The technologies that exist to do networked audio over ethernet skip past the TCP/IP layer which doesn't provide low-latency or reliability guarantees for streaming multiple channels of high data rate audio. Cobranet is an older protocol that runs on ethernet, used by many manufacturers of pro audio gear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CobraNet
With CobraNet and other protocols seeming to be mature and robust technologies for larger scale sound reinforcement and installed sound applications, I can't understand why we have yet to see the application of this or something similar to smaller scale studio gear, especially things like monitoring systems. Take the JBL 4300 series stuff for example- networked self-powered monitors, subs, controllers, etc. which all get linked together with Cat5,
but for control only. Users must still route analog, or AES or SPDIF digital to each speaker and sub separately and add the required interface for the DAW. It means that each piece needs 3 separate input cables: power, audio, and control. What a hassle and mess of wiring.
When will I be able to simply plug five monitors, a sub or two and my laptop DAW into a powerstrip and into an ordinary 8-port ethernet switch and have everything work together?
Not really too much to ask in this day and age I think.
[edit- I don't really care if it uses the IP protocol or not, I just want to connect it all with vanilla Cat5/6. If the network switch needs to be part of the system to accomodate some non-IP protocol that's not a deal killer, but using generic off-the-shelf ethernet networking components would be nice. If standard TCP/IP can work, then the possibility of a wireless LAN is the next question- cuts the rat's nest down to power cables only. A seperate dedicated wireless LAN for audio is fine.]