Audio over cat 5??

[robloxley]

about what I don't follow the general mass of thinking and my post's some times can not be read clearly but that does not mean that I have a point that is relevant :D

You'll have to forgive people if they have difficulty understanding posts.

[SimonTheSoundMan]

CAT5e and CAT6 are what you need. Make sure they are plenum (uses teflon as dielectric) and solid core not stranded. Most audio cable is poor, high capacitance and impedance, and usually use some crap dielectric like PVC, polypropylene or polyethlene (eddies and skinning anyone?).

 

Ok, here are some useful results using CAT5: http://www.t-linespeakers.org/oddsends/drabittX/cat5.html

 

It's good stuff, it has to meet very strict standards. It's also cheap as so much is made these days. :)

[bruce]

CAT5e and CAT6 are what you need. Make sure they are plenum (uses teflon as dielectric) and solid core not stranded. Most audio cable is poor, high capacitance and impedance, and usually use some crap dielectric like PVC, polypropylene or polyethlene (eddies and skinning anyone?).

 

and make sure the signal travels in the direction of the natural crystalline alignment....

 

Seriously, Nobody would argue that cat5, cat5e and cat6 have differing electrical properties. But in general these are only apparent at MHz/GHz frequencies. At audio frequencies, I would suggest that the only place you might be able to sell these theories is in a hi-fi shop.... :)

[paulears]

I've just realised that the link in Simons post is talking about running loudspeakers through cat 5 cable.

 

:)

Time for a halt to this. We are not a hi-fi community. We deal in facts that relate to backstage activities. We do occasionally use cat 5 cable for low signal level interconnects - and more lately for digtal connections between equipment where there are real quantifiable advantages.

 

We don't normally consider 'snake oil' hi-fi type claims that usually have very questionable physics on this forum.

 

Please keep to the original topicand don't let's get sidetracked into a hi-fi claims debate - Brownstufs original aim was to run 'XLR audio' over cat 5. This does not suggest loudspeaker level in any shape or form.

Thanks

Paul

mods

[Brian]

...crap dielectric like PVC, polypropylene...

I thought polypropylene was the dielectric of choice for non-polar capacitors in the hi-fi world?

[Biskit]

Dragging up an old topic here... can anyone comment from experience on running analogue balanced audio down cat5 or similar data cable? I need to do quite a long and awkward cable install for 10 tie lines which could be used for mic or line signals. The cheapest solution I can find which can provide a 0v reference for phantom power is overall foil screened multipair, similar to shielded cat5, eg:

 

http://www.homestead.co.uk/productcategory...ategoryid=51023

 

I can't see any reason in theory for it not to work with balanced audio, my only concern would be the phantom power possibly causing problems with the shared screen. That said, many stage-box systems have all the XLR pin1s tied to the chassis at both ends which would have the same effect, wouldn't it (ie. work perfectly fine)?

 

Ben.

[Dmills]

It should be fine, but be wary of crossing equipotential boundaries as the screen will not carry much current.

As long as you are inside a single building it will probably do just fine, it is when linking between buildings that life can get 'interesting'.

 

Regards, Dan.

[flowirin]

this whole argument is amusing.

 

reminds me of the old DAT argument, when some claimed the audio dat tapes were superior to the data DATs, when a little research showed that the data dats were cut from the middle of the roll, where the tolerance for error was 0%, and the audio dats from the edges, where the tolerance was less. audio is not as critical of losses as data, where every single bit matters. and the audio tapes cost more!

 

so, what about cat6 cable? I've got a roll of shielded, twisted pair cat6, where every pair has an individual (externally coated) shield. the impedance matches that of mic cable, with the added advantage that there's 4 different lengths of run per cable. the cable transmits at ridiculous frequencies without error.

 

is there any reason why this is not better than an average multicore cable for an installation? I need to build something with 36 anlogue mic level channels up, 16 down, plus a couple of dedicated ethernet for a 50m run. (I already run 1080p hdmi through a pair of this cable). the cat 6 is a lot cheaper, its made to tighter specifications, and I can use each pair's shield as a ground, with the overall cable shield as a shield. I can crimp on ethercon connectors to make good connections with a breakout box at each end, and if a rat gets busy, I can replace the damaged cable easily and cheaply. I just cannot see how a 'audio' cable is in any way superior.

 

be great if someone has actually done this, and has test results to prove the integrity of the signals.

[audiomik]

well, for many years I've used Data Cable for Audio installs with very good results.

This includes internal rack wiring where it's smaller OD makes looms easier to fit as well as for long (100m) links to wall boxes etc.

Not certain about the use of 'ethercon' connectors which 'add' an additional potential failure point and don't have the full number of pins if you need to separate all of the screens over direct connections to Audio connectors but the cable type you are proposing to use should work very well.

Hope this assists

Mik

 

Edit: sorry - no measured test results as nothing appeared on install tests to indicate problems with crosstalk or signal losses to warrant any!

Also there is a recent discussion on this subject over on Speakerplans which may be of interest:

http://forum.speakerplans.com/audio-over-c...topic45030.html

[Shez]

I've got a roll of shielded, twisted pair cat6, where every pair has an individual (externally coated) shield.

 

Is there continuity between the shields of the different pairs? (not sure what you meant by externally coated).

[geerlingguy]

does any one know if you get a bad sound from running XLR signal over cat 5?

 

 

Unlike some others in this thread, I fully support using Cat5 for these kinds of runs, especially if you have good equipment and are sending balanced audio (or line-level audio). See my guide here for more on my experience wiring up a 500' long run at a Cathedral for balanced and line-level audio (terminating in XLR): XLR Mic Level and Balanced Audio over Cat53

 

 

 

Dragging up an old topic here... can anyone comment from experience on running analogue balanced audio down cat5 or similar data cable?

 

 

I haven't done phantom power yet, but I have run balanced mic-level audio, and regular line-level audio over the same Cat5e (shielded, twisted pair) cable - see my link in my other response above.

[Cupboard]

Sorry to drag up such an old topic, but it seemed silly to start a new one.

 

I'm sorting out an old cable we've got, it was around 50m with two XLR connectors on each end which hadn't been made well and the ends were dying (one was very nearly falling off). Once I'd removed the ends and endless amounts of what I think might have been self amalgamating tape, I found the cable was a screened Cat 5 cable.

 

For wiring this up, is it valid to use each of the pairs for a balanced audio line with the screen common across all of them? Logically, I think it should be fine but it might need me to bodge in an extra cable to split the screen a few more ways as there isn't much of it. The cable is mostly foil screened with a small amount of wire. Whatever I do should beat using a spare pair for each channel to connect the screen and the shell of the connector :)

 

Thanks

 

 

e2a: I was thinking of running two lines in each direction, so two sends and two returns.

[revbobuk]

If you're interested, follow the link to see the box I made to do just this.

 

Pastor Bob's Musings: Making connections

 

It's proved very reliable, and even usable at mic level, despite the doom-laden pronouncements of some here!

[Cupboard]

Thanks, just having a read of your site now. It seems worth a read even ignoring the relevant bits :)

[soundspider]

Does this mean that you could, say, tape 6 lengths of screened cat5e together and make a 24 way multi that's about a quarter of the price of a budget audio one and about a tenth of the weight?? Think I'll be playing with some cat5 and cheapo connectors in the near future to try it out.