1. Cat8 is the current version. Copper Ethernet for home use is unlikely the future
2. Running cables in walls is nearly a thing of the past with the introduction of mesh network.
Ethernet cables
I’m of the opinion given what I’ve read that Ethernet cables, along with everything else in the streaming chain, can make a significant difference in ultimate streaming performance (please those who think it’s just 1s and 0s please stay out of this). Due to this I bought a Wireworld Starlight 8 Ethernet cable because it seems much better than generic cables but certainly far short of the higher $$$ Ethernet cables (the WW platinum would be an obvious case in point). My question is, with the Starlight 8 how much good can I expect over lower-priced or generic Ethernet cables and how much more performance can I expect from stepping up to better Ethernet cables? Please be specific if you’ve directly A/Bed the Starlight 8 versus better cables as that’d be very useful and helpful info. Thanks!
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- 49 posts total
1. Yes Cat8 is the highest rated cabling but guess what - Gigabit Ethernet has been around for a long time (~1998) and only in 2027 is it projected to overtake 100 Mbps. See https://www.lightwaveonline.com/home/article/14302651/gigabit-ethernet-service-adoption-continues-to-rise. It will be a long time before 10G interfaces become the norm in home networks.
2. I agree that Wi-Fi is excellent, but there are some audiophiles who insist on wired connections nonetheless. (I use a mesh Wi-Fi setup myself.) However, my Wi-Fi 6 mesh node negotiates a ~2.9 Gbps link with the base station for the dedicated wireless backhaul. This is about 30% of the theoretical maximum. I bet Wi-Fi 7 setups will struggle to reach speeds beyond 10 Gbps. Most likely copper will still be the way to go if you want maximum throughput at reasonable cost. |
@yage I get around 250-300 min speed with EERO. That’s more than enough to stream music or movies. |
Resurrecting a 1yr old thread. "Ethernet Cables". ----- Ask: Are you folks still of the belief a better ethernet cable truly helps the sound of Zeros (0s) and Ones (1s)? And, if so why? Any new updates to share as to what you are you hearing, comparatively? What does a poor quality design ethernet cable sound like compared to a really good one - can someone describe real differences? |
@decooney I came to the conclusion a while ago that I would get my answers by trying and listening. It’s not so much the cable that brings in the improvements as it is components interaction within the ecosystem if your setup that includes but is not limited to RFI, EMI, crosstalk, etc. and how your streamer handles this. My purist audio cat 7 Ethernet cable results in more open, more detailed and more articulate sound than the cheap $3 amazon cable, or $35 amazon linkup cable, or Supra cat 8. The other cables work just fine. No cut outs, no issues at all. They just don’t sound as good. If you were to compare these cables on the computer I guarantee you would not notice any difference and your upload or download will be just fine. |
- 49 posts total