Lewis CaliburnSilentPower, a subsidiary of iFi audio, has announced the OMNI LAN – an optically isolated network switch designed for discerning purists who demand the purest AV experience.
Even the finest AV setups can be quietly compromised by one overlooked component: the standard network switch. Designed for data, not detail, these switches introduce noise, jitter and interference that limit the performance of the entire system. Without addressing this hidden bottleneck, a setup may never reach its true potential.
The OMNI LAN changes that, promises the manufacturer. With triple-stage isolation, femto-precision clocking and real-time performance monitoring, it strips away interference and restores timing precision at the source.
The OMNI LAN acts as a safeguard for an entire system – a purpose-built foundation that ensures a network performs at its peak. With full remote control via the iFi Nexis app, it can be monitored, updated and trusted to perform from anywhere in a home.
Standard Switches: Designed for Data, Not Detail
Standard network switches are designed to deliver acceptable data transfer speeds and low production costs, rather than audio or video quality. While this may be sufficient for general use, their limitations can quietly hold back the full potential of AV systems. With no provision made for targeting and blocking the interference introduced throughout the system, noisy components are instead linked together – and the issue is compounded.
When this noise is transmitted through the network cable alongside binary signal data, the performance of the AV devices is degraded. The clock timing required to ensure accurate data conversion will be affected, which in turn will result in jitter. Without clean, noise-free signal delivery, high-end AV setups may be performing at just a fraction of their true capability, leaving detail, clarity and timing accuracy off the table.
OMNI LAN: Where Precision Takes Priority
The OMNI LAN eradicates this issue entirely, claims the manufacturer. At the core of its design lies optical isolation, converting incoming data to light and back again, to create complete electrical separation between input and output.
This eliminates electrical noise, interference and stray currents from reaching a user’s most sensitive components, thereby improving timing at the conversion stage – resulting in greater precision, enhanced system efficiency and a more immersive, true-to-source AV experience.
Optical isolation is the most effective technique for removing electrical noise across the whole frequency spectrum. Galvanic isolation (based on transformers), while effective for some purposes, can potentially still allow high-frequency noise through due to parasitic capacitance. The OMNI LAN converting the electrical signal to a light signal reportedly eliminates this completely.
Traditionally, achieving optical galvanic isolation required a complex setup involving multiple media converters, power supplies and extensive cabling. The OMNI LAN is designed from the ground-up as an elegant, purpose-built, plug-and-play solution to adding galvanic isolation to a system.
Users have 13 ports available: four ‘Ultra-Pure’ ports benefitting from three stages of isolation, including the internal optical isolation path purposefully designed for their most critical AV components, while the nine ‘Standard’ ports include one stage of galvanic isolation designed for less critical devices such as routers, set top boxes, NAS drives and consoles.
More Strategies for Noise-Free Networking
The OMNI employs multiple strategies to ensure a jitter and noise-free experience. After optically isolating the signal, it is then regenerated entirely using active circuitry to reconstruct the binary data stream and ensure pure, accurate signal transmission. This operates in tandem with the internal clock and our own advanced GMT (Global Master Timing) system – a proprietary, out-of-the-box digital solution that eliminates jitter at its root, using femtosecond-level precision for ultra-stable clock timing.
With the OMNI LAN’s dedicated clock input/output, it can be utilised as a master clock in your high-end system to leverage the quality of the manufacturer’s clocking technology. For maximum compatibility, the OMNI LAN can also receive an external clock input, for those who have invested in an external dedicated master clock for their system.
Dynamic Data Dashboard
A retina-grade, full-colour TFT display keeps users informed with real-time bandwidth data for each port. Users can switch views, monitor live traffic and adjust settings directly.
The OMNI LAN’s intuitive user interface offers more than just monitoring and update options. Clock sync input and output options can be controlled quickly and easily from the display and multi-function dial, while advanced grounding mode selection is also available, tailored to optimise noise across various setup environments:
- DC-RF: Connects both DC ground and RF ground together.
- RF: Grounds RF only, with no DC ground.
- ISO: No DC or RF connection to ground.
All dashboard settings are also accessible via the iFi Nexis app. Connecting through a smartphone lets users monitor traffic, manage grounding and adjust clock sync – offering full control from the comfort of your listening chair, boardroom or home cinema.
Firmware updates can also be completed seamlessly through the app, keeping the OMNI LAN current and fully optimised – without ever being removed from a system.
Rack Mounting for Professional Systems
For rack-mounted home theatre setups and professional server and networking environments, the OMNI Rack Mount Kit offers a streamlined compatibility option.
Made from cold-rolled steel and optimised for ventilation, the kit supports single and dual device configurations, front or rear mounting and creates a 24-port switch when doubling up.
The SilentPower OMNI LAN is available to purchase at silentpower.tech for £799/$799/€799.