New Venom, Alpha and Sigma Ethernet Cables!

[carlthess40]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

First, become a Subscriber; I can see from your IP you are in my territory, then we’ll talk.

http://www.audioaficionado.org/payments.php

Thanks. I will look into it
I live near Daytona, about 20 miles west of there

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by carlthess40

Thanks. I will look into it
I live near Daytona, about 20 miles west of there

I have you covered.

[For The Love of Music]

Perhaps these new cables will add to better sound in many systems not all that high on digital, improvements in ones digital portion of a HiFi system can easily be had for more time than money against all other components and speakers.

The first level Venom Ethernet is made in the US in the same plant at a bottom line reasonable price point.

I look forward to my testing of Sigma against a couple of other top end cables to hear what is better overall in my system.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Levitator

Hi Caelin

Congrats on what sounds like another winner for Shunyata....

In your opinion, would you expect an improvement to be heard in utilising one of your new Ethernet cables in a standard router to streamer connection which is what many people would probably be using?

Thanks again for all your efforts in pushing the boundaries and creating a higher level of musical enjoyment for us all!

Caelin has provided a lot of great and also, accurate, information regarding both the what I would refer to as the "rank order" of importance of Ethernet cables in a streaming (or network bridge-mediated) digital front end. And the testing methodology recommended (for PCs, digital cables, etc) is spot-on, too.

I'll fill in with some extra info....as Caelin as alluded to, I've been extensively testing a number of different cables in different configuraitons, including
"final development" (aka beta) versions of the just released Shunyata Ethernet cables.

My configuration requires the use of four Ethernet cables. I agree 100% with Caelin that simpler systems are better (for a number of reasons), but in my small townhome, I have a set of constraints I have to work within that are diifficult to get around...so it is what it is.

I'm presently using a mix of copper Ethernet and optical fiber; I have two copper Ethernet cables in the room in the other part of my house where my Mac Mini music server resides, one from incoming from the Mac Mini server/Roon Core to the Pace Router/Ethernet switch, and one outgong from the Router. Next, I have two copper Ethernet cables in my dining area and audio rack areas, one Ethernet cable in the dining area connecting to a generic (TP-Link) upstream fiber media convertor (FMC), a 7M run of TrippLite LC/LC OM-1 specification optical fiber, and then an Ethernet cable connecting my downstream FMC to the network bridge. The downstream FMC is a Sonore OpticalModule which connects to my SOtM UltraNeo network bridge.

In my systematic testing for my specific configuration, the most important cable, regardless of brand, are in order 1) the Ethernet cable from the downstream FMC to the Network Bridge 2) the Ethernet cable in the dining are that connects to the upstream FMC. 3 & 4: the Ethernet cables incoming (from the music server) & outgoing from the router/Ethernet switch. I'm still testing which of these two cables exert the most "leverage" on the response (audio quality), so stay tuned on that front.

Also, if you requiring more than one Ethernet cable, Caelin's advice to work with your dealer to get in the number of cables you need to do your own, in-home evaluation is is really excellent advice. There are also vendors that allow you to "rent in" cables, and this what I did for some of the cables I evaluated in my study.

If you know or find that you need more than one Ethernet cable, I'll reiterate once again that the Shunyata Venom outperformed the other mfrs Ethernet cables by quite a considerable margin, so if you find you need for than one cable, I would recommend getting the best cable that fits your budget for the most critical position (usually the most downstream cable) and then add Venom (or Alpha) Ethernet cables as your needs require and your budget allows. All three Shunyata Ethernet cables are very, very consistent across the board in their "overall presentation", there is just more "Shunyata goodness" as you move up the line, so you can mix and match Ethernet cables as yours needs and budget allows.

Lastly, bear in mind that different Ethernet switches sound different, and in some cases, by quite a margin. If you get an "audiophile grade" Ethernet cable running from your switch to your network bridge or streamer, and are not happy with the sound or the quality of the musical presentation, its highly likely the culprit is your Ethernet switch (I can safely say it won't be any Shunyata Ethernet cable). Most Ethernet switches have very cheap clocks, noisy RJ45 jacks, cheap isolation transformers and utilize the bane of every digital streaming system's existence...the dreaded switch-mode power supply, aka SMPS

There are some good Ethernet switches presently on the market, the AQVox, SOtM and JCat. Also Uptone will be releasing their new EtherREGEN very soon, and if it were me, that would be the one I would get. Its also very important to use a clean, low-noise linear power supply with your Ethernet switch, preferably one that does not pass high-impedance AC leakage currents downstream on the DC power cable (these are insidious and wreak all sorts of havoc; this is a key reason by SMPS are so bad). Even the quality of the DC cable matters. Presently, I would recommend the GhentAudio Gotham GAC DC cable with the JSSG360 shield. I'm now straying a bit off-topic, so if you want to continue this discussion, we can create a new, dedicated thread or piggy-back on the nice thread that Ed (For The Love of Music) has been contributing to that has excellent content.

Hope you found this helpful, and let know if they're anything else I can help out with. Cheers.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by For The Love of Music

Perhaps these new cables will add to better sound in many systems not all that high on digital, improvements in ones digital portion of a HiFi system can easily be had for more time than money against all other components and speakers.

The first level Venom Ethernet is made in the US in the same plant at a bottom line reasonable price point.

I look forward to my testing of Sigma against a couple of other top end cables to hear what is better overall in my system.

Yes, I agree. I would say an over-arching attribute of the Shunyata Ethernet cables is they do not sound "digital" at all..instead, they present with the best qualities of analog reproduction: natural (especially vocals and instrumental timbres) sweet, airy, extended, and very, very musical and engaging. They are also exceptionally "open" and spacious-sounding; some other cables (most notably, cheap generic Ethernet cables) sound like the music is being provided through a drinking straw. More on that in my eval thread.

The new Ethernet cables are very much like the superb new Alpha and Sigma USB cables in overall character and performance.

[carlthess40]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

I have you covered.

I will do the one year membership next week
Thanks for the information and look forward to the benefits that come with the membership

[Levitator]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Caelin has provided a lot of great and also, accurate, information regarding both the what I would refer to as the "rank order" of importance of Ethernet cables in a streaming (or network bridge-mediated) digital front end. And the testing methodology recommended (for PCs, digital cables, etc) is spot-on, too.

I'll fill in with some extra info....as Caelin as alluded to, I've been extensively testing a number of different cables in different configuraitons, including
"final development" (aka beta) versions of the just released Shunyata Ethernet cables.

My configuration requires the use of four Ethernet cables. I agree 100% with Caelin that simpler systems are better (for a number of reasons), but in my small townhome, I have a set of constraints I have to work within that are diifficult to get around...so it is what it is.

I'm presently using a mix of copper Ethernet and optical fiber; I have two copper Ethernet cables in the room in the other part of my house where my Mac Mini music server resides, one from incoming from the Mac Mini server/Roon Core to the Pace Router/Ethernet switch, and one outgong from the Router. Next, I have two copper Ethernet cables in my dining area and audio rack areas, one Ethernet cable in the dining area connecting to a generic (TP-Link) upstream fiber media convertor (FMC), a 7M run of TrippLite LC/LC OM-1 specification optical fiber, and then an Ethernet cable connecting my downstream FMC to the network bridge. The downstream FMC is a Sonore OpticalModule which connects to my SOtM UltraNeo network bridge.

In my systematic testing for my specific configuration, the most important cable, regardless of brand, are in order 1) the Ethernet cable from the downstream FMC to the Network Bridge 2) the Ethernet cable in the dining are that connects to the upstream FMC. 3 & 4: the Ethernet cables incoming (from the music server) & outgoing from the router/Ethernet switch. I'm still testing which of these two cables exert the most "leverage" on the response (audio quality), so stay tuned on that front.

Also, if you requiring more than one Ethernet cable, Caelin's advice to work with your dealer to get in the number of cables you need to do your own, in-home evaluation is is really excellent advice. There are also vendors that allow you to "rent in" cables, and this what I did for some of the cables I evaluated in my study.

If you know or find that you need more than one Ethernet cable, I'll reiterate once again that the Shunyata Venom outperformed the other mfrs Ethernet cables by quite a considerable margin, so if you find you need for than one cable, I would recommend getting the best cable that fits your budget for the most critical position (usually the most downstream cable) and then add Venom (or Alpha) Ethernet cables as your needs require and your budget allows. All three Shunyata Ethernet cables are very, very consistent across the board in their "overall presentation", there is just more "Shunyata goodness" as you move up the line, so you can mix and match Ethernet cables as yours needs and budget allows.

Lastly, bear in mind that different Ethernet switches sound different, and in some cases, by quite a margin. If you get an "audiophile grade" Ethernet cable running from your switch to your network bridge or streamer, and are not happy with the sound or the quality of the musical presentation, its highly likely the culprit is your Ethernet switch (I can safely say it won't be any Shunyata Ethernet cable). Most Ethernet switches have very cheap clocks, noisy RJ45 jacks, cheap isolation transformers and utilize the bane of every digital streaming system's existence...the dreaded switch-mode power supply, aka SMPS

There are some good Ethernet switches presently on the market, the AQVox, SOtM and JCat. Also Uptone will be releasing their new EtherREGEN very soon, and if it were me, that would be the one I would get. Its also very important to use a clean, low-noise linear power supply with your Ethernet switch, preferably one that does not pass high-impedance AC leakage currents downstream on the DC power cable (these are insidious and wreak all sorts of havoc; this is a key reason by SMPS are so bad). Even the quality of the DC cable matters. Presently, I would recommend the GhentAudio Gotham GAC DC cable with the JSSG360 shield. I'm now straying a bit off-topic, so if you want to continue this discussion, we can create a new, dedicated thread or piggy-back on the nice thread that Ed (For The Love of Music) has been contributing to that has excellent content.

Hope you found this helpful, and let know if they're anything else I can help out with. Cheers.

Very helpful as always - thanks Stephen!

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Levitator

Very helpful as always - thanks Stephen!

Cheers!

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by carlthess40

I will do the one year membership next week
Thanks for the information and look forward to the benefits that come with the membership

Sounds good, but I wouldn’t wait. The back order list gets longer by the day; right now we are looking at 3-4 weeks wait.

[For The Love of Music]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Cheers!

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