Curious Cables Configiurations Connections and Conversations (about)...

[REShaman]

Apparently, I will have to continue to ask that, as the curator of this thread, the topic is not intended for vicarious remarks from members who offer opinions about a product they have no experience with but feel the need to comment on what other users are experiencing, the validity of their assessments and what they have decided is material or not.

 

If you are not employing the product, but feel the need to comment on those who are, then, your posts are OFF TOPIC. This thread is intended as a resource thread for members who employ the product and are reporting their experience with the product and offer pertinent information about the configurations they employ, the connections and conversations about their experience. Whether or not you agree with them adds nothing to this thread. It is not useful to readers seeking actual experience and feedback about direct experience with the product.

 

Opinions of members who feel the need to comment on what actual users are commenting on add nothing to this thread and are outside the boundaries of this topic. I am restating this for emphasis. And arguments about how I curate this thread adds nothing further. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. And,

 

Don't take this personally. Of course, you're entitled to comment as you please, but not if your comments are OFF TOPIC.

 

As the curator, I get to make the assessment of what is off-topic.

 

If you feel the need to comment about a product you're not using or about the comments offered up by users of the product, please start your own thread and post away to your heart's content.

 

My outcome should be apparent: In this way your off-topic post won't clutter a thread people read to find out about this product from those who actually use the product and not the opinions, gossip, attitudes of those who offer nothing that is relevant and clutter the thread so that interested readers have to sort through what's relevant and what's not.

 

Other threads and other OPs may not care about how their threads evolve. But I do and I prefer that this thread not devolve into a free-for-all for anything goes.

 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation,

 

Richard

[tallica1]

Richard: Well Said. So strange users are commenting without ever owning the Audiophile Curious USB cable and moderating!

[REShaman]

Hello All:

 

Having just posted a request for members to observe the purpose, policy and post etiquette below, my request is honored in being ignored. Is it a sign of the times? New members not appreciating how some threads are organized?

 

I am sorry to have to take the time once again to post about the etiquette that is respected by most CA members but has of late required that I ask seemingly newly joined members to honor the thread's topic. It's disconcerting when long standing members who post at this thread with no other purpose than to comment about and misuse this thread for their own purposes return and repeat their behaviors. For what purpose?

 

Some years ago when Chris Connacker considered subscriptions for this Forum, I was in favor and joined, and remain a subscriber ever since. Chris also encouraged us to post our visions for the Forum. I posted several such visions for the direction, purpose and goals for CA. I am committed to making it happen. How I curate this thread matches my criteria for what I hope this Forum would evolve into. This thread is an example.

 

I am sorry for the intrusions and having to do some thread cleaning so that the thread remains on topic. I am hoping that those who may not agree with the principles for what motivates how this thread is curated, will, nevertheless respect my admonition published by necessity several times now. I realize that are far too many examples of threads that tolerate any all posts.

 

This thread is not a free for all collection of posts on topic, off topic, stream of consciousness, chat room.

 

We members who purchased the Curious Cables in various lengths either singularly or for use in Full Loom configuration now have a thread where they can comment on their findings, exchange information about system configuration, devices connected to, discussions around the application of the Curious cable and specifically related matters that may include hardware/software/how-to/problems & solutions and any other matters provided they are specific to the Curious Cable and the poster has purchased and is presently employ the Curious Cable.

 

I have no connection, investment, or proprietary interest in the Curious Cable. My only disclosure is that based on the experiences of other members, I became interested in the potential use of the Curious Cable, and after employing the CRL200mm decided to start a thread for members of with similar interests in the Curious Cable. C'est tout!

 

Clearly, there's no limit to the creation of a thread where a member can post whatever they wish provided it conforms to the rules and regulations as specified by Chris Connacker as well as contributing to making the CA Forum a highly-desirable forum. And with the privilege to create one's own thread, any moderation imposed at this thread ends at the borders of this thread.

 

New members who join CA and experience other threads may expect it post here with the same liberties unfettered at the other threads. Hence my purpose in designing this post to give notice for what the policy is for this thread. Please honor my admonition.

 

I am hoping that the membership will appreciate a moderated thread. If not, so be it. This is the last post explaining the purpose of the thread and how I curate this thread.

 

I prefer to attract member users of the Curious Cable to make this thread a valuable resource of information.

 

Thank you for your time and your cooperation. If members return and repeat posts of the kind that are not acceptable, I will have to lodge a formal complain with Chris Connacker.

 

Thank you for your time and attention,

Richard

[ClothEars]

With just about the 100 hours on two 0.8m Curious Cables, the sound unfortunately did not improve. More on SQ a little later.

 

 

Chain 1

 

 

HQPlayer 3.12 (Win10) > HP Z800 Workstation USB 3.0 port > Icron Ranger 2214 Cat 5 USB 2 extender > Curious Cable (A) > Intona 7054 Isolator > Curious Cable (B) > Mutec MC-1.2 USB S/PDIF converter > Accuphase DP-720 Coax input on SACD Player. <---Failed, System unstable.

 

 

Chain 2

 

 

HQPlayer 3.12 (Win10) > Lenovo M93p > Curious Cable (A) > Intona 7054 Isolator > Curious Cable (B) > Mutec MC-1.2 USB S/PDIF converter > Accuphase DP-720 Coax input on SACD Player. <- Failed, HQ Player would not accept any music to drag and drop.

 

 

Chain 3

 

 

HQPlayer 3.12 (Win10) > Lenovo M93p > Curious Cable (A) > Mutec MC-1.2 USB S/PDIF converter > Accuphase DP-720 Coax input on SACD Player. <- Failed, for the same reasons as Chain2. This is the first time since receipt that only the one cable was used on its own. At this point the system was calmly shutdown and the Curious cables were re-packed on their journey to the vendor.

 

 

When the Curious Cables didn't work, Nordost Blue Heaven or Oyaide Continental cables were substituted and the music played, wonderfully. I would give the sound to the Nordost, much like an MFSL mastering over a standard issue, the Oyaides have that crisp sharp definition. I wish there were a combo...digressing.

 

 

On the test bench, I could only do basic resistance checks to make sure there were not any gross wiring errors with the curious cables. They belled out fine, with the exception of the shield at the A and B Shells. In both 0.8m Curious Cables, the shield was disconnected, did not check which end was disconnected. In comparison, the Nordost cables had the A and B shells connected, same with the Oyaide Continentals. Generic USB 2.0 cables varied quite a lot, continuity on one cable and 400k Ohms on the other and they have the same part number. The Lenovo PC has the shell above earth some 1 M Ohm, the HPZ800 has the shell grounded.

 

 

I conclude that the discontinuity of the shield is responsible to for SQ degradation by letting the noise in or reactive enough to distort the USB waveform, even when an Intona Isolator is in circuit.

 

 

Summary of SQ issues:

 

 

- Micro details missing

- Stage width too narrow, with a gap b/n left and right of centre

- Individual instruments are buried in the sound-stage, so cannot focus on them

- The cables affected female vocals' tonality with finer breathing and accents are missing.

- The playback is as if there's bulk jitter added to the system

 

 

I wish the results were different. Quite happy with the SQ the way it is now, until the next component arrives.

 

Hello One and a Half.

Your measurements certainly raise some issues so I thought I’d check my Curious Cables to see why they work flawlessly in my system. It is already known that the CC configuration does not connect the shell to pin 4 (ground). That is consistent with your measurement of the cable on its’ own.

 

However when plugged into a PC or Laptop the shell and pin 4 are connected by the female USB connector on the device. Hence if you measure the cable plugged in you will find the shell is connected at both ends by virtue of the wiring configuration on the PC/Laptop. Further, if you measure the resistance from the shell case at the PC/Laptop right through the cable chain to pin 4 (ground) you should find a resistance and therefore a connection. This connection happens automatically when the connector is inserted into a USB socket of all computers and most DACs. On insertion, the connector shell and the ground pin are immediately and forever more as one. You don’t need to do it twice.

 

The measured resistance will vary depending on how each device in the chain handles the ground connection. For instance the Intona handles the ground connection via galvanic isolation as opposed to the Regen. Perhaps it’s therefore worth doing this on your cable chain to see what’s happening. More measurements are required before serious conclusions should be drawn.

 

The other mystifying thing is that you have previously reported on another forum that you had no problem with the Curious Cable in your system. Here is the link. UAC2.0 Galvanic Isolation - AudioAficionado.org

 

Therefore I cannot agree with your aural assessment of the Curious Cable for several reasons.

 

1) In my journey into CA I have struck certain combo’s that do not work properly or at all. When I first got the USB Regen I had all sorts of problems running it into my Geek Out 450 as it refused to allow the Geek Out to be seen by my Laptop and because the GO450 uses the 5V+ from the USB connection all it’s light’s would come on dimly and it wouldn’t play. Rather than publicly trash the Regen I tried various cable changes until I discovered that by unplugging the GO450 then plugging it back into the Regen everything worked fine. I therefore found my sound was greatly improved by a product that initially did not initially seem to work with my system. Therefore I believe your conclusion that the Curious Cable must be at fault is premature and flawed. (I now have an Auralic Vega which doesn’t require this little routine to work).

 

2) I note that you have had connection problems integrating the Intona into the rest of your system as stated in following posts on the same thread using other cables. So what has changed since you reported this? What conclusion can you really make about the Curious Cable’s audio capability when you seem to have been suffering unfortunate connection problems with several pieces of equipment. I cannot see how judging a cable can be validly achieved until you have heard what it sounds like in a system that does work well with these cables. I can assure you these cables are superb and when compared to other very expensive cables is in fact quite a bargain.

 

3) The reason the Curious Cable is the talk of the town is because 99% of users find it the best cable they have ever heard in their systems. These users are very experienced Audiophiles and perhaps due some respect in their observations. Further they have had no compatibility problems as you describe. So maybe it’s your system that has a problem and not the ears of hundreds of very satisfied customers.

 

4) It would seem logical that when the vast majority of people report very similar aural experiences when adding Curious Cables to their system, if you are the exception (the 1%), then it would be worthwhile finding out why. This is not a 50/50 situation so perhaps it’s worth asking questions on this forum to help you sort it out, though that does require a less dismissive approach to what is a great product.

 

Good luck - I hope you sort it out and find what sounds best in your system. For me and my system it's the Curious Cable!

[ClothEars]

To add to my experience documented on the previous page, where the best the Curious Regen link could do was to play grossly distorted music, and at worst would not play anything or cause my PC to not recognize the dac-

 

Tonight I borrowed an Audioquest (the bottom model I think) USB cable, maybe 10', from my brothers store. Its been playing flawlessly for a few hours in the same setup where the CRL sounded very distorted and would cause my dac to go into a continuous loud hissing state.

 

Very interesting to hear about the shield connection situation on the A and B shells. I can't find my voltmeter so can't test mine before I send it back d'oh. This could be the reason the cable simply did not work properly if at all in my system AND the reason it sounds so fabulous in others'. Very interesting.

 

Hi msfoa. If you are experiencing “gross distortion” then you should refer to my response to One and a Half.

You are within the 1%.

 

There must some reason the floated shell connection utilised by Curious Cables is upsetting things for your system. Could you perhaps make the same measurement recommended above to ascertain whether pin 4 at the DAC is connected to the shell at the PC/Laptop and work down the signal chain. With more measurements and information I’m sure help would be at hand here. It's worth a shot!

[REShaman]

If people have bought the cable and it doesn't work for them they have the right to say so. I have a Curious cable coming. If it doesn't work I'm going to say so. Isn't this thread all about the Curious cable? Good or Bad...

 

No one who purchased a Curious Cable and who posted here has been interfered with. Can you name a member who has?

 

It's your present attitude and style and tone that is being addressed. You're behaving in a rude manner. This thread is not intended to be argumentative. If you have a contribution based on actual experience then present it. And be civil about it.

 

Given that there are posts positive and negative -- have you even read the thread? -- what is your outcome is protesting treatment that you have not even received? No member's post who employs a Curious Cable and posts their assessments has been prevented from doing so. Please don't start off as a trouble maker.

 

You're welcome to post your findings. But leave your attitude at the door and post what you have direct experience with. And if you feel you are not being fairly treated here, feel free to start your own tread, otherwise, be nice when you post here.

 

Are we in accord?

 

Best,

Richard

[2string1]

No one who purchased a Curious Cable and who posted here has been interfered with. Can you name a member who has?

 

It's your present attitude and style and tone that is being addressed. You're behaving in a rude manner. This thread is not intended to be argumentative. If you have a contribution based on actual experience then present it. And be civil about it.

 

Given that there are posts positive and negative -- have you even read the thread? -- what is your outcome is protesting treatment that you have not even received? No member's post who employs a Curious Cable and posts their assessments has been prevented from doing so. Please don't start off as a trouble maker.

 

You're welcome to post your findings. But leave your attitude at the door and post what you have direct experience with. And if you feel you are not being fairly treated here, feel free to start your own tread, otherwise, be nice when you post here.

 

Are we in accord?

 

Best,

Richard

No problem...more then likely I'm going to love the cable. Most everyone has. Just saying if it doesn't work there should be no problem saying so. Right... Sorry if my post sounded like it had attitude. I'm done talking,just going to read because I'm curious.

[REShaman]

Hello ClothEars,

 

Welcome to the thread.

 

Your contributions are much appreciated in particular for your perspective and insights and open mindedness about/to what the possibilities are that might otherwise stop another member from getting as far as s/he could if only...

 

I am always taken with the contrast frame between members who exhibit a thoughtful approach to a problem and use the problem as a springboard to a solution, if one a solution is attainable. Whereas another member may just default to a conclusion limited by one's mindset at the time and then publish undue criticism given the choices made to reveal what needs to be assessed but fell short of an independent frame of reference.

 

Furthermore, I appreciate that you offer as an example for this thread's goal as a resource, an on-topic conversation that addresses with insight into the products and its workings and its relationship with the configuration and connections of one's systems. In particular, cause and effect, further explained by a resourceful pursuit. It's often easier to attribute blame or causation to circumspect and, perhaps, convenient trigger that may be the answer or may be a misleading impression.

 

I curate a number of threads that include hardware and software. Often a member will attribute the cause for a problem to some aspect of the product's design, build and trash the program publically. Thereafter the problem complained of is then explained by a different trigger, i.e. the subsequent finding that an operating system app that is active has interfered. Or a hardware component that is not compatible with the software breaks something.

 

So your respectful, calm, thoughtful discussion that opens up the possibilities for other than what a member attributes to the trigger is a valuable contribution.

 

I find it perplexing when members speculate, presuppose motives or attribute characterization to other members that have no basis in fact to justify their perspectives. As a rule, I never argue with perception. But when a member gets personal, disrespectful and justifies that behavior with standing up for the truth because I may invested in obscuring the truth or have an agenda of self interest or am In league with the product designer etc., then it falls on me to address those accusations and put a stop to it.

 

My threads at CA prosper and viewer count and post count run into 135,000 plus , 93,000 plus and growing. Not because members are being hoodwinked, but because the thread serves as a resource.

 

Additionally, helpful advice, recommendations, a wider view of the problem as in what one might do when confronted with a circumstance that some regard as a broken unit or flawed when what is needed is, as you offer in one case, disconnecting and reconnecting resulting in a successful connection changes the whole complexion of the perspectives and preconceptions supported by measurements which in themselves may be misleading.. I may have abridged the full spectrum of the steps you took.

 

Thank you once again for offering a contrast frame. In the end, a product may not deliver what the member expected, could be flawed in its fabrication and fall in disfavor with the customer. This thread takes no position of what a member must or must not regard the product to be as long as the conclusions are supported by valid findings. If they are subjective that's fine too.

 

One need only visit the various threads which focus on all facets of this hobby and discover the variety of issues that attend the product, a new build. Most of the products associated with this hobby are a work in progress and often we are the beta testers who provide useful feedback (rather than failure).

 

For my part, it's not that I am a fan of the Curious Cable. Rather I have four years of experience with a variety of USB cables widely accepted and acknowledged as rendering an SQ of high quality, subjective or not.

 

My recent experience with the Curious Cable, specifically first the CRL200mm, and, thereafter, the Curious Cable USB 0.8m to complete the full loom has persuaded me to start a thread with a focus squarely on the CC. I intend the thread to prosper because it delivers reliable feedback to members who are invested in the enjoyment of music, which is my highest priority And in my experience, the Curious Cable contributes to that outcome admirably. For those who don't share the same experience, and are intent on moving on, I wish them well. The choices for what delivers that enjoyment are extensive.

 

And the music's the thing, the equipment seduces,

Richard

[REShaman]

No problem...more then likely I'm going to love the cable. Most everyone has. Just saying if it doesn't work there should be no problem saying so. Right... Sorry if my post sounded like it had attitude. I'm done talking,just going to read because I'm curious.

 

Thank you 2string1 for your response. I appreciate the exchange. And look forward to discovering what your direct experience provides you. I am hoping your investment meets with your satisfaction, not because of the brand, but the outcome which I gather is your enjoyment of the music.

 

When you ready to post your findings or if you have questions or a contribution that meets with the topic of this thread, you are welcome to add to the thread's offerings that serve the membership.

 

I am glad we're on the same page. Resource is power. And power is resource.

 

Best,

Richard

[JohanS]

Still loving my usb cable loom consisting of all Curious Regen Links.

 

I think I was actually the first person to purchase a Curious Regen Link as Rob created it a while back based upon email discussions between the two of us- Rob was the only usb cable maker willing to make a short usb cable for my Regens and I think he added the Regen Link to his website shortly after our discussions.

 

I also compared the short Curious Regen Link variety with the longer .8M Curious Cables and found slight improvements when swapping in Regen Links in place of the .8M versions.

 

The Curious Cables beat out my Light Harmonic 10G and TotalDac D1 usb cables that I had been using (although it was a very close call in comparison to the TotalDac D1).

 

Rob is an outstanding guy to do business with- one of the best I've had the pleasure to deal with in all my years.

Thanks a lot Blake! I had been looking for a short, high quality USB cable for a while until

I stumbled upon the Curious REGEN link.

[miguelito]

I'm using:

 

mini => Jitterbug => VBus Isolator => Curious 80cm => Regen => Curious 20cm

 

Regen is powered by Uptone JS-2, same as the mini.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Guys - CA has a policy of letting individual members curate threads they've started (within reason) to keep things on topic. This works very well for two reasons, 1) Thread kept on topic are much better for all involved and 2) Everyone is free to start a new thread if they want something posted that the OP doesn't want in a curated thread. There's no censorship going on.

 

If you are new to CA you probably aren't familiar with the Work Richard (the OP) has done over the years to curate some awesome threads. With his persistence some very long threads have been kept on topic and successfully helped thousands of people and save these people the time and effort of weeding through off topic posts that can meander in all directions.

 

Please respect Richard's work. Feel free to start your own thread. Enjoy your music.

 

Note: All comment removal requests come to me and I remove the comment. Richard suggests removal to me and I make the final decision. If a post has been moved, don't blame Richard. Blame me.

[HedgeHog]

Configuration:

 

QNAP HS-251->Ethernet->PC (Intel i7 4700K, Intel 750 400GB NVMe SSD, JRMC 21)->Schiit PYST USB->Uptone Regen Amber->CCRL 20cm->Chord Hugo TT->Focal Alpha 65. HD Plex 100W powering NAS, switch, router, Regen.

 

I first connected the CCRL without the Regen (previously had Wyrd) and OEM power supplies. Initial thought were not good. I really hated it and considered returning the cable. But decided to leave it in for the week. As time went on, it got slightly better. Nothing to brag about.

 

Then I popped in the Regen, replacing the Wyrd. Much better but took a bit more time to get smoother. Now adding the HD Plex in the mix has really made this setup fun to listen to again.

 

So, IME, the CCRL did not do miracles by itself with with the combination, it has great synergy for my setup. Now I'm perplexed as to get another Curious Cable from the PC to the Regen for that "full loom" experience. I'm not sure if it will make an audible benefit and it will be 1.5M, so $$$$$.

 

tl/dr: CCRL = ok, Uptone = good, +LPS better, CCRL+Uptone+LPS = Yeah!

 

My 2 cents.

 

-H

[Allan F]

I started with the LS Lightspeed 10G USB cable, then added the Regen, which provided a significant audible improvement. I then replaced the Lightspeed with the 0.8m Curious cable. Initially, it sounded like a backward step. After two days of continual playing, it became more or less of a saw-off. I then let it run continually for a week without any critical listening, after which I was very favourably impressed with the results in terms of greater fullness and richer timbre, with no apparent liabilities.

 

Consequently, I ordered the Curious Regen Link (200m) to replace the solid Regen adapter. From the outset, I noticed a further improvement in terms of greater clarity. The music actually appeared to sound somewhat louder at the same volume settings. Initially, however, the music sounded very slightly thinner, especially in the bass. After several days of continual play, the fullness has returned, while maintaining the additional clarity.

 

I have just installed a Zerozone mini LPS (9V) that arrived yesterday to replace the wall wart, too soon IMO to offer any comments on its effect.

 

CAPS v3 Carbon > Curious 0.8m > Regen > Curious Link > Luxman DA-06

[ClothEars]

Thank you for your comments Richard and keep up the good work keeping the thread on topic and civil. I'ts a nice change as some threads get very antagonistic and everybody loses from that approach.

 

I note that many people utilise the Regen in their signal chain. So do I and the combination of the Regen + Curious Cable works particularly well. This synergy has been the topic of other extensive threads on other sites with particular emphasis on why a cable operates better than a simple connector with the Regen. I still don't have a definitive answer for why this is the case but I certainly remain "curious" as to the technical basis for the improvement.

 

Another thing I have found is that the 'burn in' period can be quite long with these cables and I would recommend at least 100hrs+ before any subjective assessment is made. I tend to run a new bit of gear for a couple of weeks before I decide whether it adds to my system. I do this by going backwards and removing/swapping the item out of the system to see if I prefer the previous configuration. I find this is a more reliable test method for assessing change.

 

I also recommend people try a Curious Cable for the connection between any external HDD and their PC/Laptop. I do and I now play files straight from disc and not via a RAM buffer because It sounds better. (JRiver offers this option in the setup options). Like most people I did not think this part of the signal chain would be that important but I have discovered that with the CC in line the RAM buffer does not sound as good as the direct path. That was a surprise as most recommendations are to preload the file into RAM for better sound. This was the case for me with other cables but quite a different case with the Curious Cable in place. Try it if you haven't done so already as it works a treat.

 

Lastly here is my signal chain so that other posters know what system this applies to.

External 2TB WD HDD (DIY LPS) > Curious Cable > ASUS Laptop (Fidelizer, JRiver v20, WASAPI) > Curious Cable > USB Regen (Teradak LPS) > Curious Cable > Auralic Vega > Lighter Note LDR > Sanders Magtech Power Amp > Magneplanar 1.7's + Rythmik Audio F12se subs (sub control via Antimode Dual Core 2.0).

[One and a half]

 

Therefore I cannot agree with your aural assessment of the Curious Cable for several reasons.

 

 

Then I will disagree with your assessment, because you don't hear what I hear, that's a finality.

 

If a fault exists, and the fault disappears from that system by substitution of another component, then that fault lies within that component that's removed. The fault then is not with the system, is it?

Square peg, round hole....

 

It's very possible that the Curious Cable(s) are faulty in some way. They are now back with the vendor for investigation and I await the results.

 

You are reading too much into the Audioafciando post and I'm not going to split hairs on that issue.

[ClothEars]

Then I will disagree with your assessment, because you don't hear what I hear, that's a finality.

 

If a fault exists, and the fault disappears from that system by substitution of another component, then that fault lies within that component that's removed. The fault then is not with the system, is it?

Square peg, round hole....

 

It's very possible that the Curious Cable(s) are faulty in some way. They are now back with the vendor for investigation and I await the results.

 

You are reading too much into the Audioafciando post and I'm not going to split hairs on that issue.

 

I knew we'd see eye to eye on things eventually One and a Half! LOL

 

I agree, (as you say) I cannot hear your system therefore it is your perception alone that dictates whether any piece of equipment improves or degrades your sound. Absolutely undisputed. However if you felt the cable was "faulty" then the first port of call to address this would be the manufacturer and not a public forum. (After all there is a money back guarantee and I note you are in Brisbane, Australia so only a local call).

 

Unfortunately logic dictates that any subjective comments on the aural performance of a "faulty" piece of equipment are irrelevant because it has a fault. Surely you would agree with that. So I look forward to your comments when you get a non faulty cable and share your views on this thread.

 

As an aside, I have found that the interaction between the pieces of equipment at the two ends of the cable can have a significant influence on the perceived attributes of the cable. It could be that you have a fault/incompatibility in some other component that gets exposed or hidden when a different cable is used. Resistance, impedance, capacitance all play a substantial part in this interaction. That it may not be a suitable cable for your system is undisputed but luckily for the vast majority of users, Curious Cables are highly suitable and very satisfying.

[REShaman]

Hello. One and a half and ClothEars,

 

It would appear you have both been given a wide birth to present your perspectives which are now a matter of record at this thread. I imagine these exchanges could easily continue, but what use it would serve the purpose of this thread is now a consideration.

 

And as One and a half has returned the cable(s) to Rob Woodland, should Rob provide an analysis of the returned cables as to their integrity of build; and, further, should Rob submit his conclusions either directly in a post at this thread or to One and a half who may wish to post as Rob's conclusion has a bearing on both of your perspectives, please do.

 

It feels like more back and forth would not advance this thread's topic. I want to be fair to you both as each of you have presented considerations for the rest of us to consider but without a definitive analysis, I am asking that you both pause these exchanges for the conclusions submitted by Rob if he chooses to do so. Or,

 

If you wish, you can continue your exchanges of perspectives at another thread or another subforum at CA or elsewhere.

 

I hope you receive my admonition in the spirit intended. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. And if One and a half in returning the CCs considers that matter concluded without interest in sharing Rob's analysis, that's his prerogative.

 

And ClothEars, speaking for myself, I do appreciate that you are interested in examining and take a position that explores what the possibilities may be for the larger perspective. I also appreciate your manner for how you conduct yourself. Your admonition as to what would have been a better approach to dealing with the issues contrasted with what One and a half chose in the first instance is wise. But I am certainly don't want to take sides, which I am not.

 

Prospectively, though, contacting the designer first is a thoughtful approach in the first instance.

 

Similarly One and a half has revised his interface with the tone of his responses, and I only comment on this as it commendable to do so, or so that is my experience, and I also appreciate your subsequent posts.

 

This thread prospers when members and readers throughout the World-at-large who visit feel welcome and are not met with contentious exchanges. Other members might find it entertaining and have even expressed that perspective, but not for this thread.

 

Best,

Richard

[One and a half]

Hello Richard,

 

The vendor did ask if after returning the Curious Cables, that I would be interested at some time in the future I would trial them again. This depends if the vendor found fault with either of the two cables and made necessary changes. The other alternative is to find the root cause of why in some systems the performance of the Curious cables can be so poor.

 

Both Human Media and I have balanced power for their audio system and curious cable do not perform optimally in either is one common trait. Why this would affect a USB cable between a computer and a DDC/DAC is something to work on, and will require measurements with a serious scope to detect irregular current/voltages particularly low frequencies. Perhaps the Curious cable is a path that favours the path of crud, whereas another modest cable shunts noise to ground or balances the current paths enough to prevent distortions. Also other possibilities exist as time goes on and more people can contribute their findings.

 

The Intona is also another factor that can influence the operation of the cable, rejection of crud back to the source is also possible, but needs confirmation.

If the CC does favour the path of crud, it's no wonder the cable can sound poor, hence a suggestion that the Curious cable is reactive in the true electrical sense.

 

So many things to consider.

 

I feel that of the root cause is found, it would be of benefit to Rob, as he can offer different cables with a different geometry, or whatever secret sauce goes into making the product.

[REShaman]

Hello One and a half,

 

Thank you for your thoughts on the matter. Especially given that we as customers and end users provide relevant (hopefully) feedback (as opposed to failure) that can benefit the designer, engineer is assessing what is cause and effect and what to change and implement.

 

For example, I have been beta testing (volunteer basis) for Sonic Studio since 2011. I don't have the problems other customers have. In a sense the reverse of what you and Human Media are experiencing. Recently, I was able to provide important session time on my computer to log various operations to determine what the difference is that makes the difference with the intention of debugging the program to cure certain impediments that other customers experience.

 

In my experience, I learn more from when things go wrong than when they go right. Not always pleasant, but what results makes up for the rough times getting there.

 

If your experience and Human Media's helps Rob Woodland in a constructive way, that alone is outcome worth the preceding experiences.

 

My feedback was not intended to steer what can be posted here as much as once communicated the back and forth without something substantiative from a reliable source vs what if, speculation, presuppositions only prolong a discussion that is an exercise in points of view valid or not, pertinent or not, constructive or not etc.

 

If you or Rob should decide to keep us informed with the findings whether agreed to or not, at least the thread members and readers at large may benefit from a reliable source with explanations for cause and effect that may help others choose Curious Cables or not should the requirements be different. I am not sure how that would arise. But,

 

If I am repeating myself, excuse me: After my W4S Dac2 was upgraded to a Dac2 DSDse, the Synergistic Research USB Tricon cable ($600) failed resulting in static and schreecing. I was besides myself as the upgrade was costly. Long story short, Ted Denney of SR emailed me with a disclosure that the Tricon was intended for 44 frequency only and the subsequent upgrade to my Dac made the cables's design unusable. This limitation of the cable's design (and for me that is a limitation for a $600 cable) was never communicated in any form, marketing or otherwise. No where did I find such information which would have dissuaded me from purchasing that cable.

 

Of course technology is a continuum that never stops. So for someone like myself, brand new to computer audio, I had not a clue what was involved.

 

I am sharing this or repeating this to with you to bridge and differences in our communications that may have arisen. And I am hoping that with your agreement and/or with Rob's disclosure of his findings, we can all learn what we need to learn about systems configurations, connections, cables that inform us and educate us.

 

That's the outcome I am seeking. Thank you for the update. Hope further information is permitted and disclosed.

 

Best,

Richard

[Mitch2]

Hello Richard,

 

I received a 0.8M Curious USB Cable and Curious Regen link at the beginning of this week and I started a thread on another forum that Rob saw, and he suggested I check out your thread here, which I had not previously seen.

 

I do not use my "computer" as a source anymore so I hope it is ok to still post my impressions here. Although I still own a fully tricked out Mojo mini, I am currently using an Antipodes DX server into an UpTone Audio USB Regen and then the Metrum Pavane DAC.

 

I look for a tonally rich presentation with good body and dimensionality. My preference leans more toward "warm and rich" than "detailed and airy." I purchased the Curious cables to both get away from the hard link between my UpTone Audio USB Regen and DAC and also to hear what everyone is talking about with respect to the Curious USB cable. I was currently switching between the Totaldac USB cable and the ifi Gemini dual USB cable, which is nice because I can run the power leg from the powered USB port on the Antipodes server and the signal leg from the unpowered USB port.

 

In general, I find the Totaldac USB Cable to have excellent clarity, body, tone and energy while the ifi Gemini cable leans more toward the dark side, with a mix of richness, fullness and darkness while still displaying a sufficient level of detail but not the level of body of the Totaldac cable. I suspect the Gemini could be used to successfully tame digititus in some systems that sound just a touch electronic.

 

I have about 20 hours on the Curious cables and did burn them in for about 5 hours using Ayres full tone glide track on repeat. My early impressions indicate the Curious cables display good body, clarity and smoothness, and lean more toward the full/rich side of things than the Totaldac USB Cable. However, I detect a touch of darkness although not to the extent of the Gemini cable. A quick reinsertion of the Totaldac cable today on some Eva Cassidy, Warren Haynes and Greg Allman indicated an overall preference for the Totaldac cable at this time, although the Curious cable is also nice. These impressions are with the Curious Regen Link remaining in place since, I doubt I will ever go back to the hard link. I plan to sort out the USB cables first and then go back and try the hard link to confirm my preference for the Curious Link. I have reinserted the Curious USB cable and will report back after the Curious cable has some more time on it. Based on my early impressions, I suspect the Totaldac USB Cable will be hard to beat.

[REShaman]

Hello Mitch2,

 

Welcome to the thread. So glad you favor us with your report, configurations etc. You surely fit right in and are always welcome to inform us of your findings and experiences, whatever conclusions and assessments you reach.

 

We members are the better for having a thread that is a resource so that someone with a similar configuration as yours might glean insights. I also have a variety of music you identified and though my system is very different from your system, and the Curious Cables Full Loom produce a different result, your experience is as valid as mine.

 

Post here to your heart's content. FYI, I am a long time Wyred4Sound component system user. I started a thread about the recently released Recovery. You may want to peruse that thread for any value it might afford you. As I employ the Recovery now full time and have some 24+ hours of burnin and 100+ hours of playtime on the Full Loom of CC, I can confidently, assess even if preliminarily an assessment which concludes with a high recommendation for both the Recovery and CC Full Loom. But I don't want to violate my own admonition to stay on topic. So I'll defer to my other thread if you care to read about what the possibilities are.

 

Thank you for taking the time and care to inform us about your experiences with cables, configurations, connections and conversations.

 

Best,

Richard

[Allan F]

I have about 20 hours on the Curious cables and did burn them in for about 5 hours using Ayres full tone glide track on repeat. My early impressions indicate the Curious cables display good body, clarity and smoothness, and lean more toward the full/rich side of things than the Totaldac USB Cable. However, I detect a touch of darkness although not to the extent of the Gemini cable.

FWIW, Mitch, in my experience the Curious USB cables need a fairly long burn in time before showing their capabilities. I would suggest perhaps 150 hrs as a benchmark before making a final evaluation. Would be interested in your comparison to the Totaldac cable at that point.

[mfsoa]

To reply to a few questions I was asked:

The return process: No issues whatsoever. Rob honored his return policy 100%, without question or accusation (well, once I get around to boxing it up that is!). He did say that my PC's inability to recognize my dac when connected via the CRL was a first.

 

Continuity measurement: I checked continuity between the A and B connector shells when the cable was inserted into the dac and my Raspberry Pi and there was continuity. There is no continuity when not connected to anything. What implications this has I have no idea and my electrical sleuthing skills are pretty tapped out at this point!

 

My experience should not be taken as an indication of the sound quality of the cable (therefore I am not in the 1%, although financially, I wish I was...) as the cable/dac combination just didn't work right, with obvious pops and clicks if it worked at all. Could be 100% the dacs fault, IDK.

 

I would certainly be interested in auditioning the cable again if some configuration change is made that allows it to communicate w/ my dac (again, in case it helps anyone, a Marantz SA8005).

 

Good job with the thread Richard. Please understand that every comment I made was intended to accurately describe my experience with the cable and with troubleshooting its performance issues. I did not intend to criticize the sound quality or to imply that others should not be enjoying the hell out of their cable, and if I did I sincerely apologize.

 

-Mike

[pjwd]

Hi All - I have been down the path of the lightspeed ( lacking body) and total dac ( too dark, lacking clarity and sparkle) then upgraded to curious , then to Regen with short curious to DAC and now I have moved to Samsung Pro 850 ssd external hard drive powered by uptone JS2 and connected with Curious - every step has been a marked improvement ( much to my surprise after getting the Nagra HD DAC) in detail, foundation and just plain musicality. I never experienced any problems with connectivity.

So I agree with the cloth ears about adding the curious to the external hard drive/PC connection. Interestingly when I had spinning drives I thought the esata connection with cheap cables to be equal but SSD exposed the difference.

 

Of course as always the result can depend on the system but in this case I seemed to get more detail each time which I believe always leads to a more live sound.

 

Cheers,

 

Phil