USB cable comparisons

[JayDog]

I have the totaldac usb/filter on the way. Thinking of getting the lightspeed from the cable co for comparison. Anything else to consider? Btw, the totaldac was 450 euros with shipping. Considerably less than the lightspeed. I also got it in 3m as Vincent said the length made no difference secondary to the filter.

[highstream]

This is my first post on CAP and I'll admit having read only parts of the thread, so will toss in another cable option blindly and w/o a lot of comparisons under my belt: Ultra Fi Basque Usartza. For the past year I had been using a direct USB two-adapter connection to John Kenny's Ciunas dac, taking suggestion that would be best (it also has a USB powered isolated battery line). When I swapped in the Usartza with its separate data/power lines, also leaving the Ciunas power line connected on a different hub, the Ciunas found a whole new existence, coming alive in a way I'd never heard before. Swapping out the Cuinas for a beta dac that came along with the cable took things to whole other better. I think there have been other threads about Larry Moore's designs under the Ultra Fi brand and others, but I'm not sure if the USB cable has been discussed or evaluated (I won't claim this is one). It is definitely worth consideration, tho. I think it runs around $550 for 1m.

[Harpy]

No, there is most likely a third clock for USB. The 24.567MHz is for 48/96/192k files.

 

Yep I see the USB clock - thanks.

[Turkish1480]

in my personal experience the Mapleshade Plus should do the job. best cost/benefit in USB cables that I know. you should know, though, that it doesn't play well with some Macs. another option is the WW Silver Starlight, but it's more than twice the price.

just my 2 cents

 

Hello Reverendo and thanks for all your input!! I have a quick question for you the about some mid priced cables under $300. I have been using a AQ Coffee for the better part of the last year and like it, but feel as though it can be easily topped so I ordered a Mapleshade Plus and which arrived today. I really like the bigger sound stage and more transparency of the cable, but I do not love the bass as I feel it is doing some weird things that the coffee doesn't do. Also the build is a little scary as I feel like you may break it by sneezing in the wrong direction.

 

I know you have tried a ton of cables and the other cable I am looking at giving a solid look at in this price class would the WW Silver Starlight and was wondering how you think the two compare as I don't believe you compared these two directly (could be wrong).

 

I have also read that a few people really prefer the Transparent Premium to the AQ Diamond (which it seems you liked at one point), have you demoed that cable? I am willing to hold off for a while if I can get the smooth highs/transparency of the Mapleshade and more meat on the bone bass I am used to and spend under $600 for a 1 meter cable. I know USB cables are very system depended, but your description of the MS + is pretty consistent in my system as well. I do feel cable break in exists, but for the most part all I have ever heard is subtle changes with time not a transformation of the cable.

 

Cheers!

[Jud]

Hello Reverendo and thanks for all your input!! I have a quick question for you the about some mid priced cables under $300. I have been using a AQ Coffee for the better part of the last year and like it, but feel as though it can be easily topped so I ordered a Mapleshade Plus and which arrived today. I really like the bigger sound stage and more transparency of the cable, but I do not love the bass as I feel it is doing some weird things that the coffee doesn't do. Also the build is a little scary as I feel like you may break it by sneezing in the wrong direction.

 

I know you have tried a ton of cables and the other cable I am looking at giving a solid look at in this price class would the WW Silver Starlight and was wondering how you think the two compare as I don't believe you compared these two directly (could be wrong).

 

I have also read that a few people really prefer the Transparent Premium to the AQ Diamond (which it seems you liked at one point), have you demoed that cable? I am willing to hold off for a while if I can get the smooth highs/transparency of the Mapleshade and more meat on the bone bass I am used to and spend under $600 for a 1 meter cable. I know USB cables are very system depended, but your description of the MS + is pretty consistent in my system as well. I do feel cable break in exists, but for the most part all I have ever heard is subtle changes with time not a transformation of the cable.

 

Cheers!

 

I've had my Mapleshade for quite a while now and it's still intact. Upgraded from the AQ Coffee like you. Two things re the bass:

 

- Mapleshade as I recall want something on the order of 200 hours of break-in. The bass IME will start to come in. 100 hours was when I thought it really began to hit its stride. (This was not 100 hours of constant listening - once a day or so I would listen for a little while, then turn the sound back down again and continue break-in).

 

- I talked to Pierre Sprey about the bass. He said the bass would improve with a Mapleshade power strip and power cord (which replaced MIT Z-Strip and Z-Cord in my system). He was right, at least for me. I think Reverendo liked his MIT power conditioning gear better.

[JHG]

I have been using a AQ Coffee for the better part of the last year and like it, but feel as though it can be easily topped so I ordered a Mapleshade Plus and which arrived today. I really like the bigger sound stage and more transparency of the cable, but I do not love the bass as I feel it is doing some weird things that the coffee doesn't do. Also the build is a little scary as I feel like you may break it by sneezing in the wrong direction.

 

Sorry, but there is no way you can properly evaluate the Mapleshade the same day you received it. Per the literature that accompanies the cable, it requires 150-200 hours to break-in. I can verify that the cable improves substantially with break-in.

[highstream]

One thing to be aware of is that Mapleshade's cables have long been consciously designed to have a "leading edge" sound. That may or may not be to your liking (not to mine). If I weren't already using the Ultra Fi USB cable, I'd take a look at Elijah Audio's offerings - Elijah Audio - Products. Michael makes quality USB cables at a good price. Good reviews and customer comments.

[reverendo]

Hello Reverendo and thanks for all your input!! I have a quick question for you the about some mid priced cables under $300. I have been using a AQ Coffee for the better part of the last year and like it, but feel as though it can be easily topped so I ordered a Mapleshade Plus and which arrived today. I really like the bigger sound stage and more transparency of the cable, but I do not love the bass as I feel it is doing some weird things that the coffee doesn't do. Also the build is a little scary as I feel like you may break it by sneezing in the wrong direction.

 

I know you have tried a ton of cables and the other cable I am looking at giving a solid look at in this price class would the WW Silver Starlight and was wondering how you think the two compare as I don't believe you compared these two directly (could be wrong).

 

I have also read that a few people really prefer the Transparent Premium to the AQ Diamond (which it seems you liked at one point), have you demoed that cable? I am willing to hold off for a while if I can get the smooth highs/transparency of the Mapleshade and more meat on the bone bass I am used to and spend under $600 for a 1 meter cable. I know USB cables are very system depended, but your description of the MS + is pretty consistent in my system as well. I do feel cable break in exists, but for the most part all I have ever heard is subtle changes with time not a transformation of the cable.

 

Cheers!

I would suggest you take the time to properly burn the cable in. I waited almost 200 hours until I felt that it was properly burnt in. I never had any issues related to build, although it does look fragile. If you're like me you'll probably find that even though LF are the weak spot it will take you 5 to 6 times its price to better mids and HF, which made letting go of it very difficult.

I've also heard great things about the Transparent USB cable, but I never had it in my system, so I can't comment. The Diamond was the next step, the Purist Ultimate the next and then the Lightspeed (which I intend to buy in the near future).

Getting a different power cord will benefit all cables, so I wouldn't resort to that in a comparison. Btw, I did buy Mapleshade's Power cord and kept it for a while. One more time, it's an excellent cable for its price. I don't use it anymore, but now my brother has it and I only pass on the things that I really like.

I hope that I could be of some help, but don't forget that most things are system dependent, although I believe that certain traits remain... they just express themselves differently.

Best regards

[Lappy27]

Hello Reverendo and thanks for all your input!! I have a quick question for you the about some mid priced cables under $300. I have been using a AQ Coffee for the better part of the last year and like it, but feel as though it can be easily topped so I ordered a Mapleshade Plus and which arrived today. I really like the bigger sound stage and more transparency of the cable, but I do not love the bass as I feel it is doing some weird things that the coffee doesn't do. Also the build is a little scary as I feel like you may break it by sneezing in the wrong direction.

 

I know you have tried a ton of cables and the other cable I am looking at giving a solid look at in this price class would the WW Silver Starlight and was wondering how you think the two compare as I don't believe you compared these two directly (could be wrong).

 

I have also read that a few people really prefer the Transparent Premium to the AQ Diamond (which it seems you liked at one point), have you demoed that cable? I am willing to hold off for a while if I can get the smooth highs/transparency of the Mapleshade and more meat on the bone bass I am used to and spend under $600 for a 1 meter cable. I know USB cables are very system depended, but your description of the MS + is pretty consistent in my system as well. I do feel cable break in exists, but for the most part all I have ever heard is subtle changes with time not a transformation of the cable.

 

Cheers!

 

I demoed Audioquest Diamond and Transparent Premium for about a week. The Premium bested the Diamond in every sonics aspects. More resolution, more fullness, better bass and most importantly, way more natural sounding. I really wanted the Diamond to be on par as the Premium cost me 215$ more (I had a good deal on the Diamond). I swallowed it, pay the extra cash and never looked back since. I can guarantee you that if you are like me and love full meaty sound but still with fantastic resolution, you will fall in love with the Premium. This cable simply covers all frequency range with authority and musicality never heard in my system with others cables (7 others in total). Not even close. No joke.

[coxhaus]

I wished you lived closer so we could compare USB cables. I wonder which has more body the Transparent Premium or Purist Ultimate USB cable? The AQ Diamond could not keep up with the Purist Ultimate in body and low end. The AQ Diamond was maybe a little better on the top end but you cannot live by top end only. To me mid range is the most important.

[tranz]

This looks to me like a Computer Scientist poking fun at the 100s of members in this forum , posting in numerous threads,who not only hear differences between various USB cables, but quite often seem to have a marked preference for specific models.

Have a look at the +5V red wire of a typical USB cable at the device end with a C.R.O. while the device is operating, and you may see low level packets of Data among the SMPS rubbish ! Differential Receivers are supposed to be completely immune to things like that, at least in theory. It's also interesting to see that the most respected cables often claim to have improved isolation between D+ and D- and the SMPS +5V power wires.

Hi Sandyk,

Have you tried sticking a scope at the end? Did you just play a single frequency tone?Do you have a picture?

Cheers

[firedog]

The Mytek does need the USB power on power up, based on my experience.

[kbkaran]

I wished you lived closer so we could compare USB cables. I wonder which has more body the Transparent Premium or Purist Ultimate USB cable? The AQ Diamond could not keep up with the Purist Ultimate in body and low end. The AQ Diamond was maybe a little better on the top end but you cannot live by top end only. To me mid range is the most important.

 

I think soundstage/venue ambience is a much better indicator of lower jitter. Also, 'tighter' bass is also a good indicator. The highs might sound they are strident but one needs to make a judgement on this themselves on how that instrument is supposed to sound in real life. Just because you were hearing a 'sweet sound' earlier it does not mean the low jitter cable is bad.

I am not playing at the high end like you guys. I just got a WireWorld Ultraviolet. But I made sure to get the minimum length. I got the .3M and it looks like that lenght includes the connectors as well !!! Fine with me. I immediately notice an improvement (over the ifi supplied blue USB cable). I then threw out the Belden Gold 6ft cable replacing it with the ifi .75m cable. Again an improvement. My point is very important to evolve an evaluation criterio on what is a lower jitter interface. My idea above might be wrong, but without a criteria we all will be going around in circles.

[sandyk]

Hi Sandyk,

Have you tried sticking a scope at the end? Did you just play a single frequency tone?Do you have a picture?

Cheers

 

When I looked at the incoming +5V red wire with a scope, I was playing a .wav file stored on the plugged in USB memory stick. No, I don't have a picture.

[tranz]

When I looked at the incoming +5V red wire with a scope, I was playing a .wav file stored on the plugged in USB memory stick. No, I don't have a picture.

 

Thanks. I am trying to educate myself on an old Tek.....bloody hard.

 

But sticking it to the USB computer output and post filtering is something I would love to see. (Not to mention AC pre/post filtering, speaker terminals and everywhere in between.)

 

At what V/div and t/div were you able to see the noise, do you remember?

 

Cheers

[sandyk]

At what V/div and t/div were you able to see the noise, do you remember?

I can't remember the settings as that would have been more than 4 years ago.

The CRO was an old Dick Smith 6MHZ one, and the level was fairly low down, and probably on one of the highest ranges.

[LewinskiH01]

Hello.

 

I tried posting a separate thread with my specific question, but got no feedback. So posting here in hopes of getting good advice: Which USB cable would you recommend to use between a PPA USB card and an Audiophilleo with PurePower? Currently I use the purple Wireworld USB cable that came with the AP to connect from PPA to AP, and a generic USB to go from mobo USB to PurePower.

 

I understand USB cable choice is quite dependent on the devices to be connected. Is this correct?

 

Thanks!

[jimbones]

I demoed Audioquest Diamond and Transparent Premium for about a week. The Premium bested the Diamond in every sonics aspects. More resolution, more fullness, better bass and most importantly, way more natural sounding. I really wanted the Diamond to be on par as the Premium cost me 215$ more (I had a good deal on the Diamond). I swallowed it, pay the extra cash and never looked back since. I can guarantee you that if you are like me and love full meaty sound but still with fantastic resolution, you will fall in love with the Premium. This cable simply covers all frequency range with authority and musicality never heard in my system with others cables (7 others in total). Not even close. No joke.

 

I have a question with regard to the use of a high quality cable in my particular set up. I go laptop ->USB ->Cuinas SPDIF Converter -> Coax -> DAC. Is a premium USB warranted? Thanks I'm Kinda new to this.

[Turkish1480]

I demoed Audioquest Diamond and Transparent Premium for about a week. The Premium bested the Diamond in every sonics aspects. More resolution, more fullness, better bass and most importantly, way more natural sounding. I really wanted the Diamond to be on par as the Premium cost me 215$ more (I had a good deal on the Diamond). I swallowed it, pay the extra cash and never looked back since. I can guarantee you that if you are like me and love full meaty sound but still with fantastic resolution, you will fall in love with the Premium. This cable simply covers all frequency range with authority and musicality never heard in my system with others cables (7 others in total). Not even close. No joke.

 

Thank you Reverendo, Jud and Lappy for your comments as they are very helpful! Ok i was up a little late last night listening and I agree that the mapleshade is significantly better than the coffee in the mids and highs. I am not sure I have heard my system sound this transparent and real before, but this has been a year of serious change as all of my gear has changed since August.

 

I can't quite put my finger on what the low end is missing, but it does seem to give more bass definitition than the coffee, but still missing something. As I have experienced in the past with other cables there is a slight change due to break in, so I will give it the full 200 hours and hope for a more drastic change this time around beofre I am too critical. I am putting up the coffee for sale as I write this, so I want to point out it doesn't take long to hear the improvement. After I upgrade to a nicer two channel amp in late summer I may begin to look at the AQ Diamond and the Transparent Premium as options.

 

I know there are some compatibility issues with Mapleshade and the iUSB/iLink, but I wonder what would be better an AQ coffee with iUsb & iLink combo or just the maple shade on its own. The later would save me money and some space on my power center.

 

For what ever its worth I can say that my Zdac by Parasound may be the mapleshade of DACs. I have owned many sub $1,000 DACs and I believe this is very close or the equal of my PS Audio nuwave I sold last year because I have not heard my system sound this good since. For around $600 with the mapleshade I find this to be an incredible value, although I do have a $400 JPS Digital AC power cord attached which ups the ante a bit. I'm sure there are better power cords for digital gear out there, but how much would it cost to hear a significant improvement...like all things in this industry the law of dimishing returns sets in and is a 10% improvement worth double the price? Only you can make that determination.

 

Thanks again and happy listening!

[Jud]

Turkish, you'll want to be sure (after allowing the Mapleshade to break in) that anything you feel you're still missing is real bass, not something extra another cable might be adding to the sound of the recording. If I can make a suggestion re test material, a very natural sounding well-recorded acoustic bass can be heard on the album "Wood" by Brian Bromberg.

[Lappy27]

I wished you lived closer so we could compare USB cables. I wonder which has more body the Transparent Premium or Purist Ultimate USB cable? The AQ Diamond could not keep up with the Purist Ultimate in body and low end. The AQ Diamond was maybe a little better on the top end but you cannot live by top end only. To me mid range is the most important.

 

Here is the trick. The premium Bested the Diamond on low, mid AND top end. No compromise for me. It have it all. For me too mids are super important. My LCD-2 with NAD M51 excels in this department. The Premium simply seems to get out of the way and let the components do their jobs.

 

Some guys here said the Light Harmonic Lightspeed is even better than the Premium. This is big for me as I can't point out any faults with the Premium. Something I did with all others cables including Audioquest Diamond.

 

I know one day, I will have to listen to the Lightspeed.

[kennyb123]

Some guys here said the Light Harmonic Lightspeed is even better than the Premium.

 

It was also reported that the Heimdall beats the Premium in a few areas.

 

This is big for me as I can't point out any faults with the Premium. Something I did with all others cables including Audioquest Diamond.

 

It's almost always the case with better cables that faults aren't obvious until they are revealed through a comparison to something even better. The better cables commit sins that tend not be noticeable until something else comes along that doesn't commit that same sin. This is especially true with analog single cables.

 

I cannot find anything at fault with my MIT signal cabling right now - and it certainly beat everything else I tried in the same price range and below. But I am 100% certain that faults will be revealed if I were to try some MIT cables at higher price points. This is why I refuse to try anything better - I'd rather not know what my current signal cables are doing wrong as fixing this will be way too costly.

 

The LightSpeed doesn't seem to have any faults either. But of course it has faults - no cable is perfect! I am 100% certain that the LightSpeed's faults would be made evident were I compare it to something that's even better. I have no desire to do that though.

 

Come to think of it - it is true of better audio gear too that faults don't show up until we hear something even better. A great example is the Krell FPB-300 that I used to own. I had no idea how noisy it was until I replaced it with a Spectral amp. Noise I didn't even realize existed was totally eliminated. This really surprised me.

[Lappy27]

It was also reported that the Heimdall beats the Premium in a few areas.

 

 

 

It's almost always the case with better cables that faults aren't obvious until they are revealed through a comparison to something even better. The better cables commit sins that tend not be noticeable until something else comes along that doesn't commit that same sin. This is especially true with analog single cables.

 

I cannot find anything at fault with my MIT signal cabling right now - and it certainly beat everything else I tried in the same price range and below. But I am 100% certain that faults will be revealed if I were to try some MIT cables at higher price points. This is why I refuse to try anything better - I'd rather not know what my current signal cables are doing wrong as fixing this will be way too costly.

 

The LightSpeed doesn't seem to have any faults either. But of course it has faults - no cable is perfect! I am 100% certain that the LightSpeed's faults would be made evident were I compare it to something that's even better. I have no desire to do that though.

 

Come to think of it - it is true of better audio gear too that faults don't show up until we hear something even better. A great example is the Krell FPB-300 that I used to own. I had no idea how noisy it was until I replaced it with a Spectral amp. Noise I didn't even realize existed was totally eliminated. This really surprised me.

 

I agree with you but with all the cables I tried, I found weaknesses I can pointed out rather easily or with some repeated listenings sessions on the better cables. I simply can't with the Premium.

 

Your friend made a really good review of the Heimdall in comparison of the Premium. What struck me is the part were he said the Premium was more full sounding despite conceiding other sonic aspects to the Heimdall. For me, the fullness of sound is at the upmost priority. Plus I considered the Premium to have more resolution than I could ever want. But that's me. Others can favorized soundstage and top end extension over fullness and it's good too. But still, I think it's a compromise in search of the perfect (does this thing even exist?) cable. If I hear better performance than the Premium and I am really curious about the Lightspeed, I will need to have that cable. But this cable must have all the attributes of the Premium (including obviously his lovely meaty and natural sound). It seems that this cable could the Lightspeed if I relie on comments here.

 

The only concern I have right now (other than convince myself to cash out a thousand for a cable) is that I read a review of the Lightspeed today in Soundstage. The reviewer compared the Lightspeed to his reference cable, the Audioquest Diamond. He found the Diamond more robust and full sounding than the Lightspeed. That made me scratched my head because in my comparison of the Premium with the Diamond, the Diamond sounded thin and artificial. I know that every comparisons could be system dependant but still...

 

Anyway, I have to found a way to try the Lightspeed to make my own opinion and if it's in favor of the Lightspeed (could certainly be the case), I will pull the trigger.

[kennyb123]

I agree with you but with all the cables I tried, I found weaknesses I can pointed out rather easily or with some repeated listenings sessions on the better cables. I simply can't with the Premium.

 

Isn't saying that you found no weakness in a USB cable equivalent to saying that digital playback is absolutely perfect in your system?

 

I didn't think I heard weaknesses in the Wireworld Platinum Startlight (WWPS), but there were things about digital playback that were really bothering me. These I blamed on my DAC. It wasn't until I heard that Heimdall that I realized the problem was actually the WWPS.

 

I could find no flaw in the Heimdall either. My jaw hit the floor when I heard the LS pass information that the Heimdall couldn't pass.

 

 

For me, the fullness of sound is at the upmost priority.

 

So if it only comes down primarily to fullness, the LS may very well not be the cable for you.

 

My highest priority is that instruments sound like the real thing. The Heimdall was fuller sounding than the LS, but with the LS did a far better job of making instruments come to life. Timbres were much more natural sounding through the LS. Also the way instruments occupied space and energized the air was far more convincing with the LS. The LS is amazing in the time domain - transients rise quickly and decay naturally. Percussive instruments are more percussive and sound more real as a result. Contact made with guitar or bass strings sounds more realistic too. And then there's the clarity of the LS, which is simply stunning. Performers sound much more like they are in the same room with you.

 

A great example: Kansas' Leftoverture album is one of my favorite albums. I have listened to this a million times both on vinyl and on CD. A vibraphone is featured in the middle of the song "Opus Insert". I had never noticed this until I got the LS. The sound of metal bars being struck came through crystal clear with the LS in place. I think my eyes must have bulged out of my eyes when I heard this because the vibraphone sounded like it was in my listening room. I literally looked over to where the sound was coming from half expecting to see a vibraphone. LOL

 

I would gladly accept a slight loss in fullness for the opportunity to have instruments come to life like that before me. But that's me.

 

Plus I considered the Premium to have more resolution than I could ever want. But that's me.

 

I will not be satisfied with resolution until I am regularly fooled into thinking that I'm in the same room as the musicians and their instruments. The pursuit of this is what makes listening so enjoyable to me.

 

But this cable must have all the attributes of the Premium (including obviously his lovely meaty and natural sound).

 

I think you may have just saved yourself some money. If meaty is what you are looking for, you should look to something other than the LS.

 

But then again, if natural is really what you are after, then you should seriously give the LS a listen.

 

Anyway, I have to found a way to try the Lightspeed to make my own opinion and if it's in favor of the Lightspeed (could certainly be the case), I will pull the trigger.

 

That's the best way to go.

[kennyb123]

Your friend made a really good review of the Heimdall in comparison of the Premium. What struck me is the part were he said the Premium was more full sounding despite conceiding other For me, the fullness of sound is at the upmost priority.

 

I just took a look at the audio system you have listed. Do you listen only through headphones?