Together, the Silent Angel Bonn NX Network Switch & Genesis GX Word Clock weigh a hair over 30 lbs. I mention this because there’s more to digital audio than meets the eye.
That’s the Bonn NX Switch up top and as you can see, it offers 8 gold plated Ethernet inputs along with your choice of running its own internal clock or attaching to an external 25Hz word clock very much like the Genesis GX sitting below. The Genesis offers 4 gold plated Word Clock outputs, with 2 at 10Hz and 2 at 25Hz. Both are wrapped in a galvanized steel / aluminum alloy chassis that comes black or silver that sits (stands?) on 3 stainless steel Resonance Control Feet.
Silent Angel explains:
10MHz is the most common Word Clock frequency at the present time; however, this frequency was initially chosen for GPS equipment and not optimized for audio. After exhaustive testing, our R&D team discovered that the ideal frequency for audio and networking devices is 25MHz. Silent Angel created Genesis GX with a single goal: to deliver the best audio quality possible. Genesis GX provides both 25MHz and 10MHz word clock outputs to excel with Silent Angel products as well as other brands.
I’ll let Silent Angel continue with the device highlights. First the Genesis GX:
- FOUR independent, 25MHz and 10MHz Word Clocks with gold-plated output connectors housed in a single, optimized chassis.
- Each clock unit includes its own TCXO clock and circuitry to eliminate potential signal interference.
- Class-leading Radar-Grade switching power supply module, a technology exclusive to noise-sensitive acoustic equipment, provides a stable, low-ripple-noise power source.
- TCXO (Temperature Compensation Crystal Oscillator) clock circuits greatly lower network latency issues and jitter effects.
- State-of-the-Art chassis design combines of two layers of different, carefully chosen materials: the inner layer is galvanized steel while the outer layer is thick, high-quality aluminum alloy. This extravagant construction maximizes shielding and control of eddy currents while damping vibration and noise. Sleek modern design adds great aesthetic appeal, making Genesis GX a functional work of audio art.
Bonn NX:
- Eight richly gold-plated Gigabit Ethernet Ports feature critically spaced ports calculated to minimize potential signal interference.
- Class-leading Radar-Grade internal switching power supply module, a technology exclusive to noise-sensitive acoustic equipment.
- Perfectly timed data transmission.
- TCXO (Temperature Compensation Crystal Oscillator) greatly lowers network latency issues and jitter effects.
Brand new chassis design consists of two layers of different, carefully chosen materials: the inner layer is galvanized steel while the outer layer is thick, high-quality aluminum alloy. This extravagant construction maximizes shielding and control of eddy currents while damping vibration and noise. Sleek modern design adds great aesthetic appeal, making Bonn NX a functional work of audio art.
The short story here, and I may dig into it more in the review proper, is the Bonn and Genesis isolate, filter, and reduce noise that may otherwise negatively effect the audio signal. I had an opportunity to speak to Chorus Chuang, Silent Angel’s CTO and MSEE who spent more than a decade in IT designing DSLAM products, FTTx solutions, and NAS solutions for QNAP, and there’s serious engineering and testing behind these products that may not be apparent to the casual onlooker. Company CEO Dr. Eric, Jian Huang holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and worked for Intel and Sun Microsystems before founding Silent Angel. I mention this because there’s more to Silent Angel than meets the eye.
Readers with good memories may recall my review of the Silent Angel Munich M1T Streamer and the less expensive Bonn N8 Network Switch where I found no discernible difference between the Bonn N8 and my own TRENDnet 8-Port Gigabit GREENnet Switch, so am extra curious to see if the Bonn NX will offer an audible improvement to the sound of digital music. Stay tuned!
Silent Angel Bonn NX Network Switch: $3899
Genesis GX Word Clock: $3699
Company Website: Silent Angel
US Distributor Website: Specialty Sound & Vision
