Adding 10GbE To MacBook Pro And Simplifying

Audio: Listen to this article.

I've been playing some pretty large files, and moving tens of GB of music around my network. Most of these files are stored on my QNAP TVS-872XT NAS and played using my 2017 MacBook Pro. Some day high end music servers will enable immersive audio playback, but until such time, I'm very happy with a MacBook Pro. Audirvana has been really good with my 7.1.4 twelve channel files, so I'm not even interested in changing anything. On the other hand, as an impatient person, I like to speed things up whenever possible and ensure data delivery isn't the cause of any issues. To that end, I set out to add 10GbE to my MacBook Pro. At the same time, I found a solution that elegantly simplified the system.

10 gigabit Ethernet, as the name implies, is ten times faster than the standard 1 gigabit Ethernet. Keep in mind that not even 1 GbE is required for most audio, but also understand that I play twelve channels of DXD and I have zero patience if a better solution exists. If I can click play in Audirvana and have the music start even faster, I'm all in. 

The QNAP TVS-872XT has a built-in 10GbE port. I connected that to my Ubiquiti US XG 16 switch via an AudioQuest Cat7 cable. Don't think Ethernet cables matter? I do. I initially used a a seven foot AmazonBasics Cat7 cable that was, "Gold plated for universal connectivity and reliable data transfer," offered "Data speed up to 10 Gigabits per second" and contained a "Protective PVC jacket for long lasting strength." When my data wasn't moving as fast as I thought it should, I tried another identical cable. Same result. I then connected one of the Amazon cables to a new access point requiring PoE++ for power. The Amazon cables couldn't deliver the required power. Taking an AudioQuest Cat7 cable from another system in my house and connecting my NAS to the switch, everything worked perfect. I even tested it with the PoE++ AP and it was perfect there as well. Anyway, this isn't about Ethernet cables, but I think delivering members of this community real world information is helpful. 

Connecting my MacBook Pro via 10GbE turned out to be much more involved than I initially realized. I thought about just adding a Thunderbolt to 10GbE adapter and calling it a day. That is, until I realized a better solution could be to use a Thunderbolt dock that includes 10 GbE and much more. While down this dock rabbit hole, I looked at several docks, including those without 10GbE. Most have either an Intel i225 or Realtek network interface controller. I have experience with both, and wouldn't recommend either on my worst enemy. The i225 has been updated by Intel, but still has many issues. Among them, audio dropouts, pops, and ticks, that I've experienced first hand. The Realtek interfaces are actually connected internally via USB.

What's the big deal with using USB for Ethernet? On macOS Apple prioritizes PCIe devices (Thunderbolt Ethernet controllers) over USB devices, and has much worse driver support for even USB C Ethernet adapters recommended and sold at the Apple Store. PCIe (Thunderbolt) network controllers also offload work from the CPU onto the controller, which is the opposite of USB that forces the computing tasks on the CPU. Last, a USB Ethernet device shares bandwidth with other USB devices on the same USB controller. Anyone who has used the Belkin USB C to Ethernet adapter on a Mac recently may have experienced issues such as high CPU usage, for seemingly no reason. Even Merging Technologies states, "Apple support of USB has performance weakness, if running recent macOS and/or on M1/Silicon family. Merging highly recommends that you use a Thunderbolt adaptor."

Given the aforementioned issues, I settled on the OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock. Astute readers will likely ask if I looked at the newly announced OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock with Thunderbolt 4. I certainly did, but it only features 2.5GbE and likely uses a subpar Ethernet controller. OWC declined to tell me which NIC was used in the device. Plus, on Mac Thunderbolt 3 and 4 are identical. No speed or other improvements. 

The OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock is also AVB ready, should I need an AVB ready interface (see Bob's recently Atmos system articles for such a device). The dock has several other ports, including the Thunderbolt port to which I connect my Sonnet Ethernet adapter, based on recommendation from Merging Technologies. I will eventually test using the built-in 10 GbE interface with my Ravenna based system, but it isn't certified by Merging yet. Plus, my Ravenna switch is only 1GbE, so I need to upgrade that to take advantage of the speed. Thus, connecting the 10GbE to my main network at 10GbE, and the Ravenna adapter to the Ravenna switch at 1GbE.

One additional benefit of this dock is that it greatly simplifies my system. The 85W Thunderbolt port on the dock not only sends data (1GbE, 10Gbe, etc...) but also sends power to the MacBook Pro. I now have a single Thunderbolt cable attached to my MacBook Pro, that's it. No separate power or USB or anything. It's really elegant, especially next to my listening chair. 

Taking things up another notch, I purchased the 3 meter Apple Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable. At $159 it wasn't cheap, but the quality of Thunderbolt cables is critical, and the market is full of questionable cables. The Apple cable is built extremely well, akin to something from a HiFi company. The 3m length, enables me to place the OWC dock against the wall, away from the listening position, and keep my laptop on the side table or on my lap with plenty of spare length. 

Last, I purchased two OWC ClingOns. These little devices fit on the end of a Thunderbolt or USB C cable, and screw into the dock. They keep my Thunderbolt cables nice and tight, even when I accidentally tug the cable. Two of them are $14. Money well spent.

Now, I just need to add the new MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip, and life will be even better. 

One More Thing

While I'm talking about technology and items to make life better, I should mention another recent purchase. I ordered the HyperJuice 245W GaN Desktop Charger. If you haven't seen Gallium nitride (GaN) chargers recently, check them out. GaN enables smaller circuits and less heat. The HyperJuice 245W unit can output up to 100W on any port, and up to a total of 245W at a time. It supports Power delivery 3.0. These chargers are really nice, now that USB C has taken over as the charging port of today and tomorrow.