In a typical home setup, your music server is in your room, you have an Ethernet patch cable from this server to a wall plate, then a long Ethernet cable from your room to a switch or to a router, then to a modem, then out of your home. Anytime you connect a cable to a wall plate, router, or a switch, you will be routing the signal thru cheap 22ga wire. So I really don't see a benefit using an expensive cable between multiple devices when each device uses cheap wire
High End Ethernet Cables ....Real Deal or Snake Oil
Digital streaming and network-based storage systems are now mainstream. I have notice more and more cable companies are coming out with 'fancy' Ethernet cables ranging from $25-$2500.
Purist Audio, Cardas, Chord, Wireworld and Stealth Audio to name a few. I am assuming, AudioQuest is probably the first manufacturer to recognized the potential for a fancy Ethernet cable and started this trend (sorry no offense to anyone).
Let's for a moment assume that there is a audible difference in sound quality when streaming music files from a NAS or intranet to a server. Ethernet is an error corrected transmission protocol, it is going to be bit perfect. Are these fancy cables banking on the same principles of other digital (SPDIF/XLR) cables ~ a well made cable reduces the margin of errors resulting in less requests for re-sends, and if there are less errors and subsequent re-sends, perhaps this higher performance results in less noise, fewer dropouts at the receiving end, and subsequently better sound quality?
I do not know a lot about networking so I chose an easier path to stream music in my rig. My setup involves a music server, DAC and Apple Extreme base.
I am wondering how many of you using a high end Ethernet cable vs. a generic Ethernet cable.
Is there a test data or device that tells us how many errors and re-sends happen in Ethernet data transmissions to justify the use of uber 'pricey' ethernet cables?
Thank you all for your feedback!
Purist Audio, Cardas, Chord, Wireworld and Stealth Audio to name a few. I am assuming, AudioQuest is probably the first manufacturer to recognized the potential for a fancy Ethernet cable and started this trend (sorry no offense to anyone).
Let's for a moment assume that there is a audible difference in sound quality when streaming music files from a NAS or intranet to a server. Ethernet is an error corrected transmission protocol, it is going to be bit perfect. Are these fancy cables banking on the same principles of other digital (SPDIF/XLR) cables ~ a well made cable reduces the margin of errors resulting in less requests for re-sends, and if there are less errors and subsequent re-sends, perhaps this higher performance results in less noise, fewer dropouts at the receiving end, and subsequently better sound quality?
I do not know a lot about networking so I chose an easier path to stream music in my rig. My setup involves a music server, DAC and Apple Extreme base.
I am wondering how many of you using a high end Ethernet cable vs. a generic Ethernet cable.
Is there a test data or device that tells us how many errors and re-sends happen in Ethernet data transmissions to justify the use of uber 'pricey' ethernet cables?
Thank you all for your feedback!