{"id":554,"date":"2026-08-16T02:22:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T02:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbscable.com\/en\/2026\/08\/16\/dante-audio-network-cable-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T11:06:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:06:01","slug":"dante-audio-network-cable-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/vi\/2026\/08\/16\/dante-audio-network-cable-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Dante Audio Network Cable: Choosing Shielded Cat6"},"content":{"rendered":"

Short answer:<\/strong> for a Dante or AES67 audio network the cable decision is about shielding and grounding, not raw speed — a 48 kHz \/ 24-bit audio channel needs only about 1.4 Mbit\/s. A foil-shielded Cat6 (FTP) construction is the practical minimum in a rack or stage environment, and a foil-plus-braid (SFTP) construction is the safer choice wherever the run shares a tray, rack or stage floor with dimmers, lighting or mains power.<\/p>\n

Why the Network Cable Matters in a Dante \/ AES67 System<\/h2>\n

Dante and AES67 send multiple channels of digital audio over a standard IP network. The cable between the switch and the audio device is part of the signal path, and in a live or installed system it usually runs through the same racks, stages and cable trays as power, lighting and analogue audio. That environment is exactly where Ethernet cabling without adequate shielding can pick up interference and drop packets.<\/p>\n

For an audio engineer or AV installer choosing cable for a new Dante network, the practical questions are: which category (Cat5e, Cat6 or Cat6A), which shielding (UTP, FTP, SFTP or SSTP), and how to terminate and route it reliably. This guide covers those decisions using the LBS Ethernet range as reference.<\/p>\n

Cat5e, Cat6 or Cat6A for Dante Audio?<\/h2>\n

Dante audio itself is not bandwidth-heavy \u2014 a 48 kHz, 24-bit audio channel is roughly 1.4 Mbps. But the network cable carries more than audio: it also carries control, clock and redundancy traffic, and it must do so reliably over 100 m link segments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Category<\/th>\nData rate<\/th>\nTypical use for audio<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Cat5e<\/td>\n1 Gbps up to 100 m<\/td>\nBasic Dante \/ AES67 systems, small fixed installs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cat6<\/td>\n1 Gbps \/ 100 m; 10 Gbps up to 55 m<\/td>\nStandard choice for Dante networks, AV-over-IP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cat6A<\/td>\n10 Gbps up to 100 m<\/td>\nFuture-proofing, high-density media networks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

For a new Dante deployment, Cat6 is the practical minimum and the most common recommendation. It gives headroom for AV-over-IP video, control and redundancy without the cost of Cat6A. Cat6A (like the LBS 6ASSTP) is worth considering when the same structured cabling will carry 4K video or high-density media traffic.<\/p>\n

UTP vs FTP vs SFTP: Which Shielding for Audio Racks?<\/h2>\n

Shielding is the part of the decision that matters most in a professional audio environment. Audio equipment rooms and stage areas are electrically noisy: dimmer packs, power distribution, lighting and motors are all nearby sources of EMI.<\/p>\n