Audiophile Ethernet Cat8 Cable

[Jinjuku]

Thomas, something along those lines could be the case - the more resolving the rig becomes the easier it is to hear anomalies caused by electrical signals, and circuits not being textbook in their behaviour - it's an ongoing detective story ...

I wanted to follow up since I've been doing some experimentation.

I currently have in house a $4000 network streamer, a $700, 3 foot CAT8 Nordost Heimdall 2 Ethernet cable, a $1600 RME studio interface, a 315 foot generic CAT5e.

I have several tracks put through it. When it comes to the 315 foot cable I tossed it on the stove underneath a 1200 watt microwave heating water.

I'll post some downloads for you. You let me know which is the ripped track, vs the $233 / foot, vs. the $0.30 / foot cable.

Look this whole 'Resolving Rig' is 100% pure bullschitt. What it would really be is a really expensive, poorly engineered system susceptible to something as trivial as a cable swap.

The reason the 'Resolving Rig' is a fictitious argument is that we are at the end of the day talking about the modified output of the DAC. The rest of the downstream components matter naught. And here is why:

1. If I'm able to record the output of a track I've either ripped from CD or some downloaded 24/96, 24/192 track from the source provider, captured that output into my ADC, have you ABX it in foobar to the original, and you can't reliably tell the difference then we have established that the ADC being used is up to the task of accurately recording output and that would include changes. Now you can attempt to argue this till one is blue in the face but any argument you try to make will never have any traction.

2. By going with a $4000 network streamer and going directly into and ADC all B.S. excuses of 'highly resolving' equipment are now off the board. There is nothing other than Ethernet in, XLR out on the streamer. No amp, no pre-amp, no speakers, no room.

So let me know of some of your favorite evaluation tracks and if you could get me a copy. I'll put it through the ADC process, pull out five 30 second segments on both cables and make them and the original available for you to download.

The first round will be unblinded. The 2nd round will be randomly labeled.

Let me know.

 

[RayDunzl]

What's the point of Cat8 and home audio?

Fluke: "Cat 8 solutions are designed to support Ethernet at rates up to 40 Gbps (40GBASE-T) over distances up to 30 meters, making it a solution primarily for data centers. "

I mean, consider that 384k/32bit x 14 channels (some super ultra surround rig) = only about 172Mbps

Am I missing something (as usual)?

 

[Don Hills]

... Am I missing something (as usual)?

Nope. But get with the program. Everyone knows that Cat 8 is better than Cat 6. It must be, it's more expensive.

People keep telling me I'm losing my marbles.
But every morning I look in my toybox, and there they are...

 

[RayDunzl]

People keep telling me I'm losing my marbles.
But every morning I look in my toybox, and there they are...

Could you check and see if any of mine got in there somehow?

 

[Jinjuku]

What's the point of Cat8 and home audio?

...

Am I missing something (as usual)?

You can sell it for $233 / Foot obviously.

Yes: $233 a foot.

 

[Blumlein 88]

What's the point of Cat8 and home audio?

Fluke: "Cat 8 solutions are designed to support Ethernet at rates up to 40 Gbps (40GBASE-T) over distances up to 30 meters, making it a solution primarily for data centers. "

I mean, consider that 384k/32bit x 14 channels (some super ultra surround rig) = only about 172Mbps

Am I missing something (as usual)?

DSD seems to get better no matter how much you increase the rate (or so say those who use it). So I am sure 40 gigabit ethernet would do for an okay two channel DSD stream until they can do better. DSD 262,144 is likely pretty good for non-critical purposes.

 

[FrantzM]

DSD seems to get better no matter how much you increase the rate (or so say those who use it). So I am sure 40 gigabit ethernet would do for an okay two channel DSD stream until they can do better. DSD 262,144 is likely pretty good for non-critical purposes.

 

[amirm]

High-end systems have hundreds of veils that need to be removed. Cat8 removes its veil as does every other tweek.

 

[Sal1950]

You can sell it for $233 / Foot obviously.

? You can buy it off Amazon for under $1 a foot.
Lots of cash to be made there repackaging
https://www.amazon.com/CERTICABLE-SHIELDED-GIGABIT-ETHERNET-CONNECTORS/dp/B00HHZ8YUO

 

[Brad]

Couple of unrelated points.
Ethernet doesn't use forward error correction, but relies on packet resend. The FCS at the end of the packet stands for 'frame check sequence' and the CRC algorithm is used to generate it.
But as long as the buffer is greater than the latency of receiving the correct packet after an error, there's no problem.

Secondly, if you have an arcing light switch - REPLACE IT. It can burn your house down.
The arc generates soot, and the soot can eventually build up until it shorts the switch enough to get hot and catch fire.

 

[Jinjuku]

Couple of unrelated points.
Ethernet doesn't use forward error correction, but relies on packet resend. The FCS at the end of the packet stands for 'frame check sequence' and the CRC algorithm is used to generate it.
But as long as the buffer is greater than the latency of receiving the correct packet after an error, there's no problem.

On a home network, with local traffic, properly setup, even my wireless when I randomly check it has always been sub 4ms. Wired is sub 1ms. So even a .5 second buffer more than enough. But modern player applications often give 5/10/20 seconds. Because of the fill rate we don't notice the time it takes to fill up the buffer initially (if the applications even do that vs starting to play when they have enough data to be fetched).

At 90MB/second GBe can populate entire tracks in less than a second.

Trying to transfer the significance of this to believers is often a problem because the now switch to the 'mixed signal' systems that idiots like Michael Lavorgna love to spew about even though they have zero clue as to what they are talking about.

Bottom line is anyone saying they hear vast differences in Ethernet cabling are straight up liars and anything they have to say about any other equipment can be dismissed out of hand because they are making stuff up as they go along.

 

[Brad]

I ag
[QUOTE="
Bottom line is anyone saying they hear vast differences in Ethernet cabling are straight up liars and anything they have to say about any other equipment can be dismissed out of hand because they are making stuff up as they go along.[/QUOTE]

I agree.
I was once listening to a forum member's system and they were going on about the stillpoints, power conditioners etc etc.
I noticed that the imaging was quite poor, and quickly determined that they had a blown tweeter, which they hadn't noticed!

 

[alexxx84962]

With the CAT8, if anyone ever doubted that an ethernet cable can sound different, all they have to do is listen to this cable. You don't even have to blind yourself because it's that obvious. The treble is definitely more energetic and there is the perception of more detail. You can call it distortion or whatever else you want to call it but this difference is very clear.

 

[Thomas savage]

With the CAT8, if anyone ever doubted that an ethernet cable can sound different, all they have to do is listen to this cable. You don't even have to blind yourself because it's that obvious. The treble is definitely more energetic and there is the perception of more detail. You can call it distortion or whatever else you want to call it but this difference is very clear.

@Jinjuku have a read

It's obvious god damn it!

 

[Thomas savage]

Alien cross talk

PS:If you don't get the joke:https://www.aesa-cortaillod.com/uploads/media/041_0779-000118.pdf

Alien ate my cat 6..,

 

[Blumlein 88]

@Jinjuku have a read

It's obvious god damn it!

You mean it is blindingly obvious. That is why you don't need to blind yourself.

 

[Jinjuku]

With the CAT8, if anyone ever doubted that an ethernet cable can sound different, all they have to do is listen to this cable. You don't even have to blind yourself because it's that obvious. The treble is definitely more energetic and there is the perception of more detail. You can call it distortion or whatever else you want to call it but this difference is very clear.

I've been using CAT12 for about 1/2 year now. You are missing out on so much.

 

[watchnerd]

Copper sucks, in-home fiber is much better. It has more room for the electrons.

 

[Thomas savage]

Copper sucks, in-home fiber is much better. It has more room for the electrons.

I worry that might be true and I'm missing out..

 

[Jinjuku]

My CAT 12 has 13 and 1/2 conductors.