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Naturalsystems describes the ETH-68, an Ethernet-connected audio interface designed for Linux, with six inputs, eight outputs and JACK and PipeWire support. Its reported loopback measurement is 3.620 milliseconds round trip at 48 kHz with a 64-sample buffer; the source also describes synchronization of multiple units without increasing measured round-trip audio latency. The material does not establish pricing, availability or independent verification of the performance figures.
Naturalsystems describes the ETH-68, an Ethernet audio interface for Linux that it says delivers 3.620 milliseconds of round-trip audio latency at 48 kHz with a 64-sample buffer. The report details its I/O, JACK and PipeWire support, and a method for synchronizing multiple units to expand channel count; it does not give a price or confirm when the hardware can be purchased.
The ETH-68 is specified with six balanced line-level inputs and eight balanced line-level outputs, all on quarter-inch TRS connectors. It supports 48 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates, uses a Burr-Brown PCM3168A codec, includes DIN MIDI connectivity and is housed in a 1U, 19-inch rack chassis. The device runs custom bare-metal firmware on an STM32H7 microcontroller and emulates a netJACK1 master endpoint.
For JACK, the report says users can start a server with the netone backend; JACK creates ports for the physical inputs and outputs when it receives the first capture packet from the unit. A separate pw-eth68 client provides a direct connection to a PipeWire session. The report presents both as ways to connect Linux audio applications to the interface, but does not document support for other operating systems.
Naturalsystems says it measured round-trip audio latency using jack_delay and a loopback cable. Its table lists 48 kHz results of 2.288 ms at 32 samples, 3.620 ms at 64, 4.954 ms at 96, 6.287 ms at 128 and 11.621 ms at 256. At 96 kHz, the reported figures range from 1.148 ms at 32 samples to 5.814 ms at 256. These are the report’s measurements, not independently verified test results.
More Inputs Without Added Audio Delay
The interface’s reported latency and multi-unit design may matter to musicians and recording engineers using Linux workstations, where audio buffer size affects responsiveness and the risk of processing glitches. At the specified 48 kHz, 64-sample setting, the reported 3.620 ms round trip provides a concrete figure for evaluating the device, though results in practice can also depend on the host computer, network and software configuration.
The report says multiple ETH-68 units can be synchronized to increase available channels while keeping round-trip audio latency the same as with one unit. That could let a setup grow beyond the base six inputs and eight outputs without changing the stated audio round trip. It is a system-level claim, however: the report describes additional synchronization hardware and software, rather than presenting the interface as a plug-and-play expansion for any Linux setup.
Ethernet audio interface for Linux
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How ETH-68 Connects to Linux
The ETH-68 sends audio over Ethernet but relies on Linux audio software to exchange streams with applications. In the JACK route, its netJACK1 emulation works with the netone backend. For multiple units, the report says a proxy called eth68proxy is needed because netJACK is not designed to combine streams from multiple masters. That proxy merges capture packets and splits playback packets among the devices.
For multiple-unit operation, one device supplies a high-frequency clock, daisy-chained to additional units over BNC cables. A broadcast UDP synchronization command then restarts their DMA transfers, with the report estimating that devices receive the command within about one sample time. Naturalsystems reports a maximum offset of minus one, zero or plus one sample between units. Its PipeWire client handles streams from multiple devices without eth68proxy, according to the report.
The source distinguishes audio latency from processing latency. The former is the measured signal round trip through hardware and software; the latter is the time the host takes to process a buffer and can cause an xrun if it exceeds the deadline. The ETH-68 also provides a rear-panel 3.3-volt LATMON signal intended to help measure processing time and jitter. These details describe the design and tests in the supplied report, not a third-party review.
multi-channel audio interface with MIDI
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Price, Availability and Testing Remain Open
The supplied report does not state price, release date, sales availability or where the ETH-68 can be purchased. It also does not provide independent testing, full system requirements, or enough information to establish performance across different computers, network configurations and Linux distributions. The latency table records specific buffer and sample-rate measurements, but no broader test protocol or comparison conditions are supplied.
Naturalsystems compares some ETH-68 results with an RME HDSPe AIO Pro PCIe card and says the ETH-68 matches it at 48 kHz and is 0.33 ms lower at 96 kHz. The table contains unavailable entries for some buffer sizes, and the supplied material does not detail the test setup for the comparison. The claim should therefore be read as the maker’s reported comparison, not a general finding that one product performs better in all systems.
rackmount Ethernet audio interface
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Watch for Sales and Test Details
The next practical information for prospective users would be confirmation of availability and pricing, along with documentation on supported Linux distributions, network setup and required software versions. Independent tests could help determine whether the reported latency and synchronized operation hold across different host systems and real-world workloads.
For now, the report offers technical specifications, measured figures and setup descriptions, but does not announce a launch date or sales plan. Readers considering the device will need to check for further information from Naturalsystems and assess whether its JACK or PipeWire workflow fits their recording setup.
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Key Questions
What is the ETH-68?
The ETH-68 is a Linux-focused Ethernet audio interface specified with six balanced inputs, eight balanced outputs, DIN MIDI and a 1U rack chassis.
What latency does the report give?
Naturalsystems reports 3.620 ms round-trip latency at 48 kHz with a 64-sample buffer, measured using jack_delay and a loopback cable. The figure has not been independently verified in the supplied material.
Does it work with JACK and PipeWire?
The report describes a JACK setup using the netone backend and a PipeWire setup using the pw-eth68 client. It does not specify support for operating systems other than Linux.
Can multiple ETH-68 units be used together?
According to Naturalsystems, units can share a clock and be synchronized to increase channel count. The JACK setup uses eth68proxy to combine streams; the PipeWire client is described as handling multiple units directly.
When will the ETH-68 be available, and how much will it cost?
The supplied report gives no price or availability date. Sales timing and purchasing details remain unconfirmed.
Source: hn
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