Most Important, Unloved Cable...


Ethernet. I used to say the power cord was the most unloved, but important cable. Now, I update that assessment to the Ethernet cable. Review work forthcoming. 

I can't wait to invite my newer friend who is an engineer who was involved with the construction of Fermilab, the National Accelerator Lab, to hear this! Previously he was an overt mocker; no longer. He decided to try comparing cables and had his mind changed. That's not uncommon, as many of you former skeptics know. :)

I had my biggest doubts about the Ethernet cable. But, I was wrong - SO wrong! I'm so happy I made the decision years ago that I would try things rather than simply flip a coin mentally and decide without experience. It has made all the difference in quality of systems and my enjoyment of them. Reminder; I settled the matter of efficacy of cables years before becoming a reviewer and with my own money, so my enthusiasm for them does not spring from reviewing. Reviewing has allowed me to more fully explore their potential.  

I find fascinating the cognitive dissonance that exists between the skeptical mind in regard to cables and the real world results which can be obtained with them. I'm still shaking my head at this result... profoundly unexpected results way beyond expectation. Anyone who would need an ABX for this should exit the hobby and take up gun shooting, because your hearing would be for crap.  
douglas_schroeder
Absolutely no reason for any of these discussions to become "ugly." Sould be easy to accept that others do not agree with you without it becoming an emotional issue. Personally, I want to make sure these forums present a level playing field for those with little experience who come looking for advice.
What’s been ugly about this thread? No name calling, a ton of real data produced. Good questions asked that subjectivists either won’t or can’t answer.

My position is no one here can hear a difference. I’ll offer this: $10,000 to anyone’s $2000 and loser pays travel expenses.

I’ll do this on their setup and they need to hit 18 / 20 possible changes and what cable it was. I’ll bring a BJC Ethernet cable. How about twice or three times longer than the Boutique cable?

Of course they won’t know what cable is in use.

These are the conditions that I’m willing to be proven incorrect. I have to ask what conditions would have to happen for a person that thinks they can hear realtime differences in a non-realtime system?

I only care about experience if the claimant has a good track record. When it comes to people hearing all sorts of audible differences in Ethernet cabling I have to question any opinion they have on anything else audible.
For this test, $10K vs $2K would be easy money.  I'd easily offer another $10K to sweeten the pot on a serious double blind test.  Blind tests take away expectation bias (the audio placebo effect) which will reveal the uselessness of high priced esoteric cables....especially digital cables like Ethernet, USB and HDMI.

No one will take the bet.  Even those who claim "jaw dropping" and "eye popping" sonic improvements when they paid big bucks to switch cables.  
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