Unitiserve and Chord Ethernet directionality

Ethernet has data travelling both ways, this is nonsense of the highest order peddled by those that know men fall for such bull, and pay extra for it.

Hi Gary,

Thanks for your perspective but I must admit being surprised when I tested this directionality “foo” with my meicord Ethernet cables and I could certainly hear a preference. I’ll have a play over this weekend when I can find a spare moment to swap the cables out.

The only reason I can think of for any difference would be if the shielding is connected at one end and not the other, which might possibly have some audible effect. I wonder if Chord would be prepared to offer an explanation. Naim speaker cable is also sold as being directional, and they have said that they don't know why that is, but use listening tests to decide. It's going to work whichever way you connect it, so there's no harm in trying both ways.

expectation bias.........try a blind test with someone else swopping the direction around and see can you still tell the difference

NAME - yes arrow goes to the recieveing component, i started typing and then realise your predicament.

But the Switch points to your UnitiServe (arrow), then in turn that to the NDS (arrow) via ethernet

garyi posted:

Ethernet has data travelling both ways, this is nonsense of the highest order peddled by those that know men fall for such bull, and pay extra for it.

???? GARYI,....This said with respect.I'm so tired of such comments.
"NAME" did not ask whether it was nonsense or not,in which direction his cable would sit.... but he asked about just the direction.

Then it would be better to answer Name's question,...and if you have no idea,or believe in this....why then at all write in the thread.

If you think this is nonsense,then start your own thread on that subject,..instead of stupidly explaining those who hear the difference.
It would be perceived more respectfully and seriously.

◾ AND,.. yes,I hear the difference of direction, and have so done in 9-10 years.
As well as everyone in our group also hears the difference of direction.All of these are very experienced and with 100% optimized music system.
Believe it is a precondition for being able to hear small differences.

NAME,.... think like this,put the arrow in the same direction as the "music" travels in the system.

/Peder ????

garyi posted:

Ethernet has data travelling both ways, this is nonsense of the highest order peddled by those that know men fall for such bull, and pay extra for it..

100% for Gary & its all nonsense,  but Chris makes a valid point if the screen is only connected at one end - it was rumoured AQ do this on some of their products,  but its shameful if indeed this is the case that they don't publish such info. 

I have tried reversing my Switch-NDX Meicord & did not hear a difference,   however I have made sure that the NAS-Switch & Switch-NDX have the cable twist in the same direction from end to end;  this is easy to do with Meicord,  ethernet cable has mirror-inverted twist geometry at one end compared to the other.  Meicord use coloured (black & white) wire route mngr plugs to optimally route the twisted pairs into the RJ45 plugs.   I have the white coded plug on NAS & the black end on NDX,  this gives consistency of cable twist from one end of the LAN to the other.  Does it make any difference?  who knows,  I just did it because I could.  Maybe the same logic is used with Chord & AQ directional arrows.  

and further if shields are causing ground loop currents with the mains ground then for goodness sake don't use shields - most of us don't need shields in our applications - we use flexible UTP instead, that is the whole point of using twisted pairs  - shields are designed for use in specific environments and for long distances. In many instances in networking access patch cabling  shielding is not recommended  .. however for longer pathed up links (ie long runs between network infrastructure) , yes it can be... but in the audiophile world there appears a tendency to often disregard access networking best practice - and then some of those audiophiles then wonder why they get funnies occurring with their home networks and the devices connected to it..... remember unlike ethernet twisted pair, shields are not galvanically isolated unless you take special measures to insulate the shield loop such as by modifying your ethernet patch lead.

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

and further if shields are causing ground loop currents with the mains ground then for goodness sake don't use shields - most of us don't need shields in our applications - we use flexible UTP instead, that is the whole point of using twisted pairs  - shields are designed for use in specific environments and for long distances. In many instances in networking access patch cabling  shielding is not recommended  .. however for longer pathed up links (ie long runs between network infrastructure) , yes it can be... but in the audiophile world there appears a tendency to often disregard access networking best practice - and then some of those audiophiles then wonder why they get funnies occurring with their home networks and the devices connected to it.....

I think virtually all of these audiophile network cables are shielded, so presumably, their designers would disagree with you. If, that is, they actually have an opinion on the matter!

Well Chris - how many are these audiophile home network cables are actually Ethernet compliance certified... when I look at said adverts of these cables they are strangely silent on the matter of compliance,.. so its not a case of disagreement - more factual compliance to RFC. 

They may feel they don't need to adhere to ethernet specifications - that is completely up to them - though it might make an interesting test case RA style  challenging their  right to call it an ethernet cable

Quite! I presume that is why they have to call them 'network cables' instead of CatX or Ethernet.

When one of the engineers from Blue Jeans tested one of thw AQ cables it failed cat5e tests. I posted it on one of the many ethernet cable threads. 

Ive used cheap generic, belkin, meicord and audioquest ethernet cables. I can hear a difference between them and also with the meicord and audioquest I can hear a further difference when changing cable direction. 

me too, a slight difference 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

.............   They may feel they don't need to adhere to ethernet specifications - that is completely up to them - though it might make an interesting test case RA style  challenging their  right to call it an ethernet cable

 Chord call their cables ‘streaming’ & do mention they are not Ethernet,   I believe they’re bundled mini coax’s.  

Not sure how it could be challenged in UK with a brand like Audio Quest,  they are constructed as S/FTP & are called Ethernet, as they’re a USA cmpy. 

Well if not sold as an ethernet cable or as a cable suitable for ethernet use  then i guess fine, but if it causes issues on your home network appliances I guess the buyer has no comeback if they are using it for ethernet. If it is however sold in the UK as a cable suitable for ethernet use - but does not meet the physical and electrical properties of Ethernet then its a different matter unless perhaps there is some supporting compliance certification. Of course if someone in the UK buys from outside the UK then they take all responsibility for that.

Simon

It is interesting - I have perused over the Audioquest site - and indeed for example - their 'Vodka' branded cable is stated at a Category 7 cable and used for ethernet. The details seem sparse - however it appears the main marketing spiel is about how they mitigate the effects of connected devices from their shields - which seems strange - as if they didn't use a shield but used good quality UTP instead they would needn't to expend so much energy here. Yes at very 10Gbps sync speed over long distances unto 100metres of so then careful shielding is required between the twisted pairs, but at our humble fast ethernet speeds over typically less than 5 metres then this seems an overkill and I suspect a far simpler and cheaper construction will be as effective. Oh well if it sells and keeps people in employment I will leave it be... 

I just have golden ears and even on the Chord C Stream and Ghent (they do not mark direction) I found there is a right direction.

Recall someone did take Chord to trading standards over the bold claims (which I believe), but without any tech data to back it up the adjudicator ruled against them.

So to answer the OP even Chord had to legally back down, but all that aside it is what you thing not others.

Lastly all these deniers will be falling over themselves with the Naim ethernet hits the dealers ????

Obsydian posted:

 

....

Lastly all these deniers will be falling over themselves 

What's panty-hose got to do with it ? 

Alley Cat posted:

Obsydian posted:

 

....

Lastly all these deniers will be falling over themselves 

What's panty-hose got to do with it ? 

Isn't that a Tina Turner song. Peder will know 

james n posted:

Alley Cat posted:

Obsydian posted:

 

....

Lastly all these deniers will be falling over themselves 

What's panty-hose got to do with it ? 

Isn't that a Tina Turner song. Peder will know 

A second hand emotion ????

james n posted:

Alley Cat posted:

Obsydian posted:

 

....

Lastly all these deniers will be falling over themselves 

What's panty-hose got to do with it ? 

Isn't that a Tina Turner song. Peder will know 

???? JAMES N,....????????????????.

/Peder???? 

Hi Obsydian,

Thanks for your advice, just clarifying with regard to the unitiserve, should the cable be installed so the arrow on the cable is pointing from the switch to the unitiserve (ie the  playback signal is flowing from the switch to the serve) or the unitiserve to the switch (ie the playback signal is flowing from the serve to the switch)? 

Many thanks.

NAME - thanks for the clarification, then the arrow should be at the switch end, so it goes with the music flow.

Which Chord is it, C Stream if so that has a black dot but it does fade, all others have either the same or a pointer on the receiving end.