PreSonus SW5E AVB Ethernet Switch with PoE

The PreSonus SW5E is a five-port AVB (Audio Video Bridging) Ethernet switch with Power over Ethernet on four of its five Ethercon-terminated ports. The distinction between this and a generic managed switch is not cosmetic — AVB is an IEEE 802.1 protocol stack (specifically 802.1AS for timing, 802.1Qav for bandwidth shaping, and 802.1Qat for stream reservation) that transforms standard Ethernet into a deterministic, low-latency audio transport. Without AVB-compliant hardware at every node in the network, these timing guarantees collapse and audio streams lose their synchronization. The SW5E enforces those guarantees at the switching layer, which is why it exists as a dedicated product rather than a software configuration on standard hardware.

This switch is built for professional audio environments running PreSonus AVB-compatible interfaces, stage boxes, and mixers — specifically in studio installations, live production rigs, and houses of worship where AVB audio networking has become a standard infrastructure choice. The Ethercon connectors are the right call for any environment with active cable management: the locking XLR-shell housing prevents accidental disconnection in packed rack environments where cable tension is a constant issue. Rack mounting via tray (not included) places it naturally in a standard audio rack alongside the devices it serves. For anyone building or expanding an AVB audio network anchored to PreSonus hardware, the SW5E is the purpose-built switching layer — not an approximation using general IT equipment.