Shortly after getting my first Touch, back in September, 2010, I posted a most naive question: Which category Ethernet cable would "sound" better?
Needless to say, I was patiently reminded that Ethernet cables are DATA cables and consequently could NOT POSSIBLY sound different from each other. Thus recalled to my senses, and given that my wireless connection worked fine, I stuck to Wi-Fi and forgot about cat5, cat6, and even the cat7 that was (jokingly) mentioned in the replies. Fast forward to my recent installation of TT3.0 and subsequent move to hard wire the Touch to a wireless bridge/repeater as per soundcheck's suggestion. Eager to test this new arrangement, I connected Touch to repeater with the cat5 freebie that came with the repeater, and all was fine. But then I recalled that Klaus had mentioned in passim something like "get a Monster Ethernet cable," and in a sudden attack of -Audiophilia Nervosa- I gave in and got one, a cat6 "Digital Life High Performance Advanced High Speed Ethernet Cable," no less ($14.99 including shipping). Now you know where I'm going with this, don't you? Yes, Virginia. Bits is bits. Yes, there is NO WAY these two cats can possibly sound different. But they most definitely do! I listened to a wide variety of music and recordings of diverse quality in CD and 24/96 formats. One cable sounds open and refined, true to timbre and tonally balanced. The other sounds coarse, heavy on the bass, and uninvolving. The differences are not "huge" but they are noticeable and consistent. At this point it's really immaterial which of the two sounds "better," but for the record it's NOT the Monster. Of course, these are just my personal impressions and in no way are they corroborated by blind tests, etc. So feel free to call me a gullible audiophool, a nitwit, or any other adjective of your choice. I remain completely baffled, but I'm just reporting what I hear. Guido F. -- guidof MUSIC ROOM: Marantz TT 15S1 Turntable, Virtuoso Wood Cartridge -> Conrad Johnson Motif preamp Oppo BDP--83 Universal Player; Squeezebox Touch (digital out) -> Cambridge Azur 840C DAC -> Adcom GFP-750 preamp -> Music Reference RM-200 Mk II amp -> Martin Logan SL3 speakers DSpeaker Antimode 8033 equalizer -> REL T1 Subwoofer BEDROOM: Squeezebox Touch (analog out) -> Little Dot Mk III amp -> AKG K701 headphones SECOND BEDROOM: Squeezebox Touch -> Grado SR125 headphones ------------------------------------------------------------------------ guidof's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=40448 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=91322 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
