(1) WI-FI wireless connectivity is REALLY good …. The current Wi-Fi range extenders simply plug into the home wall sockets and use the home electrical wiring as the cable conduits; and now all you need is a MUCH MUCH shorter Ethernet cable plugged into the close proximity extender unit jack, and the other end into the audio gear jack …EZPZ. Now you are down to only a couple of feet length cable instead of a long run cable length with no loss of transmission quality, and no hassle of trying to hide the cable behind walls or whatever.
(2) There are four caveats in Ethernet cables to consider for audio
- The cable build with better upgraded shielding makes an audio difference IF you have the high-end build audio system gear with the resolution capabilities to discern the differences
- The cable connectors upgraded up to better quality build ones made a difference
- Cable transmission loads have some lesser impact. - see below for category ratings
- If you are going to run ethernet cables ( or ANY cables) behind the walls, there is always the spectre of meeting local fire resistance building codes and choosing those cables that meet that code, or run the risk of voiding your house insurance.
Category rating.
Cat 6a works great , Cat7 or greater is future-proofing BUT with reference to (1) above, eliminates most if not all concerns about cost or re-running new ones .
The easiest way to tell Ethernet cables apart is to look at their category rating. The standards in use today start at category five (known colloquially as Cat 5), which was designed way back in 1999. Cables in this category can handle 100Mbits/sec connections, but they won’t support the full speed of a Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) network. For that, you need Cat 5e, an enhanced version of Cat 5 that has better resistance to interference and crosstalk and can carry Gigabit traffic over a distance of up to 100m. These days, Cat 5e is the absolute minimum recommended buying, and even then, it’s worth paying the small extra for the step up to Cat 6.
Cat 6 provides headroom for 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) connectivity at cable lengths of up to 50m, but it has its own enhanced version, Cat 6a, which uses an updated design to further reduce crosstalk, making it possible to run 10GbE at distances of up to 100m. Cat 6a cables tend to be slightly more expensive than Cat 6 and have thicker shielding and sheathing, which can make them less flexible. If you’re buying a few 2M cables, the difference won’t be huge, but it’s something to bear in mind if you’re planning to wire up your home. See Cat 6 as your basic, tried and tested option, and Cat 6a as the choice for future-proofing.
It’s unlikely that you’ll need anything more than that in the foreseeable future, but Cat 7 cables are now widely available, with the capability to run a 40GbE connection at distances of up to 50m, and a 10GbE connection over distances of more than 100m. However, to do so Cat 7 uses a slightly different, but backwards-compatible, GG45 connector, though the more consumer-level cables still use regular RJ45.
(3) REVIEW: What causes audible differences in network cables
https://alpha-audio.net/review/wat-zorgt-voor-hoorbare-verschillen-in-netwerkkabels/“… Intro
We round off our little investigation into network cables with a listening test and a clear conclusion. As promised we subjected the network plugs to a listening test and listened to three different configurations: shielding fixed on one side, shielding fixed on two sides and double shielded (and both sides connected). Do we hear differences? Well…. yes…!
Let’s clear up one myth: there is NO audible difference in network plugs. There is a difference in build quality, price and ease of installation. In short: it does make sense to invest in a good plug.
But let’s continue with the sound reproduction: as you know, we have installed everything from standard plugs to expensive Telegärtners. We tried all cables on the same switch (with an IFI power supply) and listened to the same system:
We did not notice any difference between the connectors. Sometimes we thought we heard something (think of a louder or sharper S-sound), but when we went back to the other connector, there was no difference. It is sometimes very complex to listen to this properly and to judge it honestly. But after hours of switching back and forth, we dare say that there is no difference in reproduction. In any case, we do not dare to take a bet in a blind test…
But where we do hear immediate differences – and continue to hear differences even when going back and forth – is the method of shielding.
We made three cables for this purpose: one cable with DeLock plugs and shielding fixed at one end. One cable with Delock plugs with the shielding fixed at both ends and finally the double shielded version with the nice sleeve. Also with the shielding on both sides (and Delock plugs).
What we observe almost immediately is that the version with the shielding fixed on both sides focuses better. The version with shielding on one side seems to play a bit larger, but that is not true: the effects in the song Perfect Life by Steven wilson are placed at the same spot in the room, but are more tightly framed with the cable where the shielding is fixed on both sides.
With voices, the same is true: it’s tighter in focus and also more stable between the speakers (if we move our heads back and forth, the voice stays in place better very odd).
Going to the double shielding we make another step. Again a bit more tightly focused, again a bit better framed. And with that a bit more calmness in the reproduction allowing details to surface a bit easier.
ClearlyFor us it is clear where the differences come from: shielding, shielding, shielding.
And that is quite logical if you consider that a network cable is included in a digital chain. A chain that relies on clean energy to keep everything clocked tight. A chain that works with noise-levels of -140dB. A chain where small deviations are immediately audible in staging, focus and smoothness.
This also explains why fiber networks work so well as a first upgrade: you immediately shut out a lot of misery by creating a barrier through which electrical energy cannot pass. And thus no electrical noise (common mode in particular).
To conclude…
Can you hear differences between network cables? Yes… definitely. Our samples have shown that. And about the real cables you can buy at the store… pay particular attention to what the manufacturer has done in terms of shielding. We would still leave the unshielded versions. Especially after this experience. But anyway: try it yourself at home!…”
