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Wireless router "contamination" of sound?

I'm thinking about getting a laptop. If I do, I will be going wireless at home. I'm wondering if people have found that using a wireless router has affected the sound of their systems negatively. On the one hand, I think "there's already so much potentially negative stuff in the air; what's a little more?". On the other hand, as audiophiles, I know you understand the concern.

Thanks for your thoughts and experiences.
jfz

Showing 2 responses by almarg

almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
My understanding is that a strong wifi signal, as received by an antenna that is designed to receive wifi frequencies, will be received with a power level in the rough vicinity of -50 dbm. That corresponds to 0.00000001 watts, at frequencies that are vastly higher than anything in the audio system is capable of responding to. And it would seem safe to assume that there is nothing in the audio system that is optimized for receiving those frequencies as well as a wifi antenna is.

So I wouldn't worry about it. And after purchasing the router you could of course perform a conclusive test by pulling the plug on it and seeing if you can perceive any differences.

Regards,
-- Al
almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
A follow-up to my previous post: I would not rule out the possibility that RFI (radio frequency interference) or digital noise from the router, unrelated to (and at much lower frequencies than) the wifi signal it broadcasts, could couple into the audio system and have audible effects. The likelihood of that occurring would increase, of course, with decreasing separation between the system and the router.

The same effect is perhaps just as likely to occur with a router that does not include a wireless function, depending on the specific design and on the specific audio system and setup.

Regards,
-- Al
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