The Z1+. In the photo, 1 shows two 25MHz temperature-compensated crystal oscillators, one per Ethernet port. 2 shows the NVMe SSD (up to 4GB) with EMI filter and power regulation circuit. 3 is 16GB or 32GB DDR4 RAM. 4 is the AC input conditioner. 5 is a noise-reduction circuit for the USB audio output. 6 is a selector switch for internal/external clock signal. 7 is the external 25MHz clock's BNC input. 8 are dual USB 3 host ports. 9 are two Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Next we see a copper heatsink detail and a graphene layer for superior heat dissipation of the top of this hewn-from-solid enclosure.

For an interesting take on the company's LAN switch from vinyl expert Michael Fremer, go here.

Lay of my LAN. Before sonics, some words on my network status. As a classically trained former musician now web content creator, I prefer paying proper coin for the music I consume. That used to be CD at ~€15/pop. Today it's their digital folder equivalents on my SSD. Buying those, more of my cash ends up with the actual performers. It's why 95% of my music consumption is local files. Last year I replaced a +9-year 27" iMac with a mid 2022 NOS version. I installed an extra 32GB of RAM and Audirvana Studio, then offboarded my former iTunes library to 4TB external SSD via USB3. I learnt that replacing the MacOS Core Audio with Audirvana in extreme hog mode and its own 4 x SoX upsampler engaged was at least as important to sonic parity against local files as inserting cascaded LHY Audio SW-8 and SW-6 LAN distributors between router and iMac.

This reiterates a far earlier conclusion when I first started PCfi on an iMac to stream local files rather than spin CD. Then I had quickly circumvented iTunes with PureMusic later Audirvana. Both were significantly better than iTunes yet didn't sound alike. The takeaway is not costly. A good bit of sonic improvement hides inside player software, be it HQPlayer or Roon, Euphony or JPlay. With a PC/Mac's processing powers dwarfing a DAC's FPGA, we can exploit complex up/resampling algorithms embedded in player software or plug-in. Often those do a demonstrably better job than a DAC's on-chip SRC. If your streaming budget can't stomach a hardware upgrade, don't overlook a far cheaper software license. Back on my LAN, a fiber-optic modem/router from our local IT provider hardwires to a node on a mast outside my office. From there 20m of industrial CAT8a wire runs along floor boards to the SW-8 switch in my music room preceded by a SOtM inline isolator. Then short CAT7 pigtails bracketing a SOtM inline isolator connect to the SW-6 switch which meets the iMac via another 1m CAT8a cable. A hardwired LAN is de rigueur in our crib to avoid WiFi's fuzzy brain syndrome. Yes, we still have WiFi-allergic last-century brains, no upgrade possible.