Questions about Ethernet Cabling

So a quick update ... adding a second switch (in the media room) that sits between the wall jack and Eno was an abject failure. I bought a basic D-Link switch with iFi power supply. It felt like someone put a thick blanket over the sound. The degradation in sound, especially soundstage depth and overall vibrancy was very noticeable. I will let it run for a few hours, but honestly the result is so bad that I doubt it will be worth it even if it were to improve a little. So clearly, Rich's (ENO owner) suggestion of having two switches in the path did not work in my case. The English Electric Switch8 also did not do diddly squat in my chain when I tried it a few months ago. Personally, I'm reaching the conclusion that unless one is willing to invest in higher end switches (Telegartner or Melco, etc.), don't even bother.

As sugggested, I will try a better ethernet cable and report the results faithfully as I hear them.

@arafiq , is it possible to get under the house and run the cable diagonally to your system? This could shorten the cable run length considerably.

I have the cable run directly from my modem in the middle of the house into the hollow wall and hanging from the floor joists before entering my music room through what used to be an unused power outlet on a double brick wall and then into my Antipodes streamer/server.

The cable would need to be at least 50 metres long to go around my house. I get away with a 15 metre cable by going under the house. You can also keep it away from nearby power cables and outlets this way too.

One question that someone else might care to answer. I've read that round cable is supposedly audibly better than flat. True? Why?

@ianrodger -- thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, in my area houses do not have basements, and there is no way to run the wire underneath the house without performing some major surgery. There are a number of hallways and other rooms in the way.

On a side note, I want to clarify that there’s no real problem that I have in my current setup. It still sounds pretty damn good! I was just trying to see if adding a second cheap switch or better ethernet cables in the last mile might result in any further improvements. So clearly, the second cheap switch thing didn’t work. Not only did it not work, it did harm to the sound quality. Let’s see how a better ethernet cable might fare once it’s delivered next week.

The English Electric Switch 8 before my ENO filter was a nice upgrade in sound quality. Seems nothing in audio is universal in result. I have my EE on a Keces LPS. 

@arafiq thanks for the reply.

I'm in Australia and didn't even think about basements.We don't have them here.

My house is on brick piers so I have a good crawl space under the floors. A house on a cement slab would be very restrictive in respect to re-cabling etc. Something I should consider I guess, if I ever sell and move

I've thought about switches too but am wary of adding another link to the chain as I'm really happy with my current setup too.

I would however consider swapping to a round ethernet cable for that "last mile" if I thought it might improve the sound as some have postulated. I'm just unsure of how and why it might.

I get the fibre option too but the converter required, possibly at both ends, adds another link to that chain. Nevertheless, I'll check it out and consider it as it's a cheap enough option not to bother me if it doesn't provide any sonic benefits.

Good luck with your search.