01-Apr-2018, 08:54
Cables can make a difference, but it does depend on where they are and what they are used for. Consider an Ethernet cable. If this is running directly from the source to the DAC, then there is a possibility that noise, EMI/RFI, could make it to the DAC. Noise in the DAC could affect the clock, this could influence sound.
But what if you are simply copying a file from one place to another? If you are transferring a file from one hard disc on your computer to a back up drive, do you need a super expensive cable here? If you download a high quality music file from someone like Linn Studio Masters, does it matter if Linn use CAT 5 or 6 in their set-up? What about the miles of Ethernet cable between Linn's server and your home computer? In these cases jitter does not matter, as jitter cannot be stored in memory on a hard drive. Noise cannot be stored either.
So ask a couple of questions. Can EMI/RFI be stored in memory? Can jitter be stored in memory? Then look at where the files are being transferred and used, what is the topography of the system. Ask another question, if you transfer a file from one hard disc to another, then back again, will these files be different? The answer here is they will be identical unless there is a fault in the system. In a correctly functioning system, the files could be copied back and forth thousands of of times and not change. This is not speculation, it is proven fact. If I were to copy two versions of a file onto a hard disc, one version created using a cheap cat 5 cable and one version using a £500 cable, could you tell which was which by listening to them? As to the use of ethernet cables with the Phantom, I am not familiar with the protocols used, is the file transferred to the Dialog in it's entirety? Is it buffered? The answers to these questions should indicate quite clearly how much influence the Ethernet cable can, or cannot, have.
One problem with audio is that currently there are a number of aspects that appear not to be fully understood. These are areas where the objective theory does not seem to agree with what is heard and observed. OK, this could be because subjective listening is notoriously unreliable, but it could be because of mechanisms not yet fully understood. An example of this is the influence of noise on audio clocks and the benefit of using high-quality clocks in the feed to USB DACs. Here there is a lot of evidence that the mechanisms involved are indeed not fully understood. Also, there are people investigating this, Sonore / UptoneAudio designer John Swenson is currently building new circuit boards for custom made test equipment. His aim is to measure the influence of upstream clocks in USB systems and he has found that he needs to build his own test equipment to measure it, nothing currently exists that will do the job. This is part of human progress, but the technology for transferring a file from one place to another is tried, tested and established. Although if there are any grammaticle erors or speling mistakes in this post, it was of course the fault of the CAT 5 cable I am using, not me deliberately mistyping. Yes, there is a lot in audio that is not fully understood, but we should not confuse this with what is tried, tested and proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Meanwhile, someone on another forum reckons I should try the Lush USB cable, he states this works well with the SOtM kit and should suit my system. I am tempted. Any thoughts?
But what if you are simply copying a file from one place to another? If you are transferring a file from one hard disc on your computer to a back up drive, do you need a super expensive cable here? If you download a high quality music file from someone like Linn Studio Masters, does it matter if Linn use CAT 5 or 6 in their set-up? What about the miles of Ethernet cable between Linn's server and your home computer? In these cases jitter does not matter, as jitter cannot be stored in memory on a hard drive. Noise cannot be stored either.
So ask a couple of questions. Can EMI/RFI be stored in memory? Can jitter be stored in memory? Then look at where the files are being transferred and used, what is the topography of the system. Ask another question, if you transfer a file from one hard disc to another, then back again, will these files be different? The answer here is they will be identical unless there is a fault in the system. In a correctly functioning system, the files could be copied back and forth thousands of of times and not change. This is not speculation, it is proven fact. If I were to copy two versions of a file onto a hard disc, one version created using a cheap cat 5 cable and one version using a £500 cable, could you tell which was which by listening to them? As to the use of ethernet cables with the Phantom, I am not familiar with the protocols used, is the file transferred to the Dialog in it's entirety? Is it buffered? The answers to these questions should indicate quite clearly how much influence the Ethernet cable can, or cannot, have.
One problem with audio is that currently there are a number of aspects that appear not to be fully understood. These are areas where the objective theory does not seem to agree with what is heard and observed. OK, this could be because subjective listening is notoriously unreliable, but it could be because of mechanisms not yet fully understood. An example of this is the influence of noise on audio clocks and the benefit of using high-quality clocks in the feed to USB DACs. Here there is a lot of evidence that the mechanisms involved are indeed not fully understood. Also, there are people investigating this, Sonore / UptoneAudio designer John Swenson is currently building new circuit boards for custom made test equipment. His aim is to measure the influence of upstream clocks in USB systems and he has found that he needs to build his own test equipment to measure it, nothing currently exists that will do the job. This is part of human progress, but the technology for transferring a file from one place to another is tried, tested and established. Although if there are any grammaticle erors or speling mistakes in this post, it was of course the fault of the CAT 5 cable I am using, not me deliberately mistyping. Yes, there is a lot in audio that is not fully understood, but we should not confuse this with what is tried, tested and proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Meanwhile, someone on another forum reckons I should try the Lush USB cable, he states this works well with the SOtM kit and should suit my system. I am tempted. Any thoughts?
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
