Ethernet Cables, do they make a difference?
Any and all feedback is most appreciated, especially if you noted improvements in your streaming audio SQ with a High-End Ethernet cable.
Thanks!
grm
Showing 26 responses by markalarsen
That is not the point. Ethernet cable can impact in two ways: (1) reducing EMI interference; and (2) the connections. If it was impossible, period, the good Ethernet cables, from Cardas, Wireworld and Audioquest, would not improve the sound quality. They do. Period. You may not believe speaker cables and interconnects improve the sound quality, but the do. Period. |
@kosst_amojan “.... unsubstantiated claims you can't back up with any evidence.” The scientific method is to develop a theory and then test it. The engineer who designed my Bel Canto Black EX DAC developed the theory – Ethernet cables from the wall mount to the Black EX DAC make a difference in sound quality – and I tested it. He tested it. His theory is correct. I think your response suffers from the Dunning-Kruger effect. I think John Stronczer may be more of an authority on this issue. |
The Oxford Dictionaries Online defines the scientific method as "a method or procedure that has characterized natural sciencesince the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses".[1] |
All I am suggesting is that you try it in your own home in your own system. If you have not tried it, keep your uninformed opinions to yourself. I, for example, would be reluctant to express an opinion on a car I have not driven. I would, however, listen carefully to the opinions from the automobile’s chief design engineer. |
In the field of psychology, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias wherein people of low ability have illusory superiority, mistakenly assessing their cognitive ability as greater than it is. The cognitive bias of illusory superiority derives from the metacognitive inability of low-ability persons to recognize their own ineptitude; without the self-awareness of metacognition, low-ability people cannot objectively evaluate their actual competence or incompetence. |
kosst_amojan
This is John Stronzer's answer based on real science: Mark my research into the impact of the Ethernet cable for the last run into the audio system focused on radiated energy. Given that the Ethernet signal is packetized with packet rates on the order of 100-150kHz this relatively low frequency can result in considerable radiated energy into power, speaker and interconnect cables. I measured a very large 130kHz radiated energy spike on a typical stock Ethernet cable and on a good quality audio grade cable this spike was non-existent. The kind of improvement I hear from the ethernet cable is similar to that from good power conditioning and power cables. It seems to effect the noise floor of a high resolution system. I do NOT think that anything to do with bit errors or jitter is at play here. We use completely asynchronous resampling of the digital date from the ethernet interface-using our internal ultra-low phase noise master clocks. (there are actually several stages of resampling in the EX DAC) Bit errors, if they occur, cause noticeable dropouts and interruption of the music. Not subtle degradation as would result from radiated noise. If those smarter than me do not want to at least accept the theory of this kind of effect then Too Bad… I approach these issues as an engineer, I certainly did not WANT to hear an improvement from an expensive audio grade ethernet cable, but I did and do and did some research into the why of this. Best regards, John Stronczer Founder Bel Canto Design |
For those interested in real world results, read "Ethernet Cables - Yes I’m going there… I was a skeptic and I was wrong" on the PS Audio Forum. https://forum.psaudio.com/t/ethernet-cables-yes-im-going-there-i-was-a-skeptic-and-i-was-wrong/4393/10 There are similar theads on the PS Audio Formum with the same result. OMG, Ted Smith, the designer of the PS Audio DirectStream, agrees that ethernet cables do make a difference. I will bet Steve Nugent will agree. Both great product BTW. kosst_amojan has not tested his theory. He has not designed a streaming DAC, apparently does not own one, and has never tested his theory, although he has "dug around inside of them." Often wrong, but never uncertain. |
@kosst_amojan. Once again, self-proclaimed expert with an untested theory, knows more than the engineers who designed the very best DACs. Nothing will convince him, and I mean nothing, because he refuses to test it. He is too intellectually dull to understand the level of his own incompetence. He is not an expert. |