Network connections - far more crucial than I could ever believe!

I’ve been experimenting with network cables recently, after realising that I was firmly in the “bits is bits” camp and of the strong conviction that networking would make no difference at all to the sound of my system.  I didn’t really believe I’d hear any difference at all, but I wanted to be sure I wasn’t “missing a trick” and could, at least, be certain of the convictions I’d gained through years in the software and applications development world. I know a bit about bits, and bytes and words.

I started with an upgrade to a consumer (i.e.; not “audio”) but decent CAT 7 cable - I was using a rather poor ribbon-type cable before that. Different, but... worse. I took it out pretty quickly, but a few weeks later, I wondered why it was worse - bit is bits, isn’t it? On reinstalling, worse became better. Turns out, I’d routed it differently and it was no longer running parallel to a power cable for a very short section. Hmmm... bits is bits, but perhaps there’s more than just bits in that cable?

Due to the layout of my room, which is already substantially dominated by my beloved Naim Fraim and kit, my speaker cable had to run parallel to the network cable in some conduit for around 4 metres.  Separation, although not at all revelatory (or domestically acceptable to my other half or robot hoover!), also seemed to have a small effect. Okay, so, network cables *are* having an effect on my system’s performance. 

There’s no chance of me forking out for five metres of fancy-pants network cable, so I decided to see if I could find a better way of getting the network closer to my NDX, with the aim of trying a short length of cable.  I opted to try two TP-LINK MC100CM media converters with a 5m fibre patch, meaning that the fibre (carrying light) now runs through the conduit, along side my speaker cable and a power cable carrying DC voltage. At either end is an Amazon Basics CAT7 1m patch. Total cost, about £80. 

I suspect that I probably have a number of noisy pieces of equipment on my downstairs network (NAS, Apple Time Capsule, Apple TV), but the effect of this change really has been a serious revelation. My system came alive - spectacularly.  I now have powerful (well, for my speakers) and engaging bass, clean, tidy and non-fatiguing treble, and wonderful, open mids. It just sounds “right”. It’s so good that my Hi-line, which I’d never got on with due to an analytical and edgy sound, is now a must-have in my system. I’m rediscovering hundreds of tracks. I want to dance again! (I promise you’ll never have to see that).

Hopefully, that helps someone, but now I’m on a roll.... any recommendations for that fancy-pants network cable? Or should that be two?

Seth