USB Cables with separate power wires

[bmckenney]

Just curious if anyone is aware of any other cable vendors that are making a USB cable with a separate power run. As of a couple of months ago I believe only Locus Design (Axis, Nucleus, Cynosure -- but not their Polestar), the RSAD Alethias and Enopias -- but not their Poiema) were. That statement comes from a post I copied from Scot from back in December I think it was. I do know the current prodution RSAD Poiema does have the separate power run now and at around $300 is maybe the most affordable USB cable that incorporates this approach from what I can tell. I was hoping that maybe there are other options, more affordable options. Or different, better options, for the same price. Hopefully this approach is all it's cracked up to be and more and more products will implement it. It's not like there's a patent, from what I was told.

 

Bryan

 

[Part-Time Audiophile]

The Synergistic Research Tesla Tricon USB cable also separates out the power and data legs and is comparable in price to the Alethias and Axis cables. I'll be borrowing one this weekend to test it out with the Legato.

 

[barrows]

you mean a separately shielded power run, right? AFAIK, all USB cables use separate conductors for the ground path and +5 volt leg of the cable, and the more sophisticated designs mentioned above, actually have the power and ground run in their own shield, separated from the shield around the 2 signal conductors.

S7: looking forward to your findings with the Tesla/Legato combo, have fun!

 

[Part-Time Audiophile]

Yes, Barrows -- what he meant, at least insofar as he was referencing a previous post of mine, was USB cables with a separate (but not necessarily external) run for power/ground.

 

Talked with Ted at SRT today (interesting guy) about his cable and he pointed me at a pair of reviews on SoundStage. Looks like an interesting cable, regardless of how you feel about the whole "QT" thing (which to me just sounds silly, but WTF do I know).

 

FWIW, I also talked to the Robert (?) at RSAD today too (busy day at work, can you tell?) and he confirmed that the Poiema is now (as of the first of the year) a dual-run cable, like the Alethias, but with smaller gauge wire (and inline with the USB spec, which the fatter-wire Alethias is not). He also reiterated his design goals of "audible improvements at every level", and stated that while Poiema is truly very good, the Alethias is truly better. Unfortunately, my circumstances do not allow me to run out and test this immediately. :-)

 

[barrows]

Understood! With Async USB, there should not be too much demand on the USB cable itself, of course Gordon Rankin and Charlie Hansen have both already accepted that the cable still matters. I just wonder how much difference there is between something like the Wireworld Starlight and the cables going for way more...

On "Quantum Tunneling": it makes as much sense as cryo treating, and I have heard benefits from getting things cryoed in the past. I wonder if Ted can show electron microscope pictures of the crystalline structure of his cables before and after the "QT" process. I would expect any real differences to be visible...

 

[Part-Time Audiophile]

I'm going to have a Belkin Pro, a Wireworld UV, and an SRT Tesla Tricon to play with next week. Hopefully, some sonic improvements will make themselves heard ....

 

[jkeny]

Scot,

Any shootout results yet?

 

[Part-Time Audiophile]

Though, now, I cannot seem to find them at all.

 

Hmm.

 

Anyway, I quite like the SRT Tesla Tricon. It's very clearly superior to the Wireworld. As to why that is ...? I can't say for sure, but my opinion is the "separation of power" very definitely has a positive impact. That said, it isn't huge -- it's a digital cable, after all -- and I think the Legato its feeding has a larger sonic impact than the wire.

 

Anyway, the cable is recommended. My suspicion is that it'd be inaudibly different from either the RSAD or the Locus, however, so whichever you can get cheapest would be your best bet.