OK, the Blue Jeans products by Belden are competently made to meet the commonly accepted technical requirements. Good stuff at a good value.
-But here’s where I run into intense shaming on this forum from people who feel a need to enforce the laws of physics in their world-view where everything is already known:
When I connect an expensive Ethernet “filter” cable just before my streamer that purports to eliminate RF and EMI which would otherwise obscure musical details, I hear an expanded and more precise 3D soundstage that justifies the cost. More of the recording is revealed.
Sharing this observation has been nothing but trouble.
Brad I am not one of that group, though I understand where they come from.
I firmly believe as long as you can afford it and your family is not starving then carry on and no one loses.
It’s a hobby and hobbies cost money.
This hobby can cost a lot of money but hey ho on we go
Honestly what I’d do… Take the expensive cable out of your system and replace with a normal cable. Listen for a day or so. As you’ve already said, you expect things to sound worse. Now, take that expensive cable and put it on the Nuc. If you hear no difference that’s a good indication it makes no difference. If you do hear a difference go buy another expensive cable. Then go put your expensive cable back on the streamer and call it good.
None! But never underestimate the human mind - if you think it will sound better, you might experience it to sound better. However, in a pure ABX blindtest this argument will fail! (I have been very convinced I could hear the difference, but could actually not tell which cable was currently used). This observation has saved me a lot of money!
I have a few other systems as well… The one I’m currently using is Matrix Audio Element X with Audeze LCD-4 headphones (also have a set of Audeze LCD-XC in case I’m in the closed headphone-mood).
There is no need to buy expensive “audiophile” ethernet cables - you are wasting your money. Well made, but not expensive, unshielded Cat6 or Cat6a from Blue Jeans is what I have been using for most connections, other than the long distance between the router and the $30 switch in the audio rack, which is 30m of flat Cat6 I bought from Amazon.
I’ve been using Cat 5e since forever with no issues. Those work just fine for gigabit; if that’s not enough bandwidth for your audio, you’re doing it wrong.
Bill_Janssen
(Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)
3325
Doesn’t hurt to invest in a cheap Ethernet cable tester (yes, it’s a measurement device). Cables do go bad from time to time; typically a wire pulls loose from one of the connectors.
