What ethernet cables are members using?

[audiobomber]

I ran a 20m Supra Bulk CAT8 during building works simply because it was going to be in use and exposed for several months and I didn't trust the builders not to damage a normal CAT6a. It is robust, fire retardant and I assumed the Telgartner would offer better protection from building dust.

Otherwise, I don't see the point of CAT7 or CAT8. Most domestic modems operate at 1 gbps, some at 2.5 gbps and very few higher. CAT6a is designed for 10 gbps, so far exceeds the data speeds possible in a home. CAT8 is theoretically much higher, quoted 40 gbps, and is only of any value in high speed data centres. You have to be in a really high-noise location with bunched cables for shielding (CAT7 or 8) to be needed, such as a power station.

Belden/BJC are tested to meet the internationally agreed standards. Belden advise that about 80% of ethernet cables fail, generic from Amazon and expensive audiophile stuff, but it isn't going to make a performance because the speed/bandwith required for audio is so much lower.

For many years I had internal contractor grade CAT5e running externally over the roof for AV and audio, with no problems. A good reason for using it is that it is certified or 100m. CAT 6 is 50m and CAT 8 30m (I think). The biggest issue for contractors is likely to be length of run, not speed, hence CAT 5e is still a good choice in some circumstances.

It seems like you believe sufficient speed and bandwidth tell all for audio quality. I think you need to listen to some better ethernet cables.

 

[Gunnar]

I have fibre installed under thew floors and behind walls.

I never managed to find a low noise switch with an SFP socket. I have a couple of bigger switches, an ancient Cisco and a Netgear, but they have PoE and internal transformers as they run off mains voltage. Also run quite warm. The guy who builds the above switches said I'm better off with a short cable from my main 12v unmanaged switch to the media converter I already have.

Melco S100 has a SFP socket. From the router I have Ethernet cable and just before the S100 I have an ADOT converter. My S100 is modified by Pink Faun.

i see you have OePhi loudspeaker cables. I just got two new power cord the Reference. I like them and I have now three of them. Which one of the loudspeaker cable do you have and how does they sound. I have a project of giving their Reference a home try so your opinion would be appreciated.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I have fibre installed under thew floors and behind walls.

I never managed to find a low noise switch with an SFP socket. I have a couple of bigger switches, an ancient Cisco and a Netgear, but they have PoE and internal transformers as they run off mains voltage. Also run quite warm. The guy who builds the above switches said I'm better off with a short cable from my main 12v unmanaged switch to the media converter I already have.

Okay, plenty of low noise SFP out there. TaraDak, SoTM, After Dark.

Networking, Networked Audio, and Streaming

audiophilestyle.com

 

[audiobomber]

Okay, plenty of low noise SFP out there. TaraDak, SoTM, After Dark.

Networking, Networked Audio, and Streaming

audiophilestyle.com

Also Uptone, LHY, Melco.

 

[kennyb123]

It seems like you believe sufficient speed and bandwidth tell all for audio quality. I think you need to listen to some better ethernet cables.

How well the cable passes a square wave may be an important consideration. There are no published graphs so one will have to use their ears to sort this out.

Shielding can impact how well a square wave is passed. Same for the insulation that’s used and how the conductor are wound. I just toss this out to mention that there are things that we can't know from the specs alone. Construction matters.

 

[ssfas]

Melco S100 has a SFP socket. From the router I have Ethernet cable and just before the S100 I have an ADOT converter. My S100 is modified by Pink Faun.

i see you have OePhi loudspeaker cables. I just got two new power cord the Reference. I like them and I have now three of them. Which one of the loudspeaker cable do you have and how does they sound. I have a project of giving their Reference a home try so your opinion would be appreciated.

I wasn't looking at £2,000 audiophile switches, I was looking at commercial products and virtually every one I looked at is either mains voltage or at least 50v due to having PoE capability. A local dealer carries that switch, he'd probably bring one round, but I wouldn't have space for it as my networking is in a narrow slice of wall about 4'x4', and it contains a QNAP, UPS, modem, switch and media library - as shown.

I did also look at the SoTM when I was looking at a new streamer, but it ended up being a crazy 5-box system just for streaming and the switch was most of the cost. The dealer (the UK SoTM distributor) admitted that it was a real negative for the brand and they'd tried to talk SoTM into making more unified products, to no avail. I got an Innuos Pulsar, from the same dealer.

The switch I bought is probably just as good as good as the Melco or SoTM, just no SFP. I will either use my existing media converter or there is a direct CAT6a cable already in place.

With regard to OePhi, I needed to offload a Shunyata Hydra conditioner and some Shunyata cables. I've recently rebuilt and rewired the house and have good power to the hifi, a 100A line dedicated to audio with 0.18ohm line impedance. The Shunyata was overkill and the cables far too long and rigid. So I found a reasonably local dealer who did a deal to take the Shunyata off my hands, supply me with a Puritan PM156 (half the size of the Hydra) and Ultimate cables (floppy, take no space). My brilliant Towshend Isolda cables were too short due to the rebuild. Rather than buy a longer pair, this dealer talked me into the OePhi cables. Alan Sircom also had something to do with it. So did Joachim Juhl, who I spoke to a few times and gave a good vibe. Apparently they are OK for unequal lengths (low inductance?), which also suited me. I think they are one below Reference, their names are silly and instantly forgettable. The dealer said that would make the deal work. I wasn't aiming that high. I usually do home loans, this was just an irrational punt.

I don't get excited about cables. Not many people in the UK do. Townshend Isolda were recommended to me 10+ years ago by a chap called Jimmy Hughes, some may have heard of him, he's used them for 25 years. I know him outside of audio and he's advised me on a few things. My idea about speaker cables is that there's no such thing as a good cable, just less bad ones. All that I require is transparency, not to get in the way. The Isolda just never got in the way. The OePhi have faced a sterner test, because my Pulsar/Holo May combination offers serious air and resolution and the whole system delivers. Having built a new music room that has excellent acoustics and a lot of potential, the OePhi cables really don't get in the way at all. I've noticed some recordings have exceptional space and depth to them. So it was a punt that I don't regret.

I heard some exceptional singing and playing last night (Handel L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato / Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque at St Martin-in-the-Fields), in particular by the amazing Hilary Cronin, who in the last 18 months has just gone stratospheric. She's on a new recording of Dido & Aeneas, I think I'l give it a blast now to see how it measures up and maybe the Handel on a new Les Arts Florissants recording.

 

[NoRolex]

Omega Micro Ebony is my current ethernet cable. Under $100
I've yet to come across any reviews or forum comments regarding this cable. Would love to hear anyone's
experienced impressions of this cable if they were to give it a listen. I've owned several of the cables
talked about here. The Ebony strikes me as a diamond in the rough.

 

[harsheel_dbs]

after a few months of going down the networking rabbit hole this these are the cables used for the foreseeable future:
Networking Cutout in Closet:
Modem -> Wireworld Chroma 8 -> Router -> Wireworld Chroma 8 -> Switch -> InWall Contractor Grade Cable (house was pre-wired)

At System
Wall -> Sablon 2020 -> TeraDak FMC -> SFP -> LHY Switch -> Sablon 2020 -> Innuos Zenith SE

 

[ssfas]

Modem > BJC 1m > TPLink FMC (iFi 9v power) > 20m Fibre > TPLink FMC (SoTM 9v battery PS) > BJC 1m > Fidelity Audio Cisco CBS110-8T Pre Clocked C4 MK2 (MCRU 12v linear PS) > BJC 1m > Innuos Pulsar

 

[TRHH]

Just upgraded the "last miles" (1 meter) from FMC to DAC.

AIM NA9 - Just great



Torben

 

[rgmd11]

Just recently got the Shunyata Omega, and to say I am excited to get it into my system is an understatement, but boo hoo, I have to wait until I get back home next month as away working....will in due course report back on this cable......

 

[Vangelis]

I have a dealer friend that sells DCS, Ayre and other high end digital front ends. He mentioned that for years he’s hasn’t found a better Ethernet cable than the Transparent Ethernet. I’ve compared it with a number of well regulated cables referenced on the WB site and I haven’t heard a better cable yet. Now that being said, I have not compared it to any of the second mortgage cost cables out there. The Transparent Ethernet is reasonably priced at $340 a meter. Transparent, of course has big dollar statement products, however, this modestly priced Ethernet cable is their digital companion for their cost no limit cable looms.

 

[keithc]

I have a dealer friend that sells DCS, Ayre and other high end digital front ends. He mentioned that for years he’s hasn’t found a better Ethernet cable than the Transparent Ethernet. I’ve compared it with a number of well regulated cables referenced on the WB site and I haven’t heard a better cable yet. Now that being said, I have not compared it to any of the second mortgage cost cables out there. The Transparent Ethernet is reasonably priced at $340 a meter. Transparent, of course has big dollar statement products, however, this modestly priced Ethernet cable is their digital companion for their cost no limit cable looms.

If you have compared it with other products can you elaborate more on what differences you found?

 

[audiopro92]

IT Admin here.

TCP/IP is a very reliable protocol. It's what we need/use to do computer networking and access websites/content on the internet.

CAT 8 for any mission-critical application is a no-brainer today. It's cheap and there are many reliable vendors. LINKUP is a solid brand. And like any cable, shorter is better if possible.

If you want to test any ethernet cable - plug it in to your network switch or router and type: ping 8.8.8.8
Any differences in milliseconds?

While it is true that packets are packets in the same way that bits are bits, the superior performance of CAT 8 cables means better shielding; no chance of EMI. Even with previous generations of CAT, the packets that were missed (if unplugged or slightly disconnected) can be sent again. So you needn't worry about data loss.

In Cisco labs - CCNP level I did in school, we found that using CAT 5 and CAT 5e resulted in a very small (but noticable) amount of lag with regards to building and completing our network design topologies. Sometimes, we even had disconnections.

Today, in the IT office we only use CAT 8. Large installers such as those from autodesk load and complete ever-so slightly faster. This is due to the over-specced nature of the cables... and dare I say slightly faster operation on terminal servers using RDC (remote desktop connection) should not be the case, but it's true.

Can superior spec CAT cables improve audio fidelity? That's for you to discover. At the very least, they won't wreck anything.

Unmanaged network switch is from D-Link - about $20.

- DMK

 

[keithc]

IT Admin here.

TCP/IP is a very reliable protocol. It's what we need/use to do computer networking and access websites/content on the internet.

CAT 8 for any mission-critical application is a no-brainer today. It's cheap and there are many reliable vendors. LINKUP is a solid brand. And like any cable, shorter is better if possible.

If you want to test any ethernet cable - plug it in to your network switch or router and type: ping 8.8.8.8
Any differences in milliseconds?

While it is true that packets are packets in the same way that bits are bits, the superior performance of CAT 8 cables means better shielding; no chance of EMI. Even with previous generations of CAT, the packets that were missed (if unplugged or slightly disconnected) can be sent again. So you needn't worry about data loss.

In Cisco labs - CCNP level I did in school, we found that using CAT 5 and CAT 5e resulted in a very small (but noticable) amount of lag with regards to building and completing our network design topologies. Sometimes, we even had disconnections.

Today, in the IT office we only use CAT 8. Large installers such as those from autodesk load and complete ever-so slightly faster. This is due to the over-specced nature of the cables... and dare I say slightly faster operation on terminal servers using RDC (remote desktop connection) should not be the case, but it's true.

Can superior spec CAT cables improve audio fidelity? That's for you to discover. At the very least, they won't wreck anything.

Unmanaged network switch is from D-Link - about $20.

- DMK

I would love to see a real time bit capture from a USB cable coming out of a streamer during a song playback. Then switch the upstream cable/router, and repeat, and then look at any data difference. If there isnt, then voila. Any audible difference must reflect a minute change in what’s going to the DAC.

 

[2ndLiner]

IT Admin here.

TCP/IP is a very reliable protocol. It's what we need/use to do computer networking and access websites/content on the internet.

CAT 8 for any mission-critical application is a no-brainer today. It's cheap and there are many reliable vendors. LINKUP is a solid brand. And like any cable, shorter is better if possible.

If you want to test any ethernet cable - plug it in to your network switch or router and type: ping 8.8.8.8
Any differences in milliseconds?

While it is true that packets are packets in the same way that bits are bits, the superior performance of CAT 8 cables means better shielding; no chance of EMI. Even with previous generations of CAT, the packets that were missed (if unplugged or slightly disconnected) can be sent again. So you needn't worry about data loss.

In Cisco labs - CCNP level I did in school, we found that using CAT 5 and CAT 5e resulted in a very small (but noticable) amount of lag with regards to building and completing our network design topologies. Sometimes, we even had disconnections.

Today, in the IT office we only use CAT 8. Large installers such as those from autodesk load and complete ever-so slightly faster. This is due to the over-specced nature of the cables... and dare I say slightly faster operation on terminal servers using RDC (remote desktop connection) should not be the case, but it's true.

Can superior spec CAT cables improve audio fidelity? That's for you to discover. At the very least, they won't wreck anything.

Unmanaged network switch is from D-Link - about $20.

- DMK

Is there a particular CAT 8 cable you recommend?

 

[SoundQcar]

Router > Blue Jeans Cable (5m) > Innuos PhoenixNet > Sablon 2020 2ea. (1m) > 2ea. Gigafoil v4 > Sablon 2020 2ea. > Lumin X1 & Intel NUC server.

 

[SoundMann]

Blue Jeans, Cat 6- well-made and actually tested unlike others (I don't like their analog cables fyi)

I had him make me a special phono cable for my Grace 707 tonearm. He used a type of wire in it that is not advertised on his website.

He said that it would be transparent, and believe me when I tell you, it is.

Also, many find the 6a version to be superior to the 6.

 

[audiopro92]

Is there a particular CAT 8 cable you recommend?

I use the following CAT 8 cables with network switches and an Amada metal-cutting machine + foscam camera at work (in the warehouse).

Cat 8 Ethernet Cable 10 ft (3 Meters), Nylon Braided High Speed Heavy Duty Cat8 Network LAN Patch Cord, 40Gbps 2000Mhz SFTP RJ45 Flat internet Cable Shielded in Wall, Indoor&Outdoor for Modem/Router/Gaming/PC : Amazon.ca: Electronics

If you want something really robust with measurements that prove the cable meets or exceeds standards: LINKUP - [GHMT & DSX8000 Certified] Cat8 Ethernet Patch Cable S/FTP 22AWG Double Shielded Solid Cable | 2000MHz 2GHz 40Gbps | 5th-Gen Ethernet LAN Network 40G Structure Wires |Yellow| 5 M (16.5ft) : Amazon.ca: Electronics

The only trouble is, the above CAT 8 cable is somewhat inflexible ( I bought the one with the black jacket and metal connectors). It will need to be bent in to place. Otherwise, the quality is exceptional. If you want something over-the-top, it's a good choice.

- DMK

 

[audiobomber]

The only trouble is, the above CAT 8 cable is somewhat inflexible

Do you consider shield grounding at all? I take a lot of care to avoid improperly grounded shields.