SOtM dCBL-CAT8M - Is this the new reference in LAN cables?

Hi lollipopguild, mine is a 1.2 metre long dcBL-Cat7u cable.

The PhoenixNet is quite costly. I heard that Melco are also quite good.  The ER2 will likely cost a lot more than the ER.

A question on the ER -- I see there is only one output in Port B, and four ports in Port A. Does this mean that the ER can supply only one device, and cannot supply to say a streamer and a smart TV?

Sorry if this is off-topic.  I just got an Sotm dcBL-Cat7u cable and the iso-cat7.

I'm using a Paul Pang network switch and an Innuos Pulse streamer. Question is whether to put the Cat7u cable or the Iso-Cat7 filter first, into the switch.

The local dealer said that putting the Iso-Cat7 filter before the cat7u cable gives better sound. But in the literature for the dcBl-Cat7 and Iso-Cat6 package that Sotm was selling some time ago, it was recommended to put the cable first before the filter. 

I can try both, but with the cable being so stiff, it is quite hard to reach behind my setup to make changes.

Hi lollipopguild, thanks for the reply. 

It seems from your experience, the ER is better than the IsoCat7.

In fact, I had the dcBL-cat7 cable for a short while, before I managed to get the Cat7u cable and the iso-cat7 as a set.  Comparing the Cat7 cable alone, versus the Cat7u and IsoCat7, there is a big improvement in smoothness and imagining. Things seem more holographic.  I will try to put the IsoCat7 ahead of the cable and see what happens. 

Certainly the ER is a tempting option!  Do the external clock make a big difference to the ER?

The below excerpt from Uptone's website, under the ER page:

"We are hard at work on EtherREGEN Gen2—utilizing more readily available parts and incorporating a number of technical advancements. These include Gigabit capability on both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ sides of our unique active-differential-isolation moat, even lower jitter clock synthesizers, and the world’s best sine-to-square wave converter (benefiting those who chose to pair with an external 10MHz reference clock). We expect to be in production of EtherREGEN Gen2 by June 2023."

My OLED TV is plugged into the network switch and also my Plixir Elite BAC 1500. Every tweak I do to the power and the network, I noticed an improvement in PQ, and clearer dialog from the soundbar. For the TV, whiter whites, more contrast and deeper colors.  This includes changing power cables, fuses, ethernet cables.