Rainy day in NL today so after my regular Sunday run in between the bigger rain showers I finally made time to compare my 0.75m Audioquest Vodka RJ/E ethernet cable I bought a month ago to the 0.5m no-name (but good quality CAT7 600MHz cable with Hirose 6A connectors) ethernet cable I was using before.
It's used in between the fiber to ethernet converter and the microRendu and "unfortunately" I have to conclude that IMHO the microRendu is sensitive to the ethernet cable used. Recently I've read more people did conclude the same while for example the initial review on CA said it wasn't. Using the AQ cable brought more clarity and dimensionality so a bigger 3D soundstage and more layered, higher definition bass and sub bass. Things did sound a bit thinner on certain already lean recordings using the AQ but when the bass really needed to be there it was there letting me conclude the AQ is more transparant/does less smearing.
Since I've owned both the AQ Vodka and Diamond RJ/E's in the past and found the Diamond considerably better I've just ordered the Diamond, generally considered the (or one of the) best ethernet cables on the market. I wish it wasn't "necessary" but it is, to me that is! There were still no used ones on the markets anywhere so I had to order a new one. My dealer (open shop today) agreed to a trade up paying only the price difference between the two so that's a good enough deal for me. I should be able to pick it up sometime next week.
Edit: sorry Ogs, I now see I have missed your question. I haven't decided yet if I'll upgrade my 250 to 250Pro. Part of me really doesn't want to spend money with Devialet again but I'm afraif I probably will once good reviews start coming in. Fortunately Devialet did offer the discount you mentioned making it more interesting.
It's used in between the fiber to ethernet converter and the microRendu and "unfortunately" I have to conclude that IMHO the microRendu is sensitive to the ethernet cable used. Recently I've read more people did conclude the same while for example the initial review on CA said it wasn't. Using the AQ cable brought more clarity and dimensionality so a bigger 3D soundstage and more layered, higher definition bass and sub bass. Things did sound a bit thinner on certain already lean recordings using the AQ but when the bass really needed to be there it was there letting me conclude the AQ is more transparant/does less smearing.
Since I've owned both the AQ Vodka and Diamond RJ/E's in the past and found the Diamond considerably better I've just ordered the Diamond, generally considered the (or one of the) best ethernet cables on the market. I wish it wasn't "necessary" but it is, to me that is! There were still no used ones on the markets anywhere so I had to order a new one. My dealer (open shop today) agreed to a trade up paying only the price difference between the two so that's a good enough deal for me. I should be able to pick it up sometime next week.
Edit: sorry Ogs, I now see I have missed your question. I haven't decided yet if I'll upgrade my 250 to 250Pro. Part of me really doesn't want to spend money with Devialet again but I'm afraif I probably will once good reviews start coming in. Fortunately Devialet did offer the discount you mentioned making it more interesting.
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands