Maxing out the D3 PowerSwitch
Coming from the X-TC3 optimized with C2T footers and Digitalz X2 ethernet cable and swapping to the D3 with no optimizations whatsoever, so, straight on the Krion shelf and with standard Cat.6 cables, fair is fair, there’s not as much saturation or charm as with the maxed-out X-TC3. But, importantly, the D3 instantly performs on a higher tier in terms of cleanness, articulation, precision, and transparency. And remember, that’s with all standard cables and no Darkz!
Adding Darkz C2T
Just as with the X-TC3, adding C2T Darkz is a no-brainer, resulting in tighter, more explicit bass and more resolution and expression overall. Truly, you owe it to the D3 switch to add at least a set of C2T.
Darkz S2T
As with the X-TC3, the S2T Darkz footers add more robust bass, a more realistic timbre, and an overall very solid and weighty sound. While this can be ideal for certain setups, for 640 euros extra, I would recommend stepping up one more level to the T2 to get the best from the D3 Switch.
Darkz T2
Although I also have and use the T2S model above, the T2 has proven, in many cases, to be my favorite model. At 3.200 euros, it is not hugely more expensive than the S2T, yet, its performance is entirely on a different level. In short, the T2 has a very even-handed quality to it, enhancing the precision and transparency uniformly across all parameters. It’s not as full-bodied as the S2T but rather more neutral, which I think should be preferable in high-tier systems.
Darkz T2S
The Darkz T2S is very special indeed. Yes, at 4.800 euros for a set of 4, it demands serious money. But what it does borders on magical. It takes the T2 performance and transforms it into a wider soundscape with what I can only describe as a fully-enveloping surround effect. For all its magic, the T2S does sound a little less incisive and expressive, which is why I often prefer the T2. But this is hugely dependent on the system, so if the budget stretches, make sure to test both the T2 and T2S.
Digitalz X2
Swapping to the Digitalz X2 from the OEM Cat.6 cable brings back the richness, weight, and substance I noted earlier with the X-TC3, but now accompanied by a higher overall level of precision, resolution, linearity, and transparency. The combination sounds energetic and lively, royal, and emotionally engaging all at the same time. Even without Darkz, the D3 Switch performs on a higher level than the X-TC3, just as it should. At 640 euros, the X2 cable would be a no-brainer if not for the D2 cable’s existence.
Digitalz D2
The D2 cable has a nice trick up its sleeve, almost literally, in the shape of Active Tesla Coils. This is where the added “Power” functionality of the PowerSwitches comes in. The Digitalz D2 comes with a simple jack-to-jack cable to get you started, which I used first.
Where the X2 ethernet cable has a profound influence on the sound compared to a basic ethernet cable, the difference between D2 and X2 is relatively subtle but, at the same time, profound. What the X2 does is not so much change the bass, overall character, or soundstage size, but it fleshes out 3D images, making them appear more freely in the room.
Ansuz TC Linkz D-TC Supreme
At this point, I did not think there was much left to gain by using different DC cables. But, clearly, I was mistaken! Swapping the standard jack-to-jack DC cables for the C Linkz D-TC Supreme made my jaw drop to the floor as the soundstage further opened up to allow the vocalist even more space and become even more focused and free-standing as well as portraying a mesmerizing sense of depth. At the same time, the whole presentation took on a free-floating quality that had nothing to do with speaker position or room dimensions. This was beyond expectation and beyond reasonable, to be honest. This just should not be possible. Yet, it is very clearly so.
It’s as if the performers are suddenly freed from the previously unnoticed constraints of a stereo system. Going back to the standard jack-jack cable made the music appear almost dull by comparison, as if I took several steps back and was listening to a standard Cat.6 cable again. Truly, such is the effect of the TC Linkz D-TC Supreme.
Compatibility
The Ansuz PowerSwitches and cables perform their magic equally effectively with all servers I tried them with, meaning they are universally applicable. That said, to some extent, the inherent sonic character of a server will dictate the result. For instance, a lean and clean-sounding server like the Grimm MU1 benefits arguably more than a smooth and fulsome-sounding server like the Antipodes Oladra.
In general, my experience has been that Ansuz products start amazingly effective from the entry-level products and then become more linear and precise as you move up to higher-tier models. As it follows, relatively affordable servers and streamers usually benefit more from lower-tier Ansuz products, while more exotic equipment “demands” higher-tier Ansuz products. It’s only logical but interesting to find that this prejudice really works in practice.
Conclusion
When using a product that purifies the signal, one might assume ending up with a dry, strident, matter-of-fact sound, but this has never been the case with any of the Ansuz products I have tried so far. In fact, the opposite is the case with the X-TC3 PowerSwitch. The sound becomes more spacious, enveloping, dreamier, delicate, and fluid. The overall balance offered by the X-TC3 leans slightly toward luxurious and voluptuous, and while it offers excellent focus and apparent resolution, it trades some bass control and crispness for smoothness, but I bet many will be pleased with this, especially when emotional involvement is paramount.
The D3 PowerSwitch offers all the advantages of the X-TC3 but further ups the game by sounding cleaner, more incisive, more impactful, and more transparent while sounding more upbeat and energetic. While the D3 is technically more advanced, and this is reflected in its higher inherent linearity and precision, it is still very much an emotion-inducing machine offering superb refinement and flow in an involving organic rendition with loads of charm.
Both PowerSwiches are hugely effective, but Digitalz Ethernet- and TC Linkz DC cable also deserve special mention. Especially the effect of the D2 cable’s active Tesla Coils, and the flabbergastingly royal difference between the standard jack-jack cable and the TC Linkz D-TC Supreme DC cable has to be heard to be believed.
External Links
Distributor for the Netherlands: Ohm Audio
Manufacturer: Ansuz
Ohm Audio
Open by appointment
Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 – 18:00
Zernikepark 21
9747 AP Groningen
Phone line 1 : +31 (0)6-38027736
Phone line 2 : +31 (0)6-38027745
Email : i n f o @ o h m – a u d i o . n l
Great review, txs! I totally echo your findings… question: did you try to combine the PowerSwitch with the Muon ethernet filter? As reported, it should by pure magic!
Hi Vincent, I did not try the Muon with the Ansuz switches.
Ansuz PowerSwitches with a Taiko Extreme Router
Hi Christiaan,
I enjoyed reading your review of these fascinating Ansuz switches. You have understandably excluded Taiko Audio products from the review context, but have you done any personal experiments with the Ansuz PowerSwitches upstream of the Taiko Extreme Router? I am so very curious to learn how the isolation provided by the Taiko Router would affect your view of the efficacy of SOTA switches like the Ansuz pair or the Network Acoustics Tempus, or of network filters like the Muon Pro. Will these upstream noise killers remain effective in a Taiko Router/Taiko Switch audio network, will their effectiveness be reduced or will they perhaps become unnecessary?
Hi Lee, alas, since I also work for Taiko, I cannot provide direct comparative comments involving their products. What I can say is that from my experience with switches so far, I know that all products in this category try to achieve similar things. There is an overlap for some of the improvements noted (wider staging, more refinement, more flow) but also rather large differences. Besides the cleaning process, most switches have a sonic footprint, a certain character, that can be a large differentiator.
User preference aside, within a complete Taiko ecosystem, it does not make sense to add an extra switch in front of a Taiko Router and Switch. That would be unnecessary doubling up. The filtering and other mitigation of noise by the Taiko Router and Switch negate the need for another switch that has the same purpose. That is not to say another switch will not work with a Taiko server. But the Taiko switches and Routers have been tailored to suit an intended purpose and if you’d append or replace them with another switch, you will steer the sound in a different direction than intended. But ultimately, it’s up to the user to decide whether that other direction is preferable or not.
In recent years, my priority has been noise reduction and sometimes it seemed endless; there was always more to be done. If the Taiko Router (on order) in concert with the Taiko Switch + NIC can win that battle, making further network NR measures unnecessary, that would be very significant. Looking forward to moving my focus elsewhere.