USB cable comparisons

[DRB]

Actually Light Harmonic has one that's similar. They have two different types. One where it has one USB connector on both ends, but it splits up the data from the power into two cables which they have plastic separators to keep them apart. Then they have another model with two USB connectors, one for data one for power and then it goes into one USB B cable to the rear of the DAC. they are VERY expensive.

 

Light Harmonic - Lightspeed USB Cable

[reverendo]

I'm loving the Lightspeed in my system, but am definitely very weary of shelling out those big bucks for a USB cable. OTOH, it seems it'll be difficult to find one on the used market, since I can't imagine someone selling theirs.

[Jim Smith]

I agree.

 

If there is any consolation re the price, it's achieving much greater enjoyment/ROI than I would normally expect.

[tipunch]

Anyone compare this famous "Chord Silver Plus" usb cable (winner in hificritic) with regard to the Mapleshade Clearlink Plus?

Thanks

[reverendo]

OT: does anyone here know of some nice coax digital cables or a thread which discusses them?

Best regards

[wwaldmanfan]

OT: does anyone here know of some nice coax digital cables or a thread which discusses them?

Best regards

 

Do an advanced search and you find plenty of info. Here's a starting point:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f8-general-forum/dedicated-digital-coax-cable-vs-stereo-rca-17791/

[Juan Paulino]

I'm stuck, i don't know what to do, either get synergistics thunderbolt cable or light speed usb cable?

 

what do you think guys?

[Jud]

OT: does anyone here know of some nice coax digital cables or a thread which discusses them?

Best regards

 

I know it will come as a shock to hear that I like Omega Mikro.

 

Their Zephyr can usually be picked up at a discount if you look at warehouse specials or used pieces on consignment at their web site.

[Blake]

OT: does anyone here know of some nice coax digital cables or a thread which discusses them?

Best regards

 

 

I owned the Mapleshade Clearview digital interconnects earlier this year. Someone is selling some on Audiocircle right now:

 

FS: Mapleshade Digital IC

 

I moved to an AES/EBU interconnect, otherwise, I would have kept the Clearview and remained a happy camper.

[Blake]

The TotalDac usb cable and filter arrived yesterday. I am going to burn in the cable for a few days before making any judgments just to be on the safe side.

 

I will post a review later. For the time being, the Mapleshade is still the best usb cable I have tried, regardless of cost, with KingRex uArt twin-head cable being a close second.

 

 

I almost forgot to follow-up on my TotalDAC usb cable experiment.....

 

So, I really like both the Mapleshade Clearlink and the TotalDAC usb cable/filter. If I was forced to choose one, I would go with the TotalDAC. These two cables sound very different though. I don't mean this to sound like I am bragging about having golden ears (because I don't), but in all honesty, if I were blind-folded, and the tester switched back and forth between these two cables and asked me to identify which cable was in my system, I would get the correct result 100% of the time. For the record, I have owned many usb cables and compared them in head-to-head tests. Quite a few of them sounded extremely similar to the point that I would have difficulty distinguishing them in a reliable manner. That is definitely not the case with the Mapleshade and TotalDAC.

 

Compared to the Mapleshade, the TotalDAC has a little bit better organized soundstage (image specificity is more focused), more apparent soundstage depth and a bit better tonal density. With low frequencies I also prefer the TotalDAC, and the TotalDAC is bit smoother sounding overall.

 

The Mapleshade is still the "least veiled" usb cable I have ever auditioned and it can make any usb cable sound veiled in comparison. It is the ultimate in "open and airy" sound. This helps to create the illusion that the band or singer is in your room. In this regard, the Mapleshade is superior to the TotalDAC.

 

So, what to do? I mailed my Mapleshade usb cable and the TotalDAC cable and filter back to Vincent Brient in France and he will be installing the TotalDAC usb filter on my Mapleshade usb cable. Hopefully, the result will be the best of both worlds.

[Superdad]

^Nice report Blake--and a great plan in the end! Hope it works out REALLY well. I'm sure you'll share the results.

 

Happy almost Turkey Day!

[reverendo]

thanks for the update, Blake

please let us know how it goes.

best regards

[reverendo]

I know it will come as a shock to hear that I like Omega Mikro.

 

Their Zephyr can usually be picked up at a discount if you look at warehouse specials or used pieces on consignment at their web site.

Jud,

those are some very esoteric looking digital cables. they have a circuit in them?

[T1000]

I did bought a Clearlink a couple of months ago and i can say after various weeks of tests, it is the best that i tested.

I have too a Cardas Clear and a Wireworld Starlight (and the Wirewolrd Ultraviolet before).

A friend has left me a Nordost Blue Heaven and a Tellurium Q.

I would like to taste the AQ Diamond although am very happy with the Mapleshade.

It is really good at any price and so much more at their price.

For Example, in comparison, the WW Starlight sounds dirty...

[T1000]

So, what to do? I mailed my Mapleshade usb cable and the TotalDAC cable and filter back to Vincent Brient in France and he will be installing the TotalDAC usb filter on my Mapleshade usb cable. Hopefully, the result will be the best of both worlds.

 

News of that? Could be amazing!

[AIB]

A mapleshade USB is on the way. Own a Nordost Blue heaven and a Kimber USB. Can post my experience but it can take a while..

[alan_un]

Hi tipunch, I have both cables, and I found the Chord slightly fuller and a tiny bit more detailed. There is not a big difference at all, but I was surprised about how good the Chord sounds. But the best USB cable I have used so far is the Totaldac cable with USB filter and I fully concur with Blake's assessment of it. It is the first USB cable that makes my Mytek sounding as good over USB2 as with the HQPlayer using an NAA feeding into the Mytek's firewire input.

Following Blake's example, I have also sent my Mapleshades to Vincent of Totaldac for an upgrade with his USB filter. Can hardly wait for the outcome

[tipunch]

hi tipunch, i have both cables, and i found the chord slightly fuller and a tiny bit more detailed. There is not a big difference at all, but i was surprised about how good the chord sounds. But the best usb cable i have used so far is the totaldac cable with usb filter and i fully concur with blake's assessment of it. It is the first usb cable that makes my mytek sounding as good over usb2 as with the hqplayer using an naa feeding into the mytek's firewire input.

Following blake's example, i have also sent my mapleshades to vincent of totaldac for an upgrade with his usb filter. Can hardly wait for the outcome

 

Thanks a lot Alan

[Blake]

News of that? Could be amazing!

 

 

Update: I mailed my Mapleshade Clearlink and TotalDAC cable to Vincent. Before installing the TotalDAC filter on my Clearlink, Vincent tried to install the Clearlink in his system to listen to it. He could not get his Dell computer to recognize his DAC with the Clearlink installed. He then tried the Clearlink with his TotalDAC D-1 Server and sometimes it would work, sometimes it would not.

 

I shared with Vincent that I have had similar problems with the Clearlink. Sometimes, when I unplug my Clearlink then plug it back in, my MacBook Pro will not recognize my Berkeley Alpha, however, plugging and unplugging the Clearlink a few times, or turning the computer on and off a few times always solves the problem. I never have issues once the Alpha is recognized.

 

Vincent expressed concern that installing the filter on the Clearlink might make the Clearlink even more unstable in my system. So, I decided to just have Vincent mail both cables back to me, without installing the filter on the Mapleshade.

 

I probably should have had him install it and just roll the dice (I suspect it would work in my system), but roundtrip shipping from the USA to France is not cheap (about $100 total) and the thought of having to ship it back to Vincent again if it did not work was not appealing.

 

In any event, I am still a happy camper. Vincent's TotalDAC usb cable/filter is still the very best usb cable I have tried, I was just curious about the Clearlink/TotalDAC combo. The Clearlink is next best and better than anything else I have owned or tried (KingRex uArt dual head usb cable is also very good- definitely better than the iFi Gemini). Michael Lavorgna at Audiostream prefers the TotalDAC cable to the Light Harmonic Lightspeed usb cable. Whether it is better, who knows? I guess I could borrow the Light Harmonic cable from The Cable Company library and pay the $50 borrowing fee to find out for myself.

[dallasjustice]

Scotty my local dealer sells the lightspeed. I have the totaldac USB cable. I am trying to get Scotty to bring it over. :-)

 

Update: I mailed my Mapleshade Clearlink and TotalDAC cable to Vincent. Before installing the TotalDAC filter on my Clearlink, Vincent tried to install the Clearlink in his system to listen to it. He could not get his Dell computer to recognize his DAC with the Clearlink installed. He then tried the Clearlink with his TotalDAC D-1 Server and sometimes it would work, sometimes it would not.

 

I shared with Vincent that I have had similar problems with the Clearlink. Sometimes, when I unplug my Clearlink then plug it back in, my MacBook Pro will not recognize my Berkeley Alpha, however, plugging and unplugging the Clearlink a few times, or turning the computer on and off a few times always solves the problem. I never have issues once the Alpha is recognized.

 

Vincent expressed concern that installing the filter on the Clearlink might make the Clearlink even more unstable in my system. So, I decided to just have Vincent mail both cables back to me, without installing the filter on the Mapleshade.

 

I probably should have had him install it and just roll the dice (I suspect it would work in my system), but roundtrip shipping from the USA to France is not cheap (about $100 total) and the thought of having to ship it back to Vincent again if it did not work was not appealing.

 

In any event, I am still a happy camper. Vincent's TotalDAC usb cable/filter is still the very best usb cable I have tried, I was just curious about the Clearlink/TotalDAC combo. The Clearlink is next best and better than anything else I have owned or tried (KingRex uArt dual head usb cable is also very good- definitely better than the iFi Gemini). Michael Lavorgna at Audiostream prefers the TotalDAC cable to the Light Harmonic Lightspeed usb cable. Whether it is better, who knows? I guess I could borrow the Light Harmonic cable from The Cable Company library and pay the $50 borrowing fee to find out for myself.

[Blake]

Scotty my local dealer sells the lightspeed. I have the totaldac USB cable. I am trying to get Scotty to bring it over. :-)

 

If you can convince him to bring it over, please compare and let us know your thoughts.

[dachunter]

If you can convince him to bring it over, please compare and let us know your thoughts.

 

+1

[reverendo]

Scotty my local dealer sells the lightspeed. I have the totaldac USB cable. I am trying to get Scotty to bring it over. :-)

Scott was the dealer from whom I borrowed the Lightspeed to do my comparison. Would be interested to hear about your findings.

Best regards

[jimbones]

Is it proper to assume that if you use a USB/SPDIF converter the USB cable is either less important or not important at all? My initial guess is that you still want a decent one because it is still in the "path". (BTW I am using the JK Cuinas and I use a cheap Belden cable)

[wwaldmanfan]

Is it proper to assume that if you use a USB/SPDIF converter the USB cable is either less important or not important at all? My initial guess is that you still want a decent one because it is still in the "path". (BTW I am using the JK Cuinas and I use a cheap Belden cable)

 

Of course it's important. The guy in the Light Harmonics YouTube infomercial says, "The best audio system in the world is only as good as its weakest component, and, sometimes, that component is the USB cable."

I would like to hear the difference between my $150 Kimber USB, and a Light Harmonics $999 Lightspeed USB cable. A thousand dollars sure is a lot of dough for a 3-foot piece of wire, although the fancy leather box it comes in is nice.