Thread: which network cable

Does anyone have an idea of a great network cable to place between my switch and my streamer?

At the moment I have a grey and a blue one, from the DIY shop. Bought 2 audioquest cables and in comparison with the cheap ones they produce a high tone in the background.

The entry-level Shunyata Venom Ethernet I beta-tested back by competitive benchmarking in Q2, 2019 blows everything I personally extensively tested against it, including Audioquest Cinnamon, Wireworld Starlight Cat 8, Supra Cat 8, Belden Cat6a, and Audioquest Vodka completely into the weeds. It's not even close. It's so "not close" that one evening, when I swapped out Vodka for the Venom Ethernet, I literally burst out laughing.

They folks at Shunyata told me they designed it to be superior than their competitive benchmark, AQ Diamond, and given how significantly better it was than Vodka, I'd believe it.

Just get it.

Shunyata Omega - lasik for the ears

I am embarrassed to say I may be hearing a difference, but most likely, it’s a very expensive placebo effect

Originally Posted by LVB

I am embarrassed to say I may be hearing a difference, but most likely, it’s a very expensive placebo effect

No, it's not a placebo effect. Copper Ethernet cables are susceptible to RFI, EMI and common-mode noise. Moreover, if a device e.g. an Ethernet switch, router, NAS is powered by an SMPS, then the audio quality is also affected by high-source impedance leakage current, which will result in noise on the ground-plane and increased threshold jitter. This causes timing errors and the impact of all of these are audible.

Hmm so are expensive LPS's needed to drive the ethernet devices? It's in my view better to have the audio equipment with ethernet ports protected from the ethernet port electrics in their internal circuits. That brings me to a question though, are they not?

Originally Posted by plonkywonki

Hmm so are expensive LPS's needed to drive the ethernet devices? It's in my view better to have the audio equipment with ethernet ports protected from the ethernet port electrics in their internal circuits. That brings me to a question though, are they not?

The switch-mode power supplies that power many networking devices create the problems described above with respect to high-source impedance leakage current, which will result in noise on the ground-plane and increased threshold jitter...as I've mentioned above. The RJ45 ports can also contribute to this with respect to the isolation transformers they use. This is why products like EtherREGEN provide a notable increase in sound quality, their isolation transformers are chosen to minimize the impact of noise components and leakage current. That being said, EtherREGEN from UpTone Audio is designed to perform nominally with the supplied Meanwell power supply brick (it's wired internally so as to not to pass high-source impedance leakage current).

As for LPS being expensive...it's all relative. You can obtain notable improvements simply using an $11 Jameco Electronics Reliapro wall adapter-style linear power supply. Most folks use something along the lines of the Keces P3 (which Mike sells at Suncoast Audio) to the Uptone Audio LPS-1. Other folks like the Paul Hynes Farad 3 or the Sbooster BOTW P&P power supplies as well.

The hereabove stated all of a sudden makes so much sense. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Alkyogre

Does anyone have an idea of a great network cable to place between my switch and my streamer?

At the moment I have a grey and a blue one, from the DIY shop. Bought 2 audioquest cables and in comparison with the cheap ones they produce a high tone in the background.

Between my switch and my streamer, I use Ethernet patch cables from Monoprice. Actually I use their patch cables between all my digital components. Well built and very inexpensive.

Originally Posted by nicoff

Between my switch and my streamer, I use Ethernet patch cables from Monoprice. Actually I use their patch cables between all my digital components. Well built and very inexpensive.

I've had 1 ethernet cable, 2 HDMI cables, 2 HDMI splitters and 1 HDMI switcher from Monoprice fail for me. This is over many years but regardless, Monoprice is junk.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by TheGemState

I've had 1 ethernet cable, 2 HDMI cables, 2 HDMI splitters and 1 HDMI switcher from Monoprice fail for me. This is over many years but regardless, Monoprice is junk.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

It is your experience and I respect it.
But what do you mean by “fail”?
You mentioned over many years but some elaboration would be helpful for everyone to understand what happened. Thanks.

Originally Posted by nicoff

It is your experience and I respect it.
But what do you mean by “fail”?
You mentioned over many years but some elaboration would be helpful for everyone to understand what happened. Thanks.

Fail equals stopped working. The cables would not send signals. The splitters and switches stopped working. I have bought many things from Monoprice to try a save a buck for the last 10 or so years. The time and frustration trouble shooting in the end was not worth it. Nothing was DOA, but failed at some point after a few years. Oh, forgot, bought a drawing tablet from them for my daughter. Driver software installation was very difficult to install and was unstable. Ultimately found a 3rd party driver which was more stable. That has been my experience so I'm done with them. I hope you and others have better luck

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

Might it be a good alternative to instead of a decent ethernet cable place a standard cable with the addition of an ethernet isolator? I ask out of 2nd thoughts on giving the best unpolluted ethernet signal to my streamer. It is beyond my current knowledge to know if network equipment is by its nature already equipped with transformers for separation and hence filtering undesired static. If so, this alternative might be just a double dip and I'd be focusing on the proper cabling.

Originally Posted by plonkywonki

Might it be a good alternative to instead of a decent ethernet cable place a standard cable with the addition of an ethernet isolator?

What do you mean by an Ethernet "isolator?"

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

What do you mean by an Ethernet "isolator?"

Something like this.

Network Isolator emosafe EN-70e • EMO Systems GmbH

They claim besides adding safety that it lowers somewhat the noisefloor.

I googled around on electrics of RJ45 ports though -as I’m no expert in this matter- but it occurs to me that such isolation transformers, maybe in a somewhat lower grade that the device linked above, seem to be already part of the Ethernet specification, so then indeed such a device would be a double dip.

Originally Posted by plonkywonki

Something like this.

Network Isolator emosafe EN-70e • EMO Systems GmbH

They claim besides adding safety that it lowers somewhat the noisefloor.

I googled around on electrics of RJ45 ports though -as I’m no expert in this matter- but it occurs to me that such isolation transformers, maybe in a somewhat lower grade that the device linked above, seem to be already part of the Ethernet specification, so then indeed such a device would be a double dip.

Here's the definition of an Ethernet isolator:
It disconnects all the electrically conductive connections between the connected network peripherals and the connected device, and typically provides protection against DC and AC voltages of 4 kV and greater.

Not sure that's going to help in an audio application. You really want to block AC leakage current and CMode noise. You're correct that good RJ45 ports use isolation transfomers. The EtherREGEN's are particularly good: "RJ45 module that utilizes 12 transformer cores in each port (most Ethernet ports have 2~6 cores), and ground their center-taps through capacitors in a way that blocks port-to-port AC leakage currents."

A Shunyata Alpha Ethernet cable has a CMode (common mode) noise filter specifically for it's use in audio applications. I can't over-emphasize the importance of using a audio-grade Ethernet cable for streaming applications.

I choose for a double shielded cat8 connector with gold plated connector. Yesterday a bunch of network cables arrived, again an improved, According to a friend of me: this sounds better then many well known brands, one from Aliexpress.

How they can make it for that small amount of money? Happy with these

AMPCOM S/FTP CAT8 Ethernet Cable, High Speed ​​24AWG Patch Cable 40Gbps 2000Mhz with Gold Plated RJ45 Connector For in/outdoor| | - AliExpress