Let's go back to the summer of 1992, when Ken, Patricia, Roy, and I, all in college, decided to take a drive from San Francisco, down the central California coast. In those pre-internet and pre-cellphone days, we did not exactly have concrete, definitive, or detailed plans. We just decided to start on a Friday, set aside the weekend, and remain open to extending the trip beyond that.
We did not know when or where we'd turn around. Or maybe we'd keep going, and eventually visit our friends who were then living in Los Angeles. We did make a point of having handfuls of loose change, in case we had to use pay phones (remember those?), or feed parking meters. And no, we did not know about Ethernet cables with RJ45 connectors.
Not having Cable Cooker adapters to treat Ethernet cables is like hopping into an empty car, low on gas, and not having any clothes, maps, money, snacks, toiletries, and water. You ain't going anywhere.
But what if you have a Cooker, and then get generic RCA/RJ45 adapters? Ah, now you've taken the Big Step, equipped yourself with drinks, jackets, maps, slippers, snacks, and a full tank of gas. IOW, now you are ready and able to get up and go. Instead of being relegated to your garage, your road trip now has possibilities. You have the power to go places.
Using the audiodharma Ethernet adapter is like adding Patricia's practical, "just right" preparations. Let me explain.
Our road trip involved going out into the fog, cool nights, rocks, shifting and blowing sands, salty ocean spray, summer sun, frigid and turbulent waters, and wind. Smartly, Patricia packed old, casual, raggedy, lightweight, and comfortable clothing. Instead of keeping or hanging on to it, her intention was to wear a piece of clothing once, and then discard it. Indeed, on that first night, before hopping into the shower, Patricia threw away the dirty and tattered socks, tank top, bra, shorts, and panties she had worn earlier that day. By discarding her no-longer-needed/wanted clothes, she lightened the load, and opened up space [the four of us crammed into an early-90s 2-door Honda Civic hatchback] for stuff bought or picked up during the trip.
Before boarding the car, Ken and Roy hastily hoarded a pile of trial-sized toiletries. But Patricia was much more thoughtful and practical. First, she decided what not to bring. Before embarking on the trip, Patricia shaved, and said she didn't care if she had to go a week without shaving. Then she cut her nails. Thus, she left behind her razor, shaving cream, aftershave lotion, fingernail clipper, and nail file. Since we were going to hit the coast, and weren't going out anywhere fancy, Patricia decided not to bring her conditioner, lotion, makeup, mouthwash, and tweezer.
Patricia did not want to rely entirely on hotel soaps and shampoo. At the same time, she wanted to have enough to last a few days, in case our trip extended that long. She started with a single plastic travel soap dish, which enclosed her partially-used bar of soap [Neutrogena glycerin, if you must know]. Instead of lugging her family's Costco-sized shampoo, she brought a smaller (~10.5 oz.) half-used bottle [Herbal Essences, I think]. Again, 'twas enough to last maybe a week, but without weighing her down, and without having to mess, fumble, and get frustrated with teeny tiny trial-size products. Likewise, Patricia packed a rolled-up, half-used tube of toothpaste. Instead of bringing a new toothbrush, she simply brought her currently-used one.
Moreover, the rest of Patricia's toiletries did not take up a lot of space: dental floss, a handful of Q-tips, one comb, a skinny stick of lip balm, and Secret deodorant (sniffing her armpits, she'd complain, "Strong enough for a man, my ass!"). She easily fit all of her toiletries, maxi-pads, band-aids, small tube of sunscreen, and a couple of scrunchies, into a soft knitted tote bag, which was wedged on that small floor hump between the Civic's center console and backseat.
The audiodharma Ethernet adapter gets rid of even more grain, enabling the cable to pass audio and video signals more cleanly. In the case of the AudioQuest Forest RJ/E, music doesn't sound as fizzy and rough. This greatly helps, when the source is kind of sketchy, for example, when you are listening to scratchy MP3s. It's like having enough toiletries, to keep you clean on your road trip.
The audiodharma Ethernet adapter allows the Chord Company C-Stream cable to shrug, "Nothing you don't need." It's like Patricia prepping herself on the morning before embarking, and leaving the dead weight at home. This allows the C-Stream to preserve image size, without getting bloated and ill-defined. Like Patricia getting rid of her old and worn-out clothes, this keeps out the grain riding along the signal, without discarding any of the actual resolution.
Ken attended San Jose State; Patricia labored at San Francisco State; Roy toiled at City College; and I slogged through UC Santa Cruz. By going to four separate schools, we did indeed discuss how they differed. And that reminds me. By removing distortions, the audiodharma adapter allows each Cooked Ethernet cable to show its true self. And when it goes between router and satellite TV receiver, you get to analyze, compare, and debate each one's audio AND video performances.
With the C-Stream cable, chartreuse and fluorescent colors unnaturally stick out. With the Forest RJ/E, video imaging and motion aren't as smooth as they should be. The Vodka RJ/E does the best job of holding the colors, layers, and letters together.
So. Are you going to prepare for your road trip, by stocking up on the right types and quantities of supplies? Do you want to enjoy the trip, and take in all there is to see, smell, and hear? Do you want to see and hear exactly what your Ethernet cables are capable of passing? Then get and use the audiodharma Ethernet adapters.
Recent Comments