Ethernet & Streaming
Audiophile ethernet cables in Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7 and Cat8 for streamers, servers and network players, from Atlas, AudioQuest, Chord, Melco, Supra and Tellurium Q.
Shop by Brand
Does ethernet cable matter in hi-fi?
The data arrives intact either way, so the case for audiophile ethernet is about noise rather than bit accuracy. Network cable carries high frequency electrical noise from routers, switches and everything else on the network, and that noise can reach the streamer and from there the DAC.
This is a category where opinions differ sharply and we would rather be straight about it. Some listeners hear a clear difference when they replace a standard patch lead in the last run before the streamer. Others hear nothing at all. The variables that matter most are how noisy the network is and how well isolated the streamer's own ethernet input is.
If you want to try it, start with the final run between the switch or router and the streamer, since that is where any change is most likely. A higher category number is not automatically better for audio: Cat8 uses a shielding arrangement that connects to the equipment chassis at both ends, which some systems prefer and others do not. Trying one in your own system is the honest way to settle the question.
-
£74.17Ex. VATiFi Audio LAN iSilencer+ passive in-line Ethernet conditioner, combining galvanic isolation and RF filtration to reduce network-borne noise and jitter, with Gigabit-ready speeds and 400W surge protection for streamers and networked audio devices. -
iFi Audio
iFi Audio LAN iPurifier Pro 4-In/4-Out Streaming Ethernet ConditionerSKU: 03-20-015-0001-00
£582.50Ex. VATiFi Audio LAN iPurifier Pro 4-in/4-out Ethernet conditioner, using optical galvanic isolation and active signal regeneration across four independent network ports to eliminate noise and jitter for high-end and professional AV streaming environments. -
From£165.83Ex. VATiFi Audio LAN iSilencer 4/8/12 multi-port network isolator, using transformer-based galvanic isolation and passive RF filtration across four, eight, or twelve ports to deliver clean, stable network signals in professional and high-end AV installations.
-
£233.32Ex. VATThe ADOT ASR-100 is an audiophile subnet router that creates a dedicated network for a hi-fi system, keeping streamers, music servers and control devices isolated from general home network traffic. Tuned specifically for music streaming and locally stored audio, it removes the network conflicts and configuration headaches that disturb listening. It can sit alongside an existing home network or run as a completely standalone, isolated system. -
DELA/Melco
DELA S50 Audiophile Dataswitch with Free ADOT Optical Network Isolation - Summer PromotionSKU: DELA S50 ADOT Summer Promo
£2,749.17Ex. VATThe DELA S50 audiophile network dataswitch now comes with a free ADOT MC02 optical isolation kit, adding an optical break to the network path at no extra cost. -
DELA/Melco
DELA S5 Audiophile Dataswitch with Free ADOT Optical Network Isolation - Summer PromotionSKU: DELA S5 ADOT Summer Promo
£6,665.83Ex. VATThe DELA S5 audiophile network dataswitch now comes with a free ADOT MC02 optical isolation kit, adding an optical break to the network path at no extra cost. -
DELA/Melco
DELA S1 Audiophile Dataswitch with Free ADOT Optical Network Isolation - Summer PromotionSKU: DELA S1 ADOT Summer Promo
£10,832.50Ex. VATThe DELA S1 audiophile network dataswitch now comes with a free ADOT MC03 optical isolation kit and Plixir power supply, adding optical isolation and a power upgrade at no extra cost. -
NEWFrom£24.17Ex. VATThe QED Performance Ethernet is a CAT6 FTP network cable designed for connecting a music streamer to a router or network switch. It uses large 24AWG twisted pairs of 99.999% OFC with asymmetric twist rates and a full HDPE spacer to reduce skew and crosstalk, with shielded, gold-plated RJ45 plugs. QED rate it for hi-res streaming up to 24/192 and DSD1024. Available in 0.75m to 6.0m. -
NEW£41.67Ex. VATThe Matrix Audio SFP Module (MA-SFP-LX-SM1310-LC) is a 1310nm single-mode fibre optic transceiver for the SFP ports on Matrix Audio's SS-1 and SS-1 Pro audio-grade network switches, and on SFP-equipped players such as the MS-1 and NT-1. Using a duplex LC connection, it carries network data up to 10km at 1.25Gbps while electrically isolating your audio system from noisy network equipment.
-
NEW£2,541.67Ex. VATThe Furutech Project V1-LAN is a 1.2m Category 8 Ethernet cable from the flagship Project V1 range, with silver-plated Alpha OCC conductors, five-layer shielding, NCF damping and gold-plated RJ45 plugs for quieter network streaming.
-
NEWFrom£8.33Ex. VATThe Kordz PRS SlimCat Cat6A U/FTP Network Patch Cord is a slim 4.8mm shielded patch cable for 10Gbps networking, PoE, PoE+ and PoE++, with a compact gold-plated RJ45 connector and a 2,000-cycle latch tab, in 16 lengths and eight colours.
-
NEWFrom£30.83Ex. VATThe Kordz PRO SlimCat Cat6 U/UTP Network Patch Cord in BeltPak packaging is a slim 3.9mm Cat6 patch cable for Gigabit Ethernet and 100W PoE++, in black or blue from 0.15m to 2m, supplied and priced as one recyclable Kordz BeltPak belt of 10 cords.
