frontpage.
newsnewestaskshowjobs

Made with ♥ by @iamnishanth

Open Source @Github

Open in hackernews

Best Buy is selling a $400 "digital Ethernet" cable for "cleaner, clearer sound"

10•34679•1d ago
"Enjoy cleaner, clearer, more naturally beautiful sound from Ethernet-equipped audio/video components with this high-quality AudioQuest Cinnamon RJ/E Ethernet cable. Meticulously designed for exceptional performance and outstanding value, Cinnamon RJ/E features Solid 1.25% Silver conductors that have been Direction-Controlled to efficiently dissipate high-frequency noise. High-density Polyethylene insulation further minimizes distortion and preserves dynamics. Optimize a wide range of audio streaming devices with AudioQuest Cinnamon RJ/E Ethernet cable."

Discuss but PLEASE do not buy.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/audioquest-cinnamon-rj-e-39-3-digital-ethernet-cable-with-rj45-to-rj45-connectors-black-with-red-stripes/5577904.p?skuId=5577904

Comments

the_hoser•1d ago
A fool and his money.
simondanerd•1d ago
Is this not the advantage of an optical sound cable? A 10 foot cable is $8 on Amazon.

1.25% silver doesn't qualify as "solid" in my mind either.

tocs3•1d ago
The Ethernet cable would presumably be sending digital data. As long as the environment that the cable is being used in is reasonable, the quality of the signal will not be improved because of better conductivity in the cable.
drweevil•1d ago
"digital Ethernet cable" is straight out of the Department of Redundancy Department. And even 100% silver wouldn't change the sound one lick. It is transmitting digital data. 4.6 out of 5 on the reviews tho. The positive reviews are classic cases of confirmation bias: if I paid that much I expect it will be better! Only two reviewers didn't appreciate being separated from their money for no discernible improvement.
Kon-Peki•1d ago
> optical sound cable

You’re probably talking about TosLink cables (what else could you be talking about?).

They have the bandwidth to carry two channels of uncompressed digital audio. Which is what they were designed for.

If you’re using one to carry 5.1 or 7.1 audio from your TV to your soundbar, it’s compressed. An HDMI cable can carry that uncompressed. And so could an Ethernet cable.

Bender•1d ago
Discuss but PLEASE do not buy.

Well, you know and I know but Monster cable was created in 1979 and somehow they and others like them still exist so I guess we will be seeing a lot more digital ethernet cables.

brudgers•1d ago
1. The Audiophile market caters to people who spend money to signal the importance sound plays in their lives. An expensive cable provides value in that regard.

2. I know this is not the motivation, but sending analog audio signals over twisted pair network cables works really well. This is often referred to as “audio over Ethernet” and these cables might be technically better for that (and they might not).

3.People with significant wealth don’t see $500 as a lot of money.

4. An audio installer with cost plus for materials makes more money installing it and avoids “aren’t these cables better?” questions from discerning customers whose discernment is driven by advertising, marketing, and online enthusiast forums.

Or to put it way $500 is not a lot to spend on something that makes you happy, even if it’s not what would make us happy.

Good luck.

34679•23h ago
To point 4-“aren’t these cables better?”

Any honest installer would give the honest answer: "No."

brudgers•22h ago
If they are what the client wants, they are better because the client decides what has value.

Part of what wealth pays for is other people’s agreement with their opinions. Telling them they are foolish to believe what they want to believe is not a hill worth dying on.

That’s pretty much true in general. But you do you.

yonatan8070•5h ago
I sometimes wonder how the people behind these things feel about themselves? Do they feel bad about essentially stealing but suppress it when they see how much money they can make? Or do they just have no conscience?

The same goes for any kinds of scammers, AI spam bot owners, etc.

Reminder: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Reaches EOL on May 31

https://news.itsfoss.com/ubuntu-20-04-eol/
1•Vox_Leone•1m ago•0 comments

Current Continuation E2: Satnam Singh (Groq) [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g5fA9Cy6KU
1•matt_d•1m ago•0 comments

New Livestream Brings Microfiche Digitization to Life for Democracy's Library

https://blog.archive.org/2025/05/21/new-livestream-brings-microfiche-digitization-to-life-for-democracys-library/
1•archagon•2m ago•0 comments

Saying Bye to Glitch

https://pketh.org/bye-glitch.html
2•kaycebasques•4m ago•0 comments

How much time do teens spend on their phones at school

https://mynorthwest.com/local/time-teen-spend-on-phones/4093615
1•MarcoDewey•6m ago•0 comments

Instacart Built a Modern Search Infrastructure on Postgres

https://tech.instacart.com/how-instacart-built-a-modern-search-infrastructure-on-postgres-c528fa601d54
1•todsacerdoti•9m ago•0 comments

MIT physicists discover a new type of superconductor that's also a magnet

https://news.mit.edu/2025/mit-physicists-discover-new-type-superconductor-also-magnet-0522
2•areoform•9m ago•0 comments

Ask HN: Why do we still buy cars like it's 1995?

1•samsullivan•10m ago•4 comments

Kem Module v.2 Post Quantum

https://zenodo.org/records/15516779
1•TomIRN•10m ago•0 comments

Ask HN: What do you think of this Tetris variant that is simpler than Tetris?

1•amichail•12m ago•0 comments

Google Map's Transit Layer Is Trash [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mltgfHzUH38
1•raybb•20m ago•0 comments

Notes from the BugBash Conference

https://emptysqua.re/blog/notes-from-antithesis-bugbash/
1•intuitionist•25m ago•0 comments

Tinder tests letting users set a 'height preference'

https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/29/tinder-tests-letting-users-set-a-height-preference/
2•ironyman•26m ago•2 comments

MacInTouch on pause in an attempt to stem the rising costs of bot traffic

https://www.macintouch.com
2•zdw•27m ago•0 comments

Ask HN: How are people using ChatGPT to increase productivity in personal life?

2•shreythecray•29m ago•1 comments

Watch a robot play badminton against human players

https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-robot-play-badminton-against-human-players
2•geox•39m ago•0 comments

SQL Workbench – Republicans not welcome

https://www.sql-workbench.eu/
33•bitbasher•39m ago•22 comments

85% of Komoot staff being let go after being sold to Bending Spoons

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2025/05/komoot-team-goodbye.html
3•sorenjan•40m ago•0 comments

The Atomic Airplane

https://whatisnuclear.com/the-story-of-the-atomic-airplane.html
4•mpweiher•41m ago•0 comments

Coinbase support agents were compromised

https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/05/29/coinbase-hack-the-community-taskus-bpos-teenagers/
3•miohtama•44m ago•0 comments

Tesla FSD doesn't stop for school buses with stop signs and red lights

https://bsky.app/profile/realdanodowd.bsky.social/post/3lqafg2zqfk2v
18•alex_young•45m ago•5 comments

Canva's Dev MCP Server

https://www.canva.dev/docs/apps/mcp-server/
2•gitgud•47m ago•0 comments

Lifetime earnings and the making of Subliminal Words

https://indest.ee/lifetime-earnings-and-the-making-of-subliminal-words/
1•indest•50m ago•0 comments

Is gravity evidence of a computational universe?

https://pubs.aip.org/aip/adv/article/15/4/045035/3345217/Is-gravity-evidence-of-a-computational-universe
1•mpweiher•51m ago•0 comments

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

https://www.physics.harvard.edu/undergrad/humor
1•mapolone•52m ago•0 comments

My Guide to Avoiding the Internet's Constant Noise

https://uscne.blogspot.com/2025/05/my-guide-to-avoiding-internets.html
1•uscne•55m ago•0 comments

Florida was a shining example of open government. Not any more

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2025/05/29/florida-was-shining-example-open-government-not-any-more-column/
1•howard941•59m ago•0 comments

JavaScript Errors

https://www.haydenbleasel.com/blog/on-javascript-errors
1•fmerian•1h ago•0 comments

Ask HN: How Bing is indexing YouTube videos?

1•the_arun•1h ago•1 comments

The Bullseye of America's Internet (2012)

https://gizmodo.com/the-bullseye-of-america-s-internet-5913934
1•droideqa•1h ago•0 comments