@yyzsantabarbara, please read my post above :-)
Questions about Ethernet Cabling
PLEASE READ: This is not a thread about the merits or demerits of audiophile-grade ethernet cables, or any cable for that matter. If you don’t believe in spending extra on expensive cables, I respect your opinion but please don’t turn this into a point of contention.
So before I ask my questions, let me describe how internet connectivity is setup in my house:
- [Home office/study] The modem (AT&T), router (Google Nest/Mesh), and switch ($25 TP-link basic switch) are located in the home office/study. I also have a second system in this room as well as other stuff connected through the switch. In other words, I can’t move the switch to another room.
- [Media room] The main audio system is located in the media room which is in the diagonally opposite side of the house (single story). This room has the ENO ethernet filter connected to the Innuous Zenith MK3 streamer, and so on.
[Long ethernet cable] A very long run of ethernet cable (CAT 6/over 100 foot) runs from the [Home office/study] router and terminates into the [Media room] ethernet jack/wall plate. This was done by the builder and it runs through the attic.
- [Media room] From the [Media room] ethernet wall plate, I then use another 6 foot ethernet cable (also CAT 6) that goes into an ENO filter and then on to the Innuos Zenith MK3 streamer.
So here are my questions:
1. Is it worth upgrading only the so-called last-mile ethernet cable, i.e. the one between the [Media room] ethernet wall plate and Eno filter while I continue using the long CAT 6 cable [Study >> Media room]? It is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to replace the long-run CAT 6 cable as it goes through the attic where several spots are not reachable without tearing down some sheetrock.
2. Is it worth adding a second audiophile-grade switch (e.g. uptone) in the media room while leaving the one in the study as is? Or is it better to upgrade the switch in the study first and place the cheaper switch in the media room? Or do I need to replace both switches (not prefered as it adds to the cost)?
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To reiterate a bit. I had a Lumin T2 and ungraded to a Lumin X1 (found used on Agon…..who would have thought?) and perhaps because of purchase bias or maybe for real I thought the sound ticked up a bit. Then I upgraded the PSU cable to the X1. That was a definite improvement. Golly! Next I put in the EitherREGEN (and AfterDark goodies clock & PSU ....prices in Hong Kong dollars ) making use of the optical into the X1 (the non optical sound has a different flavor that’s great too, really) and cleaning/filtering the signal was the most significant positive change change ever. BAM I’ll never know but had I cleaned up the ethernet signal into the streamer/DAC I’m not sure that I would have changed streamers. A lot of info here too in another discussion.
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@cakyol You are are not answering my question about analog noise. I am a Senior Software Eng with 30 years of exp too and that does not give me any extra insight into this question. An Electrical Engineer or Scientist should know more about the technical reasons. I am going by hands on experience where Fibre optical cable was way better than Ethernet, with everything else being the same in my system Now some of that difference could be due to the improvement of the insides of my OpticalRendu vs the microRendu. That is why someone with an Lumin X1 is really the best person to answer this question from a hands on experience perspective They have both the RJ45 and SFP inputs on their DAC. Your comment about Ethernet vs Fibre being realatively the same could be true in a network that is not very nosiy. My reading on noise leads me to believe that power supplies connected to network devices such as swtiches, routers, DACs. streamers, etc.. add noise. Esepecially switch mode power supplies. A computer connected to a network adds noise. I have about 10 computers in my home office and a PowerLine network too. That must make for some noisy Ethernet wires if what I am reading is true. In my assumed very noisy network adding the Fibre was a tramsformational change. The Ethernet streaming with the microRendu was good but the Fibre was incredible. I still use a crappy computer to run my ROON CORE as ROON suggests.
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- 138 posts total