) soundstage.

So when listening to the QNet via Qobuz HiRes to what could be considered a challenging record, Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch (1964 Blue Note), I was enchanted by the glorious sounds from various groupings of the five players.

Dolphy can get a little rowdy with his bass clarinet and if not careful, a digital copy can get too excited on the leading edge of the notes. The QNet handled this challenge brilliantly. Dolphy was tamed, yet remained musically unleashed. The streaming also echoed my experience with their splendid Blue Note AAA vinyl reissue; from the opening notes, one is struck by Dolphy’s harmonic invention, almost Debussy-like. And Bobby Hutcherson’s vibes rang beautifully in the soundstage and Tony Williams' exact snare work was focussed and imaged firmly. Very impressive streaming quality.

Did this approach my vinyl playback? Yes, if missing that last ounce of presence and soundstage “air”. But each year, digital gets closer to what I consider the ultimate in playback.

Lately, I’ve been studying Beethoven's Concerto for Violin, Op. 61. I have what I consider the finest recording/performance of the work, David Oistrakh’s legendary Columbia/EMI (1969 with André Cluytens conducting the French National Orchestra) but on a Testament vinyl reissue. It’s a good pressing for $39.99 compared to $2000 for a clean original!

I’ve never conducted or played in an orchestra for the Concerto, and slowly realized during the vinyl playback, the opening tutti violin eighths sounded different than the following whole note. Clipped, less warm—sound only, not because of volume or rhythm. I checked the score. No bow markings. It dawned on me I was hearing up bows (tip to the frog) for the soft four eighths (see below) then a down bow for the forte whole note. I checked YouTube to confirm. Yes. Upbows are confirmed in lots of videos. So, same bows, same horsehair, same resin, same player, but there’s a different feeling, even rhythmic inflection.

Violino 1 no bowings from Beethoven, leaving the V up bow sign followed by the down bow sign ∏ at the conductor’s discretion.

And I heard this down-in-the-weeds detail from the QNet. Equally impressive as the Dolphy in a different way. And when Beethoven’s orchestra is playing ff, the digital layering was very balanced. No distortion in any way. Also, when Oistrakh is playing equally loud, the QNet reminded me the great virtuoso never loses focus or the beauty of his tone, no matter the dynamic. This is how great streaming should be.

Most importantly, those four quiet timpani strokes that begin the concerto—I was hearing the soft skin mallet stroke, the kettle resonance and the accurate pitch with all the overtones. I tried this opening without the Aavik and Ansuz cables/gear and using only the standard Nordost 9V plug. Much of the pertinent information was there but without some of the rich overtones that make the notes so fulsome and some of the kettle ring that sounds so gentle in the resonant acoustic.

Contemporary, well-recorded pop music sounded wonderful, especially GUTs, the new album by 20-year-old Olivia Rodrigo. Rodrigo is a very talented singer-actress and as the record store owner said to me when I asked who the talented singer playing over the store speakers was, “Olivia Rodrigo. All the kids are listening to her”.

I streamed her “all-american bitch”, with its recitative, gentle verse juxtaposed with a driving rocking chorus. The QNet allowed all her gentle phrasing through then exploded through the speakers on the chorus. It was very effective under the scrutiny of the QNet. And on “bad idea right?”, the QNet allowed her very fine band to shine, whether multi-voiced guitars or a spotlit bass.

Summary

No matter the genre or repertoire, the QNet (USD 3199.99) and QSource (USD 2749.99) will give you limousine-quality sound from your chosen stream. Be sure to feed it with the very best original “data’, or your investment may be diluted. But all things being equal, the QNet will take your streaming to the very highest level. Very highly recommended.

Further information: Nordost