Thank you for a nice review @willsc.
@fastfreight
To address your question about the added benefit of incorporating the M101 LAN cable into the Muon in your audio chain, I must be candid. As we discussed at the Capital Audiofest, the inclusion of the M101 LAN cable into the Muon setup is likely to yield only marginal benefits. This is primarily because the MU1 is less sensitive to changes in the ethernet path.
In a review by Mr. Beekhuyzen on his Youtube channel, he asserted that the MU1 is not particularly sensitive to switches. According to his findings, even an expensive switch didn't exhibit significant sonic improvements. However, it's worth noting that I had a few visitors at the show who claimed otherwise. In addition, Bill Parish in his room was utilizing an expensive switch with the MU1, suggesting that it does matter, although perhaps not to a significant extent.
The critical factor lies within the MU1 itself. There's approximately 1 foot of generic ethernet cable connecting the back side of the unit with the Intel NUC inside the MU1. This specific connection point is where one might expect the most significant benefit. Unfortunately, it's a fixed component, and changing it isn't an easy option.
As we both witnessed at the Capital Audiofest, the impact of switching from a generic ethernet cable to the M101 cable in this specific connection was easily audible and noteworthy. The discernible difference speaks to the cable's quality in a challenging and dynamic environment like an audio show and its ability to enhance the overall audio experience.
If you have any further questions or if there's anything specific you'd like to explore, feel free to let me know.