I thought I'd update my thread on the Ethernet cables I was evaluating recently with my impressions and experiences with the Shunyata Alpha Ethernet cable. The Alpha Ethernet cable is built upon, and expands, the foundation of functionality provided by the Venom cable to achieve even higher levels of performance. A new feature and function is that it has a "CN filter" (common noise) that removes the impact of common mode noise from Ethernet cable signal transmission. This is the cylindrical device that is in the middle of the Alpha cable.
Shuyata Research Alpha Ethernet cable (photograph copyright 2019 Shunyata Research)
Common mode noise typically occurs from devices like cell phones, iPads, video doorbells, high-bandwidth CPUs and GPUs, etc, etc. In other words, all the stuff we have so much of in our homes these days, and has notable effects on digital signal tranmission. It causes, among other things, ground loops on both legs (positive and negative) of a circuit (which is why it is referred to as "common" noise), and thus, is insidious in the impact it has on signal transmission, particularly digital signal transmission.
From Wikipedia:
"Common mode noise is noise in which a noise current that has leaked via a stray capacitance or the like passes through ground and returns to the power supply line. It is called "common mode" noise because the direction of the noise currents on the positive (+) and the negative (-) sides of the power supply have the same direction. A noise voltage does not appear across the power supply lines.
As explained above, these types of noise are conducted emissions. However, noise currents are flowing in power supply lines, and so noise is radiated."
Here is a diagram distinguishing common mode from differential mode noise:
The CN filter on the Shunyata Alpha Ethernet cable very effectively attenuates and suppresses common mode noise and provides thus a very low noise floor and more extended, open and natural presentation.
I'll put the observations of Alpha into context by recounting the impressions from a friend who came over to hear and evaluate the Shunyata Ethernet cables.
We started off with my base configuration (Supra Cat 8 and AQ Cinnamon) and listened for 20 minutes or so. Putting in the Venom between the FMC and the SOtM, he immediately remarked on much quieter, more open and spacious the presentation was. And the soundstage became deeper front-to-back. My friend's observations were fully consistent with what I've reported for Venom earlier in this thread.
We then put in the Alpha and he remarked that the presentation became even more accurate, yet more natural-sounding, more open and spacious and yet the imaging was more focused. For example, the chorus of 3 background singers that previously sounded like “one/throat/one voice” was now comprised of three separate voices singing in a group in the soundstage. The lower noise floor and superior articulation of the Alpha Ethernet cable results in an even more open, spacious, airy presentation that builds further upon the "naturalness" and analog qualities from the Venom Ethernet cable. More good stuff.
Last, I put the Venom upstream of the first fiber media convertor, with the Alpha Ethernet connecting the downstream Sonore microRendu to the new SOtM UltraNeo streamer. My friend exclaimed,
“Wow! Someone took the kink out of the hose! Before it sounded like a song being played on the stereo. Now it sounds like the singer is with me in the room.”
This last point is important: what I've consistently observed with the Shunayta Ethernet cables: the benefits and impact they bring is additive (or perhaps more accurately, synergistic, where the "whole is greater than the sum of the parts"). Given that I utilize a fairly complicated configuration of a mix of Ethernet cables in different rooms, what I've found is that I obtain improved and greater overall performance by using more Shunyata Ethernet cables in my configuration.
The nice thing is because the overall qualities and foundation provided by Venom & Alpha is
so good and, just as importantly,
so consistent in their overall sonic attributes, that you can mix 'n match Shunyata Ethernet cables as your configuration requires and your budget allows. Using Venom for upstream Ethernet, and Alpha for that last, critical connection to the SOtM Network bridge took my streaming front end to levels of performance I had not been previously able to achieve and most importantly, brought the system much further along to creating engaging musical experiences.
Summing up: the Shunyata Alpha Ethernet cable brings superior performance for Ethernet audio applications, and at the price at USD $600 for 1.5M, this cable, IMHO, is an absolutely
killer value proposition, as it outperforms cables from other manufacturers at many times the price. IIRC, Guilliaume reported that Alpha Ethernet notably outpeformed a 4000€ European Ethernet cable. I'm not at all suprised...
I'll finish up this thread with my impressions of the Shunyata Sigma Ethernet cable. Stay tuned!
