Ethernet Cables - what are you using and why?


Curious about what everyone is doing for their streaming systems in terms of Ethernet cables. I know some people who swear by expensive models, but anecdotally it seems that folks care a lot less about Ethernet than they do about interconnects, AC, or even USB cables. 

I'm a believer but at the moment run a relatively affordable model that I might be looking to upgrade. Let's hear your thoughts.

tubeguy80

It is not a toslink connection, it is simply a way to get rid of interference caused by the metal elements of ethernet cables before it reaches the ethernet switch. The connection from my streamer to dac is still usb.

Look at my LHY SW-10 ethernet switch, it will show you better how I can feed the optical isolation bundle into it and the feeding comes out cleaned up into an ethernet output. It may seem complicated at first, but really isn't.

Wireworld Platinum or Starlight red. Amazing build, reasonable price and until I tried them I wasn’t a believer that an Ethernet cable could impact sound but these do and it’s not subtle, smooth, detailed, and noticeable. Good luck in your search.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Interesting that some people claim very small changes (as in, Ethernet should be the last upgrade in the chain) while others seem to find it more substantial. 

I'll read up on some of the options presented and see what catches my eye.

I use Furutech Lan-8 NCF. Incredible value. I have a lot of different (much more expensive) cables from this manufacturer, and I've heard it's often a good idea to follow what you already have in the system. For example, the top Transparent LAN may not be the best choice if you don't have other Transparent cables to match.