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
So we went from:

And cables, including Ethernet (Cat 5, 6, 7 & 8), make a world of difference.

to

3rd, I have two five meter 6A cables. One from Blue Jeans and one home made (with my friends). from Western Electric specialty made ethernet that we subsequently cryo-treated. The Siemens connectors, each end, cost twice as much as the full spec Blue Jeans cable. And I would say the improvement is not "obvious" but more like a 2% improvement

btw thanks for the invite but my RMAF is already booked and I'll be out at another forum members house on Saturday. 

Sunday I fly out from Denver to SLC to visit another friend and then back home Tuesday. Let me look for when I am heading out for Phoenix. I could finish up there, then one way to Denver, then one way back home. 

Jujitsu wrote,

"Have me out and I’ll help you regurgitate them if it already isn’t terminal :-)"

Good comeback. Cough, cough. By the way, congrats on the almost complete sentence. 😛

Cool. I hope you can meet up and above all keep things friendly.

Kudos to wgutz for being willing to try. I know my setup isn’t affected audibly by cables or even an audio bridge but I believe others have encountered this phenomenon. So I believe some gear can benefit.
shadorne wrote,

"My setup isn’t affected audibly by cables but I believe others have encountered this phenomenon."

Too funny!! 😀 That deserves the Laughing Goat Award for the funniest post of the week. 🐐

I think I am done with this discussion.  And I will go to bed tonight glad that I am on the right (scientific/common sense) side of this issue.  And I'll wake up in the morning to enjoy another day with my music...knowing that I haven't been scammed into wasting money on useless accessories that accomplish nothing more than making me think that I am cooler than Joe Schmoe because my stereo cables are fat, frozen, battery powered, elevated and shiney.  So funny.

Don't bother, Geoff, I sorta know what you will say.