Ethernet cables

[jtrelin]

I hear a difference between interconnects, speaker and USB cables, and power cords. I don't think it's a myth, nor do I think they're just expensive tone controls. This is unfortunate because it has cost me thousands of dollars.

 

But I don't yet hear the difference fancy Ethernet cables make.

As long as you're using 6a or 7 I think you're fine. If you want to go crazy and don't mind a lack of flexibility buy Cat 8.

 

Does anyone have experience hearing a significant improvement using a fancy brand Ethernet cable vs. a standard Cat 6a, 7 or 8? Or even a difference between 6a, 7, or 8?

 

I'm interested in your experiences.

[jtrelin]

Thanks for the info. Once I get my system settled down I'm going to buy some Audioquest cables on Amazon and give them a listening test. The nice thing about Amazon is the returns are easy.

[jtrelin]

thanks

[jtrelin]

So I purchased a couple of Surpa Cat 8 Ethernet cables. Used them to replace the generic Cat 8 and Cat 7 I was using. To my surprise, I heard an immediate difference. I was shocked. But it was evident. Clarity. sharpness in vocals. better resolution. tighter bottom. Although they might have been a bit bright. Not sure yet. I can't figure it out. I wish I didn't hear it. It's doubtful I'll go out and start listening to other Ethernet cables, but at $47 the Supra seemed to be a good investment. I won't be returning them.

 

As for BJC, I've bought speaker cables from them. They're OK. In fact. I have a pair of BJC constructed 8-foot bi-wires I'd love to sell. But I'm not sure why they are considered the ultimate authority on Ethernet cables. They are the only source I've read that says Cat 6 transfers more high frequency than other grades. The Aurender manual specifies at least Cat 6e. I'd be interested if others agree with BJC. Regarding the machine that measures whether the cables meet the Cat standards, those are intended to determine transmission speeds and cross-talk tolerance for data centers. While I would prefer that the grading is more reliable, especially because they do imply important things like insulation, I'm unsure they're directly applicable to how the cable sound. Whether a cable meets, or doesn't meet, a Cat standard as measured by a special machine, to do with the interpretation of the standard, the practices/honesty of the company creating the cable, or the settings of the machine doing the measuring. But there's no evidence that the measurements of the machine have any correlation with how a cable sounds.

[jtrelin]

Hi, I'm all wired, no WiFi. As for the Supra Cat 8, I like it better than the stock Cat 8 I was using. (If the stock Cat 8 actually was Cat 8. Per BJC, you never know if one can trust cable ratings.) I haven't tried fiber but it's an interesting concept. As for the Supra, i would say that it's more high resolution than bright. The cable was brand some of the brightness I first heard has settled a little (or maybe I've gotten used to it). Right now it's highly resolute, and perhaps a tad bright, not distracting, though.

[jtrelin]

Oh, thanks @Guidof for the recommendation. You were spot on. Also, I haven't compared this to the BJC Cat 6 cable, so I can't determine the accuracy of their comments.

[jtrelin]

Just ordered 3 foot runs of the BJC 6 and 6a. Relatively inexpensive investment for a fun test. I'll tell you what I find. From reading the thread, what I'm gathering is stock cable is a crapshoot, and the table appears to be rigged. The BJC is certified and consistent, making it a good reference for 6 and 6a to compare against other cables and each other. I'm curious to see what I find. What I know about the Supra is that I had a consistent upper midrange and upper vocal distotion on cetain recordgings that was driving me crazy. I tried everything to remove it, even upgrading from a Chord 2Qute to a Bricasti and changing and Aurender to the microRendu. While both turned out to be better products, they didn't remove the distortion. I changed interconnects and power cables, etc. I also swapped out stock cat 6, 7, and 8 cables, all with no luck. When I installed the Supras, it was fixed.