Go Cat8!

Funny.

I had a cat 6E Blue Jeans ethernet cable running from my router to Bricasti M1SE streaming DAC and switched to a Certicables cat 8 cable, both 10 feet long.  I bought the Certicables on eBay for $45.  The difference was noticeable in a positive direction.  I now wonder whether going to much more expensive cat 7 or 8 cables from someone like Synergistic Research who made the best-sounding USB and headphone cables is worth a try.

@steakster,

you are very welcome, I had the same reaction and this is what the forum is all about: sharing experiences good and bad rather than arguing about things you haven’t even tried.

Enjoy the music

@steakster,

 

mine is your No.3

@steakster I bought #3.  Actually bought a 15m cable and extra connectors in order to make custom lengths.  

Coming from wifi, I can't compare to other ethernet cables.   It is more bulky and you will need adequate space in order to route.  

For now,  I have a 3m length that connects my Comcast gateway to a Hifi Rose 150.   Definitely gives you a secure, robust connection.   

Marty

 

Anyone else have a chance to try these cat8 cables out?

Now that I have some more time on them, I’m realizing their benefit throughout the spectrum.  Listening to Hubert Laws Rights Of Spring DSD really shows off the added realism of the flutes.  

I’m still shocked at what an Ethernet cable upgrade can do.  
 

I’m also wondering if I’m hearing even more benefit than @antigrunge2 because I’m using two of the cables, while he only ran one?

Funny thing is As I I did the switch my GF kept asking why I keep listening to the same tracks over and over again.  
I explained that if she told any of the IT people she knows that I heard a difference switching Ethernet cables, they would laugh and say I was crazy.  

@emailists,

 

I am glad you enjoy the little tweak. Like you I keep marvelling at how little we still know about digital sound transmission and how spending not very much can have such good effect.

Enjoy the music

 

 

So my Onti cables arrived today. I used the free shipping to save $40 and it came in less than 2 weeks as opposed to the well over a month Aliexpress indicated. (I’m in NYC)

I ordered a 12 meter and a 1 meter. The long cable goes from my Mac Pro tower’s second ethernet port to the EtherRegen and the 1 meter goes from that to the Directstream Bridge II card input.

I haven’t been listening to my rig lately as I’m extremely preoccupied embarking on a true crime feature film crowdfunding venture I may post here about at some point, but I did play 2 familiar tracks several times before the cable swap.

I used Sufjan Steven first 2 cuts from his Illinois album, since there are some nice flutes with a lot of detail and air on the opening track, and the second track starts with a ensemble of drums building to a crescendo.

The cat 8 cables were brand new so perhaps there will be some further improvement over time?

The first thing I noticed was that Sufjan’s voice had so much lower energy then before. It was not subtle in any way. Everything seemed to have more bandwidth and I noticed some detail in the mid-upper range that I hadn’t previously.

While the drum crescendo didn’t seem to deeper, it also seemed a bit more forward and articulate.

I wish I had more time and energy to do a more exhaustive comparison (the old cables are still there so I could swap back some time)

Although I didn’t listen to Alexander Desplat’s soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s French Dispatch before the cable switch, I’ve never heard it sound better. Before it sounded nice but now it’s closer to a demo track. The individual horns seem to have more inner detail.

Another wild thing is that when I mute the subs via remote, they seem to have more effect than previously.

Overall I would say theses cables open the window onto the music wider, letting more energy come through.

I really thank you @antigrunge2 for bringing this to our attention.

It’s absolutely crazy that 95$ Total for 2 Ethernet cables can improve a system so much. I can’t remember what rating the cables I was using are - maybe cat 6A, I seem to remember buying years ago to replace cat 5.

The law of increasing returns (or as JA wrote I think, “accelerating return?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week I bought 2 x Furutech CAT 8 cables and 2 x Furutech New Model HDMI cables specifically for my OPPO Blu Ray, Smart TV and Android TV Box.

Besides an upgrade in picture and sound quality I got a large sound improvement in my main system.

I can only put this down to the heavy shielding in these cables. Ordinary HDMI and Lan cables must create a lot of RFI.

I'll be getting some ONTI cables soon too.

@richtruss said;

‘I’ve tried fiberoptic converters in several implementations in my system and it’s always sounded thin, lacking real natural tone of instruments and voices. I think its the conversion of photons back to electrons at the receiving end that generates harmonics of the fundamental signal frequency, that then interfere with the downstream electronics.’

That is interesting to hear Rich. I have a Fios router with ethernet or wifi connecting my source. I generally prefer the sound of my iphone in LTE mode (not using the wifi signal) attached via usb to stream Qobuz. Not night and day difference, but it sounds clearer, cleaner, more resolved especially with respect to space and homogenization of image.

I stumbled upon Dacrown spectacular and reliable Cat 8 cable while looking for a replacement network cord for my household. And from my albeit short experience of using this cable, I have to say that this is among the best network cables.

I upgraded to CAT8 for the shielding and increased protection from RFI/EMI. Each pair of conductors is wrapped in foil to prevent crosstalk, then the entire cable is shielded. I’m using it from router to streamer and there is an audible lowering of the noise-floor.

Will upgrade ASAP!!

 

I’ve tried fiberoptic converters in several implementations in my system and it’s always sounded thin, lacking real natural tone of instruments and voices. I think its the conversion of photons back to electrons at the receiving end that generates harmonics of the fundamental signal frequency, that then interfere with the downstream electronics.

 

Or you go with fiberoptic converter and very short cat8 instead of 12 M copper. 

That made a nice improvement in my system 🙂

I just ordered a 12 meter and a 1 meter and it was $95 total, so not too bad. 

I didn't feel like spending another $40 on shipping, so it will take a while to arrive.  

Different topic but regarding the "law of diminishing returns", if $100 of ethernet cable provides even a 1% improvement in the system, in my case that would be a value of over $1000.   

 

 

i"m sure any CAT8 cable will be fine... regardless of the manufacturer  .as of connectors, any gold plated  is also fine. Don"t  get sucked into multi-hundred dollar adventure 

Jesus 🙄

@antigrunge2 

I’m interested in that Opal...

Going to order a 12 meter to go from my Mac to the EtherRegen and a 1 meter fro. EtherRegen to my PS Audio DS bridge card. 

 

 

One significant difference from Cat 6 to 8 is grounding. Though Cat 6a has it.

B

Magnesium connectors?  That is interesting.