Is optical mostly a waste of time versus Ethernet?

@ghasley it is very possible for noise interfere with Ethernet, for sure. The point is, Ethernet is built to withstand it, and that’s why I said a safe bet for a Ethernet run without special conduits, etc. is 100 ft for residential applications. See below the max distance which in some cases is dependent on the speed, however, as a general statement, no benefit to deliberately slow down.

going back interference, the protocol Ethernet have error checking, each frame transmitted includes a checksum to make sure nothing corrupted (changed) during transmission, see below. And this is just one layer. Every layer have these checksums, and the actual application layers deal with compression and digitally signed content (DRM). So if you in anyway, modify the payload, all of these layers will fail all their checks, and it will be discarded and retransmitted. In reality, as soon as one layer detects an issue it is discarded and never goes further.

now, can noise travel via the Ethernet cable into the device itself and cause issues, sure, but that would mean a very poorly network card implementation in the device.

https://www.tripplite.com/products/ethernet-cable-types?utm_term=&utm_campaign=a.Cables+-+Panels,+Jacks+%26+Hardware&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_src=g&hsa_ad=522769106538&hsa_tgt=dsa-1274206709011&hsa_mt=&hsa_ver=3&hsa_acc=4932208510&hsa_kw=&hsa_grp=121359314526&hsa_cam=696012424&hsa_net=adwords&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxveXBhDDARIsAI0Q0x1eE6NPdYOyoq_munQUKOqbWS7kYPopMyKZdsy4k7xHq-qWBnGZPWEaAvijEALw_wcB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_check_sequence

@ddafoe i did. Show me another person here that knows more and I will readily admit so, however, out of the thousands of posts on this topic, my conclusion is firm. 

@fredrik222

Thank you for the thoughtful reply. What you explain clearly in layman’s terms is appreciated. There are alot here on Audiogon who may be proficient at what we are proficient at while enjoying the audio hobby which is admittedly not our day job.

With that said, there is still alot that we collectively don’t fully understand when it comes to optimal sound quality over ethernet. Obviously we are only dealing with “the last few feet”, much like we do with power delivery, and no two home systems/rooms/environments are identical. How much noise are we trying to reduce/eliminate and how much noise do we accidentally introduce to the digital chain?

When it comes to ethernet cables in general, ethernet switches and noise, it shouldn’t make a material difference, said my right brain for many years. In fact, even if it made a material difference was it always a positive or a negative difference and if so/not, why?

I heard a positive difference when I inserted the Ether Regen into my chain. I heard a further positive improvement when I inserted Audioquest ethernet cables in place of those provided by my IT expert. While he may not be at your level, I’ve never had a financial transaction fail to successfully complete with those cables but I clearly heard a positive difference. Now, with my Network Acoustics switch, further sonic improvements were clearly heard. Same goes for the Network Acoustics Muon ethernet cable and Muon filter. Even though you may not believe it could possibly make such a positive difference, could I respectfully ask that you suspend disbelief for a moment and help me understand why it would/could?

Could it be the difference between the requirement for a steady stream vs the obvious advantages associated with simply arriving at the identical sum on both ends of a financial transaction? For instance, if the stream had a 20ms silent lag per second, that wouldnt affect a financial transaction but it likely would with streamed music. I don’t deny that its comparing apples to oranges but I know what I am hearing is vastly improved over an already highly satisfactory musical presentation. The conundrum for most here is that the logical side ouf our brain agrees completely with you. How could any of this make a difference but it does to those who have experimented.

@ghasley there you are wrong. Optimal audio quality over a IP network is fully understood by people like me. Do you again believe the banking is comprised daily? Or do you think super hi res simulcast concerts don’t know what they are doing? Look at Ravenna for instance.

The only potential issue is that noise from a short run Ethernet screws up a horribly implemented networking card, and if you remove that noise you could notice a difference. That premise means your super high end streamers use crap components, and that something like Etherregen removes noise. Well, noise is measurable  and it doesn’t remove any noise at all. While I am sure that lots of manufacturers use bad components, but even todays bad components, are very good at handling bad noise environments. 
 

How could any of this make a difference but it does to those who have experimented.

OTOH, that is not true for everyone.  I have tried a number of these things with results being so subtle as to question whether there is really a difference.  It's not that I summarily dismiss the possibility that this stuff can make a sonic difference, but, at least in my room with my equipment, none of this stuff so far has made an easily identifiable change or improvement.