Digital Cable Shootout
Cables, cables, cables. We audiophiles love cables! And what could be better than sitting with your fellow members and listening to a number of digital cables and scoring them based on sound quality? Alex Crespi of Uptone Audio will be present to make sure we set up everything right, and to answer all of our streaming questions.
The digital system will be Alex's Uptone Audio EtherRegen switch connected with Ethernet to a Sonore ultraRendu streamer, powered by the Uptone Audio JS-4 linear power supply. Music selections will be via Qobuz. A USB cable will be run to an Esoteric N-05XD DAC which will output analog to the Audiophile Foundation reference audio system in residence at the CHRS. (System and methodology subject to change.)
We will be doing three separate listening tests.
1. Blind testing three Ethernet cables: budget ($), mid ($$), top ($$$).
2. Blind testing three USB cables: budget ($), mid ($$), top ($$$).
3. We will be adding a fiber media converter connection before the EtherReg switch, then blind testing again with it in or out of the system.