Are my CAT5 and router my weak link?

Thanks for the responses so far. It has made for interesting reading. I have my computer hard drive connected to the router via cat6 cable, non shielded. That run is about 10 feet. Then I have a 50 foot run, cat6 unshielded, from the router to the DAC.

It sounds like a relatively inexpensive experiment to try the shielded runs, but what about the router? I just keep thinking about all of the money I have spent for high end gear and their fancy connectors, etc. and want to know if a $120 router will be my weak link.

Thanks!
Jeff

I just keep thinking about all of the money I have spent for high end gear and their fancy connectors, etc. and want to know if a $120 router will be my weak link.

I doubt it. The physical separation between the router and the system would seem to make it very unlikely that RFI generated by the router would have any audible effects on the system. It is conceivable to me that differences in the risetimes and falltimes of the signals generated by different routers could result in VERY minor differences in noise conditions within the DAC, but I doubt that those differences would have audible consequences. Even if they did, there would be no reason to expect a more expensive router to necessarily be better in that respect, and it very conceivably could be worse.

Regards,
-- Al

I switched my freebie network cables over and heard a difference. One was clearly preferable to the others. So I demoed an Opal, was a sure improvement on all the freebie ones, so much so, I paid the £100 for it...

Yes maybe mad, but it was cheaper than mains cables, IC's and speaker cables I have...

Try a linear supply for the router..
I have two d-link boxes both now with linear psu's, made a small but noticable improvement.

The installation of just one MeiCord Opal cable made a nice improvement.

Now finding out the above affects sound repro, I'm hoping to run a dedicated pc with my Meicord just for music, cutting out the d-link boxes and two cat cable runs.

You may find this interesting:
http://soundcheck-audio.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/touch-toolbox-hw-and-network.html

Bryoncunningham.
Glad you liked the CAT 7!
It's funny although cables aren't supposed to make a difference the CAT 7 do. Funny my PS Audio PWD system has functioned better and better each time I jumped from CAT 5,6 and now 7. I have no explanation why. All the cable Gods here will never admit that it does.