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Post by mattspl on Mar 15, 2024 11:46:50 GMT
What are people’s thoughts on Ethernet cables? Has anybody experimented with various types, including ‘Audiophile’ type that carry a premium price tag?
I’ve just started using my Dac’s UPNP renderer. I initially just had a standard cat6 patch cable connected, but just got a cat8 off Amazon to try as I felt I could hear noise over the UPNP compared to the toslink input. The cat8 seems to be quieter. I’ll give it a few weeks and see if things change at all.
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Tobias
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Post by Tobias on Mar 15, 2024 12:14:33 GMT
I sold my expensive ethernet cables (audioquest vodka, for example) once i got and assembled my cheap cable tweak (5 minute DIY) that i have talked about in the "Tweaks - What´s worth looking into" thread recently. The cable is then filtering instead of "only" shielding basically.
I use it into the streamer. Not sure if it does the job very well in other places? The suggestion is to use it the last bit.
I am deliberately not shouting about this everywhere so you have to look it up yourself. :-)
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Post by orange55 on Mar 15, 2024 12:40:55 GMT
I along with a number of my friends have all been surprised by how much impact the Ethernet cable has on the sound.
I did a personal shoot out between a number of cables a couple of years back, Audioquest, Wireworld, Chord, Supra and couple of others. For me Chord gave the best results for the money. Nice balanced sound. Some of those were really poor, yet got lots of good reviews.
I would recommend trying a Chord C Stream Ethernet from Amazon, as you can return after 30 days. Make sure you use it as the last meter unit your streamer. They are pretty cheap and really effective.
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Tobias
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Post by Tobias on Mar 15, 2024 12:44:02 GMT
I along with a number of my friends have all been surprised by how much impact the Ethernet cable has on the sound. I did a personal shoot out between a number of cables a couple of years back, Audioquest, Wireworld, Chord, Supra and couple of others. For me Chord gave the best results for the money. Nice balanced sound. Some of those were really poor, yet got lots of good reviews. I would recommend trying a Chord C Stream Ethernet from Amazon, as you can return after 30 days. Make sure you use it as the last meter unit your streamer. They are pretty cheap and really effective. I agree, they make a big difference if they are fed with a clean signal(!) for them to protect into the next device. |
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Post by petea on Mar 15, 2024 13:18:43 GMT
I settled on AQVox network cables some time back after trying a few others. I use their LAN Excel cable from the main (Ubiquiti) switch to the AQVox Switch SE here in Germany (it is about 6m) and then their Blaze cable from the switch to the Fidata server and from the server to the streamer. I use a similar approach in the UK although I use a Blaze from the wall socket to the AQVox switch as well as it is a short run. The kitchen streamer is fed by a long AQVox Edge cable and the living room small system uses an Edge cable to an AQVox Switch SE and a Blaze to the streamer.
I use their Blaze USB cables from the Fidata servers to the Lab12 DACs as well.
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 15, 2024 13:19:24 GMT
About to order a Supra when I realised I wasn't sure what length was best for me
Currently use a 1.5m
Have ordered a £5+ 2m jobbie from Amazon
After playing around I shall re think
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Post by mattspl on Mar 15, 2024 16:34:29 GMT
I got this 2 pack of 1 meter cables from Amazon just to try as I couldn’t get cat8 nearby. amzn.eu/d/heNsoZvDefinitely quieter than the cat6, possibly down to the birds nest of cabling meaning the can’t properly separate power and signal cables in places. I’ve found through trying different cables over the years that I seem to prefer solid core conductors and I believe there is some science behind solid core cable outperforming stranded. These Amazon cables are stranded, so I might try something with solid cores at some point. I did also see mention of 1.5 meters being the either the ideal, or minimum recommended ethernet cable length, something to do with signal distortion. I’m using 1 meter length of the Amazon cables. |
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 15, 2024 16:46:11 GMT
Not quite black enough Matt This is what you want   |
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Post by mattspl on Mar 15, 2024 16:49:46 GMT
Not quite black enough Matt This is what you want 😂 I can imagine you choosing cables based 50% on colour and 50% on effectiveness |
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 15, 2024 17:05:28 GMT
Nononono Black - then are they any good |
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Post by Slinger on Mar 15, 2024 17:08:49 GMT
The only cable I can really comment on is Blue Jeans Cables' Cat6a, which is what I use throughout. which incorporates my two NAS boxes, my Cisco switch, A Pi4b running Volumio, and my PC. The TV, Blu-ray, A/V amp, etc. are running on wi-fi.
The Blue Jeans cable is extremely well made, and each one comes with "a test report showing exactly how that cable performed when run through our Fluke DTX-1800, and confirming that it meets or exceeds the specification requirements for its category", which is sort of reassuring. For their raw cable stock they (it says on their site) asked Belden to "manufacture special patch-cord-optimized Cat 6 and Cat 6a cable stocks for us" which they terminate and sell under the Blue Jeans Cable brand.
I place excellent cable manufacture high on my list of things that are desirable in ANY cable, and Blue Jeans meets and then surpasses my criteria.
For "cheap" cable I'd trust, my old favourite JUICEBITZ has started producing flat Cat6 and Cat7 cables in red, white, and black. The Cat7 sells for £6.95 for a 1m or 1.5m run with the price increasing (not by an extortionate amount) with the length of the run, which is available in 1m, increments, up to 10m and then to 12.5m, 15m, 20m, 25m, and 30m. 5m = £9.95, 10m = £15.95. I'll probably end up wiring the A/V system with JUICEBITZ cables.
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 15, 2024 17:18:21 GMT
Was aiming for CAT8, blissfully assuming better than CAT6
Forgot about your JUICEBITZ guys
I must get myself a longer USB lead for both Oppo phone and Lenovo tablet and was eventually going to go to them
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Post by brettj on Mar 16, 2024 7:50:52 GMT
I bought Blue Jeans, Supra Cat8, and used Meicord Opal.
To switch and streamer, after research, I settled on Triode Wire Labs Freedom.
Copper, Cat6a.
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Post by orange55 on Mar 16, 2024 12:27:03 GMT
I would add that for anyone streaming video, Netflix, iPlayer etc; Ethernet cables improve the picture and sound of those services.
My Apple TV has never looked so good.
I should add it gets the same signal my music streamer does, so has all the filtering and cleaning of the incoming signal before it hits the Apple TV.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 16, 2024 13:00:05 GMT
Just one 1m run of Supra Cat8 for me, with a pair of DXE filters either end.
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 16, 2024 16:42:05 GMT
I would add that for anyone streaming video, Netflix, iPlayer etc; Ethernet cables improve the picture and sound of those services. My Apple TV has never looked so good. I should add it gets the same signal my music streamer does, so has all the filtering and cleaning of the incoming signal before it hits the Apple TV. Don't have a connection on the Amazon firestick. I have seen alternatives on YouTube but they are either only in the US or hair shirt techie complicated |
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 17, 2024 20:04:11 GMT
Plugged in my Veetop 2m/6.5ft CAT8 Ethernet Cable today
Hot swap !
Carried on with Rick Springfield track
Sounds better !?
My imagination surely
Is this possible ?
Will leave it in and swap again to compare
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 20, 2024 10:04:24 GMT
There are some intriguing looking "audiophile" CAT8 cables on AliExpress. Whether they are actually CAT8 at all would be another matter - some dude who bought one was complaining the construction wasn't in twisted pairs as you would expect, but you can see that before you buy. Maybe he was seduced by the next level science behind the 30 quid cable ...  |
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Post by mattspl on Mar 20, 2024 11:53:31 GMT
There seems to be some silver core cables on AliExpress too. Makes you wonder how much impact these Ethernet cables have on Audio.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 20, 2024 12:59:10 GMT
Makes you wonder how much impact these Ethernet cables have on Audio. All I can say is that I heard small differences between various Amazon level ethernet cables and a larger difference with Supra Cat8. I haven't gone any further than that. |
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