Non-ethereal net – Wireworld Cable Technology release their second generation Ethernet patch cables. "Their patented flat design was developed through listening tests that compared network cables to a local USB stick. These new Series 8 cables utilize higher density triple-layer shields and quieter Composilex® 3 insulation to maximize audible and visible performance. People don't realize how much musical detail is being lost by their Ethernet connections until they compare their network sound to an internal drive or USB stick. These cables isolate network noise to minimize that loss and provide sound quality that approaches the clarity of a local solid-state drive."
"The official network cable categories (ie. Cat5/6/7/8) only include twisted pair cables so our non-twisted twinax cables cannot be rated by those test specifications. However, 100Gb/s (QSFP+) Ethernet cables used in internet server installations are also twinax designs. Our patented Tite-Shield™ design places the conductors in parallel, with each of the four pairs isolated from the others by dense triple-layer shields. This radical flat design is so effective at isolating noise that replacing only the final cable in the network can substantially improve sound quality. The Series 8 upgrades involve two critical areas of performance. The density of the triple-layer shields was increased which reduced crosstalk and external interference. However, controlled listening tests also revealed that internally generated triboelectric noise still masked too much quiet musical information. Upgrading our Composilex 2 insulation used in the original versions to the newly developed much quieter Composilex 3 enabled even finer musical details to be preserved. The three cable models differ only in their conductor materials. Chroma 8 [$15/m + termination] is yellow with oxygen-free copper conductors. Starlight 8 [$60/m + termination] is red with silver-clad OFC conductors and Platinum Starlight 8 [$600/m + termination] is silver with conductors made of the most conductive metal available, Ohno Continuous Cast solid silver of 7N (99.99999%) purity."
