Do router and ethernet cables affect sound quality?

[Analogous]

This may explain the phenom:

Higher alcohol consumption linked to listening to loud music

Research claims that music makes booze taste sweeter

www.nme.com

And

Loud Sounds Can Make Your Drink Seem Stronger

The scientific reason that clubbing and cocktails go hand in hand—but shouldn't always

www.smithsonianmag.com

 

[firearm12]

This may explain the phenom:

Higher alcohol consumption linked to listening to loud music

Research claims that music makes booze taste sweeter

www.nme.com

And

Loud Sounds Can Make Your Drink Seem Stronger

The scientific reason that clubbing and cocktails go hand in hand—but shouldn't always

www.smithsonianmag.com

Anything measured scientifically ? or people will again argue that it's just because brain sends signals, they forget that brain is sending signal that's why I am writing this.

 

[alpha1]

Now if you can specify the quantum and vintage of the wine it will be objectively measurable

Anything measured scientifically ? or people will again argue that it's just because brain sends signals, they forget that brain is sending signal that's why I am writing this.

I wonder if esteemed forum members have ever tested with different flavors, strength, quantity and ingestion rate to determine the best effect on the music.

Now that would be something worthwhile evaluating since alcohol does indeed alter the perceptions. (Emphasis is on the word perception). The reality remains the same, unaltered.

I don't know why people who have limited understanding of physics and electrical engineering are trying to challenge the principles on which our modern Information Technology is built and continues working.

 

[Analogous]

Anything measured scientifically ? or people will again argue that it's just because brain sends signals, they forget that brain is sending signal that's why I am writing this.

These are extrapolated from scientific studies. You can track down the original research from the publications mentioned.
Here is one of them: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950329316300532

 

[raghupb]

<snip> I, for one, find it hard to believe that out of the hundreds of cables between the spotify server and your computer, it is the last one that is going to make all the difference. Network engineers change cables and equipment everyday, and not a single one of those changes results in any perceptible difference to what you hear - because you simply don't even know they are being changed. If you did, then maybe it might make a difference to what you hear.

If an audiophile ever saw in inside of a data center or enterprise or service provider rack installation room, wonder what they would do?
All kinds of cables incestuously mingling with each other, out there bare in the open with HVAC running at full blast on routers physically installed with just rack ears. Within each switch/router, the audio packets are touched, molested, preceded and succeeded by porn content or tik-tok videos and what not. Ugh!! Abomination.
Now I grasp why audio grade routers and special ethernet cables are needed at home to clean all this up before it hits my clean and innocent streamer.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[Analogous]

I wonder if esteemed forum members have ever tested with different flavors, strength, quantity and ingestion rate to determine the best effect on the music.

Now that would be something worthwhile evaluating since alcohol does indeed alter the perceptions. (Emphasis is on the word perception). The reality remains the same, unaltered.

I don't know why people who have limited understanding of physics and electrical engineering are trying to challenge the principles on which our modern Information Technology is built and continues

Edit: it is a fascinating topic. Any imbibed substance that alters our mental states is likely to have an effect on our sensory perceptions (including hearing) I think research on this still has a long way to go.
Here is one of the research papers cited in the second article:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2041669515622001

 

[firearm12]

These are extrapolated from scientific studies. You can track down the original research from the publications mentioned.
Here is one of them: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950329316300532

These seem to be observations on test cases, no graphs and no equipment, just subjective interpretation.

 

[Analogous]

These seem to be observations on test cases, no graphs and no equipment, just subjective interpretation.

It’s the abstract. Full access to complete research has to be paid for (mentioned at the top right of the abstract page)
Damn paywalls!

 

[mbhangui]

If an audiophile ever saw in inside of a data center or enterprise or service provider rack installation room, wonder what they would do?

This is one of the messy ones. There is a similar thing when audiophiles hear things with exotic power cables, where all you need is a shielded power cable.

 

[firearm12]

If an audiophile ever saw in inside of a data center or enterprise or service provider rack installation room, wonder what they would do?
All kinds of cables incestuously mingling with each other, out there bare in the open with HVAC running at full blast on routers physically installed with just rack ears. Within each switch/router, the audio packets are touched, molested, preceded and succeeded by porn content or tik-tok videos and what not. Ugh!! Abomination.
Now I grasp why audio grade routers and special ethernet cables are needed at home to clean all this up before it hits my clean and innocent streamer.
Cheers,
Raghu

You forgot hundreds of power cables which are dangling together creating a electromagnetic storm.

 

[Analogous]

If an audiophile ever saw in inside of a data center or enterprise or service provider rack installation room, wonder what they would do?
All kinds of cables incestuously mingling with each other, out there bare in the open with HVAC running at full blast on routers physically installed with just rack ears. Within each switch/router, the audio packets are touched, molested, preceded and succeeded by porn content or tik-tok videos and what not. Ugh!! Abomination.
Now I grasp why audio grade routers and special ethernet cables are needed at home to clean all this up before it hits my clean and innocent streamer.
Cheers,
Raghu

Incest, molestation, and more mingling with innocence!!! This should be R rated!

 

[firearm12]

This is one of the messy ones. There is a similar thing when audiophiles hear things with exotic power cables, where all you need is a shielded power cable.

View attachment 66333

This is what my music goes though? Hmm i can understand why tidal and qobuz do not sound good.

 

[raghupb]

@mbhangui
The pic would be a great candidate for a meme with a home router superimposed in the middle saying,
"I am solely responsible for purifying messy internet audio due to all of this crap"
If you know how to create a meme, please do so and post on the "jokes" thread for posterity
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[raghupb]

It’s the abstract. Full access to complete research has to be paid for (mentioned at the top right of the abstract page)
Damn paywalls!

Please don't pay for such research papers.
Instead use me (and many others here) as test subjects/objects and buy us beer please, please!!!
We'll happily give you all the subjective and objective data you want, until we pass out.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[keith_correa]

We'll happily give you all the subjective and objective data you want, until we pass out.
Cheers,
Raghu

I already did. Just woke up. Did I miss much?

 

[firearm12]

Here is an interesting test of network switches on audio (with livestream). It's not for objectivists. Please believe or disbelieve on your risk.

Alpha Audio NET - Multitest – The best switch for streaming audio

Data is data… A 1 is a 1 and a 0 is a 0. Right as rain. So why are we testing network switches? They don’t make data errors, do they? After all, there are ancient protocols for data tra…

alpha-audio.net

If anyone wants my experience or belief in this as was the thread title, i believe power quality and power supplies matter alot in audio. They can affect in case of network switches also, especially the one that's just connected to your streamer, and it's the only reason if any for change in audio characteristics. But it's my personal opinion based on just experience.

 

[sidvee]

Nordost QNET Network Switch For Audiophiles - Digit News

Nordost QNET network switch for audiophiles

digitnews.in

This is $3200. In India probably will cost 3 lac. I am sure it will be superb.
I wonder of 3 of these https://www.musicdirect.com/vibration-control/nordost-sort-kones-ea
will improve the unit further.


Cheers,
Sid

 

[mbhangui]

We are all running in circles trying to listen to the best sound possible. More than beer, wine, it is smoking that cannot be named here, gives the best perception of sound with almost any equipment. IMHO, if someone has not ever heard music that way, then he/she hasn't yet heard anything. The perception of time changes and it allows you to soak in each and every nuances of any music that you could be hearing.

 

[raghupb]

Go Green!!
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[arj]

I am not surprised at people laughing at my answer, OR giving explanation about computer screen/pdf files etc.

I too was in the same boat few months ago, and I also did not belive that router / ethernet cable can affect the final sound. So at that time I had decided to experiment myself, and I was able to find some difference, thats it. If you can hear the difference fine, if you cannot then also its fine. Experiment and try and find it out yourself.
....

Thats always the case. Our brains are tuned to find a logical explanation which can only come with knowledge already there. either way if the brain cant comprehend it either extrapolates it or tries to ignore it
Reactions by people in most public Forums are also the same but in the end they are also opinions unless of course you know someone is an expert !

I personally believe , in our hobby , If you can feel something makes a difference and are confident about it (as long as it is not really affecting anyone) , go ahead and dont get affected by what others tell you, unless it is useful information.

The only options are either
- you are wrong..so what- its your system , your money and your enjoyment and not affecting anyone else so dont have to care.
- you are right and someone later will figure out the reason.