Ethernet cable for music streaming

I had a Morpheus DAC and it sounds much better with an I2S interface from the streamer vs USB. I started out with a MAC Mini for my streamer going USB to the Morpheus. I then read where the Morpheus sounds best with I2S input. I bought the I2S module for the DAC snd a Hermes streamer and it was a very nice upgrade in SQ. I've since upgraded to the Pasithea and have kept the Hermes. Something else  that made a nice improvement was getting a Cardas XLR to RCA adapter from the DAC, The DAC has a lower noise floor when using balanced output. All the other suggestions regarding ethernet from your router apply as well. However you will not get the full benefit from the upstream changes without an I2S interface into your DAC. 

I’m new to this thread, but has the OP tried experimenting with a different DAC and/or different streamer?  If he was that unhappy as he describes in the initial post I am skeptical that a change in Ethernet cabling or power supply are going to solve this.  His subsequent posts in the thread sound like he is trying to convince himself that each tweak has done something positive (confirmation bias).

  I am assuming that prior to purchasing the PulseMini he was happy with his speakers and amplifiers.  If he has been changing those while trying to improve the streamer, then he really is deep in the rabbit hole.

  Finally, and I am not being snarky in suggesting this, there is the issue of his hearing.  Most of us are at an age where high frequency loss is common, and if there are some idiosyncratic losses just under the highest frequencies, then that may also cause his issues.

  I would start by trying to demo another streamer/DAC in his system, just to see if that solves everything 

While some parts of the frequency range sound really good (bass, mid-bass, lower mids, e.g.), when we get to the range where vocals live and above, the sound loses fidelity and definition. Things sound fuzzy and muddled, especially if the music is complex or dense. Loud orchestral passages can be really unpleasant to listen to.

Could be a failing amp....could be bad speakers, etc

How did you narrow it down to ethernet cables and LPSs?

OP here--let’s clear a few things up. To begin with, I am very happy with my amplification and speakers. Other digital media (CDs, DVDs, and TV streaming--I use the same system for everything) sound very good indeed.

Here’s my system:

Modwright KWI 200 integrated

Ryan R610 bookshelf speakers/REL S/2 sub

Cambridge Audio CXU (their long discontinued universal disc player)

Sonnet Morpheus DAC

Topping A90 D headphone amp/LSA HP2 Ultra headphones

Furman Elite power conditioner/Core Power Technology Deep Core 1800

Cables by Audience (AU25SE for speakers and RCA interconnect), Morrow, and Cerious Technologies.

Prior to owning the PulseMini I had a Sonnet Hermes streamer which exhibited exactly the same issues, which is why I thought the Innuos streamer might be a step up the ladder.

drewportland: thanks for sharing your experience with this combination. I do have the I2S module for the Morpheus DAC and used it with the Hermes, but now I'm  using the USB module because the PulseMini doesn’t have an ethernet ouptut and in any case, doesn’t support the I2S protocol.

Mahler123: your observation about hearing is indeed pertinent.I flatter myself that even at my advanced age (let’s just say over 65) my hearing is still pretty good, though not without some small reduction of high-frequency acuity.

I’ll consider taking another (expensive) step up the ladder only after I think I’ve exhausted all the available alternatives.

Oops--small error in the above post: meant to say Audience AU24SE (not 25 'cause there is no such thing) cables. Can't edit anything older than 30 minutes, apparently.