hi Stephen
I’ve got that cable yesterday.
haven’t put it in yet cause I want to see what the 2 swtich thing did first
will put it in this weekend and let you know
it’s just an internet order on their site in the end - but previously Andrew told me by email to buy a 5e cable and he made a note to ensure the RJ11s were added instead of other plugs
1 Like
I’m somewhat reluctant to try burning in my cables for two reasons:
1 Combustion temperatures damage both the dielectric polymers and the wire itself.
2 Not all my cables are LSF rated, so they’d probably set off my smoke alarms.
So I’ll just have to be content with the psychological effect of my hearing (from the ear/brain combination) changing from day to day, and the associated perceived increase in quality as the changed sound becomes overall more familiar and hence more comfortable.
2 Likes
Surely now Mike you have plugged in your new Chord Shawline Ethernet cable after being (black box upgrade) stunned from your SL interconnect over lavender? 
1 Like
Hi Nick
I read that post twice but not quite certain what you did, or what the conclusions are.
Are you saying that the Chord Music in final position into your streamer sounds great with a crappy Cat6 cable in the penultimate position in the chain, I.e. feeding the last switch before the streamer, but the Chord Music sounds harsh when you put the BJC 6a in that penultimate position?
More or less right Jim. The two switches are tens of metres apart, connected by a wall socket and Cat6a, and it doesn’t make much sense to me. But that’s what I heard - and my pre-disposition was to hear either no difference or an improved sound putting the BJC in the chain. Once restored to the previous setup, all was well again…which led me to try and replace the Music with the BJC just to see if I’d embarrassed myself 
P.S. I’m tempted to move the NAS onto the rack and thus shorten and simplify the connection but I can think of a way to squeeze it in (it’s a four bay Synology)
Some interesting post here
Reading a lot about the new audiophile Silent Angel Bonn N8 switch, I thought I’d give it a try and bought one to replace my Cisco 2960. There were so many positive reviews at some recent Hifi shows, I’d thought to take the risk on buying something not auditioned first.
Even though brand new and barely run-in, one immediately notices the improved stereo-imaging. The image is wider. Another thing that stands out is a better control on the bass. I have loudspeakers that produce a pretty impressive bass, but with the Silent Angel it is more controlled and no “boom” at all.
There is a good review on the Silent Angel Bonn 8 switch here . Using google translate, you can read in other languages as well. A youtube insight is here .
Iver
@IvdZ , please forgive me to quote your post. But in this thread it has more interest.
1 Like
Could it be that the Chord is somehow compensating for an inadequacy in the long very cheap undocumented Cat6a?
And where does the harshness come from when the BJC 6a is used?
No one else I know of has found BJC 6a to make a harsh sound at all, so it seems to be an effect of combinations between various wires and boxes in your system.
All rather mysterious…
1 Like
Another indication that the system components could have more of an effect than we give them credit for. My own experience when comparing the same cables on Naim, Linn & Cyrus streamers, all with different switches & servers; each combo changed the perceived cable characteristics.
2 Likes
Until you find something softer and nicer, you will not notice it sounds a bit harsch. However I found no harschness myself vs Diamond.
It isn’t what I expected, certainly.
Our systems exist in a balance between components, the room, the electrical environment, and our ears. For me, all was in balance until the BJC was inserted as part of the back end. Curious, but fixable. And in other combinations of the above perfectly acceptable p.
And btw the house network cables are 6a, new this year and certainly not cheap!
Do your hifi signals run via electrician-installed 6a Ethernet cables that are hidden under floorboards and behind skirting boards?
Hello all,
Can’t fully express my joy to discover that after hundreds of posts harking on the miraculous virtues of the BJC Cat 6a, they have suddenly fallen out of favor…
I just received the 18 meters I require to finish my cable routing job…which I’m doing this weekend. Won’t be changing my cables, stuck with them now. Also, now we have the venerable Cisco 2960 being dethroned by German or Asian voodoo switches. So, everyone can just bin their 2960s along with the BJC Cat 6a. Will this madness never end?
3 Likes
You previously highly recommended the BJC Cat 6a … but I suppose that was a temporary recommendation ?
What will be the next switch you buy after the Silent Angel?
1 Like
Nothing changed David. Some still like the BJ , other prefer Vodka, Diamond or Chord.
Only Stephen is changing his mind, but as always…
Why do you think that BJ are out of favor ?
Nick Lees preferred much more the Chord Music since the beginning.
1 Like
I am convinced that audiophilia nervosa is a genuine sickness. A tech hobby that allows one to listen to quality music is one thing, but endlessly validating cables, amps, switches, streamers as the holy grail one week, only to invalidate them the next week with something even more stupendous…leaves me both dubious and perplexed.
4 Likes
I wouldn’t consider a few outliers falling out of favor. BJC and catalyst switches are still at the heart of superior sounding networks. 
I will say the PD switch I’ve had running since Monday sounds pretty awesome right now.
I’ve moved the CG on to the drawer but will probably throw it on my mesh network in the bedroom.
2 Likes
Writing and reading is different from buying and testing. Personally I am always upgrading something once per 6 months, so twice per year.
I must be a bit ill I guess. But I like my disease!
2 Likes
Howdy,
Perhaps, but the mentality is akin to the nuclear arms race. Equipment manufacturers are rubbing their hands with greed at such folly. At some point, we need to recognize «good enough » and retire from the rat race. The whole point of our toys and accessories is to listen to and enjoy music. Or is it?
In French we say « better is the enemy of good ». Anyway, we are all free to do whatever we want…
1 Like
Perhaps you should not read this forum. It’s not a good place to enjoy his system without thinking of a possibility of upgrade.
1 Like