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Comparing Powerline Ethernet to WiFi for streaming audio

Thought I would share my findings.
I have a ROON based music server system with Tidal and Qobuz streaming services. Using Small Green Computer’s SonicTransport i9 Optical as ROON Core, connected via optical cable to a Sonore Optical Rendu (powered by Sonore Linear Power Supply) acting as ROON endpoint. This then connects to Chord Blu Mk 2 via USB, which upsamples and connects to Chord DAVE DAC via dual BNC.
Until very recently, I was connecting my ROON Core to my cable modem/router using Google Mesh WiFi. I was and still is very happy with the sound quality. My audio system is too far from my cable modem to run an ethernet cable from cable modem/router to it. So, I relied on Google Mesh WiFi with a seperate pod situated close to the ROON Core and connected via ethernet. The Google Mesh pod itself had a linear power supply instead of the stock wall wart.
But I just tried a Powerline Ethernet adapter. This uses the home’s internal power cables to route ethernet from one room to another. I always thought that running digital data on power cables was going to be noisy. I bought a NetGear Powerline 1200 (1200Mbps speed). There are more expensive and newer powerline ethernet models available up to 2000Mbps speed. But these come with dual ethernet ports and pass through filtered power outlets. I though for dedicated audio purposes, better to keep it simple and minimize electronics.
Bottom line, I was blown away by the improvement in audio quality of the NetGear Powerline Ethernet connection over the Google Mesh WiFi connection. Mind you, I was very happy with the quality from the Google Mesh kit but the NetGear Powerline ethernet kit was clearly better.
The sound quality improvement was immediate and very evident. More space between instruments and notes. Smoother, more image depth and more air around the notes especially the trailing edges. So, no doubt, the Netgear Powerline 1200 was far superior to the Google Mesh WiFi. I then swapped the Netgear for a similar powerline ethernet product TP-Link AV600. This was recommended by Small Green Computer. The TP-Link is smaller and has 2 pin power prongs. The Netgear Powerlines has 3 pin power prongs, so it has a ground connection to the power outlet. I found the TP-Link to take a step backward in sound quality. The image depth decreased. Soundstage was flatter and there is less air and space between notes and instruments. The TP-Link Av600 was sounding a lot closer to the Google Mesh WiFi. Just my observations, FWIW.
ddriveman
ddriveman OP
171 posts
 
To yyzsantabarbara,

No, I've not tried direct ethernet. Just too far away and would need too much cabling.
I had an Auralic Aries Femto streamer before. Initially with the built-in wifi and later with external wifi bridge and connect with Ethernet. Using the external wifi was better.
ddriveman OP
171 posts
 
To David_Ten,

Yes, I did factor in cabling. I've tried the following ethernet cables: Revelation Audio, Purist Audio, Audioquest Forest, Supra CAT8 and Verastarr. The best in my system is Verastarr, then Purist, Revelation Audio and Supra. I use the Verastarr from Cable modem to WiFi router and from the mesh WiFi pod/powerline adapter to my server. So I use all Verastarr ethernet for my WiFi connection. But for the powerline adapter, I had a longer chain. I had to go from WiFi router to a network switch and here I use the Purist Audio ethernet cable as I only have 2 Verastarr. And from the switch to the 1st powerline adapter, I had to use the Supra ethernet cable because it needed to be 3m and that's the only 3m I have. So the Powerline adapter route had more cables that are poorer sound quality and also an additional network switch (TrendNet Teg-S80g) in between. So you would think that sound quality would suffer and that's why I delyaed trying powerline ethernet till now. But results were surprising. But note that different powerline adapters have different sonic signature. So not all powerline ethernet adapters may yield same results.
And note that my findings is inspite of using an optical cable to my Optical Rendu (which theoretically should make any cabling noise prior to the optical cabling irrelevant). That's why my results are worth posting. Remarkable.
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@ddriveman  Thanks for the detailed response and further clarification of the chain and variations / variables. I'm really glad you posted your findings. This is good to know.
ddriveman OP
171 posts
 
Further to my post above, I thought it is also important to note the internet speed test between the Google Mesh WiFi, The NetGear Powerline 1200 and the TP-Link AV600.
I have COX Cable Internet in my home. I have the Gigabit package which is suppose to have 1000Mbps speed (1Gbps). But the fastest I can get is around 700Mpbs.
With the NetGear Powerline 1200, I was getting about 250Mbps.
With the TP-Link AV600 on the same power sockets as the NetGear, I was getting just under 100Mbps.
FWIW
mahler123
3,504 posts
 
I used Powerline Adapters for several years, including the models mentioned by the OP.  Eventually they all crapped out.  It turns out that in my 100 plus year old home that there are several transitions in zones in the fuse box to get from the router to where the various equipment rooms are, and there is a 40 watt drop across each zone.  The Adapters eventually give up the ghost trying to negotiate this.  Eventually I bit  the bullet And paid a few hundred bucks to have someone ethernet wire the place.  The cat 5 is all out of view and everything has worked flawlessly in the years since, with much better performance than WiFi 
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