Value of a premium Ethernet cable
In my current setup, digital music from a Roon ROCK NUC server travels through an Uptone Audio EtherRegen and a short link of fiber, thence to a long stretch of ordinary contractor-grade Cat 5a cable, and finally to a dCS Bartók streaming DAC.
At substantial effort and expense, I could rearrange things so the final length of Ethernet would be replaced by a single run of something like an Audioquest Vodka Ethernet cable. I'm wondering if anyone has experience of whether this is worth the trouble and expense. Well mostly the expense; the "trouble" is the hobby part of it.
I'm sure I'll get flamed, but...the file delivered to your streamer is bit checked and once the streamer has what it needs it plays whatever it was sent, no matter what cable delivered it. Cables matter, I am not a cable naysayer, but if you can stream 4K video successfully over wifi, then an audio file is a piece of cake, so a decent quality ethernet cable (I use Blue Jeans) is all you need. Power supplies, downstream cables, the DAC etc. all matter - more.
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the bits are bits argument has been roundly defeated. Along with the bits travel ground level and EFI/RFI interferences that wreak havoc with the shape of the sine wave being transmitted leading to serious issues at the D/A conversion stage with deleterious outcomes on SQ. Cables and clocking matter. |
@antigrunge2 If you think there is a sine wave in the data being transmitted to the streamer, then go nuts on cables. I said nothing about clocking. |
