32 replies to this topic

[Marcin_gps]

REDEFINING SOUND QUALITY.

NET CARD XE opens up new dimensions of sound quality with its extremely precise ±5ppb OCXO and state-of-the-art power supply section. Experience playback from TIDAL or Qobuz at new heights of resolution and dynamic range. Thanks to the NET Card XE, for the first time ever streamed music sounds better than locally stored files.  

 

HIGH-END NETWORK AUDIO INTERFACE

With streaming services becoming the primary way of listening to music, the quality of network-related components becomes crucial if one wants to enjoy music at the highest sound quality. The NET Card XE delivers increased resolution over the NET Card FEMTO – world’s first audiophile network card - and is able to portray even the finest textures and details.

 

CUTTING EDGE OCXO

Engineered to solve the long standing challenges of legacy quartz OCXOs which are sensitive to environmental conditions, Emerald OCXO used on the NET Card XE offers 10 times better dynamic stability - the most stable timing in the presence of stressors such as airflow, temperature perturbation, vibration, shock, and electromagnetic interference (EMI).

 

 

 

 

SPECIAL COMPONENTS FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE

By using industry’s best LT3045 ultra-low noise linear power supplies and extremely stable OCXO clock combined with high-end Ethernet controller, the JCAT NET Card XE offers unprecedented quality of network streamed audio data. Connect a network audio player/DAC, a media server (NAS) or a broadband router to any of the two 1Gbit LAN ports on the JCAT NET Card XE and and pull out more detail and richness from audio files than ever.

 

THE PERFECT COMBINATION:
TAKING EXCELLENCE TO NEW HEIGHTS

The NET Card XE offers external PSU option which, when used, completely eliminates computer as the source of noise. Paired with the OPTIMO 3 DUO, which is among the best power supplies in the world, ensures the highest sound quality possible.

 

 

 

 

ORDER NOW IN OUR ONLINE SHOP →

 

SPECIFICATION:

 

• • • • Audiophile PCI Express GbE LAN adapter

 

• • • • Plug & Play in any PC or mini PC with a PCIe slot

 

• • • • Extreme sound quality improvement for any music server, network player/DAC, streaming bridge or Audio PC

 

• • • • Improves music playback from cloud services (TIDAL, QOBUZ etc) as well as files stored on local music servers

 

• • • • State-of-the-art LT3045 linear regulators and filters eliminate noise interferences from a PC

 

• • • • Truly linear design: no switching power supplies

 

• • • • Cutting edge ±5 ppb stability Emerald OCXO (oven controlled oscillator) delivers the most stable timing in the presence of environmental stressors such as airflow, temperature perturbation, vibration, shock, and electromagnetic interference (EMI)

 

• • • • Highest quality industrial grade components with operating temperature range from -40*C to +85*C

 

• • • • Enterprise level high performance Intel i350 Ethernet controller

 

• • • • Gold plated high durability EMI shielded RJ-45 connectors with built-in 12-core transformers for improved isolation

 

• • • • Two audiophile grade network adapter ports supporting up to 1Gbit connection speeds

 

• • • • LED-off feature to counteract noise

 

• • • • External PSU option eliminates computer as the source of power for lowest noise & best sound quality (requirements for the PSU: 5V/2A min)

 

• • • • 5V PSU can be supplied via 2.1/5.5mm center-positive DC jack connector or via LP4 molex connector(OPTIMO 3 DUO recommended for best performance)

 

• • • • Low-profile & full-height laser cut PCIe brackets included

 

• • • • All x1-x16 lane PCI Express 2.0 slots supported

 

• • • • Supported operating systems: Windows (all editions) and Linux

 

• • • • Works natively with roon ROCK

 

[Marcin_gps]

 

 

Here is the Pursuit Perfect System review of the NET Card XE with A/B comparisons with the NET Card Femto:

https://youtu.be/ntHtEYhWyIc 

[Patatorz]

👍 already ordered ! When are you shipping ?

[Marcin_gps]

already ordered ! When are you shipping ?

Thank you 

Definitely before Christmas

 

Best regards,

Marcin Ostapowicz

JPLAY & JCAT Founder 

[Patatorz]

Thanks Marcin ! Take care

[Thuan]

Hope there’ll be a package deal for dualPC existing JCAT FEMTO users who upgrade to 2 network cards XE and a USB XE card.

[Marcin_gps]

The cards were just shipped to us. I suspect we'll be able to ship all orders next Monday (January 4th) due to New Year's Eve this week.

 

Happy New Year !

 

Best regards,

Marcin 

[yhajtko]

Hi Marcin,

 

Happy New Year! Do you anticipate that these cards working in conjunction with the upcoming Optimo Linear ATX PSU will eliminate the need for an external 5V psu to power the cards? Just curious as this is something that interests me and can potentially beat some of the best pre built servers with XE / full linear solution.

 

 

Thanks.

[Marcin_gps]

Hi Marcin,

 

Happy New Year! Do you anticipate that these cards working in conjunction with the upcoming Optimo Linear ATX PSU will eliminate the need for an external 5V psu to power the cards? Just curious as this is something that interests me and can potentially beat some of the best pre built servers with XE / full linear solution.

 

 

Thanks.

Hi Yuri, 

 

Happy New Year! 

OPTIMO ATX should outperform many linear PSUs used with USB/NET cards, but if you connect Optimo 3 Duo to the cards, you will get an improvement over OPTIMO ATX. 

 

BTW - The NET Cards XE have just been released from customs. All orders will ship this Thursday / Friday at latest.

 

Best regards,

Marcin Ostapowicz

JPLAY & JCAT Founder

[Mellowman]

Card received and installed yesterday.

 

As the XE card uses the same Intel components, you can plug it directly to replace the NET FEMTO: all your previous settings are Kept !!!

 

Even without burn-in,my first impression is that the improvement is of the same order as in the case of usb cards (FEMTO to XE): better depth, 3D details, purer, more refined...

 

For the first time, i can't ear differences between NAS storage and QOBUZ streaming (comparisons between Streaming and local storage on PCIE SSD not made yet).

 

Surprisingly, reading local files also seems slightly improved; softer, 

 

 

Once again, Hats off Marcin!!!

[Ben Webster]

Installed my NetCard XE yesterday, too.

 

I replaced my NetCard Femto with NetCard XE in the Control-PC, in Audio-PC there is still the NetCard Femto. No Switch between Control- and Audio- PC, only 1m MeiCord.

 

Both NetCards and both OS-SSD powered by JCat Optimo Duo.

 

Can confirm the findings of Mellowman:

- all settings kept from NetCard Femto

- first impression:   

- After 5 hours burn in:       
- have only experience with local files

- (have no experience with USBCard XE)

 

I’m still try to understand what happened: before XE it was perfect, now it’s much better.  Wondering what will happen when I upgrade the NetCard also in the Audio-PC.

 

Will report again after 200 hour burn in.

 

@Marcin: well done, many thanks.

[Marcin_gps]

Thank you for the early feedback gentlemen  

 

Your impressions seem to correlate with my report I wrote several months ago (here), I've been listening to Qobuz almost exclusively now with the new NET XE card

 

Enjoy and spread the word - it will only get better and the burn-in is quite long with the NET XE card; sound fluctuated up to 2 weeks in my setup. 

 

Best regards, 

Marcin

[Mellowman]

Second listening session yesterday

Qobuz streaming through the NetCard XE sounds to my ears as good as the same files downloaded and stored on PCIE SSDs in my hi-end streamer/player

Due to the improvements on the 3D scene, I had to change my sweet spot to get the best music I ever had.

For streaming addicts (and others), the Net Card XE is a must have!!!

[vlaag]

Indeed, also running the second day and enjoying qobuz more then ever.

[Marcin_gps]

Last year was challenging for all of us. We took that time to work hard on our products, so that you could enjoy music at home at higher quality than ever before. 🔊

We are pleased to inform you that our efforts paid off: three of our new products received BEST OF 2020 awards from Pursuit Perfect System 🏆😍🙏

 

USB ENHANCER - STAND OUT PRODUCT 2020

NET XE & USB XE CARDS - BEST HIFI DIGITAL 2020

 

All products are available in our webshop at www.jcat.eu 

 

 NET xe award.jpg   216.3KB   2 downloads

 

 

[Adrian]

Have just received! Marcin, is there an optimization guide to the card? If I remember correctly there was one that was given with the net card femto.

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•  IMG_20210219_162205.jpg   1022.41KB   3 downloads

[Carlosoptico]

Even though I only play local files, but knowing the impact that everything related to the network has in JPLAYFEMTO, I ordered the JCAT USB and NET XE cards to replace the FEMTO ones with the intention of burning the USB XE first and then changing the card. NET XE. I was able to last six days without putting it on. A few seconds after it was working, an improvement was already noticeable. Everything cleaner, transparent and with more texture. In combination with the USB XE card it is VERY ADDICTIVE !!!! Caution with your partners.

[Thuan]

Why don't you free trial a streaming service such as Qobuz or Tidal, having both XE cards?  You'll be in for a treat and may be spending more time streaming than local files playback.  I did.

[Carlosoptico]

Why don't you free trial a streaming service such as Qobuz or Tidal, having both XE cards?  You'll be in for a treat and may be spending more time streaming than local files playback.  I did.

Thanks Thuan
You will surely test it after burning the cards. I'm in no rush as the local archives are already taking me to Heaven and I have so many masterpieces yet to hear that I don't make it a priority. On the other hand, there is the issue of the antivirus and the firmware that I have disabled for a better SQ.Carlos

[Carlosoptico]

Add to the previous comment that when I connect the ethernet cable to the Ubiquiti Edgerouter the sound of the local files gets worse, so I have to fix that before trying Qobuz or Tidal.Carlos