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USB cable comparisons


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On 10/16/2021 at 10:49 PM, richard_crl032 said:

Hi Mechnutt,

 

The Luxman DA-06 is a little aged and while great for its time as being dsd capable, dac technologies had progressed quite a bit ... its original RRP of almost usd6k dropped very quickly and was on discounted sales by various shops in the following years from 2013 of its release.

 

I sold mine about 2-3 yrs ago ... it is a little mellow and of low resolution that is lacking on clarity to prevent music from coming thru ... some may believe it is more analog but higher resolution does not mean less analog.

 

Hope my comments ain't seen as negative but simply since I had the experience in moving from the Luxman DA-06 to Denafrips DACs with better clocks, newer FPGA processing, i2s connectivity as well as provision to syn to a single clock which is frankly miles ahead ... yymv and bigger $ as usual but may be more cost effective than more auxilliary components, cablings etc.

 

Cheers.

 

Screenshot_20211017-115231_Drive.jpg

 

 

I agree, the Luxman DA-06 is a bit long in the tooth. I still love its warmer, non fatiguing sound.  It sounds great with Hi-Rez from 384 down, DSD is decent which is no big deal.  Last year a friend brought over a Yggdrasil and we compared.  The Yggy sounded a bit better but I felt the tone on the Luxman was richer.  I prefer a DAC with a very slightly warmer tone and some low end bloom. I am looking at an Aqua La Voce S3.  I use to own a Cary Audio 200ts, returned it after 10 days.  I also owned a Marantz NA11s1 which had  the best tone and texture of any DAC that I have owned, piano and female vocals were the best that I have  heard from a DAC.  However, it was way to forward and fast paced in my system. 

 

The rest of my gear is fairly resolving.  BAT VK51-se preamp, Pass Labs X250 amp, Luxman DAC, Magnepan 1.6 speakers with dual subs. I am using a custom music computer that I build in a mid tower quiet case with a low ripple power supply, quiet fans, shielded cables etc.. I remote in from a laptop using windows remote desktop.  It sounds great.  Music players  are Bug Head and Audirvana.

My Gear- Pass Labs X250, BAT VK-51se, Magnepan 1.6's, Dual Martin Logan subs, Luxman DA-06 DAC with Regen, Music Hall 25.2 CDP as a transport, Thorens TD-145 TT, Cardas Parsec and AQ Colombia 72v DBS XLR's

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On 10/10/2021 at 9:13 PM, richard_crl032 said:

 

I do believe notable improved difference in different price point but I am not surprised on your findings on boutique cardas or audioquest's lowering offering at 300 vs the honest-to-goodness pro stuff from Belden, Canare etc.

 

In another words, I am quite sure >1k+ offering  cardas or audioquest will have SQ improvement compared to Belden 8402 .. if your system has the needed resolution to discern such improvement in the 1st place. 

 

Hence my guideline of 20% total cost my system being the complete cabling setup .. powercord, digital and analog interconnects as well as speaker cables.

 

Cheers.

 

 

Both those IC's cost $450.  They sounded better than the BJC's but not the Belden 8402.  I know of someone that uses the 8402's over$1K cables.  It's all about system synergy and personal tastes.  Cables are a crap shoot.  Just look at used cables.  I see so many cables that are over $1K being sold with only a few hours on them.

My Gear- Pass Labs X250, BAT VK-51se, Magnepan 1.6's, Dual Martin Logan subs, Luxman DA-06 DAC with Regen, Music Hall 25.2 CDP as a transport, Thorens TD-145 TT, Cardas Parsec and AQ Colombia 72v DBS XLR's

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  • 3 months later...
On 8/25/2020 at 10:55 AM, audiobomber said:

I just purchased a used exaSound streamer and DAC that included a Curious Cable. I compared the Curious to the Oyaide neo d+ Class A in my headphone system (sMS-200 Neo, USB cable, Audiolab 8200CD DAC, Yorkville Studio One XLR cable, Hafler HA15 amp, Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro headphones). This system is highly resolving, cable changes have been significant and meaningful. Not with the Curious and Oyaide though, differences were virtually imperceptible. No way I could tell them apart in a blind test. The wallet would know though, since the Oyaide costs about 1/6 the price.

I had not compared the Oyaide Class A to the Curious cable in my main (speaker-based) system until recently. It turns out there is quite a large difference in soundstage capability, in favour of the Curious Cable. Soundstaging is not something that headphones can demonstrate.

Main System: QNAP TS-451+ NAS > Silent Angel Bonn N8 > Sonore opticalModule Deluxe v2 > Corning SMF with Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL SFPs > Uptone EtherREGEN > exaSound PlayPoint and e32 Mk-II DAC > Meitner MTR-101 Plus monoblocks > Bamberg S5-MTM sealed standmount speakers. 

Crown XLi 1500 powering  AV123 Rocket UFW10 stereo subwoofers

Upgraded power on all switches, renderer and DAC. 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi everyone, been using the Ghent audio starquad USB cables from RPI4 to Intona industrial version then to my DAC. This is for a 2.1 set up.

 

I still remain skeptical about whether USB cables will indeed make a difference/improvement to the sound but I have bitten the bullet and ordered a 1M Supra excalibur cable to prove my doubt, which should be arriving in 10 days. So noisy end between RPI4 to Intona still with Ghent audio starquad but the clean end between intona out to DAC will be with a Supra excalibur cable.

 

Will report back upon receipt and initial impression.

 

Cheers

 

Deric

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1 hour ago, dericchan1 said:

I still remain skeptical about whether USB cables will indeed make a difference/improvement

I suggest you try the $35 Uptone USPCB. If you’re able to fit it into your system, you may not need to look for a USB cable anymore. 
Also, if you don’t need Vbus power, switch it off.

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Or this one especially if your dac is usb powered that works for me even with oladra upgraded Antipodes cx+ex stack while different usb cables from current oyaide continental 5s still makes a difference. Cheers.

 

https://ifi-audio.com/products/idefender3-0/

 

Revel Salon 2 speakers, Sander Magtech amp, Audible Illusion L3B (Blackgate) preamp, Denafrips Terminator Plus dac, Denafrips Hermes ddc, Antipodes CX/EX/P1/P2 server/player (Oladra upgraded), Denafrips Avatar cdp, Bel Canto fm1 tuner, Airties Wireless Mesh, ifi Blue Zen BT receiver, 2X Uptone EtherRegen + AfterDark Emperor Double Crown 10M clock, Zerozone 5/7.5/12v LPS, Uptone LPS 1.2, 2x diy 2kVA Isotransformers, dedicated 20/30A lines for separate digital/analog, Nordost Quattro Fil interconnects, Acoustic Revive TripleC Ethernet/i2S cables, Shunyata Sigma usb cable with ifi Idefender 3.0, Aurealis/Apogee/Canare BNC clock cables, Cardas Clear speaker cable and jumpers, Zonotone Shupreme/5050 powercords, Garrard 301 on slate plinth/sme 3012R/Ortofon Classic Royal GM mk2/diy 301 motor PSU/graham IC90/kimber tak ag etc./Headamp Gilmore Lite Mk2+Golden Reference PSU/Grado FreeSystem fg-1 headphones

 

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2 hours ago, richard_crl032 said:

Or this one especially if your dac is usb powered that works for me even with oladra upgraded Antipodes cx+ex stack while different usb cables from current oyaide continental 5s still makes a difference. Cheers.

 

https://ifi-audio.com/products/idefender3-0/

 

Thanks, I am currently using an allo shanti lps to power my ifi neo idsd dac. I don’t really have any issue with my current set up with Ghent audio starquad usb cable to intona to my dac. I am just interested to see if a Supra Excalibur cable might improve the sound at all.

 

Deric

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