At the urging of a friend, I’ve ordered a 20’ BJC Ethernet cable to compare to the 6 meter Nordost Heimdall 2 Ethernet I have on order. We are pole opposites when it comes to cables and I admit that after viewing how BJC cables are assembled, I think it’s a waste of time for me.
Even so, he’s a good friend and is sincere so I’ll try to be fair.
I’ll be using the cables between an Apple router and an Ansuz D2 Power Switch. I’m using Ansuz Ethernet cables from the switch to an ND555 via a Gigafoil Ethernet Filter. The Ansuz Power Switch is an upgrade from an AQvox switch which is an upgrade from a Cisco SG-112.
Amp is a Naim SN2 (awaiting an SN3). Speakers are Harbeth 30.2 40th Anniversary’s. Naim devices have power supply upgrades. Cables are Super Lumina.
I can hear the differences in Ethernet cables. I found the Chord C-Stream better than the lower priced Audioquests, the AQ Vodka better than the C-Stream, the Heimdall better than the Vodka, the Ansuz X2 better than the Heimdall and the Ansuz D2 better than the X2. I’d use the X2 in place of the Heimdall but I need a cable I can put in front of a door and the X2 is larger and covered with fabric.
The test I’d really like to make is a comparison of the Chord C-Stream with the BJC. The C-Stream is the only Chord cable not made in house. It’s made to order in Asia. If the BJC sounds better than the C-Stream then I can understand it’s popularity.
Hi Mike
The longer BJC cable is plugged into my router right next to 3 other ethernet cables that feed a box coming from my solar panels, my Samsung TV STB and a Humax STB. That area has six different power cables nearby for various bits of kit and extension leads.
Then the BJC crosses tangentially over a Chord Epic speaker cable - separated by a loose wad of carpet underlay. Then it passes the back of the hifi rack where there is a Burndy, SNAIC, speaker cables, a satellite cable, 4 power leads, and extension block and a lava lamp - then it enters the Cisco, with its internal PSU, and another BJC takes the signal to the 272.
I imagine (based on wild guesswork!) that each cable is surrounded by either weak or strong electrical and magnetic field disturbances that may (or may not) pollute the flow of electricity, and therefore possibly add noise in the BJC cable, and the Cisco and the Naim boxes.
I may be wrong in various of these speculaltions from an electrical engineering PO, but that anyway is how I imagine it works and is why I went for what I thought of as the more screened cable (6a).
The good news is that my system is sounding better than it ever has.
One Q on this point: “The latest rev of EN 50174-2 says single phase 230V and <32A and if there is no strong source of EMI nearby (i.e. typical home environment as opposed to a data centre) - then no separation is required between power and IT/ethernet wiring.”
I wonder whether the spec and regs that apply to computing and other industrial applications of ethernet cables, are necessarily the same as the ideal installation for a very sensitive hifi system?
Could it be that tiny and medium amounts of EM noise that get into Ethernet cables used for streaming hifi from Tidal/Qobuz could make quite a negative impact on SQ even though they were in spec?
Hi @anon77199223, my post was simply pointing out that ethernet & power cable can live together, within limitations.
UTP (un-screened) ethernet cable has 4 sets of twisted pair wires, the twist rejects external noise. According to the various bodies that control the regulations & recommendations, UTP is OK for many industrial/office type installations & domestic install’s.
Some installations do need to have STP spec’d & I suspect some get STP spec’d anyway. Its a good idea to use STP in a house network install as it can only help & if you want to use a screened patch cable, OK. (thats not considering SQ changes) …
I don’t believe hifi equipment is any more sensitive as to require special treatment.
There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding over what this ‘noise’ thing is, if I understand what I’ve read on the subject its mostly RF rather than EM, but the actual data stream itself is not affected by noise.
There is a consideration that an STP screen picks up something that might be rejected by UTP. Whatever, back on track, ethernet & mains power can coexist.
Michael, thanks for giving me the slight push I needed to order the Blue Jeans Cat6a cables. They arrived at lunchtime after their two day trip from Seattle to Southampton UK (which is wonderful in itself) and after a brief listen to several “difficult” tracks I am, as they say, gobsmacked. I had become disillusioned with the sound of my Uniti Star in recent weeks and had been experimenting with ethernet cables including the Designacable Belden Catsnake and Blue Jeans Cat5e both of which gave some improvement. However, the Cat6a is in a different league altogether. They have cleaned up what seemed to be a kind of “hash” to the sound that almost sounded like a midrange ‘ringing’ and was often painful to listen to on Focal Clear headphones. Everything was indistinct and something was missing. On some recordings, orchestral strings sounded like a homogenised mess, but no longer. Vocals have a more natural sound to them and I am enjoying some older recordings that had an edge to the vocals. It has gone!. Even recordings that are not that great have become more musical and listenable. The extended bass is quite something too. If these cables still have to 'burn, or settle in" I can’t imagine what any further improvement might be. I can’t wait. Astonishing!
Thanks again
I know you have a second Cisco 2960. Dark Bear and Peder reported improvement in sound when using 2 Cisco.
Router> cisco > cisco > nas and nd5xs2.
Did you thought on doing this test Stephen ? Yes I know, it’s a bit crazy…
I can try it. I have a spare Power Linelite, Blue Cisco 2960 and a spare BJC Cat 6a after my AQ Vodka blew it to pieces. I may try this weekend. I haven’t noticed much change with my BJC cables from first plug in. Nowhere near on the scale of change with my AQs. You will hear what I”m on about. I await your opinion on these overhyped cables.
Perhaps because you are not using BJC for the crucial final leg into your streamer?
(Perhaps also because you have a new platform streamer which may be less changed by the type of cable???)
Perhaps also because you like a nice grungey, lively - even explosive - sound signature???
Perhaps a wee bit controversial but with my NDX2/SN3 system, I connect wirelessly via my Sky Q router and everything works well. I have purposely chosen my kit and set up to minimise the need to ‘fiddle’.
If it is possible for you, could you compare the cables to wireless?