2. cables
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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
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,504 posts
 
I think,  based  on experience, it is close to impossible to translate what one hears to another’s set up. The Terra low cost cable is very warm in my system...not at all bright? Why? My system is different. I go directly from the modem to my Music Vault computer using the Terra with no switches or routers etc...

I found this cable far warmer sounding than the generic Cat 6 in prior use.  My gear is also different from Doug’s.  Sometimes what one hears from a given wire or component just does not translate in the same manner in another home and system. This must be particularly true with Ethernet cables? Certainly possible with all the various ways we all get the internet signal to our gear. 


douglas_schroeder OP
3,281 posts
 
Another piece of information which might be useful; I have used some of the cabling for several years, before I went to the IOP setup for streaming audio. Prior to that I had a Mac Mini and used it wirelessly to do streaming. I also have used CD transport and DAC. 

In all these cases the character of the cabling used has never shifted or wandered when using them. i.e. Whether from transport, wirelessly, or IOP the cables when used in loom or comparison have never shifted in sonic character such that I was given problems using them precisely as I wish, relying upon the character of their innate sonic properties to build systems. 

I would think that had there been a problem moving to the IOP I would have heard it and it would have altered the performance of the cables I move about regularly. There *may* be some effect of the IOP, but if so it has been so insignificant in my case that it is negligible. :) 

shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
If different ethernet cables have audible differences then it stands to reason that IOP will be an even bigger factor. It would not make sense to run listening tests on various ethernet cables without testing such a key factor as IOP at the same time.

On the flip side if IP is robust enough to go over wifi, ethernet, optical or IOP and through countless servers reliably and perfectly then there should be no audible difference between various cables and/or IOP (if all the components  work properly)


jinjuku's avatar
jinjuku
226 posts
 
All I know is that someone that was sure they could hear differences in cabling only hit 6 out of 10.

They had a 3 meter Best Buy Insignia they they insisted was just all sorts of horrible. Brought that up and put it into my system and even sighted he was having great difficulty hearing what he previously thought.

Here’s a tidbit for Tidal users: Tidal caches the entire track so you can remove the cable and the track will play. If you have a reasonably fast connection you could have an entire track queued up in 10 seconds.

This only re-affirms my conviction that if anyone did have me out that they would be learning an important lesson about how much faith they put into their ears.

After this recent visit I'm even more certain in the validity of my position.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,504 posts
 
You used poor quality cable and thus the test has limited learnings for most of us. Too bad really. Should have tried some nice Wireword etc..., By poor quality, I mean common wire and shielding sort of like comparing Radio Shack speaker wire to Lowe’s speaker wire.  I would have been interested in Radio Shack vs Wireworld as an example.  Why did you leave out the high quality cables made by Purest or Wireworld and others? Your test missed the mark important to audiophiles.  
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