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USB cable comparisons


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7 minutes ago, HumanMedia said:

Anyone else tried this?

I used to have one.  It's well constructed but a little difficult to use because it's a flat cable that resists being twisted so it puts considerable strain on the connectors.

Pareto Audio AMD 7700 Server --> Berkeley Alpha USB --> Jeff Rowland Aeris --> Jeff Rowland 625 S2 --> Focal Utopia 3 Diablos with 2 x Focal Electra SW 1000 BE subs

 

i7-6700K/Windows 10  --> EVGA Nu Audio Card --> Focal CMS50's 

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5 hours ago, HumanMedia said:

Yes I’ve tried a range of lower cost cables and I am loath to spend big $. Im firmly in the USB-spec camp after poor experience with a few boutique cables (Mapleshade, Curious etc)

 

I experienced the same and am also back to my trusty Supra USB cable (high speed certified).

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22 hours ago, rickca said:

I used to have one.  It's well constructed but a little difficult to use because it's a flat cable that resists being twisted so it puts considerable strain on the connectors.

 

What are your thoughts on the sound of the cable? Good points, bad points and what other cables can you compare it to?

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On 1/5/2019 at 12:39 PM, Blake said:

That dirty comment is a bit unclear to me but the rest of the reviewers descriptions fall in line with mine.  My guess is that the reviewer believes rock is better served by a warmer, more  Euphonic system that masks things a bit?  

 

The Sablon cables used to be warm. See Jeff Day's Gran Corona and Robusto reviews at https://jeffsplace.me/?s=sablon&searchsubmit= (several in the first 16 of the list).The Pantela series represented an intentional shift towards "neutral" or perhaps very slightly warm. I've never heard the USB cable but tried the Pantela power cords and found them very good in many respects, but too cool, i.e., too close to neutral, for my tastes. Left me not wanting to listen, so I returned them. I ended up going with PS Audio AC-12's and have been happy since. Of course, YMMV.

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25 minutes ago, ThenewGearPPK said:

Well this is certainly unique looking

The Accoustic Revive USB-TRES

https://acousticrevive.jp/portfolio-item/usb-tres/

2OdzMjU.jpg

 

 

58,000 yen for 1 meter comes out to $536.22 USD if my calculations are correct (half of that for the 0.5 meter).

So who want to bite?

 

 

Careful, it’s USB 3 only, no backwards compatibility for USB2.0 which is used on most of our audio gear.

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49 minutes ago, Dutch said:

 

Careful, it’s USB 3 only, no backwards compatibility for USB2.0 which is used on most of our audio gear.

 

I am wondering why they do not offer USB-C plug at the computer end, so it could be used from MBP to Holo Audio Spring DAC for example.

 

Matt

"I want to know why the musicians are on stage, not where". (John Farlowe)

 

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I just got the new Stereophile via Zinio.  Kimber and others are starting to make USB-C connectors on the USB cables.  Nordost does it and I just got an Audioquest "DragonTail" that is a 4" or so adaptor that converts USB-A to USB-C with 5% silver.  I have it connected to a Galileo from Synergistic and it noticeable improved my sound over a standard Apple dongle (no surprise there!).

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36 minutes ago, Lee Scoggins said:

I just got the new Stereophile via Zinio.  Kimber and others are starting to make USB-C connectors on the USB cables.  Nordost does it and I just got an Audioquest "DragonTail" that is a 4" or so adaptor that converts USB-A to USB-C with 5% silver.  I have it connected to a Galileo from Synergistic and it noticeable improved my sound over a standard Apple dongle (no surprise there!).

 

I think the best is to have a "wireless" adaptor like this one from AQ:

 

https://www.audioquest.com/accessories/splitters-connectors-adaptors/adaptors/usb-a-to-c-adaptor

 

I hope that manufacturers like Oyaide will launch USB-C cables too.

 

Matt

"I want to know why the musicians are on stage, not where". (John Farlowe)

 

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5 hours ago, matthias said:

 

I think the best is to have a "wireless" adaptor like this one from AQ:

 

https://www.audioquest.com/accessories/splitters-connectors-adaptors/adaptors/usb-a-to-c-adaptor

 

I hope that manufacturers like Oyaide will launch USB-C cables too.

 

Matt

 

I think the manufacturers will.  And yes, I will try the wireless version of the AQ soon.  The best wire is no wire?  Sometimes you want the extra flexibility of the wire version though.

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On 1/11/2019 at 1:40 AM, Lee Scoggins said:

 

I think the manufacturers will.  And yes, I will try the wireless version of the AQ soon.  The best wire is no wire?  Sometimes you want the extra flexibility of the wire version though.

 

What can be more flexibility than wireless? Hard for me to see! 👀 

 

 

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Jud, Thanks for this info! 

I have a rising resentment to expensive USB cables and I am always delighted to hear good feedback on low priced cables. Right now I am trialling another low priced USB the Oyaide  d+ Class A. More on that later.

 

Question - is the Ghent JSSG360 USB cable one of their standard USB range or a custom order? And is it the standard star Quad cable or the Belden 8723

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3 hours ago, HumanMedia said:

 

Question - is the Ghent JSSG360 USB cable one of their standard USB range or a custom order?

 

Standard.

 

3 hours ago, HumanMedia said:

 

And is it the standard star Quad cable or the Belden 8723

 

I'm just not sure whether it's either of these or something else.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 9:40 PM, Jud said:

Another member here very kindly made me a JSSG360 USB cable by modifying a $6 StarTech cable.  I preferred this to the Mapleshade Clearlink Plus that I had used for several years.  Eventually I came to want to replace it, because (1) it was fairly stiff and heavy, (2) it required an adapter because my DAC uses an unusual USB male A input, necessitating a USB female A cable termination, and (3) these factors resulted in torque on the DAC USB input that I was afraid might potentially cause it to fail down the road. 

 

So I ordered a JSSG360 USB cable from Ghent Audio, $35 for one meter with a female A termination (so no adapter needed), less stiff and heavy than the previous cable.  My purely subjective impression upon first connecting it was that it sounded a little better than the homemade JSSG360, and by the transitive property that would have it sounding better than the Mapleshade Clearlink Plus, a cable I liked more than any other I'd heard for years (including the top couple in AQ's range).  I haven't changed my opinion of the Ghent Audio cable in the ensuing week.

 

For $35 (plus shipping, not exorbitant), very nice indeed IMHO.

 

 Jud,

how does the Ghent USB compare to the Uptone USPCB as you reported that both cables are better than the Mapleshade.

Thanks

 

Matt

"I want to know why the musicians are on stage, not where". (John Farlowe)

 

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4 hours ago, matthias said:

 

 Jud,

how does the Ghent USB compare to the Uptone USPCB as you reported that both cables are better than the Mapleshade.

Thanks

 

Matt

 

I can't tell.  Since I would have to use an adapter between the USPCB and my DAC because of the DAC's male USB "A" input, and the connections would be physically awkward in my setup (microRendu to ISO Regen to DAC), I have always used the USPCB  between mR and IR, and always a cable from IR to DAC.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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And now for a moment of sanity and honesty.

This directed to readers that may not have been totally sold down the cult road of ridiculously expensive cables.

Open your mind to accepting the facts discounting the world of Santa Claus

 

Expensive Audiophile Cables Really Do Sound Better!

 

"The gullibility of audiophiles is what astonishes me the most, even after all these years. How is it possible, how did it ever happen, that they trust fairy-tale purveyors and mystic gurus more than reliable sources of scientific information?"

Peter Aczel - The Audio Critic

nomqa.webp.aa713f2bb9e304522011cdb2d2ca907d.webp  R.I.P. MQA 2014-2023: Hyped product thanks to uneducated, uncritical advocates & captured press.

 

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On 1/10/2019 at 8:13 PM, matthias said:

 

I think the best is to have a "wireless" adaptor like this one from AQ:

 

https://www.audioquest.com/accessories/splitters-connectors-adaptors/adaptors/usb-a-to-c-adaptor

 

I hope that manufacturers like Oyaide will launch USB-C cables too.

 

Matt

 

Meanwhile I got the info from a member of this forum that this AQ adapter might not be the best sounding solution in comparison to the same USB cable without adapter.

So for a newer MBP one would want an USB-C cable.

 

Matt

"I want to know why the musicians are on stage, not where". (John Farlowe)

 

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