Melco Audio, the Japanese streaming specialist, has launched a high-performance yet low cost ethernet cable featuring a number of noise-reducing design properties, priced from £125 (€149) for a 1 m length.
The new C100 directly replaces Melco’s debut ethernet cable, the C1AE, and introduces a number of upgrades to reduce noise and improve networked audio sound quality. It has asymmetric drain wire grounding, where one end of the cable features a ground point. Unwanted noise, either external or from connected devices, travels in one direction to the ground end, (indicated by a Melco logo on the connector plug).
The opposite (non-grounded) end of the cable features an ‘floating’ shield, which is not attached to the connector plug, meaning noise cannot transfer to connected audio devices downstream. Further benefits include gold-plated connectors, a smooth cable outer to avoid tangling, plus a double shield for additional protection. The C100’s conductor thickness has also been improved over its predecessor.
The C100 is a wide bandwidth design rated at 600 MHz, 6x the speed of CAT 5e and 2.4x that of CAT 6. Lengths include: 1 m, 2 m, 3 m, 5 m and 10 m.