If you can use fiber optic, even better. But the standard cat5, cat6 or higher wires are also perfectly fine too.
My CAT5 wires were poor streaming pathways compared to my fibre. It was the most profound audio upgrade I ever did.
Questions about Ethernet Cabling
PLEASE READ: This is not a thread about the merits or demerits of audiophile-grade ethernet cables, or any cable for that matter. If you don’t believe in spending extra on expensive cables, I respect your opinion but please don’t turn this into a point of contention.
So before I ask my questions, let me describe how internet connectivity is setup in my house:
- [Home office/study] The modem (AT&T), router (Google Nest/Mesh), and switch ($25 TP-link basic switch) are located in the home office/study. I also have a second system in this room as well as other stuff connected through the switch. In other words, I can’t move the switch to another room.
- [Media room] The main audio system is located in the media room which is in the diagonally opposite side of the house (single story). This room has the ENO ethernet filter connected to the Innuous Zenith MK3 streamer, and so on.
[Long ethernet cable] A very long run of ethernet cable (CAT 6/over 100 foot) runs from the [Home office/study] router and terminates into the [Media room] ethernet jack/wall plate. This was done by the builder and it runs through the attic.
- [Media room] From the [Media room] ethernet wall plate, I then use another 6 foot ethernet cable (also CAT 6) that goes into an ENO filter and then on to the Innuos Zenith MK3 streamer.
So here are my questions:
1. Is it worth upgrading only the so-called last-mile ethernet cable, i.e. the one between the [Media room] ethernet wall plate and Eno filter while I continue using the long CAT 6 cable [Study >> Media room]? It is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to replace the long-run CAT 6 cable as it goes through the attic where several spots are not reachable without tearing down some sheetrock.
2. Is it worth adding a second audiophile-grade switch (e.g. uptone) in the media room while leaving the one in the study as is? Or is it better to upgrade the switch in the study first and place the cheaper switch in the media room? Or do I need to replace both switches (not prefered as it adds to the cost)?
- ...
- 138 posts total
@cakyol - the OP stated this in his first sentence PLEASE READ: This is not a thread about the merits or demerits of audiophile-grade ethernet cables, or any cable for that matter. If you don’t believe in spending extra on expensive cables, I respect your opinion but please don’t turn this into a point of contention. Many audiophiles will tell you the improvements rendered from better network cabling despite the protestations of engineers. |
@yyzsantabarbara -- that’s actually not a bad idea to use a switch that provides SFP fiber ports. I think this is similar to what @duckworp mentioned earlier. I already use a similar converter (not switch) in my office setup with the opticalRendu and can attest to the benefits of isolation and reduced noise floor. For my main setup though, using the switch you mentioned is a possibility but since I already have an Eno filter in the chain, I’m assuming its providing similar benefits. But definitely a path worth considering. Also, my experience with English Electric Switch8 was similar to yours with etherregen. My hunch is that fiber takes out the need for expensive switches so you don’t really notice any improvements. However, these switches might offer some benefits for non-fiber based chains. I’m really surprised that we don’t see many streamers/players based on Fiber optics in the market. The only ones I’m aware of are from Sonore and Lumin X1. |
@arafiq I have been using that switch for a while now and it makes things super simple. Router - Ethernet to - switch - Fibre to - Sonore OpticalRendu - USB to - DAC. Since this switch has 2 SfP’s I have 2 OpticalRendu to 2 DACs. The new DAC on the way is the Musetec 005. For years now, I have been looking for DACs with direct fibre support like the Lumin X1 (and another new Lumin model) and the Linn $39K DAC. Those are the only 3 with direct fibre support. I am sure this will come down to the $1500 DAC in the future. That will shake things up a bit. When this happend then the OpticalRendu is redundant unless you want USB to DAC.
|
- 138 posts total