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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
shadorne's avatar
shadorne
7,333 posts
 
@jinjuku

Amazing to see that that those from the school of you can’t dismiss all manner of tin foil hat tweaks "unless you have actually tried them you can’t have an opinion" - apparently will not test their own assertions!!!

Frankly it is laughable that high end audio gear would be affected by an Ethernet cable. What you have demonstrated is that even modest equipment costing a few hundred $ is more reliable than boutique high end audio gear that is so badly designed that you have to worry about speaker cables, power cords, interconnects and now Ethernet cables.

To me the answer is simple - if a mere Ethernet cable affects the sound then get rid of that piece of sh*t boutique high end audio boat anchor as soon as possible - no matter the prestigious name and all the marketing tripe and testimonials. Plain and simple if something minor like an Ethernet cable makes a difference then the entire audio chain, setup and system is suspect!

Until reviewers get reliable high performance setups we will get testimonials for all manner of bogus results from every and all kinds of tweaks. The point is that good audio systems should NOT be so terribly temperamental and unreliable!
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jinjuku's avatar
jinjuku
223 posts
 
dgarretson wrote: 

" That test is more Where's Waldo than ABX.  Post two files of the same music, each recorded with a different Ethernet cable, and the opportunity to compare them at leisure."

I already posted two tracks. What I'm not doing is giving a 50/50 chance ;-) 

You can listen to the two tracks I posted all you like. I am keen on your ears and what they can discern. Again the setup is dead simple: File Server, Switch, either 315 of dirt cheap CAT5 or 12 feet of uber expensive CAT8 (WireWorld Starlight) Client Computer, DAC, then ADC. 
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