Hot dogs and audio 

HiFi salesman Lars Kristensen first met budding engineer Michael Borresen during the late 1980s when Kristensen managed a Denmark-based audio shop. As fate had it, the two met once again over 20 years later at a hotdog stand. After Borresen shared with Kristensen an idea that he had for a new type of ribbon tweeter, the two went on to establish the speaker company Raidho, which they sold during the 2008 financial crisis.  

But Borresen had more ideas, first relating to cables and then to speakers, amplifiers, and other audio products. He convinced Kristensen to make another run of it. Fast forward to today, and what is now known as Audio Group Denmark is comprised of four brands, all of which reside under one roof in the Danish city of Aalborge: Borresen Acoustics (loudspeakers), Aavik Acoustics (electronic components), Ansuz Acoustics (cables and AC power, noise reduction and Ethernet distribution products), and Axxess (entry-level products from most of the above categories). 

An ethernet switch by any other name 

For this review, Ansuz sent me a sample of its PowerSwitch D3 Ethernet Distributor ($6,600/all prices USD), which many would simply refer to as an Ethernet switch. Like many audiophile components these days, the D3 comes sans power cord. Ansuz therefore also sent me a sample of its P2 power cord ($1,400/ now discontinued and replaced by the X-TC3/$1,470 per meter).

Ansuz states that the D3 delivers a clean streaming signal to a stereo system via numerous noise reduction and resonance management technologies. The first of these are a heavy, resonance resistant chassis made of an aluminum-based, natural composite. The use of this material is said to reduce mechanical influences on the signal, thus decreasing distortion.   

Also featured in the D3 are “doubly inverted,” active and passive noise-cancelling circuits, which Ansuz calls “Tesla Coils.” The active coils are said to be several times more effective than the passive ones. Wound in opposite directions, Ansuz states that when the coils are subject to a noise-creating voltage spike, a counter spike is created that reduces random noise created during the conversion process. This is said to increase the music’s clarity and the perceived blackness of its background. According to the company, while the noise cancellation is very good, it’s not perfect. However, the company states that placing multiple coil sets in parallel further increases performance. So-called Active Square Coils, which operate much like the above coils to reduce noise, are attached to the D3’s printed circuit boards. 

The Tesla Coils work in conjunction with the company’s third-generation analog anti-dither circuitry that is said to have been developed for aircraft radar systems. This circuitry permits the coils to send pulsating signals in inverted phase during the conversion of an analog signal into a digital one with the effect of amplifying the signal. This, Ansuz states, opens the soundstage and increases detail retrieval. 

Finally, inside the PowerSwitchD3 is what Anzus calls a PowerBox. Essentially, it’s a power supply that uses one or more 3.5mm cables to send direct current (DC) to anti-noise circuitry located in certain of the company’s signal cables. The Powerbox in the D3 uses technologies found in Ansuz’ freestanding  PowerBox D3 ($5,250). 

With its black-colored chassis and curved, flowing lines, the D3 does not look like most network switches. The chassis’ front contains nothing but Ansuz’ unmistakable circular logo and the D3 model name. Around back are an IEC connector, eight Ethernet ports, and ten PowerBox connectors to power compatible Ansuz cables. 

Some may be surprised, even shocked, to learn that the D3 is only the third highest in the pecking order of Ansuz ethernet switches. The PowerSwitch D-TC Gold Signature Ethernet Distributor, which is the line’s flagship, commands a not inconsequential retail price of a little over $24,000. Though, on the entry-level side of things, the Axxess Ethernet Distributor starts at $1,050. 

Let’s get digital 

I used an audio system for the review that included Audio Group Denmark’s own Axxess Forte 1 streaming integrated amplifier/DAC. First, I connected an eero mesh router to the D3 with an Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 ethernet cable. I used a Stealth Audio Cables CAT 8 Ultra Leading from the D3 to the Forte 1. The P2 power cord sample that was sent to me does not have the ability to connect to the D3’s internal PowerBox. Instead, that feature is reserved for certain of Ansuz’ higher tier power cords. Accordingly, I did not test the PowerBox feature in connection with this review. 

With a total retail value of approaching $30,000 dollars, the above audio system is nothing to sneeze at, both in terms of resolving power and cost. However, since my big rig system is currently in storage, I also brought the D3 to a friend who is using McIntosh electronics and B&W’s 803 D3 speaker in a highly-resolving six-figure system. 

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke 

Using the D3 Ethernet Distributor brought cleaner, clearer, more impactful, and better focused sound with improvements throughout the frequency spectrum. It also caused the noise floor to drop, and enhanced detail retrieval, pace, and soundstage size. These changes were not insignificant. Rather, they were on the order of a substantial system upgrade. 

With “Billie Bossa Nova,” from Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever (explicit version) (Darkroom-Interscope Records, Qobuz 24/44.1), the D3 dramatically reduced noise, thus causing vocal and instrumental sounds to much more noticeably pop off the background. The singer’s voice sounded much more relaxed. Percussive strikes were cleaner and had better transient impact. Pace and rhythm seemed better too, which made foot tapping and head nodding while playing this track nearly irresistible. 

In bassist Nenad Vasilic’s Bassroom (Galileo Music Communication, Qobuz 24/96), the artist works his way through several types of bass guitars to create an album comprised of gorgeous solo bass tracks. With the D3 in the chain, clarity and transparency increased. Further, bass textures and energies in the vibrations of strings and the rapping of hands on the instruments’ bodies were uncovered for the first time in my system. The result was breathtaking as the artist’s compositions moved me much more emotionally than ever before. 

On the 20212 remastered version of Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water (Rhino Records, Qobuz 16/44), the D3 caused Ritchie Blackmore’s iconic guitar riffs to hang in the air with a much better sense of space and density. On the percussive side of things, hi-hat, snare, and kick drums had more weight and exhibited better pitch delineation. 

Despite the D3’s impressive performance thus far, I had the feeling that this Danish “produkt” had more to give. So, I brought it to my friend’s home and set it up in his audio system, described above. Sure enough, the magnitude of the improvements wrought by using the D3 were now even more profound. On “Billie Bossa Nova,” for example, the audio system now more starkly reproduced the fine details inherent in the singer’s breathy voice, including where she added touches of color and emphasis, when compared to the system without the D3. Indeed, if I had not journeyed to my friend’s home, I wouldn’t have realized what the D3 was fully capable of. 

Although I’ve used several different ethernet switches over the past few years, I had only one on hand – Fidelizer's EtherStream 2 – at the time of this review. Its price is $449, which does not include a $349 Channel Island Audio power supply and a $649 Audience forte f5 power cord that I pressed into action to power it. This lower-priced switch hardly seemed worth mentioning in connection with a review of a switch costing almost fifteen times its price. And not surprisingly, the D3 triumphed over the EtherStream 2 in virtually every performance category, including resolution, transient reproduction, speed, and finesse.  

However, that wasn’t the end of the story. The EtherStream 2 worked sonic wonders in my system and bested the D3 in terms of value. In fact, the comparison reminded me that that the EtherStream 2 represents one of the best switch bargains out there. Also, the D3 caused the sound to be slightly leaner than did the EtherStream 2, but not by much. Perhaps that’s the price that you must pay for the D3’s resolution and noise rejection prowess.

Final thoughts  

The D3 is likely the highest performing ethernet switch that I have auditioned. My only concern is its cost. Considering that many will pair it with a pricey power cord, the total tab for digital bliss could easily come in at upwards of $8,000. That’s a lot of scratch, particularly when considering that you don’t have to spend a boatload of cash to up your switch game. On the other hand, many less expensive switches will likely not be as good as a match for very resolving, ultra high-end audio systems. In conclusion, the D3 supports two maxims. The first is that you get what you pay for. The second is that performance at this end of the hobby does not come cheaply.  

Ansuz Acoustics PowerSwitch D3 Ethernet Distributor 

Price: $6,600 USD 

Warranty: five years parts and labor 

Dimensions: 272 mm (W) × 97 mm (H) × 397 mm (D) 

Weight: 4 kg (8.8 lbs) 

Manufacturer 

Ansuz Acoustics/Audio Group Denmark 

Aalborg, Denmark 

https://audiogroupdenmark.com/ 

Associated Equipment 

• Digital Sources: Axxess Forte 1 streaming amplifier 

• Loudspeaker: PMC prophecy1 bookshelves and prophecyC center channel 

• Signal Cables and power cords: Audience and Stealth Audio Cables 

• Power conditioning: Synergistic Research PowerBlock V8 power conditioner  

• Equipment Rack: Solidsteel