Electro Stimulation Ward > Signals and Noise
should I get better Ethernet cables?
Nick B:
--- Quote from: tmazz on May 30, 2021, 11:20:46 PM ---Nick I ran a hardwire Ethernet cable to my Bluesound Node to replace the WiFi connection using standard CAT 5 cable, nothing fancy. The reason for doing this was that I was starting to get occasional dropouts when playing 192 FLAC files located on my computer. I the hardwired connection solved the dropout problem, but I can't say that I remember noticing any kind of SQ improvement other than the freedom from dropouts. I have not tried any kind of audiophile ethernet cable in this application because it would be cost prohibitive since this is a 30ft run of cable.
--- End quote ---
Tom, thanks for your comments. If your cable solved your dropout problem, I wonder what improvement an excellent quality Ethernet cable would yield. Maybe an interesting experiment at 6’ or less, but 30’ 😳
My situation is I receive a tower transmission to my dish on the roof and they ran a new cable from there (of what quality?) to the outlet. So could I get any benefit using a good/very good Ethernet cable to my router? The data coming in can’t be improved, but I imagine it could be corrupted further with the very poor quality Ethernet cable I’m using. So if the router then will transmit less corrupted data to my Aries mini streamer, my system might sound better?? Is there any/some logic to this?
tmazz:
The Ethernet standard has a much more robust error detection and correction algorithms built into it than those protocols specifically designed for audio like S/PDIF, and for very good reason.
if a few bits in an audio stream get mangled, it's not that big of a deal and to the 99% of the people in the world who are not hard core audiophile, most likely not even audible. But if a few bits in a bank transfer get mangled that could be a huge deal, effecting millions of dollars. Ethernet systems work very hard at producing bit perfect communications in spite of the quality of the media doing the transmission. So given that I am not sure there is much to be gained from the use of "premium" cable on the network side of your system. If you are in an area with lots of RFI, Charles' suggestion of shielded cable might be helpful, but other than that, I don't logically see any benefit from premium Ethernet cable, on the internet side of your device.
Now of course will all of that said, there are plenty of things in this hobby that do not follow "obvious logic" so while I don't expect there to be any big differences, I would not be surprised if there were.
With that in mind has anyone in the group tried an audiophile grade Ethernet cable to bring the network or internet signal into a streaming device like for example as a patch cord between a router or network switch and your streamer? and if so, what were the results?
P.I.:
--- Quote from: tmazz on May 31, 2021, 08:34:54 AM ---The Ethernet standard has a much more robust error detection and correction algorithms built into it than those protocols specifically designed for audio like S/PDIF, and for very good reason.
if a few bits in an audio stream get mangled, it's not that big of a deal and to the 99% of the people in the world who are not hard core audiophile, most likely not even audible. But if a few bits in a bank transfer get mangled that could be a huge deal, effecting millions of dollars. Ethernet systems work very hard at producing bit perfect communications in spite of the quality of the media doing the transmission. So given that I am not sure there is much to be gained from the use of "premium" cable on the network side of your system. If you are in an area with lots of RFI, Charles' suggestion of shielded cable might be helpful, but other than that, I don't logically see any benefit from premium Ethernet cable, on the internet side of your device.
Now of course will all of that said, there are plenty of things in this hobby that do not follow "obvious logic" so while I don't expect there to be any big differences, I would not be surprised if there were.
With that in mind has anyone in the group tried an audiophile grade Ethernet cable to bring the network or internet signal into a streaming device like for example as a patch cord between a router or network switch and your streamer? and if so, what were the results?
--- End quote ---
There aren't "big differences", but there are differences. Hopefully Pete will join in this discussion. The Freedom cable has been very well received and reviewed:
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/a-new-twl-review-on-the-discrete-usb-and-freedom-ethernet-digital-cables.29967/
rollo:
--- Quote from: tmazz on May 30, 2021, 11:28:58 PM ---Charles, a question for you that is somewhat off topic , but still related to this thread. If I am correct when you talk about using the TWL Ethernet cable, you are using it as a digital interconnect between components, correct?
So my question is this, when Innuous provides ports for Ethernet connections between components, are the running standard Ethernet protocol signals over them or is it just an RJ45 connector that is used to send a proprietary digital signal over a standard Ethernet cable?
Or in other words, is the signal that comes out of they port the same protocol that is used to talk to routers and computers, or is it an audio specific digital format?
Just curious. :-k
--- End quote ---
I use the Ethernet cable in a dedicated I2S connection between Transport and DAC. Innuos runs standard Ethernet cable from Router to server. My comments relate to cable between transport and DAC not from Router to server. There I use a shielded 12' Monolith Cable.
charles
Nick B:
--- Quote from: P.I. on May 31, 2021, 08:53:09 AM ---
--- Quote from: tmazz on May 31, 2021, 08:34:54 AM ---The Ethernet standard has a much more robust error detection and correction algorithms built into it than those protocols specifically designed for audio like S/PDIF, and for very good reason.
if a few bits in an audio stream get mangled, it's not that big of a deal and to the 99% of the people in the world who are not hard core audiophile, most likely not even audible. But if a few bits in a bank transfer get mangled that could be a huge deal, effecting millions of dollars. Ethernet systems work very hard at producing bit perfect communications in spite of the quality of the media doing the transmission. So given that I am not sure there is much to be gained from the use of "premium" cable on the network side of your system. If you are in an area with lots of RFI, Charles' suggestion of shielded cable might be helpful, but other than that, I don't logically see any benefit from premium Ethernet cable, on the internet side of your device.
Now of course will all of that said, there are plenty of things in this hobby that do not follow "obvious logic" so while I don't expect there to be any big differences, I would not be surprised if there were.
With that in mind has anyone in the group tried an audiophile grade Ethernet cable to bring the network or internet signal into a streaming device like for example as a patch cord between a router or network switch and your streamer? and if so, what were the results?
--- End quote ---
There aren't "big differences", but there are differences. Hopefully Pete will join in this discussion. The Freedom cable has been very well received and reviewed:
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/a-new-twl-review-on-the-discrete-usb-and-freedom-ethernet-digital-cables.29967/
--- End quote ---
Dave, I thought you’d lean this way. Thx for that link. I’m hoping that our engineer from TWL can give us his thoughts on my particular situation :thumb:
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