Audio Over CAT5: Hands-on jams

This post is a supplement to my article 'CAT5 tracks: Audio goes the distance, reliably and on time' in the July 7, 2005 issue of EDN.

Does MaGIC perform as advertised? Do, and how well do, CobraNet packets coexist with other LAN traffic? How noticeable is the delay through an Airport Express link? Is EtherSound's latency as short and predictable as its promoters claim? And is AudioRail truly a cost-effective contender, or did its inventor make too many compromises on the bill of materials? I've got a Gibson Digital Guitar and companion digital-to-analog breakout box in-hand (I don't play, but my next-door neighbor does), along with an Airport Express and sets of CobraNet and EtherSound evaluation boards. Gear from AudioRail Technologies (to be paired with my MOTU 2408 mkII) is en route. Regularly revisit Brian's Brain for my results, which will appear as a series of posts.