ADOT Fibre MC01 receives data from the router and converts it to an optical signal

This is an interesting look at a fibre optic upgrade that can be made to your ethernet input to a networked source, for example, a streamer or a networked library. It is made by ADOT, owned by ADMM, who also distributes Melco.

The basic idea here is to isolate your HiFi networked source from a noisy router using a fibre optic isolator between the router and the source. There’s a reason Openreach/BT companies are inserting fibre over copper; firstly it has a wider bandwidth (I’ve just been offered 500GB/s by a local fibre installer over the 34GB/s I currently have with BT), and it is cleaner to run, and more efficient.

Design

The first thing we need to understand is that the digital file signal is still basically analogue 1s and 0s travelling along an ethernet cable on its way to a streamer. These 1s and 0s are still subject to noise as it moves so isolating this signal and ensuring it is packaged correctly is a good thing to do. Enter the ADOT Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter. This MC01 media converter translates the noisy router data packages to fibre optic-based packets (not electrically noisy, of course, because they are optical), and a second MC01 converts it back to a package of clean analogue 1 and 0 data that flows through a second ethernet cable into the streaming DAC, in my case. The plan here is to deliver better timing without the noise and jitter.

It might be you have a media library with a fibre-based converter built into it like a Melco library (N1, N5 etc, they’re in the same group of ADMM companies), lucky you. In this case, you only need a single MC01 converter.

There are several kits available from ADOT that progress with different linear power supplies. This review is of the second kit, called MC02 which has a linear plug-top power supply that ensures no additional power supply noise is imparted to the fibre converters.

One of the issues with optical cable is the fact that there are many routes for the light to pass through the optical cable.  These many routes are a function of the cable with some light passing through the centre, the direct path, but some ‘bouncing’ off the sides as it travels, this may impart some timing issues, ‘but certainly not as much as that seen in normal data cable’, says Alan Ainslie (Managing Director of ADMM (Audiophile Digital Music Masters Ltd)), in conversation.  This jitter can be managed further by running the ADOT Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter in Single Mode, rather than Multi Mode, as I am here.  This Single Mode upgrade costs a further £150 or so but promises even better results, from the ADOT Fibre solution.  Single Mode is effectively a thinner, more costly, piece of optical cable that has a single, direct path. Watch this space for the Single Mode piece here at HF&MS.

One may ask why not just buy a cheap Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter from Amazon and save some money?  Well, I asked that very question of Alan Ainslie.  In fairness, Alan said, ‘well off you go why not’, but he did point out that he had done the same, and got widely varying and inconsistent results on the audio side. Alan’s engineering brain kicked in many years previously and he researched and found this optimum audio solution that offers consistent performance, and the data throttle added huge value to his analysis.  This solution also offers the option of using Single Mode solutions if desired.  In summary, ‘you pay your money and take your choice’.

Quality

The two Gigabit Ethernet Media Converters are very nicely presented in a solid metal case that is agreeably machined and screwed together, there is a weight to them as well. I would describe the design as functional rather than aesthetic and I could certainly see an audio one-box fibre version of this being quite popular. On the input/output side, there are green lights everywhere indicating data flow volumes, power etc. On the opposing side, four red dip switches control various internal parameters to do with throttling the data speed down as I understand it, I’m just using the standard suggested audio settings.

Prices (see site for kit run-down)

The MC01 kit – £349.00
The MC02 kit – £399.00
The MC03 kit – £750.00

SMK-01 Single Mode Upgrade – £145.00, at the time of publishing.

Performance

Review Equipment

I currently have the Auralic ARIES G2.2 streaming transport with an iFi Pro iDSD DAC connected with a screened Atlas USB cable sending fixed output to the Moor Amps preamplifier which is connected via XLR to the Moor Amps Angel 6 power amplifier. I have Atlas Mavros interconnects with Atlas’ coherent Grun earthing system between the DAC and preamplifier. The Angel 6 is driving the Best of 2023 Kudos Titan 505 loudspeakers with the latest Atlas Mavros cable, again with Grun (review to follow). In all, it is a very lovely system, and it is at the right level to manage this assignment.

Physically

I have the ADOT Fibre isolators between the router (a cheaper £120 TP-link router) and the Aries, meaning the whole HiFi system is now completely isolated physically from the router and the wall. This version of the ADOT kit has a linear power supply that ensures no additional noise is generated to the system, which makes sense to me.

ADOT Fibre switch configuration

The physical setup could not be easier. One of the media connectors converts the router data packages from the router to fibre optic, the second one converts it back to a package of data that flows into the streaming DAC. There is no issue with getting the converters the right way around as the fibre signal is point-to-point, so it is very simple. It took me five minutes to figure out. The red switches on the side are not clear on functionality so I have set them to match the images in the leaflet/user manual. I have switches 3 &4 ON, effectively throttling back the data down to 100MB/s so the streamer is not overwhelmed with data packets.

Sound Quality

Open, more transparent, just better

These are some of my favourite review processes, when it is either better or worse, yes or no. Using my Atlas Mavros cable Playlist. I have tangible improvement in this system, it is not night and day, but it is there. Open, more transparent, just better; certainly more engaging, with better edges to the sound. Van Gogh’s Ear (Qobuz 24 bit, 44.1kHz), the wonderful Ed Harcourt track, This One’s for You (Qobuz 24 bit, 44.1kHz), Half the World Away (Qobuz 24 bit, 44.1kHz), Helplessness Blues (Qobuz 24 bit, 96kHz), all have greater presence in the room at a moderate volume. This is an interesting intervention at this price point.

ADOT Fibre Media Converters with stability control (the Iron!)

Musical Interlude

Here’s the Musical Interlude Playlist.

Thoughts

Noise reduction is the name of the game here. In a world of marginal gains, this is feeling like a decent intervention, like the GroundARAY, or the Grun cabling with Atlas. It is the right price level for me to generate a gain, unlike some other dubious Audio ideas I have not written about for fear of wasting time (yours and mine).

The only thing I would like to see would be more than one ethernet output from one of the converters so that I could wire in my media library as well as my streamer but that is another exercise (otherwise known as a Melco S100 Data Switch).

Overall

It has a tangible gain in my system and it is one that I am reluctant to part with.

I like this at this price point, this is one of those products I’ll be very reluctant to see returned. It has a tangible gain in my system. I can only say to try it out if you’re sceptical, as I was at first.  It works and I certainly recommend you have a solid trial.

Where to Buy

The ADOT Fibre Optic Gigabit Network Conversion Kit MC01/02/03 is available at Future Shop*
here
*This is a sponsored link

Specification

The company’s site has full details of the ADOT Fibre Optic Gigabit Network Conversion Kit.