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


I just came across an official announcement on SOtM’s highest grade Ethernet cable ~ dCBL-CAT8M. Interestingly, the new LAN cables sports not one but two filter blocks on each end of the cable.

The premise of trying this cable in a fully tricked out SOtM system with their sNH-10G network switch is quite tempting. It will be interesting to hear how a complete SOtM system compares to my current reference, Telegartner M12 Gold Switch with JCAT Signature GOLD M12 LAN cable and Optimo 3 Duo LPS.

There is no official review yet so I am hoping to hear from anyone currently using this cable and said improvements over dCBL-CAT7 in your digital streaming system. Where exactly did you find most improvement, before or after the Ethernet switch?

Opinions are welcome from those who believe in the importance of Network Optimization, thank you!

Happy Holidays 🎄

128x128lalitk

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?

@in1voice , by the way, is this the full length CAT7u, or the short filterless version which comes with the red ISOCAT7?

Yes, the clock made an enormous improvement, and continues to do so as it’s only 2 weeks old. It can take up to a month, apparently, for the crystal to fully stabilise.

The EtherRegen is extremely good, and highly scalable. Version 1 can only be found 2nd hand, if you’re lucky. And version 2, when it arrives, will be highly sought after.

Saying all that; what I’ve spent on it, plus the LPS and the clock I could have bought an Innuos PhoenixNet with. I would also have had far fewer 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?

@in1voice , regarding the ER's A and B side, the Uptone guys state that the full benefit is only derived from an input on the A side and the main component receiving the B side's output.  The internal "moat" isolates any noise between the two sides.   

They additionally state that two components connected to the A-side will benefit from some degree of mutual isolation, though not as much as A-B.

That said, myself and others have seen benefit in the B side by improving the quality of the A side's input (hence my use of fiber).  So I guess there are no absolutes here.

Personally, I'm not that fussy about the quality of my TV's ethernet signal, so I would always plug my streamer into the B-side.

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.