Denon's $499 Ethernet Cable Vs. Walmart's $0.49 Coat Hangar

[Tim Williamson]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/06/denon_ethernet_cables_costs_a_bomb.html' target='_blank'>http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archive...sts_a_bomb.html</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;High-end audio company Denon will be offering an Ethernet cable that will break the bank as it costs a whopping $499. What makes this 1.5 meter ultra-premium link cable so special? It was apparently designed for the audio enthusiast, constructed from high purity copper wire and high performance connection parts to form the AK-DL1.&quot;</em><br /><br /><img border="1" alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1214288866.usr209.jpg" /><br /><br />Okay, so they didn't really test Denon's top of the line, 1.5 meter, $499 dollar Ethernet cable against a Walmart $0.49 coat hangar, but it would really be interesting to see how they compare!&nbsp; I guess I'm not clear on the purpose of super high quality Ethernet cable (either the bits get from one place to the other, or they don't, right?), so this seems slightly redunkulous to me, but maybe some of you audiophiles out there could clue me in on the practicality of cabling made to this standard.

[paschott]

www.userfriendly.com has run a series on this for the last couple of days. It was pretty funny and speaks volumes about the people who will spend this much money for something that's pretty unproven.

Personally, I don't think that anyone can tell the difference between $500 cables and $50 cables, but that may just be my opinion. I seem to remember that one of these rip-off artists was challenged and never did step up to the plate to have a real test performed. They wouldn't even put up the cables when they halfway accepted - someone else needed to provide those. More power to them if they can find sucker^H^H^H^H^H^H buyers, but everything I see indicates rip-off.

[Vincent Ferrari]

I can tell you from experience that, at least in the case of HDMI cables, rock bottom doesn't always get the bits to the TV better than a better-made cable. Now, I'm not talking about spending $150 on Monster Cable, but my upscaling DVD player came with an HDMI cable and I had nothing but trouble to the point that I thought the HDMI port on my TV was bad. I went to Monoprice.com and bought their higher end cable, hooked it up, and problem solved. In the end, the bits were getting there, but not at the speed they needed to be to put the picture on the screen.

I'm not saying these overly expensive cables are worth it, but in the end, it's not just about bits getting there; it's about them getting there fast enough.

That being said, these cables definitely seem like a ripoff. There's no way in hell an ethernet cable of any length should be a real problem and these guys are seriously playing to the "if it costs more it must be better" crowd, much like Pear Audio and their $1500 cables.

[Jason Dunn]

If you want to have a good chuckle, read the "reviews" of this product:

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B000I1X6PM/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_1%22

:D

[Vincent Ferrari]

This one has to be the winner. Undisputed.

I installed one of these cables between my gigabit ethernet switch and my Canon Pixma 6700 color printer. I know it's not a sanctioned use, but I was looking for the ultimate in speed and color fidelity. I'm freaky that way.

The first time I downloaded a picture to the printer over this cable, the bits moved so fast the printer collapsed into a naked singularity, right there in my office.

Since then, I can't find the cat, and my entire set of VAX/VMS 4.7 documentation (DEC Will Rise Again!) (Mmmmm, orangey!) has gone missing.

[Tim Williamson]

So it sounds like these cables have can be used for both good (growing limbs back, speeding up data, ending global warming, etc.) and evil (creates black holes, used as a noose, sending people back in time, etc.). I wonder how well they work as audio cables though... :D

[Eriq Cook]

Looks like Amazon removed the cable and review link. Even tried doing google search on amazon.com for the AK-DL1 cable.

[Jason Dunn]

Looks like Amazon removed the cable and review link. Even tried doing google search on amazon.com for the AK-DL1 cable.

I can still find the reviews from the link in this thread. This one is hilarious. :D

"A caution to people buying these: if you do not follow the "directional markings" on the cables, your music will play backwards. Please check that before mentioning it in your reviews. I was disappointed. I consider myself an audiophile - I regularly spend over $1000 on cables to get the ultimate sound. I keep my music-listening room in a Faraday cage to prevent any interference that could alter my music-listening experience. Sending any signal down ordinary copper can degrade the signal considerably. While ordinary listeners might not notice, to somebody with even a rudimentary knowledge of sound, the artifacts are glaring. Denon should have used silver wiring (hermetically sealed inside the rubber sheath to prevent any tarnishing, of course), which has a significantly higher conductivity than copper. Furthermore, Denon needs to treat the wires they use in the cable with a polarity inductor to ensure minimal phase variance. Needless to say, I returned the cable and wrote an angry letter to the so-called engineers at Denon."