That’s all very well, but in the blind test I did, and I had no clue what we were even testing, the fibre sounded better… More analog resolution. I can’t explain it, I don’t know why, but it was consistent. Things were swapped a few times with one of the swaps being no change…
it’s a lucky guess then, just as spooky as rolling 6’s on the trot.
It is what it is…
What is? that’s a dismissive I have no answer type response.
It is that as I said in my first post. The sound was, to my perception and with no idea what was being tested or tried, better.
I also stated that the copper source was low bandwidth and the fibre (Although the recent storm has damaged the overhead wires, and so he has nothing just now) Super high bandwidth…
My quick reply, taken as dismissive, was to save me restating all this, but now I have the time, I am happy to and apologise if my intent sounded wrong.
I had an idea in my mind the friend was sneaking a fancy switch in perhaps, and I am a sceptic there, but this was not the case. He had a crossover window of two internet lines and a rare opportunity to try this for fun.
The facts remain, in this case, on this system, I clearly heard improvements on the fibre line and do not understand why. I do not see any downside to having fibre to the house based on this experience as unscientific as it clearly is. It was fun to try though.
It was nothing more than lucky guesses or imagined differences.
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Some explanation here:
No axe to grind but do we blind test and get told we are wrong or do we trust our ears and get told we are wrong. Surely if we can’t agree on the best method for anyone to have an opinion that maybe doesn’t fit with our own then it’s not our place to dismiss them?
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Probably best to look at it from a data line POV, as that’s what it is. While moving from ADSL to fibre didn’t improve sound quality here it did improve nearly every other aspect of home internet, e.g. speed and reliability. What’s not to like…
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I bet it never hurt the sound, and that’s my point…
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Definitely true also. Bet MQA sounds great on it 
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…same here in Germany, fibre connections are starting to be set-up, and I have opted to get one. I would speculate: the lack of interferences or ‘noise’ coming through the copper cables would affect the signal quality positively.
Cheers
Klaus
Maybe something to do with that Cat 7 cable providing earth continuity between the copper PSTN/ADSL’s ground and the equipment…?
Fibre would be galvanically isolated. So would Cat 6, had your man used it. Instead, he bought some Snake-Oil, audiophool Cat 7 shielded cable which by its grounded shielding defeats ethernet’s inherent transformer coupled galvanic isolation. “dumbassery of the first order” as @ElTel (who is by far, the foremost authority on large-scale network infrastructure deployment aroound here) so eloquently describes it.
I’ll put this to him when I can
You may want to put it more delicately than I did though! 
I guess it’s easy for those of us in the know to criticise. Your friend was probably sold his Cat 7 by a hi-fi dealer who in all likelihood has no more knowledge of networking than your friend. The dealer sold it based on the manufacturer’s marketing claims and his potential to make a profit/earn a bonus on closing a sale…
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Yes, of course… I’ll suggest a test against a Cat 6, that would be a cost free experiment
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Kind of you to say, Graeme, however I am aware of a decent number of contributors on here who are both current in the profession (I am retired from tech now) and are more than my equal on knowledge. They are hiding their considerable collective light under a bushel.
On the subject of royalties for my phraseology you have mentioned elsewhere, I waive my rights. I happily grant you free licence in perpetuity
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