SOtM dCBL-CAT7 LAN Cable


Hello Folks, 

Has anyone tried this cable yet? What are your listening impression about this cable compared to your previous Ethernet cable. The Filter Block on this cable is what intrigues me...It's supposed to eliminate the wide band digital noise inflow from the router or NAS. 

I realize the best way to find out is to try one in my system. Since these cables are not cheap and I need a pair for my system, i thought it would be nice to hear some feedback from audiophile community. 

I will be using this cable between a pair of Apple AirPort Extreme, 1st APE connected to AT&T modem and the other one to my Aurender streamer, thus providing a stable 'wired' Ethernet connectivity. 
 
128x128lalitk
@lalitk :  

I recently ordered the dCBL CAT7 with the isoCAT 6 filter (with Black cable).

They have been in system for two days now.

It's early, so I need to spend more time with them in system but a definite, definite improvement.
@lalitk Was late last night, so held off on posting my initial findings.

Right out of the box, what was most apparent, was that the noise floor was lower and the background was ’blacker.’

My system is already performing at a fairly high level, so the improvements fall in the "More" and "Incremental" boxes, but are still easy enough to pick out.

Crux Audio recommends under two days for the cables and filter to settle in. I’m approaching three days of active use with the SOtM cables/filter in my 2ch system and here’s what stands out:

Less noise and therefore the ’blacker’ background. More solidity to the image (the added Solidity is surprising!) which has made the speakers ’disappear’ even more. Increased transparency, so inner and micro-detail is clearer and cleaner. Slight improvement in the crispness of the layering and separation (this was already very strong in my system). Tonality and timbre remain spot on. The music has more energy yet remains smooth sounding. Body and weight of the music is enhanced, in the right way.

Layering, Separation, Tone, Timbre, Musical Energy, and so much more were very good prior to adding the SOtM to the chain. The improvements are there, are better, and are noticeable.

Here is the chain: (it replaced Supra CAT8)

Network LAN Switch > dCBL CAT7 > isoCAT 6 filter > Black Cable > Sonore microRendu > Uptone Regen > Schiit Yggdrasil

[Both the mR and Regen are separately powered by Uptone UltraCap LPS-1s. I’m using Cardas DC cables and USB A>B adaptors]

[I'm using Supra CAT8 for the connection from Router to Switch, and for the connection from the Small Green Computer sonicTransporter AP to the Switch]

I have not played around with positioning of the SOtM cable/filter (yet).

The Audio Bacon reviews of both SOtM products are well fleshed out, descriptive and thorough and serve as a good reference.

@david_ten 

Thank you for sharing your experience. That's quite a setup you have, I bet your system sounds amazing. 

One of the comments from the review got me little concerned, "Compared to the dCBL-CAT6, vocals are a bit thinner and lean but still natural sounding".  

Did you observe vocals being thin and lean in your system? 

Hi Lalitk. Thanks.  .... it seems more like a work in progress to me. :)

Yes, there were a few statements that perhaps were contradictory or confusing to me as a reader. Sounds like you have picked up on similar issues. Having the SOtM cabling/filter in my system has made his review much clearer to me and I now better understand what he is communicating in those two reviews.

I don't have the dCBL CAT6 on hand, so I cannot answer your question directly, and with a comparative lens.

However, I can say that in my above setup, I in no way find vocals to be lean or thin. In fact, they are much more solid and with added body, tightly imaged, and very clean.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the SOtM's impact on solidity was really surprising to me. 
@david_ten 

Thanks again for clarifying. I am going to start off with a pair of dCBL-CAT7 in my setup as below, 

1) AT&T Modem > dCBL-CAT7 > AirPort Extreme
2) AirPort Extreme > dCBL-CAT7 > Aurender

I will re-access after this installation if I need to insert a isoCAT6 filter in either of these configurations.

Cheers!