TL;DR
Get audio and creator gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Naturalsystems’ ETH-68 is a Linux-focused Ethernet audio interface with six inputs, eight outputs and support for JACK and PipeWire. Its published loopback test records 3.620 ms round-trip latency at 48 kHz with a 64-sample buffer. The report also describes synchronizing multiple units, but does not provide a price, release date or independent verification of its performance claims.
Naturalsystems has published specifications and latency measurements for the ETH-68, an Ethernet audio interface designed for Linux that connects with audio applications through JACK or PipeWire. The report says it provides six balanced inputs and eight balanced outputs, and measures 3.620 milliseconds of round-trip latency at 48 kHz with a 64-sample buffer; the figures are the maker’s reported test results, not an independent evaluation.
The ETH-68 uses a Burr-Brown PCM3168A codec and an STM32H7 microcontroller running custom bare-metal firmware. According to Naturalsystems, the firmware emulates a netJACK1 master endpoint. The rack-mount unit has a 1U, 19-inch chassis, 1/4-inch TRS connectors for its six balanced line inputs and eight balanced line outputs, and DIN MIDI connectivity. It supports 48 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates.
For JACK, the report instructs users to start a server with the netone backend; the interface’s input and output ports are created when the first capture packet arrives. PipeWire users can instead connect through the pw-eth68 client, which the maker says manages similar audio streams. The source describes software setup but does not specify which Linux distributions or software versions have been tested.
Naturalsystems says it measured latency using jack_delay and a loopback cable. At 48 kHz, the reported round-trip results range from 2.288 ms with a 32-sample buffer to 11.621 ms with a 256-sample buffer. At 96 kHz, the figures range from 1.148 ms to 5.814 ms across the same buffer sizes. The headline 3.620 ms result is for a 64-sample buffer at 48 kHz; it should not be confused with processing latency, which the report defines as the time available for software and host processing before an audio buffer deadline is missed.
Low-Latency Linux Audio Setup
For musicians and audio engineers running Linux, the ETH-68’s reported latency and direct JACK and PipeWire support address two practical questions: whether a network-connected interface can work with established Linux audio systems, and how quickly a signal can travel through the hardware and software path. Lower round-trip latency can matter when monitoring live input or playing a software instrument, where delay between an action and its sound can be noticeable.
The measurements also provide useful operating detail: latency rises as the buffer grows, while higher sample rates produce lower reported round-trip times in the listed tests. Those numbers alone do not establish how the device performs in every setup. The report notes that host processing, operating-system responsiveness and network delays affect whether an application can complete its work without xruns, which can cause audible glitches.
Its multi-unit design may interest users who need more channels than one unit supplies. Naturalsystems says synchronized units can expand the channel count without increasing round-trip audio latency, while an extra software proxy is needed for JACK. That is a manufacturer description; prospective users would need to check the implementation and compatibility for their own systems.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How ETH-68 Connects to Linux
The ETH-68 does not operate as a conventional USB interface in the supplied description. Its Ethernet audio stream is handled by a Linux host, with the device presenting itself through netJACK1-compatible behavior. JACK users run the netone backend, while PipeWire users launch pw-eth68. Applications then connect to the audio ports exposed by those software layers.
The report describes clock and sample alignment for multiple units. One device acts as clock master and shares a high-frequency clock with others over daisy-chained BNC connections. A broadcast UDP sync command restarts their DMA transfers; Naturalsystems reports resulting offsets of minus one, zero or plus one samples. For JACK, eth68proxy merges capture streams and splits playback streams, while the PipeWire client is said to handle multiple units without that proxy.
To illustrate alignment, the maker reports that two synchronized units’ output waveforms were aligned to less than one microsecond in a scope test. It also reports that round-trip latency remained the same when using two units, though the extra proxy hop adds processing work. These are results and descriptions from the product report, rather than independently reproduced tests.
low latency audio interface for Linux
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Availability and Independent Testing
The supplied report does not state the ETH-68’s price, release date, shipping status or purchasing options. It also does not provide a complete compatibility list, such as supported Linux distributions, kernel requirements, Ethernet hardware requirements or tested versions of JACK and PipeWire.
The latency and synchronization figures are attributed to Naturalsystems. The source describes test methods, including loopback measurement and oscilloscope observations, but contains no independent test results or detailed account of test-system configuration beyond the stated sample rates and buffer sizes. The report’s comparison with an RME HDSPe AIO Pro also includes missing measurements, so the supplied figures do not establish a full comparison across every buffer size.
It is also unclear from the supplied material whether the device is currently available to buy, what support or warranty is offered, and whether its software and firmware are distributed under open-source licenses. Those details could affect adoption by users who need long-term maintenance or a specific licensing model.
multi-channel audio interface for Linux
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Details Buyers Need Before Purchase
Naturalsystems’ report does not announce a dated launch or a future product milestone. Readers interested in the interface will need to look for an update from the maker on availability, pricing and ordering, as well as supported host configurations and software requirements.
Independent testing could clarify how the reported latency behaves across different computers, network adapters and audio workloads, including whether systems remain free of xruns under sustained use. For multi-unit setups, further documentation on cabling, maximum unit count and practical JACK and PipeWire configuration would help buyers assess whether the expanded channel count suits their studio.
professional Ethernet audio interface
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is the ETH-68?
The ETH-68 is a Linux-oriented Ethernet audio interface. Naturalsystems lists six balanced line inputs, eight balanced line outputs, DIN MIDI connectivity and support for 48 kHz and 96 kHz audio.
What latency does the report give?
Naturalsystems reports 3.620 ms round-trip latency at 48 kHz with a 64-sample buffer, measured with jack_delay and a loopback cable. The source does not provide independent verification.
Does it work with JACK and PipeWire?
The report describes a JACK netone backend setup and a separate PipeWire client called pw-eth68. It does not specify tested Linux distributions or software versions.
Can multiple ETH-68 units be synchronized?
According to Naturalsystems, units can share a high-frequency clock and receive a UDP synchronization command to expand channel count. JACK requires the eth68proxy application to merge and split streams; the report says pw-eth68 handles multiple units directly.
Is the ETH-68 available, and what does it cost?
The supplied report gives no price or availability information, so its current sales status cannot be confirmed from this material.
Source: hn
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
