Audio Grade Ethernet Cable

OP,

I'm pretty sure that @sns must have addressed this somewhere. 

There are two approaches. Fix the network or get a better streamer. "Fixing the network" involves becoming and IT person and upgrading / quieting the router, and lines for the whole house. Typically audiophile router, special power supplies, etherregen... stuff like that. 

Or, just get a better streamer. I would recommend an Aurender N200 or better. I own two Aurender and internal files and streaming sounds the same and simply stunning. My main system runs off a wall wart wifi extender and my $45K vinyl rig = CD = stored files = streaming... audiophile level sound quality. 

I'd recommend a high end streamer... just a whole lot easier for those of us who do not want to fiddle with the network. I was in IT most of my career... I'm retired... I want to stay that way. 

Ten feet is probably far enough. Hopefully the wall warts are not plugged in to the same circuit as your audio stuff. I am not completely sure a line conditioner will prevent degradation of sound if they are. 

Stored files should not sound any better than streaming. If same recording, my CD = Stored files = streaming = vinyl. It is worth getting streaming = other since your library goes up to millions of albums for the price of $14 / month.

That will slowly change everything in a really good way. Not just relistinging to the same music but finding hundreds of new and great music. I seldom listen to anything that is in my 4,000 CD / Vinyl collection. And my outlays for music are a flat $14 / month. I’m retired so having all that music is incredibly wonderful. I’m listening to five Cannonball Adderly album’s I never heard before. It’s incredible. 

@cleeds,

+1

OP, it's good you asked. I could see how one might think that. But this is different. 

You want to move your digital gear like switches away from your auto system. They are terribly noisy. Anything with a wall wart or extra box on a string should be far away. 

Optimizing sound of streaming... stored files and streaming service is easiest accomplished with a very high quality steamer. It will isolate noise carried in and cache the bits and give you audiophile quality sound.