# Does anyone use high end or “audiophile grade” Ethernet cables on your DSD? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cables\ **Created:** [June 6, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334 "2020-06-06T19:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![paul172](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/paul172/32/308402_2.png) [@paul172](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/paul172)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/1 "2020-06-06T19:51:00Z")
Does anyone use high end or “audiophile grade” Ethernet cables on you DSD? I’ve seen the video that Paul did about Ethernet switches ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8LSLB62R64](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8LSLB62R64)) saying the switch doesn’t make a difference. But does anyone use upgraded or high end Ethernet cables to connect your direct stream dac? If yes can you hear a difference over a standard Ethernet cable? Thanks for your responses ---
**Author:** ![netspecht-2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/netspecht-2/32/132_2.png) [@netspecht-2](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/netspecht-2)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/2 "2020-06-06T20:13:11Z")
I would not call what I use high end. Blue Jeans Cable Cat 6, Pangea Audio, and AQ Cinnamon. I can’t hear a difference, but the build quality is a little better than the 99 cent jobs. The Blue Jeans ethernet cables are reliable and stick in the ethernet jacks well. ---
**Author:** ![cxp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@cxp](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/cxp)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/3 "2020-06-06T20:16:30Z")
Seeing this thread, I am using Strata but I’ve found something very interesting. The 2 switches I’ve tried Netgear vs Cisco are very different. The Netgear sounds pretty similar between cables and power supply changes. The Cisco which is regarded by many as a better switch, is very responsive to power supply and cables. It may be the internals of the switch are critical and if the switch is pretty noisy or provides poor electrical isolation it may trump all of these other variables. Not sure if the Strata has the same, more, or less isolation of its bridge vs the DS. ---
**Author:** ![paul172](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/paul172/32/308402_2.png) [@paul172](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/paul172)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/4 "2020-06-06T21:00:32Z")
I personally don’t think it makes a difference because it’s before the bits get converted to music but I’m curious to see if anyone is hearing a difference using better Ethernet cable. ---
**Author:** ![watchdog507](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/watchdog507/32/7301_2.png) [@watchdog507](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/watchdog507)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/5 "2020-06-06T21:12:04Z")
I use a new to the market an Audiophile specialty, CAT8, 10% silver Ethernet cable that I make. I use Telegartner Terminations. the same ones that Shunyata uses on their $1000 + cables. The cables makes a difference. The difference can be heard. I know that digits are digits but it works. My guess is better shielding with EMI RFI rejection and fewer errors. ---
**Author:** ![wijber](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/wijber/32/2164_2.png) [@wijber](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/wijber)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/6 "2020-06-06T21:38:08Z")
Happy with both the EtherRegen & Audioquest Diamond RJ/E CAT7 feeding a Melco N1ZS10. ---
**Author:** ![mdiaz0429](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea5d25/32.png) [@mdiaz0429](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/mdiaz0429)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 10:23am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/7 "2020-06-07T10:23:16Z")
I have my system connected via a 30 foot optical cable. Significantly improved the sound over a 30 foot Cat6 Ethernet. Something was written abot this in The Absolute Sound in a recent issue. I’ve been using it for over a year with great results. Not expensive either… ---
**Author:** ![aangen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/aangen/32/295709_2.png) [@aangen](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/aangen)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 10:34am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/8 "2020-06-07T10:34:51Z")
I have a variety of expensive Ethernet cables. I do not wish to discuss my feelings about them. No. I have Inakustik, Wireworld, BlueJeans, and Audioquest Ethernet cables. ---
**Author:** ![efete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@efete](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/efete)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 11:37am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/9 "2020-06-07T11:37:34Z")
Rather common Supra Cat 8 ethernet cable with Telegartner terminations here. ---
**Author:** ![nycenglish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@nycenglish](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/nycenglish)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 12:01pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/10 "2020-06-07T12:01:04Z")
Inakustik here. In my system it gave an improvement over the monoprice before it. It is between my EtherRegen and streamer. I was thinking of getting another to go before the EtherRegen but now plan to go optical. ---
**Author:** ![cxp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@cxp](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/cxp)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 12:04pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/11 "2020-06-07T12:04:47Z")
Keep in mind optical opens up another bag of worms. The optical transmitters introduce their own flavor of RF noise… hence switching and swapping of transmitters which sound different. ---
**Author:** ![RobH](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/robh/32/2585_2.png) [@RobH](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/RobH)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 12:38pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/12 "2020-06-07T12:38:34Z")
I’ve run a small number of different cables between my mesh network, an EtherRegen, and an UltraRendu. I do hear differences, which kinda frustrates me when I ask, “Why?” Once, I replaced a couple of rather generic cables with two new BJCs before and after the etherRegen. Sounded good. For comparison, I then brought back the old cable running into the etherRegen, and immediately heard a wet blanket thrown over the sound. This doesn’t make much sense to me, given the stated intent of the etherRegen, to isolate network nasties across a “moat”. I went back to the dual BJC cables. I then replaced the BJC that runs FROM the etherRegen to the UltraRendu with a Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 and again heard an obvious difference, for the better. Not an enormous difference, but qualities that were clearly noticeable. (I feel the same way about my WW HDMI and USB cables.) I’d like to try a WW PS8 running INTO the etherRegen, but dang!, those bits of wire get expensive. For the moment, I’m pretty content with the sound relative to the price that WW asks for their product. ---
**Author:** ![scotte1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/scotte1/32/147_2.png) [@scotte1](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/scotte1)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 1:18pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/13 "2020-06-07T13:18:48Z")
> [@cxp](#): > > opens up another bag of worms. Are there more or less worms in a bag as opposed to a can? 😉 If i am going to start down a tweaking path (mixing my metaphors here), I want to go whole hog (there’s another) and maximize the number of worms turned loose. Happy Sunday everyone. Now, where did I leave my worm wrangler…? ---
**Author:** ![nycenglish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@nycenglish](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/nycenglish)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/14 "2020-06-07T17:01:39Z")
Sure, but they are relatively cheap to swap in and out. ---
**Author:** ![cxp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@cxp](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/cxp)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/15 "2020-06-07T17:13:22Z")
@nycenglish How many popular modules are out there? ---
**Author:** ![nycenglish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@nycenglish](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/nycenglish)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/16 "2020-06-07T17:23:24Z")
Popular and well thought of modules? Less than 10 as far as I can tell but it seems most ppl prefer 2-3 of those. ---
**Author:** ![cxp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@cxp](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/cxp)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/17 "2020-06-07T17:28:22Z")
I currently have Cisco switch but am strongly considering the EtherRegen. ---
**Author:** ![aangen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/aangen/32/295709_2.png) [@aangen](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/aangen)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/does-anyone-use-high-end-or-audiophile-grade-ethernet-cables-on-your-dsd/17334/18 "2020-06-07T18:11:38Z")
I feed my EtherREGEN from my Cisco switch via Fiber. It seems nice.