Noisy ethernet cables


When I use any ethernet cable other than the stock cable that came with my Bluesound Node2 I get much noise. I have tried three, the latest being a Nordost Heimdall2. The other 2 I heard about here, Monoprice and Supra both cat8. ???

joeyfed55

I have very good experiences with the sotm cat7 Ethernet cables, they have a buildin filter:

https://www.sotm-audio.com/sotmwp/english/portfolio-item/dcbl-cat7e/

Also using an isolation trafo is useful:

https://www.sotm-audio.com/sotmwp/english/portfolio-item/iso-cat7/

and of course powering all components in your digital rig with linear power supplies is a must...

So, turns out it was a grounding issue. The Node2 was plugged into a Shunyata Typhon/Triton Hydra stack along with the Pass XP-25 phono stage and when I unplugged the Pass it disappeared. The Node2 is plugged in elsewhere and it sounds fine. Thanks for the replies!

@erik_squires , You probably want to stick with shielded Ethernet, regardless of the Cat #

 

Why? Many devices don’t have connectors that support the shield connection. Worse, shields connected at both end are prone to creating ground loops. They are designed for high speed communication of digital data, not for ensuring the lowest analog system noise. Shielding one end can work, but still back to the issue of whether your connection supports the shield.

 

This is another one of those audiophile group thinks (not offence @erik_squires ). People just assume shielding must be better, therefore it must sound better. Shielded at both ends cable was designed for noisy commercial environments, not for your typical home use. The shields are to protect from external noise, in a high noise environment. It was not targeted at home environments. The shield at both ends is a recipe for ground loops where they would not have existed with unshielded cable..

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