Cable Modems

[wil]

I had it confirmed that the BGW 320 is with the Broadcom chip set.

.

You dont want your modem with all the extra electronics in it for phone. More chips, dirty internal power supplies. You want a pure internet modem.

I wonder if there is a way to disable the phone related electronics?

 

[Xymox]

I had it confirmed that the BGW 320 is with the Broadcom chip set.

I wonder if there is a way to disable the phone related electronics?

I said that ? haha.. Well,, you do want a modem with a seperate router. We are rapidly approaching 2Gbps+ in DOCSIS cable speeds. In fact there are plans by Cox communications to be at 2.5Gbs up and 12 Gbps by 1str qtr 2025. They plan on offering speeds about 1Gbps in the next few months. SO.. Its now time to go multigig for many people. Higher speeds tho might have downsides for audio use. A lot of people like 100Mbps ethernet for example. So a 2.5Gbps from the modem to the router *might* or *might not* be a good thing for audio.



Paper https://www.nctatechnicalpapers.com...fc-network-to-meet-tomorrow-s-demand/download

So its time to consider a new modem and a new router. There are routers like Mikrotik where you can set the speed of a ethernet port.. These could be very useful as you can have multi-gig for the house but have a 100Mbs ethernet right on the router.

A Arris S33 modem is supported in most cable companies. Its good to 2.5 Gbps. It does not have phone services. You need a router and wifi and all that would need to support 2.5 Gbps.

As far as what sounds best in the new DOCSIS 4 world that is coming, GOOD QUESTION.. If your streaming audio from online services all the new changes that come with DOCSIS 4 will have some impact.

A big change is coming for streaming audio from the net.

 

[Darmstadtium]

I upgraded the final meter of my virgin media coaxial cable connecting to my superhub4 router to this and it made a nice difference.

TVR 2.0 T6S Antenna * SALE • HDTV Antennenkabel

VIABLUE™ TVR 2.0 Silver High-End Antennenkabel • vollständig und detaillgetreute Übertragung von Bilder und Tonsignalen • Konfektioniert mit VIABLUE™ T6s Antennensteckern • 6-fach Abschirmung

viablue.de

Please note its directional. in one direction, my modem simply refused to lock on to a signal . the other direction works perfectly. no loss of speeding stable connection. YMMV

 

[vert]

I upgraded the final meter of my virgin media coaxial cable connecting to my superhub4 router to this and it made a nice difference.

TVR 2.0 T6S Antenna * SALE • HDTV Antennenkabel

VIABLUE™ TVR 2.0 Silver High-End Antennenkabel • vollständig und detaillgetreute Übertragung von Bilder und Tonsignalen • Konfektioniert mit VIABLUE™ T6s Antennensteckern • 6-fach Abschirmung

viablue.de

How did you connect this to your existing coaxial cable?

Did you use a coaxial extender adapter?

 

[vert]

Last month, however, i did try by happenstance the Arris SB8200 (Broadcom chipset, but modem only), and I can attest that it did sound much better than my previous Gateway all in one Arris SBG8300 (with Intel Puma). The delta (uplift) between those two I would describe as: more solid, better depth of imaging, less noise in imaging. The sound stage became enriched with more low-level detail. Sort of similar to the difference between MP3 and Redbook, however, the difference here was more about stillness, ease, soundstage body, and noise floor reduction.

I had the same exact experience when trying an Arris G34 (Puma) versus a Motorola MG8702 (Broadcom).

The Arris was too noisy and bright.

I also power my Motorola MG8702 with an Uptone JS-2.

I use a custom mundorf DC cable made by Nenon for the Motorola, and that was a big upgrade.

 

[vert]

Awesome report re-tread

I wanted to pass on to everybody, everyone should get one of these and put it on the cable modem.. Breaking the ground loop connection that comes from the evil cable company

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070Q6URO?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I felt this adapter added more noise, in my setup.

It sounded like the treble or camera focus was turned all the way up.

Initially spectacular, but quickly fatiguing.

It is disconcerting that a tweak like this can make that much of a difference.

 

[Re-tread]

Greetings @vert,

Is your gizmo fully broken in? Say +500-hours (or so)? Just curious.

Every time I introduce this little gizmo into my system (on the back of my modem), the phantom image in my stereo playback gets a tad more solid, the sound a tad more balanced, and the noise floor lowers ever-so-slightly. When I remove this little gizmo, the converse happens: phantom image illusion gets a tad lighter, and the sound has less weight (thinner).

Perhaps our systems react differently, we have different preferences, or (most likely) I may be having a placebo effect. Over the next few weeks, I will try to remove and test my gizmo again (for A:B:A testing), and see if I am just having a placebo effect. Thanks for the sanity check.


Re-tread

 

[vert]

Greetings @vert,

Is your gizmo fully broken in? Say +500-hours (or so)? Just curious.

Perhaps our systems react differently, we have different preferences, or (most likely) I may be having a placebo effect. Over the next few weeks, I will try to remove and test my gizmo again (for A:B:A testing), and see if I am just having a placebo effect. Thanks for the sanity check.

No, I only had it installed for a night then took it out.

It's definitely not placebo. The effect is immediate and obvious.

 

[SoundQcar]

I had the same exact experience when trying an Arris G34 (Puma) versus a Motorola MG8702 (Broadcom).

The Arris was too noisy and bright.

I also power my Motorola MG8702 with an Uptone JS-2.

I use a custom mundorf DC cable made by Nenon for the Motorola, and that was a big upgrade.

vert...if you don't mind me asking, what size DC plug does the MG8702 take? I have one on order, and also have a JS-2. It would be nice to know ahead of time if I have a cable that fits it.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[vert]

vert...if you don't mind me asking, what size DC plug does the MG8702 take? I have one on order, and also have a JS-2. It would be nice to know ahead of time if I have a cable that fits it.

Thanks,
Bob

I'm pretty sure it's a 2.5mm. But I've been able to plug the 2.1mm in there also.

 

[SoundQcar]

I'm pretty sure it's a 2.5mm. But I've been able to plug the 2.1mm in there also.

Thanks much for the info. Glad to know it's pretty much a standard size.

Enjoy,
Bob

 

[Darmstadtium]

I felt this adapter added more noise, in my setup.

It sounded like the treble or camera focus was turned all the way up.

Initially spectacular, but quickly fatiguing.

It is disconcerting that a tweak like this can make that much of a difference.

In my setup (which has virgin media modem , sotm switches and the phoenixnet) this gizmo softened my sound. Made it dull. Robbed the dyanamics
I took it out after a week or so.

 

[engadin]

Fibre modems:

Fritzbox has launched modems with fibre input.
The simpler unit 5530 has no usb output (which I don’t need) might do less harm to sonics because of that.

What do you think of the Fritz!box 5530?

 

[engadin]

Can you please tell us about recent fiber modem/routers like Fritz!box 5530?
AVM refuses to tell me about their chip set …

Are they recommendable?
Other products with fiber modem included you would recommen?

 

[matthias]

AVM refuses to tell me about their chip set …

Hi engadin,

here you find info about the chips of all Fritzboxes:

FRITZ!Box-Family - BoxMatrix

boxmatrix.info

Matt

 

[engadin]

Thx for the link.
Unfortunately I can’t make head or tails of it …
Where can I find info about chips?
And … Which one to choose?

 

[matthias]

@engadin

You find the chips under "SoC".

There is a great discussion about the chips with CABLE MODEMS where they seem to play a major role (Broadcom vs Puma) but I am not aware that the chips are as important with FIBER MODEMS.

Matt

 

[MarcelNL]

I'm looking at the Fritz!box 5590 and hope to be able to connect it to the incoming fiber directly, BUT...I hoped it would come with TWO FSP+ cages, and not just one for the incoming signal...

I found some routers that do have more than one FSP+ slot Microtik etc but am struggling to find more info on the usability in a home network. Ideally I want to separate my audio network from everything else and leave enough room for IP TV and WIFI, current ISP connection is fiber @ 200mbps, but I can go to 1Gb in the new home....

any suggestion/info is welcome!

 

[divertiti]

Does anyone know if the SB6183 has the same sound quality and jitter performance as the sb8200?

 

[matthias]

Does anyone know if the SB6183 has the same sound quality and jitter performance as the sb8200?

The SB6183 is only DOCSIS 3.0 specs, the SB8200 is DOCSIS 3.1 so certainly the latter will be better.
But also the former doesn't use the Puma chip.

Matt