Ethernet cable test, 4 cables go head to head

[Dunc]

Hi all
Best to start i guess with a quick system run through on my digital side.
Fiber into the house, then from the router i have about 15 meters of catsnake to my cisco switch. This has everything plugged into for the house. I then have another catsnake cable about 4 meters to my PhoenixNet on my rack.
So these cables are going to be tested on the final leg, PhoenixNet to my dac.
As for system i have, dCS apex dac, vivaldi upsampler/streamer, and clock into both.
Amp is the vitus sia030, and speakers are titan 808’s. I have chord music xlr’s, my own mains cables, and speaker cable from titan on the top box and my own on the bass.

The 4 ethernet cables are

Neotech 1008
Audioquest diamond
Shunyata omega
Hemingway ZcoreLan

The Audioquest is mine, been used for years, and is well run in.
Neotech has been off for an intensive burn in, but only a month old.
Omega and hemingway are dealer’s cables and demo unit’s that are also run in.

Will be starting later and will give my views as things go.

Cheers dunc

[Osiris]

Just a thought really, perhaps add an entry level cable just to clarify/affirm any improvement in SQ….?

As I said, just a thought .

ATB, J

[Dunc]

I can do, but did that years ago, and it wasn’t worth listening too.
I can also say having catsnake on the last leg, gave me a dull and boring sound compared to the audioquest diamond. That’s why i have a few lenghts off it in the cupboard.

[Blackbird]

Those ferrite chokes on the neotech are not original. I’d remove them for this test please

[Peder]

Hello …

Why have you put these circled in red on your Neotech NEET-1008,.do you think it will be better than without.?

I run all my Neotech NEET-1008 without such things.

[Dunc]

I decided as its very hot today to chill out in my hifi room, and start listening to these cables.
Work can wait.

But already i have got a very good feel off what each bring, and it’s certainly interesting i think.
I will post up my findings shortly as just going back over them all again.
It’s only obviously a quick test right and my initial thoughts on each. Obviously i will try each in for a longer period.
But i feel it’s interesting to give each a quick go and then see if after time my feelings changed on them.

Cheers dunc

[Dunc]

Tried them and couldn’t tell any difference.
Well spotted by the way, they are no longer on the cable for reference, and i didn’t mention them on my other thread as like i said i couldn’t tell any difference at all, so removed them.

[Dunc]

Right then

Tried them all very briefly on just 3 different tracks, to try and highlight things easier
Each track played and then cable swapped over, and same track played. Then move on to the next track after cable has had a go.
I have gone over this 3 times now, and already i have got options on each.

Obviously these are just my opinions and nothing more really. But hopefully it might give a guide to what you might expect from each in a system like mine. But as with anything only you can decide what works for you.

Let’s start with the cheapest cable, and it is by far the cheapest cable here. The neotech.
As i guess you might have seen my thoughts on this already on my other thread.
Well nothing has changed.
This cable gave me a very lively sound, with very strong full bass.
The problem being was, the bass was bloated, and the top end over powerful.
It was like it was all trying to hard to impress, the first few moments you could fall for it, as it certainly grabs you, but the more you play, you certainly hear the problems above.
Good cable for the money, especially if you feel your system needs a big lift, and sounds a bit flat.

Audioquest diamond
This is my long lasting cable. I feel this also gives good valve for money.
It has a fairly natural sound, lively without being over the top, with great details. Plus a nice bottom end. It fitted my system well, i think?
Could it really be beaten.

Shunyata omega
Right from the start it was quite different to the audioquest.
It made my audioquest sound slightly broken.
Much better refinement, nicer top end as it made my audioquest sound a bit harsh in comparison. That was something i hadn’t noticed till now with this cable.
Once again a nice bottom end, which was even better controlled.
The only thing was it all sounded slightly laid back in what it was doing.
Don’t misunderstand me hear, its a fantastic sounding cable, but right now in this test, especially with the 2 cables that went before it, it did come over as being very polite and a little laid back, with a touch off added warmth to it, to make sure you are fully snuggled in for the ride.
Great but not really what i want, especially at the £3000 price tag.

So on to the hemingway, could this be the one. As now i am looking for that extra refinement that i never knew i needed, but i want it to be lively still, but not neotech lively.
Well right now i think i have found just that.
This cable has the refinement, an absolute lovely top end too it, it’s really shining out on my system against the rest.
Never heard off them and haven’t a clue on it’s price, so it could be silly money and completely out the ball park as we say. But right now if i had to pick one, well that’s easy give me this hemingway.

I will continue to listen, but i haven’t swapped the hemingway out now for about 45 minutes, so that’s saying quite a bit to me really.
Plus #dan you will also get to hear them all Saturday and give your views on it all with my system.

UPDATE hemingway way is also £3000

Cheers dunc

[IanRobertM]

@Dunc

It could be silly money and completely out the ball park as we say.

UPDATE Hemingway way is also £3000

It is… Silly Money… IMO.

YMMV…

[Dunc]

It is
A bit cheaper with some discount.

But the problem is once you hear these things its hard to forget them.
But if you look at the new price off my vivaldi kit, then it’s cheap.

But i 100% get what you are saying, paying 3 grand for a cable 1.5 meters long is just plain stupid.
But these cables are silly money, they almost all are. But if you was sat on my sofa right now listening to them all, i think you would agree that it certainly is good and so the is it worth it debates start.

[GraemeH]

@Dunc

with very strong full bass.
The problem being was, the bass was bloated

I had the same issue, but it was the PhoenixNet causing the imbalance in my system. Others have reported similar however.

G

[Dunc]

I can’t really remove mine now as i don’t have another switch to put in.
But i have had the melco, didnt like.
EtherRegen was ok, but the phoenixnet was the best that i tried

[Blackbird]

@GraemeH

but it was the PhoenixNet causing the imbalance in my system.

Yes! Same experience here. PN is bloated.

[Lucifer]

Yes it is until you modify it. If you can😁

You might want try a better power cord on the PN as I have said before. It makes a big difference.

[Michaelb]

@Lucifer

You might want try a better power cord on the PN as I have said before. It makes a big difference.

I’ve used a Sean Jacobs PowerBlack on it from the start and can’t say I’ve had any problems with bass bloat at all…

[HungryHalibut]

I can choose between amplifiers and speakers really quickly and really easily, but cables I find much harder, and ethernet cables particularly so. Doing quick A/B comparisons tells me nothing and I’ve come to the conclusion that I really need a few days to decide anything meaningful. Cables that sound great on first listen can turn out really fatiguing or really boring, and there is such a temptation to conclude that the most expensive has to be the best, when sometimes it’s very much not.

[Dunc]

As said i will obviously give it more time, and as said this was just my first thoughts.
But it’s easy to hear the difference between the 4 on my system.
Hopefully Dan when he is here Saturday can also do the same listening , and i am sure he will also hear the difference between them, but he might prefer a different cable.

[Mr.M]

Any time I’ve auditioned the Shunyata cables in a system I’ve been impressed with what it seemed able to contribute. I think the useful element here @Dunc is that you are also evaluating them in your system and with your needs and benefits in mind. The value is essentially about the benefits it brings you to your enjoyment, the cost is mostly irrelevant and is consistently relative to your budget and desire to explore the boundaries of your system synergy. dCS I’ve always rated highly and enjoyed when hearing despite never owning any of their products. So I would imagine you could find a rather sweet spot with your combination of hardware and cabling as outlined above.

[frenchrooster]

Hi Michael,
I ordered a power black. It’s not expensive, around 200 GBP. I hope it will be good enough. ( 1m, with Shukko plug).

[Geko]

Nice review Dunc. It may be worth asking Drago again why he preferred the Sigma over the Omega. I think he thought that the Sigma had a slightly better balance than the Omega. It often the case the more it cost the more refined it gets. Perhaps it goes a little too far and the Sigma is a better bet for more excitement? I must admit I don’t find the Sigma very laid back. I’d say that it very neutral in everything it does.