USB Cable

[Astralark]

high end is more complex than making product by measurment devices and it seems very few designer focused on digital cable design.

i check your list

 

You may consider siltech royal signature crown USB.

 

 

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[amir57bs]

You may consider siltech royal signature crown USB.

 

 

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They just make money in this business, no helping me

[Panelhead]

I am going to try AQ diamond , CAD , Oyaide , Curious in future

 

I cannot recommend any of the cables I tried. The Oyaide was very stiff. The AQ very genaric looking. The LH 2G flat sounding, and the Furutech dull.

Considered all the isolators, power supplies, and filters hitting market. Ended up going back to a FireWire connected Dac instead.

The next year MAY see more dacs coming out with TB connectivity. This is a better option. The new TB3 is announced and will be USB 3 compatible. Hopefully Windows drivers too.

[davide256]

I am going to try AQ diamond , CAD , Oyaide , Curious in future

 

Given the improvement from optical ethernet isolation I see far more hope in an Ichron optical USB type of solution. Their a bit pricey at the moment, around $900

[Jud]

I am going to try AQ diamond , CAD , Oyaide , Curious in future

 

I've been quite happy with the Mapleshade Clearlink Plus for a couple of years now. Clearlink USB 2.0 Cable - 3 Foot - Male A to Male B - PLUS Version-shop.mapleshadestore.com The Clearlink Plus replaced an AQ Coffee. The Coffee was twice the price, and to my ears sounded less than half as good.

[Iain]

I have 3 usb cable:

Purist 30th Anniversary USB Cable 1.0m 1500$

Acoustic Revive USB Cable 1.0m 500$

hp OEM USB Cable (Printer 1.8m) 5$

 

...

 

All usb cables sound very very different but all are crap.

...

 

before posting this thread i did read previous threads. no gain

 

Pity, but I fail to see how a simple cable could account for all the idiosyncrasies you note.

 

Your problem is elsewhere in your system.

[Jud]

Pity, but I fail to see how a simple cable could account for all the idiosyncrasies you note.

 

Your problem is elsewhere in your system.

 

It may be. But then again these are his components and his ears.

 

While sometimes people can just be wrong, it is especially difficult to know what another person is perceiving.

[Doak]

i disagree, macbook is not bad , maybe just need to go for quad core i7 + 16gig ram

 

Not "bad" but there's better for same/less.

[amir57bs]

I cannot recommend any of the cables I tried. The Oyaide was very stiff. The AQ very genaric looking. The LH 2G flat sounding, and the Furutech dull.

Considered all the isolators, power supplies, and filters hitting market. Ended up going back to a FireWire connected Dac instead.

The next year MAY see more dacs coming out with TB connectivity. This is a better option. The new TB3 is announced and will be USB 3 compatible. Hopefully Windows drivers too.

 

My Berkeley use Gordon Rankin USB codes Streamlength and it is far better than even general asyn-xmos usb device like AMR DP-777.

The sound is not far from CEC TL0-X and i hope to get CEC sound with proper cabling.

Firewire is not my choice and i do not like Weiss DACs.

[amir57bs]

Given the improvement from optical ethernet isolation I see far more hope in an Ichron optical USB type of solution. Their a bit pricey at the moment, around $900

Gordon use optical isolation in his top of the line USB DAC . Now i should find a better cable but i think about your idea

[amir57bs]

I've been quite happy with the Mapleshade Clearlink Plus for a couple of years now. Clearlink USB 2.0 Cable - 3 Foot - Male A to Male B - PLUS Version-shop.mapleshadestore.com The Clearlink Plus replaced an AQ Coffee. The Coffee was twice the price, and to my ears sounded less than half as good.

 

Today I ordered Curious , AQ Diamond is comming to tehran and The CAT is on order. If non of them were good then i try Clear Link

[amir57bs]

Pity, but I fail to see how a simple cable could account for all the idiosyncrasies you note.

 

Your problem is elsewhere in your system.

 

Disagree , i exactly know what i need.

System is good :

CEC TL0-x

Macbook /Berkeley Alpha USB

AMR DP-777 bit-perfect I Classic mode (you know thorsten)

EAR 312 pre (most expensive fully transformer from Tim)

EAR 861 push pull (you know Tim)

Living Voice speaker

All purist cable neptune series.

No ground loop

Proper vibration control

[Cornan]

Capasitor in series???

Please NO! Capasitive coupling is the enemy! Do not add any capatitors or risistors in the line and remove 5v,shielding, dielectrics and GND if possible..and just enjoy!

 

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[YashN]

I am going to try AQ diamond , CAD , Oyaide , Curious in future

 

Try Corning Optical.

[davide256]

Try Corning Optical.

 

Corning is a "fail". Strike 1, the endpoint optical converters are wire connected in common to source USB end for power, strike 2 they are A-A, not A-B end USB cables and strike 3 you can't connect a device using them that needs to draw USB power. The in common power source is the big negative, if they made both ends independently powered, I could probably stomach work arounds for 2 and 3.

[One and a half]

I do not think it help , many ac filters like shynuta clean the sound but kill dynamic. Many high power solidstate amplifiers use negative feedback for less noise but they kill dynamic.

Berkeley use Gordon Rankin Streamlength code and it is very good interface. No usb input of any dac even with good isolation and noise filtering sounds as good as Berkeley.

 

I should say i compare Berkeley with our reference CEC TL0-X

 

I don't know who told you that isolation doesn't help...please take a fresh approach for the time being. No matter which metal conductor USB cable you use, there will be leakage current from the computer to the Berkerley via power supplies. USB signal will carry these unwanted leakage currents to the DAC where they are often not rejected. Mind, USB signals are analog voltages, not perfect 1's and 0's, so the leakage current has a perfect way to transmit to the DAC.

 

The Intona as suggested, stops the leakage current from the computer to the Berkerley. There's another issue of signal integrity to go through which also requires another piece of hardwares to buy and another round of discussion.

 

What I'm telling/recommending you, if you remove the leakage currents, you are left with a cleaner signal to the Berkerley. If the nuisance leakage currents are removed, what do you think that would do for dynamics?

 

No amount of selecting different cabling is going to bring back or improve dynamics, when there is rubbish in the signal to begin with.

 

Have a read of this post from John Swenson, it explains the issue and compares the sound of USB cable alone and various methods to overcome limitations of USB. It's a little technical, but John explains complex issues very well indeed.

 

As for the Berkerley, it has been bettered with the Mutec MC-3+USB, half way down the page.

[sandyk]

I don't know who told you that isolation doesn't help...please take a fresh approach for the time being. No matter which metal conductor USB cable you use, there will be leakage current from the computer to the Berkerley via power supplies. USB signal will carry these unwanted leakage currents to the DAC where they are often not rejected. Mind, USB signals are analog voltages, not perfect 1's and 0's, so the leakage current has a perfect way to transmit to the DAC.

 

The Intona as suggested, stops the leakage current from the computer to the Berkerley. There's another issue of signal integrity to go through which also requires another piece of hardwares to buy and another round of discussion.

 

What I'm telling/recommending you, if you remove the leakage currents, you are left with a cleaner signal to the Berkerley. If the nuisance leakage currents are removed, what do you think that would do for dynamics?

 

No amount of selecting different cabling is going to bring back or improve dynamics, when there is rubbish in the signal to begin with.

 

Have a read of this post from John Swenson, it explains the issue and compares the sound of USB cable alone and various methods to overcome limitations of USB. It's a little technical, but John explains complex issues very well indeed.

 

As for the Berkerley, it has been bettered with the Mutec MC-3+USB, half way down the page.

 

Agreed 100% . Especially about taking a fresh approach for the time being !

USB takes quite a bit of work to get the best from it.

[Astralark]

The cables in home audio syetem are used to alter hue / tones. For pro audio area, it is just transport data and no expensive cables. If you want to improve dramatically, never pay too much on cables, check your bulk units. You buy several USB and try them one by one, why not search key word "dynamic" and "USB cables" and see other recommendations.

 

 

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[sandyk]

The cables in home audio syetem are used to alter hue / tones. For pro audio area, it is just transport data and no expensive cables. If you want to improve dramatically, never pay too much on cables, check your bulk units. You buy several USB and try them one by one, why not search key word "dynamic" and "USB cables" and see other recommendations.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

 

Really ? Inadvertently to a relatively small extent perhaps !

I don't find too much to agree with in the rest of your post either. USB cables should act only as transporting data, but the data being exported is in an analogue format and RF/EMI goes along for the ride too.

 

There is far more to good USB Audio than just the actual USB cables used, although the better ones do reduce coupling between the D+ and D- wires, and the typically noisy +5V, and earth return wires.

[amir57bs]

Try Corning Optical.

 

Optic isolation seems be good at first glance but it is in botton list of trial and error

[amir57bs]

I don't know who told you that isolation doesn't help...please take a fresh approach for the time being. No matter which metal conductor USB cable you use, there will be leakage current from the computer to the Berkerley via power supplies. USB signal will carry these unwanted leakage currents to the DAC where they are often not rejected. Mind, USB signals are analog voltages, not perfect 1's and 0's, so the leakage current has a perfect way to transmit to the DAC.

 

The Intona as suggested, stops the leakage current from the computer to the Berkerley. There's another issue of signal integrity to go through which also requires another piece of hardwares to buy and another round of discussion.

 

What I'm telling/recommending you, if you remove the leakage currents, you are left with a cleaner signal to the Berkerley. If the nuisance leakage currents are removed, what do you think that would do for dynamics?

 

No amount of selecting different cabling is going to bring back or improve dynamics, when there is rubbish in the signal to begin with.

 

Have a read of this post from John Swenson, it explains the issue and compares the sound of USB cable alone and various methods to overcome limitations of USB. It's a little technical, but John explains complex issues very well indeed.

 

As for the Berkerley, it has been bettered with the Mutec MC-3+USB, half way down the page.

 

I know John Swedeson , he is owner of empirical audio.

On paper gavanic isolation make sense but in practical i am not sure.

I used iUSB 3.0 from thorsten and it clean up/reclock signal but it was crap . iUSB and other reclockers may be good on Some systems but iusb do not work on my system

About ground loop of usb transmission i should call Gordon and ask him about berkeley

[One and a half]

I know John Swedeson , he is owner of empirical audio.

On paper gavanic isolation make sense but in practical i am not sure.

I used iUSB 3.0 from thorsten and it clean up/reclock signal but it was crap . iUSB and other reclockers may be good on Some systems but iusb do not work on my system

About ground loop of usb transmission i should call Gordon and ask him about berkeley

 

Ah, slight correction if I may, Steve Nugent is the owner/founder of Empirical Audio. John Swenson works on audio projects with Uptone audio, Sonore and more I suppose, responsible for hardware designs and finding solutions to USB transmissions.

[amir57bs]

Ah, slight correction if I may, Steve Nugent is the owner/founder of Empirical Audio. John Swenson works on audio projects with Uptone audio, Sonore and more I suppose, responsible for hardware designs and finding solutions to USB transmissions.

Thank you

[witchdoctor]

I have 3 usb cable:

Purist 30th Anniversary USB Cable 1.0m 1500$

Acoustic Revive USB Cable 1.0m 500$

hp OEM USB Cable (Printer 1.8m) 5$

 

My true Bit-Perfect system :

Roon Labs -> Macbook Pro 13 Retina 8Gig i5 -> Berkeley Alpha USB (Streamlength Code) -> AMR DP-777/EAR DAC4

 

All usb cables sound very very different but all are crap.

hp 5$ has flat sound but very easy to my ear and very balance but it is not transparent .

Acoustic Revive is very Clean and precise but the sound is mechanical and compress.

Purist is more beautiful sounding than two other but it is compress . i love purist analog cables , they are so good and i use neptune series for AC Power, Interconnect and Speaker Cable but their digital cable is compress.

you could turn volume up by hp 5$ cable but purist and AR do not let you turn the volume up.

 

I ordered Audioquest Diamond USB Cable 1.5m and i will get it before 15 october.

 

now i would like to know is any body know a good sounding USB cable without dynamic compression.

i need beautiful sound of purist without compressing dynamic .

 

before posting this thread i did read previous threads. no gain

 

I hate to say it but dynamic compression can be related to so many things other than the choice of cable. Here are two ideas.

audioquest has a new $50 product called the jitterbug that piggybacks between your USB port and the USB cable, reviews are good.

Mapleshade offers an excellent USB cable that is worthy of an audition IMO and it is less $$ than some of the cables you mention:

Clearlink USB 2.0 Cable - 3 Foot - Male A to Male B - PLUS Version-shop.mapleshadestore.com

[Astralark]

Really ? Inadvertently to a relatively small extent perhaps !

I don't find too much to agree with in the rest of your post either. USB cables should act only as transporting data, but the data being exported is in an analogue format and RF/EMI goes along for the ride too.

 

There is far more to good USB Audio than just the actual USB cables used, although the better ones do reduce coupling between the D+ and D- wires, and the typically noisy +5V, and earth return wires.

 

If you count cables as component in your system, yes it matters and some cables can be very expensive and will you use them? The price of cable should be 1/10 of the final system value. More than that just make no sense.

 

The digital files are processed by pro audio device without expensive cables. Have you seen them use any consumer audiophile cables? No. My point is just remind people don't go too far on digital cables. A 4000USD system with random printer cables sounds better than 1000USD system with 6000USD cables. This example can help me to explain my point of view, cables are used to change hue and tones of current system. He is buying and trying USBs, that could be waste of money.

 

 

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