2. cables
  3. 128927-305

Most Important, Unloved Cable...

Ethernet. I used to say the power cord was the most unloved, but important cable. Now, I update that assessment to the Ethernet cable. Review work forthcoming. 

I can't wait to invite my newer friend who is an engineer who was involved with the construction of Fermilab, the National Accelerator Lab, to hear this! Previously he was an overt mocker; no longer. He decided to try comparing cables and had his mind changed. That's not uncommon, as many of you former skeptics know. :)

I had my biggest doubts about the Ethernet cable. But, I was wrong - SO wrong! I'm so happy I made the decision years ago that I would try things rather than simply flip a coin mentally and decide without experience. It has made all the difference in quality of systems and my enjoyment of them. Reminder; I settled the matter of efficacy of cables years before becoming a reviewer and with my own money, so my enthusiasm for them does not spring from reviewing. Reviewing has allowed me to more fully explore their potential.  

I find fascinating the cognitive dissonance that exists between the skeptical mind in regard to cables and the real world results which can be obtained with them. I'm still shaking my head at this result... profoundly unexpected results way beyond expectation. Anyone who would need an ABX for this should exit the hobby and take up gun shooting, because your hearing would be for crap.  
douglas_schroeder
jinjuku's avatar
jinjuku
223 posts
 
If you’re not interested in a scientifically valid test, then this exercise is really just a waste of time, imo. But it’s fine if you’re having fun with it - that’s no problem. Just please don’t assail what you call our lack of "intellectual integrity" because we’re interested in a valid, repeatable test.
I believe the method is scientifically valid and I haven’t seen any material counterpoint to it.

The method is 100% repeatable. Easily. As a matter of fact I’ll make available my SG200-8 configuration file. Anyone can get this 8 port switch for less than $100, download the configuration file and apply it.

Ports 7/8 will be the a Dynamic LACP LAG (802.11ad) and you can use any other port for a connection to a file server.

You can hang two cables(7/8) and plug into your device and swap out without issue during playback assuming you have about 3 seconds worth of buffer. The LAG on the switch assigns both ports the same MAC address in the CAM table so when layer 2 frames are routed both ports receive and send it.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Shadorne wrote,

"Almarg +1 I agree it is most likely the faulty poorly designed boutique equipment used by the evangelists here."

By poorly designed boutique equipment one supposes you’re referring to things made by Meitner, Oppo, Lamm, Curl or DartZeel. Or did you mean Bose, Radio Shack and Pioneer and Kenwood?

Shadorne then wrote,

"Knowing what Jinjuku has stated technically about Ethernet (all that buffering of digital bits) then the ONLY conclusion is that "unintended pathways" are interfering with the audio signal for those few audiophiles that have noted audible differences."

Well, that would certainly explain why my Sony Walkman CD player sounds so good, you know, what with the data buffering and lack of unintended pathways. Are no fuses better than any fuse and are no cables or interconnects better than any interconnects?

t_ramey
366 posts
 
jinjuku-

You've seemed  hell bent on taking over this thread for quite a while now and it's clear that you and shadorne are really bothered by the idea of people hearing differences between ethernet cables. I think the people here are just having a good time experimenting with different cables and if they hear a change then good and if not oh well. It's not the end of the world. There's a few who have stated they actually prefer a $15 cable compared to the high dollar Audioquest Vodka so there's no need to try and save people from their own demise.

Maybe its best you just start your own topic thread and you and shadorne can preach from the mountain tops what you think is true and valid instead of trying to proselytize people to what you think they should be doing.
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almarg's avatar
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almarg
8,673 posts
 
Shadorne, I partially agree and partially disagree with your latest post above. I agree that sensitivity to ethernet cable differences is a manifestation of less than ideal behavior by the components that are involved. And in at least some cases might be an indication that the designer's expertise is less than ideal. However arguably no design is perfect, and all designs represents the net result of countless tradeoffs, including practical ones such as cost. (And by that I am not referring just to production costs, but to development costs, time constraints on the development process, etc). So components having less sensitivity to differences in that cable may very well have any number of countless other downsides that are conceivable, in comparison with competitive products that are more sensitive to those differences.

Regards,
-- Al
 
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