Despite his previous “revelatory” experiences of Computer Audio Design’s (CAD) noise-reducing digital audio products, Andrew Harrison approaches his review of the new Ethernet Control with “a little healthy scepticism”. Can the device prove its worth and win him over?

The issue of improving Ethernet connection is, according to Harrison, writing in the July issue of Hi-Fi Plus, a somewhat “thorny” one given that most people outside of audiophile circles seem to think that “there’s nothing to fix” since Ethernet is “bomb-proof in its bit fidelity”. Such a view, however, would be to miss the very point that Computer Audio Design’s (CAD) products are engineered to address: high frequency noise.

CAD’s Scott Berry firmly believes that reducing unwanted high frequency noise in a hi-fi system audibly improves the system’s sound quality. To that end, he has pioneered a portfolio of highly effective solutions to the problem, including the new Ethernet Control.

Reviewer Andrew Harrison has tested a number of Berry’s other products and, having found the effect to be a “revelatory experience”, he quips that “if anyone can fix what ain’t broke, it would likely be Computer Audio Design”.

The Ethernet Control is intended for use with audio source components such as servers, computers, streamers and DACs, and also with amplifiers and other analogue components with RJ45 connections for service, control or configuration. The device is small, unobtrusive and simple to use, and will deliver audible results with both streaming services (Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz, etc) and with locally stored music files.

Putting the new Ethernet Control to the test, Harrison confirms that the results are indeed audible, in the form of “subtle but tangible changes” that are “pervasively positive”. Seeking to be sure that he isn’t succumbing to confirmation bias, Harrison goes to the trouble of enlisting the help of an assistant to run a series of single-blind listening tests. To his relief, the tests confirm that his perceptions are both real and consistent, taking the form of “a gentle shift towards a less-busy rendering of music, a nod towards the creaminess of analogue”.

“In continuing to optimize computer audio, CAD has another winner,” he concludes. “Found to benefit a range of music sources from PCs to dedicated streamers, [the Ethernet Control] is set to become a highly covetable accessory in the quest to refine high-end digital sound further”.

Read Andrew Harrison’s review in full in the July 2024 issue of Hi-Fi Plus.

Discover more about CAD’s Ethernet Control and locate your nearest specialist retailer at www.computeraudiodesign.com