What ethernet cables are members using?

[Trab]

It is too early for a final judgment. I'm not in the middle of my Transparent Ethernet Repleacing Mission as there are comparisons yet to come.


But to my ears:

Wireworld (pure silver conductor) gives better depth, 3D image, precise and clean presentation. Trying to deliver analog-like music it makes vocals silky smooth. Unfortunately I can sense this silk vail. Piano notes – they become silky either, a bit laid back. The top end is delicate.

JCat offers the same good depth, 3D, precision. Top end is strong, clean and really goes to the top (maybe because the conductor is a silver/gold mixture). Piano notes are strong, clean and shiny - better than with Transparent. String instruments benefit from better attack and control. There is only this tiny silk veil on vocals, like with WW. It has to be silver conductor issue.

Both cables offer greatly increased bottom control.

Transparent rich, organic deep, direct voice is really nice too. As well as big, deep bottom end, not so good controlled in fact.

Increased bottom control for me is problematic. I listen to music rather quiet. With such volume level the deep, strong bass is not an issue. I can hear drums, guitar, violin. Whereas with good control I hardly hear the base rhythm.

Copper adds some body to every note that is on medium fq or lower.

I will give another silver cable a try and a few pure copper cables too.

In the end I hope to change LAN cable. Now I see how clean and with better soundstage and imaging streaming audio can be.

 

[Tubeman66]

http://www.viablue.de/cn/cables_ep7s_solid_ethernet.php
With
https://www.telegaertner.com/en/info/highlights/mfp8/

Home made
screen is only connected at one end

sound open and wonderful, very natural
The best I have tested
beats many "High End Audio Network cables"

 

[MtnHam]

In both my city and country systems, the Lumin is separated from the NAS by 50-70'. I run a generic Cat 6 cable with DIY terminations by necessity. The SQ is great, the Esoteric K-03 CDP being my only source of comparison. I'm certainly not willing to spend mega $'s on what I believe would not be a significant step up.

 

[nonesup]

Without doing the test, you will never know.

 

[Trab]

...
Home made
screen is only connected at one end

...

Interesting. How did you come to that solution ? Did you tried to connect screening to external grounding ?

 

[Trab]

How much to spend on a cable ? There is no easy answer.

Once I had USB regenerator, two isolators and special LPS’s. All that made my USB audio sound better. USB cable at that time was Transparent Audio.
I sold all including Transparent USB, add a bit of $ and bought new USB cable. New cable made the music sound better than with all those devices and Transparent. Moreover, any regenerator/isolator made the music sound worse when used with this new USB cable. Just pure cable sounds best. I would not believe that, but I made comparisons before. Since that time I have a different perspective. Do not rush to change my LAN and have a high hopes.



I’d rather stick with so called “High End Audio Cables”. I see similarity between LAN and RCA/XLR interconnects. The sound signature mostly depends on the use of conductor. And I have done this lesson choosing RCA and XLR connectors some time ago.

Copper or silver ?
A friend in Poland uses only copper wires in the system. Until he bought LAN cable. LAN is the only place he uses silver. I think I could take that.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Kondo Japan made their LAN cables, one based on copper from KSL-VC II and second based on silver from KSL- Lpz ? For me it would.

 

[Tubeman66]

Interesting. How did you come to that solution ? Did you tried to connect screening to external grounding ?

to avoid earth loops,
my cisco switch is on a separate power line
and by testing,

"Sold my Transparet USB cable"
and using now

 

[Tubeman66]

I'd rather stick to so-called "High End Audio Cables".

I agree with signal cables,

But for Lan's cables I think it's different
Don't think so many "Audio" vendors make their own cables yet.
they just by from OEM manufacturers and put there name on it.

and as you say, the connectors is of greater importance than the cable itself,

many so-called Audoi cables only have ordinary plastic connectors that are pinched on the connectors ,
the first step towards HighEnd lan cable is to solder the leaders in the connection point in connectors ,
which can only be done on the better RJ45 connectors similar to Telegaertner

 

[Tubeman66]

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...40-audiophile-ethernet-cable-and-look-inside/


https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...cable-gets-a-marginal-pass-on-the-test-bench/

 

[Lee]

I'd rather stick to so-called "High End Audio Cables".

I agree with signal cables,

But for Lan's cables I think it's different
Don't think so many "Audio" vendors make their own cables yet.
they just by from OEM manufacturers and put there name on it.

and as you say, the connectors is of greater importance than the cable itself,

many so-called Audoi cables only have ordinary plastic connectors that are pinched on the connectors ,
the first step towards HighEnd lan cable is to solder the leaders in the connection point in connectors ,
which can only be done on the better RJ45 connectors similar to Telegaertner

Not true for WireWorld or Synergistic Research. They make their own.

 

[marty]

After exploring several brands of LAN cables, I finally found a brand that sounds terrific and doesn’t cost a fortune. I’m currently using a loom of Triode Wire “Freedom” cables.

https://www.triodewirelabs.com/product/freedom-ethernet-cable/

The descriptor that first comes to mind is “natural” sounding. (DDK’s favorite word!). And natural they are. One can listen for hours and not think about the sound characteristics of the cable, but instead focus on the music. My “loom” consists of a 2m run from the wall jack to the Apple Extreme Router (house is wired with Belden Cat6); a 3m run from the Western Digital NAS drive to the Router, and an 8m run from the Router to the Innuos. Honestly, I know nothing about ethernet cable and don’t really want to know. But the TW Freedom cables are keepers for now. And reasonably priced to boot. All 3 cables were about 1K. They were delivered promptly and appear to be beautifully made.

I can’t help but wonder if, just like signal and power cables, the sound of ethernet cables is in part due to the wire, and in part due to the terminations. I’ve noticed that like many other high quality ethernet cables, the TriWire cables use German RJ45 connectors from Telegaertner.

https://www.telegaertner.com/en/info/highlights/mfp8/straight-version/

My guess is that they contribute to the cable’s excellent sound, but as to how much, I really have no idea.

 

[KeithR]

After exploring several brands of LAN cables, I finally found a brand that sounds terrific and doesn’t cost a fortune. I’m currently using a loom of Triode Wire “Freedom” cables.

https://www.triodewirelabs.com/product/freedom-ethernet-cable/

The descriptor that first comes to mind is “natural” sounding. (DDK’s favorite word!). And natural they are. One can listen for hours and not think about the sound characteristics of the cable, but instead focus on the music. My “loom” consists of a 2m run from the wall jack to the Apple Extreme Router (house is wired with Belden Cat6); a 3m run from the Western Digital NAS drive to the Router, and an 8m run from the Router to the Innuos. Honestly, I know nothing about ethernet cable and don’t really want to know. But the TW Freedom cables are keepers for now. And reasonably priced to boot. All 3 cables were about 1K. They were delivered promptly and appear to be beautifully made.

I can’t help but wonder if, just like signal and power cables, the sound of ethernet cables is in part due to the wire, and in part due to the terminations. I’ve noticed that like many other high quality ethernet cables, the TriWire cables use German RJ45 connectors from Telegaertner.

https://www.telegaertner.com/en/info/highlights/mfp8/straight-version/

My guess is that they contribute to the cable’s excellent sound, but as to how much, I really have no idea.

Hey Marty- by chance did you compare them with Blue Jeans?

 

[marty]

Sort of. Not a full loom. What I heard I liked. But I will install a full loom of Blue Jeans after AXPONA to see if I am deceiving myself. (I love inexpensive experiments!)

 

[Empirical Audio]

Wireworld Platinum is good in certain places, like between a router and a SOtM switch. From the audiophile switch to your device however, the SOtM CAT7 with filter is a better sounding cable. A great value too.

 

[Empirical Audio]

But for Lan's cables I think it's different
Don't think so many "Audio" vendors make their own cables yet.
they just by from OEM manufacturers and put there name on it.

I though so too, but I discovered that it's no different. The Wireworld Platinum and SOtM cable with filter make a big difference, even with a silly Sonos.

 

[Empirical Audio]

It is too early for a final judgment. I'm not in the middle of my Transparent Ethernet Repleacing Mission as there are comparisons yet to come.


But to my ears:

Wireworld (pure silver conductor) gives better depth, 3D image, precise and clean presentation. Trying to deliver analog-like music it makes vocals silky smooth. Unfortunately I can sense this silk vail. Piano notes – they become silky either, a bit laid back. The top end is delicate.

JCat offers the same good depth, 3D, precision. Top end is strong, clean and really goes to the top (maybe because the conductor is a silver/gold mixture). Piano notes are strong, clean and shiny - better than with Transparent. String instruments benefit from better attack and control. There is only this tiny silk veil on vocals, like with WW. It has to be silver conductor issue.

Both cables offer greatly increased bottom control.

Transparent rich, organic deep, direct voice is really nice too. As well as big, deep bottom end, not so good controlled in fact.

Increased bottom control for me is problematic. I listen to music rather quiet. With such volume level the deep, strong bass is not an issue. I can hear drums, guitar, violin. Whereas with good control I hardly hear the base rhythm.

Copper adds some body to every note that is on medium fq or lower.

I will give another silver cable a try and a few pure copper cables too.

In the end I hope to change LAN cable. Now I see how clean and with better soundstage and imaging streaming audio can be.

Try this cable between an audiophile switch like SOtM or AQVOX and your device:

https://www.sotm-audio.com/sotmwp/english/portfolio-item/dcbl-cat7/

 

[Trab]

I though so too, but I discovered that it's no different. The Wireworld Platinum and SOtM cable with filter make a big difference, even with a silly Sonos.

But you need to be careful with filters and cables that make fast night/day difference. It could be a shortcut leading outside listening pleasure.

Since LAN cables matter, it is worth giving few of them a try. There isn't "one best cable" for all systems and all preferences. And it is about famous WW Platinum too.

 

[Empirical Audio]

But you need to be careful with filters and cables that make fast night/day difference. It could be a shortcut leading outside listening pleasure.

Since LAN cables matter, it is worth giving few of them a try. There isn't "one best cable" for all systems and all preferences. And it is about famous WW Platinum too.

I gave a few auditions. The best config.I have now is the WW Platinum cables between my modded router and a SOtM switch with an EMO EN-70e isolator in the cables. From the SOtM switch to the renderer is a SOtM Ethernet with cable filter. This is a really nice combo.

 

[Thieliste]

Do you guys know about Paul Pang Platinum-M Lan cable ?
I've been told it's amazing.

 

[Macattack]

Sorry to keep this thread off of Ethernet cables. I have had a GigaFoil v4 with a Keces P3 Power Supply in my System for a few weeks. I am awaiting a 0.65 meter Revelation audio Ethernet cable but in the meantime, the Gigafoil/ Keces combination have definitely kicked up my SQ a notch or two. Relaxed with increased detail. NICE!

I have had the Gigafoil and RA cable in my system before on loan from a friend with the stock PS and the RA cable made it work.

Now I am curious to see which helps bring out the Gigafoil more; The Keces PS or the Revelation audio cable. Or, will they both be additive?

I am feeding the Gigafoil with a 9 meter Amazon Ethernet cable.

So far, the Gigafoil/Keces combination have been a good value addition to my system.