Ethernet Cables, do they make a difference?

amg56
Optic fibre is good for data and low level audio. I believe @geoffkait stated that jitter was a debilitating effect on music over OF. I would imagine that this to will be overcome in the future.

>>>>Twas not I.

Pop Quiz

A Google search for “signal speed copper vs fiber optic cable” turns up this explanation at the top of the page. Find the mistakes.

“Fiber optic transmission is faster: Fiber optic versus copper wire transmission can be boiled down to the speed of photons versus the speed of electrons. ... And while fiber optic cables don’t travel at the speed of light, they come very close — only about 31 percent slower.”

Extra credit. Does an electromagnetic wave travel faster through water or glass?

I have no audio on Ethernet but I can't imagine the quality of the cable NOT having some influence. I work for a company that  we specialize in Industrial Automation products. Everything talks to one another over Ethernet or in my world Profinet. PLC;s talking to Variable Frequency Drives, Industrial PC's etc. We DO NOT use your Radio Shack / Walmart cables. We use a industrialized cable that is shielded to protect the signals from noise. We actually terminate the cables with shielded Metal connectors made specifically for this cable. I am not sure you would need that, but if you think you would let me know.

When someone tee's up a track in Tidal on their 100Mb/s cable modem and they pull the Ethernet cable and the song still plays what is actually happening from a cable perspective at that point? 

@ burgh 

I wired up heavy machining plants in Wixom, Mi, Cleveland, Oh, Youngstown, Oh, Mentor, Oh etc...

Didn't matter if it was Ethernet or 485 Serial it was always shielded because all the 3 phase power and large inductive motors. 

Homes don't have these challenges. So the shielded designs don't help, but they could hurt if the shield ties end points to chassis and creates a ground loop. Floated shield would be fine however and the costs are minimal if it makes the audiophile feel better.

No one is saying don't use quality cabling. But the fact remains that the highest performance Ethernet cable out there is Belden's 10GX and it's about $2/foot terminated. 

You can get their normal bonded pair CAT6 for ~$1.40 a foot. 

I've personally had Ethernet cabling from $27 a foot to $233 a foot and compared directly to 315 foot of BerkTek  CAT5e. No difference.