USB cable recommendations

[Thomas Fellov]

Hi all,

I have been trying to read my way to an optimal solution for my USB cable run (which must be 7 meters).. Here goes

 

Ok, to make a long story short. I connected my Hegel H300(has build in dac) with an Supra 8M USB cable, it worked(maybe not with optimal sound, but no bust sounds ect). BUT when i bought my Hegel HD25 DAC and connected with the same 8M Supra cable, i got small bust sounds, might be what some call Jitter ? Not sure. Ofcourse i am not happy for this.

 

So please advice me, do i NEED to move my computer closer to my equipment(this will be very unpractical for me) OR i can slide cable under my rough and use a 5M (thinking Wireworld red) insteed of 8M Supra cable.

 

I read about the Icron extenders, would it be better to use, 2 x 1 Meters(Wireworld red) with the Icron extender than using a 5M USB cable ? With would have best sound (sonic ect.)

 

Hope to hear some good advice, thanks

 

Thomas

[mwheelerk]

To my understanding the maximum recommended length for a USB 2.0 cable is 5 meter. I have read statements recommending a 1.5 meter for this use. I think your result speaks for itself and I would look for another option including moving your computer.

[One and a half]

A 5m Wireworld red cable is $300 (GBP175) so it may be similar in Denmark, maybe more with taxes. If you do a risk analysis, you spend $300 for the 5m, plus it's too short anyway. If you could buy an 8m cable, the price is not going be any less, plus there is a real risk that you end up with bust sounds.

These sounds by the way are either the DAC complaining the signals are not good enough please send again quite often, and or reflections caused by the large capacitance of the length of cable.

 

So you could spend the price of the Icron USB extender on 5-8m cables and no guarantees of it working with your DAC or another DAC you decide to buy in the future. You have blown your money.

 

The advice is here to use an Extender with short USB cables and then extend CAT5/6 which is cheap in comparison. The Icron ranger for USB2.0 works very nicely, no artefacts, smear or distortions, as if the USB cable is only 1m away. Mine is 25m using el cheapo CAT 5, no issues whatsoever. No drivers to install, plug it in and it works right away.

 

The icing on the cake were to go to multimode fibre optic cable instead of CAT5 cable, then you have isolation!

[Thomas Fellov]

Hi, I am trying to find the slution you recommended. Icron is hopefully possible to get in denmark.

Thanks for your help