USB cable comparisons

[scottyfree111]

I tried 10 different USB cables (Pangea, Kimber, DHT, WW Coffee,etc.) from the Cable Company in all different price ranges and settled on the Cardas Clear which was the best bang for the buck. Then an audiophile friend of mine let me borrow his Wireworld Platinum Starlight for a weekend. To say I was shocked at the difference is an understatement. EVERYTHING sounded better so I got one at a good price from Underwood Hi-Fi in Hawaii. I can't say how it would sound in another system, and for my Parasound ZDAC/Schiit Lyr/HE-500 system, it is ALMOST as big of a difference as upgrading Pangea powercables to Cardas Clear.

[scottyfree111]

BTW all of these usb cables WAY better plugged into a Paul Pang USB Card instead of the crappy USB port on your computer, but most of you already knew that. JPlay is coming out with their version of a USB card that I'll be trying as soon as it comes out-hopefully next month.

[scottyfree111]

Thank you reverendo, and I hope those who support the all cables sound the same group find another place to comment. That being said, I had the opportunity recently to compare 6 different USB cables on my Schiit Yiggy DAC. They all sound different from each other and it is difficult to pick a clear winner.

 I am fortunate to have an excellent vinyl playback system featuring the Lyra Etna cartridge and I am quite sensitive to digital anomalies and greatly prefer analog. So in my system the Wireworld Platinum and Wywires Diamond beat out the top cable from Sablon. I just found them to be more natural or organic sounding with excellent timbre. The Cardas and Audioquest offerings didn't work for me and lacked the dynamics of the other favourites. Just before I decided to keep the Wywires a friend lent me his reference USB, the Photon from Pranawire. I have long respected Pranawire powercords and have a pair in my system, as well as their excellent Linebacker GP which is a game changer! So from the first seconds of inserting the Photon into my system, everything changed for the better. I was prepared to spend up to 2 grand for my USB cable, but to find one less than half of that makes me happy. Music emerges from the blackest of black backgrounds and dynamics and bass weight are outstanding. Soundstaging is bettered only by my vinyl rig. I have the T-Ref speakers and they are very revealing. I trust my ears and am ordering the Photon USB. Anyone else have experience with this cable?