Sending audio analog signal over standard Cat 5/6/7 cables over long distance:
Measurements of Thomann SSSnake Cat "Snake" Extenders
Hello
Here is a quick review and some measurements about a... "cable" (kind of).
Actually, this is a full range of accessories Thomann (one of the major music stores in Europe) is saling under its own SSSnake brand.
Here is a link to the range.
I purchased 2 components: A 4 Female XLR "stage box" ("3FB") and a 4 Male XLR "splitter" ("3MC").
Price of those is quite low (below 30€ each)
Connection between the 2 boxes is done through standard RJ45 Category 5/6/7 cable.
I've performed following measurements using a 30m Cat5e UTP cable I had at hand.
This would not allow Phantom power transport (you need a shielded cable for that), but that's enough to transport audio signal.
(For facility, I'll call the assembly of the 2 Thomann connectors + the UTP cable "the cable" below.)
To assess performance, I measured some key values first "Direct" (from DAC to ADC through a set of XLR cables) then through the Cat5e cable.
Measurements are, as usual (for me), performed using
1. RME ADI-2 Pro fs R as a DAC (both output merged into 1 mono channel)
2. E1DA Cosmos ADC (from @IVX, Grade A, set to 6.7Vrms range, measured in Mono) as an ADC for SINAD and noise measurements
3. RME ADI-2 Pro fs R as an ADC (both input merged into 1 mono channel) for High frequency measurements and Frequency response
4. Virtins Multi Instrument Pro 3.9.5 as a measurement software
Performances of this is not supposed to match with Amir's Audio Precision, but as we will compare 2 measurements with just adding the "cable" we want to test, that should make no real difference. As you'll see, the performance of the test set up should be good enough to get a good idea of the added "cable" transparency.
SINAD dashboard
Direct
Through "Cable"
Noise floor
Direct
Through "Cable"
32 tones
Direct
Through "Cable"
Frequency response (96kHz sampling rate)
Direct
Through "Cable"
1kHz Square wave @768kHz sampling rate
Direct
Through "Cable"
Bottom line
I don't know for you guys, but, for me, I don't see any difference to speak about...
(Spoiler: I tested another similar device, from another brand, for which this is NOT true)
Important notes
Those devices exist in various brands.
(But this one is exceptionnaly cheap).
They all use the 4 twisted pairs you find in each Cat 5/6/7 cable to transport 4 separate balanced signals.
But they don't all use the same pairs for the same channels. And, more importantly, some brands are reversing phase on some pairs.
So mixing such "connectors" from different brands at the 2 sides of the Cat cable may be done, but you'd better check what impact that has.
Wiring for the Thomann SSSnake brand may be found here.
Phantom power may also be sent if you use a foilded/shiedled Cat 5/6/7 cable (the phantom power will use the shield)
DMX signal may also be transmitted.
I suppose that AES/EBU digital audio may also be sent using those extenders.
I didn't check any of those though.
Measurements of Thomann SSSnake Cat "Snake" Extenders
Hello
Here is a quick review and some measurements about a... "cable" (kind of).
Actually, this is a full range of accessories Thomann (one of the major music stores in Europe) is saling under its own SSSnake brand.
Here is a link to the range.
I purchased 2 components: A 4 Female XLR "stage box" ("3FB") and a 4 Male XLR "splitter" ("3MC").
Price of those is quite low (below 30€ each)
Connection between the 2 boxes is done through standard RJ45 Category 5/6/7 cable.
I've performed following measurements using a 30m Cat5e UTP cable I had at hand.
This would not allow Phantom power transport (you need a shielded cable for that), but that's enough to transport audio signal.
(For facility, I'll call the assembly of the 2 Thomann connectors + the UTP cable "the cable" below.)
To assess performance, I measured some key values first "Direct" (from DAC to ADC through a set of XLR cables) then through the Cat5e cable.
Measurements are, as usual (for me), performed using
1. RME ADI-2 Pro fs R as a DAC (both output merged into 1 mono channel)
2. E1DA Cosmos ADC (from @IVX, Grade A, set to 6.7Vrms range, measured in Mono) as an ADC for SINAD and noise measurements
3. RME ADI-2 Pro fs R as an ADC (both input merged into 1 mono channel) for High frequency measurements and Frequency response
4. Virtins Multi Instrument Pro 3.9.5 as a measurement software
Performances of this is not supposed to match with Amir's Audio Precision, but as we will compare 2 measurements with just adding the "cable" we want to test, that should make no real difference. As you'll see, the performance of the test set up should be good enough to get a good idea of the added "cable" transparency.
SINAD dashboard
Direct
Through "Cable"
Noise floor
Direct
Through "Cable"
32 tones
Direct
Through "Cable"
Frequency response (96kHz sampling rate)
Direct
Through "Cable"
1kHz Square wave @768kHz sampling rate
Direct
Through "Cable"
Bottom line
I don't know for you guys, but, for me, I don't see any difference to speak about...
(Spoiler: I tested another similar device, from another brand, for which this is NOT true)
Important notes
Those devices exist in various brands.
(But this one is exceptionnaly cheap).
They all use the 4 twisted pairs you find in each Cat 5/6/7 cable to transport 4 separate balanced signals.
But they don't all use the same pairs for the same channels. And, more importantly, some brands are reversing phase on some pairs.
So mixing such "connectors" from different brands at the 2 sides of the Cat cable may be done, but you'd better check what impact that has.
Wiring for the Thomann SSSnake brand may be found here.
Phantom power may also be sent if you use a foilded/shiedled Cat 5/6/7 cable (the phantom power will use the shield)
DMX signal may also be transmitted.
I suppose that AES/EBU digital audio may also be sent using those extenders.
I didn't check any of those though.
Last edited: