Regularly featured in our columns, particularly because we can no longer do without its Bonn N8 switch when listening to digital music, the brand takes the concept of Internet data purity even further with its new Silent Angel Bonn NX switch, which comes with an equivalent Genesis NX external clock. With dimensions and prices that speak for themselves in terms of the level of excellence sought, these two devices take network playback to absolute new heights, at the cost of an uncompromising approach to recording quality.
While the Bonn N8 comes in a small, discreet box that can easily be placed anywhere near your Internet box or network drive, the Bonn N8 Pro, at 17 cm long, requires a specific location, but is still nothing compared to the new Bonn NX, which weighs 6.4 kg and measures 43.9 cm long, 25 cm wide and 6.3 cm high.
This can already be combined with a Genesis GX clock of the same size, and will soon be able to be combined with an external power supply from the same range. The power supply currently offered to ensure a reliable power supply is the Forrester F2, which was designed to work with the Bonn N8 Pro. These high-end devices are also top of the range in terms of price, with the Bonn NX costing £3,499 and the separate clock costing £3,299.
BONN NX: A NO-COMPROMISE SWITCH
Available in silver or black, the Bonn NX is made from the finest materials, as evidenced by its ultra-rigid chassis. It consists of an inner layer of galvanised steel and an outer layer of thick, high-quality aluminium alloy, designed to shield the device as much as possible from interference and noise, with particular attention paid to the effects of Foucault currents – or, more simply, external magnetic fields.
With a modern design that reflects its level of solidity, the Bonn NX has no LEDs on the front panel to avoid any internal distortion, revealing only the engraving of its name, the only noticeable difference from the Genesis NX clock. Three 6 cm stainless steel and rubber feet, arranged in a triangle under the chassis, dampen mechanical energy from the device and other sources, further reducing mechanical and electrical noise.
At the rear, eight gold-plated Gigabit Ethernet ports are spaced apart to avoid interference between them, while next to them is a stylish gold-plated earth connection terminal and two mains inputs, the first IEC 100-240 V for direct connection to the internal power supply, and the other DC 12 V/1 A for use with an external power supply, such as the aforementioned Silent Angel Forrester F2.
Above each Ethernet port is a small LED, green to indicate the data input signal and orange to indicate when the signal is output. These LEDs can be disconnected using a small switch if they are found to cause very slight interference. A second switch allows you to switch from the internal clock to an external clock.
Using the latest technologies, the Bonn NX features an ultra-precise clock and power supply circuit with two 25 MHz TCXO modules to limit jitter to 369 ps, powered by a multi-stage power circuit that eliminates crosstalk. Next to this is the power supply circuit for the switching system, a very low-noise voltage regulator consisting of Texas Instruments TPS56623x blocks. A final switching power supply circuit, combined with an exclusive AC power supply module, completes the device, with the aim of minimising all parasitic noise as much as possible.
GENESIS NX: THE ULTIMATE CLOCK
To match the Bonn NX, the Genesis GX clock uses exactly the same chassis, but consists of four completely independent TCXO (Temperature Compensation Crystal Oscillator) crystal clocks, two under 10 MHz and two under 25 MHz, the latter value alone being used in our tests, which were carried out exclusively with the brand’s switch. A Radar-Grade switching power supply module also does its job, and can be replaced by an external power supply. Even more accurate, the clock improves jitter effects, without Silent Angel elaborating on its value, which we were unable to measure given the equipment required to reach such low levels.
INSTALLING THE SILENT ANGEL BONN NX
Tested with and without a clock, the Bonn NX was connected to three of our streamers, although given its price range, we would have liked to test its qualities with the best devices on the market, including CH Precision’s DAC with C1.2 network card, which unfortunately had been returned a few weeks earlier. Connected via Audioquest Vodka and Esprit Eterna RJ45 cables to a Bouygues Ultym box and an Orange Livebox 6, the Bonn NX was successively compared to listening without a switch and to listening with the Bonn N8.
We also took advantage of the 3D-Lab Nano Power test to power the Bonn NX via its 12 V socket, then the switch and clock using a splitter. These tests were repeated with our Ferrum Hypsos, which is always connected to ensure a reliable power supply to our auditorium boxes.
THE SOUND OF THE SILENT ANGEL BONN NX
Placed between the Internet box and the network player, the Bonn NX necessarily requires the addition of a second RJ45 cable, with the better of the two always connected from the switch to the player, rather than from the box to the switch.
As soon as the Bonn NX is integrated, especially when compared to listening without a switch, the clarity of the soundstage changes completely. The sound becomes more airy, the room opens up and the message is better defined, finer and more lively.
On Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert, the piano is more present and the live effect is better defined (the laughter and then the creaking door at the beginning). On Beethoven’s 9th (Karajan DG 1965, HD), the choir breathes more and is even more generous in the crescendos when using separate power supplies. All these advantages also bring a slight improvement in timbre, effects that were already obvious with the Bonn N8, but even more accomplished and perfect with the Bonn NX.
When adding the Genesis GX clock, the dynamics seem more limited, probably because our best streamer, the Mark Levinson 5101, is no longer quite up to the task of handling such a switch-clock combination, which is more expensive than it is.
However, the timbres are still improving, as is the placement of instruments and voices on the stage. Without the clock, the tests are just as conclusive when the switch is used on the 3D-Lab Nano Player Platinum and Atoll ST300 streamers, although upgrading to a higher-end player and DAC makes the differences even more noticeable.
The purity of the network data is unforgiving with recordings, and the tendency to inflate the microphones for slow movements in concertos (on Glenn Gould’s Sony albums, for example) or quiet passages in symphonies (Mahler’s 8th by Dudamel, DG) is immediately noticeable.
OUR CONCLUSION
Since the arrival of the Bonn N8, the contribution of an audiophile switch has been indisputable in network playback whenever you want to use a streamer and HD files, especially if you have a Qobuz Hi-Res subscription. With the Bonn NX, Silent Angel has gone even further to take data purification to unprecedented levels.
Obviously, at £3,499 and with an optional separate clock costing £3,299, these new products are intended for very high-end systems, but now seem essential if you want to enjoy music from digital files at the highest level.
Author: Vincent Guillemin
TECHNICAL SHEET : SILENT ANGEL BONN NX
- Origin : China
BONN NX
- Prix : 3 499 €
- Dimensions : 439 x 63 x 250 mm
- Poids : 6,4 kg
ENTRÉES SECTEUR
- IEC (AC) 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz
- (DC) 12 V/1 A (5,5 mm x 2,5 mm)
PORTS D’ENTRÉES
- 8 x Ethernet 1 GbE RJ45 plaqués or
GENESIS NX
- Prix : 3 299 €
- Dimensions : 439 x 63 x 250 mm
- Poids : 7,4 kg
ENTRÉES SECTEUR
- IEC (AC) 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz
- (DC) 12 V/1 A (5,5 mm x 2,5 mm)
PORTS DE SORTIES
- 2 x BNC 25 MHz plaqués or
- 2 x BNC 10 MHz plaqués or
