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Ethernet cable for music streaming

I know there have been threads on this topic, including my own from last year, but I'd like to pursue this issue further, perhaps from a slightly different angle. Here's my conundrum: I'm not getting the sound quality from my Innuos PulseMini streamer that I think it's capable of and I've never been able to put my finger on what the weak link in my system is. I'm streaming Qobuz through the Innuos SenseApp on my Samsung tablet. While some parts of the frequency range sound really good (bass, mid-bass, lower mids, e.g.), when we get to the range where vocals live and above, the sound loses fidelity and definition. Things sound fuzzy and muddled, especially if the music is complex or dense. Loud orchestral passages can be really unpleasant to listen to.

The streamer is connected via USB to a Sonnet Morpheus DAC, and is fed via ethernet cable from my AT&T router. It's about a 35 ft. run of CAT5 that goes under the house and up through the floor of my listening (living) room. It doesn't run near any other electric lines. There's an ethernet switch that divides the signal between the TV, the Roku box, and the streamer. I do have the option of running a dedicated line from the router to the streamer, but I need some advice on whether this will improve things any. I tried plugging the existing ethernet cable into the streamer directly, bypassing the switch, but this yielded no improvement. 

Would it help to use CAT6 or CAT6a cable for this run? And should it be shielded or unshielded? I've read some posts that indicate shielded cables introduce their own distortions into the signal, so I'm really not sure which way to go here. 

I'd be grateful for advice from the many of you who are more expert on this subject than I am. Thanks.

cooper52
toneranger58
134 posts
 

For extender I use a tp link AX3000, it’s 99 from Amazon. Works great, it’s in my upstairs loft and the router is in my basement. Great strong reception it has one out for Ethernet cable. Simple set up. 

cooper52 OP
187 posts
 

Thanks to all for the very helpful responses. Of course, now I'll have to figure out which remedy to try first, and I'm leaning in the direction of upgraded LPS and wi-fi extender. I see that Small Green Computer offers a 12v power supply at a reasonable price that will almost certainly be better than the Chinese one that came with the Innuos streamer. I'm trying to keep this budget in line with the value of the component(s) in question, so spending kilobucks (I think I just made that word up) on any of this doesn't make sense to me. 

I'll post my results--or lack of results--as thing progress. 

benanders's avatar
benanders
234 posts
 

cooper52

…

I'm not getting the sound quality from my Innuos PulseMini streamer that I think it's capable of and I've never been able to put my finger on what the weak link in my system is.

…

 

That’s probably not the firmest stance for avoiding the pitfalls of upgraditis.

dogearedaudio's avatar
dogearedaudio
153 posts
 

You might consider switching to fiber ethernet.  You need a pair of converters and whatever length of optical cable you need.  You could convert the longer run, or you could do a local conversion just from the switcher to the streamer.  It does add a bit of clutter but it can smooth out the sound quite a bit.  It's not very expensive, maybe $150 to implement.

cooper52 OP
187 posts
 

So, before jumping in and buying an LPS for this Pulse Mini, I’d like to rely, once more, on the expertise of those of you who have offered such helpful advice. The specs for the Taiwanese switching power supply that came with the streamer are: DC output 12V, 5.0A. The 12V output is easy to match with the iFi and Small Green Computer LPS’s, but what about the amperage? SGC is a bit elliptical about this on their website, though they do seem to indicate that their 12V LPS would deliver 8A max (if I'm reading it right), which would be plenty for the streamer. iFi, however, rates theirs at 12V, 4A and I’m not sure if this would be a problem. Similarly, does the output voltage have to match exactly, or would a higher voltage output still work? Sorry, I’m not very knowledgeable about this stuff, so I’d be very grateful for your help. Many thanks!

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