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Author Topic: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e  (Read 7899 times)

Offline chrisc

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It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« on: July 31, 2021, 03:45:44 PM »
I must admit I got a fright when reading about Pierre's suggestion for an upgraded Ethernet switch.  Figures of €500 were mentioned, plus a 52-week lead time

I have always been suspicious of Cat5 cable for connecting my PC which contains the music hard disc plus JRiver media server, to a Limetree bridge

Now the Limetree does both wired and wireless networking.  The wireless router is in the same room, not 3m away.  Then I read some articles about using superior ethernet switches coupled with power conditioners, all well and good, but none cheap

Then my (last of the big spenders) friend in Canada told me that he had transformed his system (his words) by substituting Cat5 cable with Cat8

Obviously you don't need the blazing speed offered by Cat8 cable, but the cable construction and integrity of the Cat8 version RJ45 plugs is very attractive

For an investment of a paltry R550 I obtained a 0,5m lead (PC to switch) and 8m lead (switch to bridge)

Gone is the faint "growl" I could hear and more precise imaging.  To check that the glass of Pinotage was not the cause, I put the Cat5 back.  This made me think of some of the interviews being done on TV with Olympic athletes speaking with their masks on.  Of course many of these cannot speak English too well

I hope you get the idea

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Offline Agaton Sax

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2021, 06:41:03 PM »
" My clients want to know what cable you used with my Switch?" asked pwatts. "Uhmm, a grey one'" said I, sheepishly. I have posted before how I prefer a generic CAT 6 cable with the earth on the plug removed and the cable grounded to system earth.
 
" There may be a theoretical benefit in using a  very good cable between Switch and Streamer/DAC," said pwatts. The proto Switch has gone back to Pierre so it is Croak Switch and me only. I do have a sort of lower-middle-class Audioquest cable so I listened to that 'tween Switch and DAC.

Marvellous, fantastic, listen to all that detail, transients are ever so snappy, music sounds louder. That is on the stuff I listened to ad nauseam in the last month. Wading further out, unknown music sounded like it should have stayed unknown.

Then I switched back to the non-PEP-but-could-be grey cable. Unknown music now wanted to be explored, learned, unfamiliar spaces heard, journeys taken. Must be the earth then? I removed the earth from the solid Audioquest plug. Now the cable is dead. Oh well. R3000 moer toe.

To crown all that, I was fiddling with my telephone apparatus today and spotted Apple music. Something I subscribe to but never use. " Lossless", says the screen. It also says it is seeing JJ's Airport Express. So I dug up a piece of  Toslink and wired (uhmm no, optic-ed?) that 'tween Airport express and DAC. 48/24. Blow me down, the same music but Apple does it nicer.
 
Damn, should have stuck to cassettes.
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Offline Phase

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2021, 07:05:09 PM »
Gentlemen this might be a stupid question! I have router on the hifi stand hardwired to streamer then directly to DAC, this router is exclusively for sound and nothing shares on this network. Would I benefit from a switch?
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Offline Phase

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2021, 07:07:44 PM »
^Running Cat7. My initial thought of the switch was either switching between rooms or networks and didn't go into it as it doesn't apply to me, mistake right!
« Last Edit: July 31, 2021, 07:10:39 PM by Phase »
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Offline Phase

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2021, 07:12:03 PM »
Will go and checkout Johan's "Switch"...
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Offline chrisc

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Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2021, 08:05:49 PM »
Saw an ad today for a "snake" ethernet cable.  I thought this must be the ultimate product...

Maybe not 
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Offline Nikkel

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2021, 07:42:43 PM »
My home kitted out with cat7... the biggest or should I say smallest difference came from the switch. Got it from a friend in the IT space and never thought I'd need it until I ran out of ports on my router.

Everything "seems" much snappier... could also be Afrihost with the IPV6 rollout but I've re routed everything to run off the Cisco switch and quite happy with it!

Cat 8 quite a niche setup to have but I'll have a look quite soon...
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Offline pwatts

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2021, 07:27:57 PM »
Quote from: chrisc on July 31, 2021, 08:05:49 PM
Saw an ad today for a "snake" ethernet cable.  I thought this must be the ultimate product...

Maybe not 

I love Ethercon. I use them where I can even if I know the likelikhood of people using Ethercon cable is low.
Unfortunately they are big, fairly expensive and needs external transformers and LED's that make them even bigger. It does offer better RF shielding (albeit fairly marginal) and a muuuuch better mechanical connection. No more fiddling with breaking plastic tabs, This is XLR-style mount.
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Offline ScottulusMaximus

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2021, 09:23:23 AM »
No just no.

That is not how networking works.
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Offline GECO

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2021, 10:54:44 AM »
Networks works the way pwatts says it works OK.
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Offline chrisc

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Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2021, 11:32:46 AM »
On a farm near Franschhoek I saw a network cable 800m long between a wine chiller and the main house.  The owner had tried a wireless link, but the interference from the high-tension cables overhead made it unreliable.  Many network engineers said it would not work, too long, etc

He used 2 reels of Cat6 cable and a switch in between.  The switch was powered by POE from the main house.   His ping between the chiller and main house is 8ms
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Offline scrarfussi

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2021, 09:49:26 PM »


i found success using this

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Offline GECO

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2021, 10:01:29 AM »
Quote from: scrarfussi on August 08, 2021, 09:49:26 PM


i found success using this
Don't see anything
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Offline chrisc

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Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #13 on: August 09, 2021, 10:34:40 AM »
That is why it was so good.  Quite transparent...
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Offline scrarfussi

Re: It works - using Cat 8 cable instead of Cat 5 or Cat5e
« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2021, 06:03:54 PM »
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suum cuique pulchrum est


"Then Said my heart here will i take my rest."
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