Musical Fidelity V-Link need a fancy USB cable? Does it work with iPad via USB Camera Kit?

[goldsdad]

$3549 for 3FT

 

Only $710 restocking fee if returned within 30-days.

 

Hmmmmm... will I buy a new car or a couple of USB cables... that's a tough decision.

 

[jacquesr]

Hi,

I am a relatively new member here and I never get involved in sterile threads like this one.

 

But the mention of Locus compelled me to do so.

 

Locus was a very reputable company in the field. I happened to find out one hour ago that one member here does own this very cable. I don't want to drag him in here, but the name of the cable is in his signature. Maybe you should ask him what he thinks of this cable?

 

There was something quite unique about him: you could see the detailed description of how each cable was made. That's more info that most big-name cable shops.

 

Lee Wiland, founder of Locus died about a month ago. It turns out that I bought something from his company about a week before the event and I was in touch with him. Great, genuine guy. He left behind a couple of kids and a wife with cancer.

 

I suggest you spend a bit of money and make a donation here:

http://www.locus-design.com/index.php/peacebrigoodbye-leei

 

I promise his wife and family _will_ hear the difference.

 

Now, back to the original purpose of this thread.

 

a) To the OP: Only you will know if different cables will make a difference that _you_ will appreciate in _your_ system and if _you_ are willing to perceive the difference and _accept_ to pay to obtain it.

b) Our hobby is _very_ subjective - there is no "objectivity" here. No two people are looking for the same thing. No two people listen to the same music mix. People have different constraints and level of familiarity with the hobby

c) It is a HOBBY. That means that you must experience it yourself. Sometimes you will make mistakes. Sometimes you will succeed. If we were building model airplanes, sometimes they would crash because we forgot a nut for the wing attachment... That's all part of the process. It takes _time_ and _experience_ to really enjoy this hobby. There are no shortcuts. Well, you can buy Bose if you want...

d) If someone is _happy_ with the result with an expensive piece of gear, whatever it is, and this person can afford it, then why not?

e) You can find here a thread where members list their cables

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/POLL-What-USB-cable-are-you-using

 

Enough.

 

Jacques

 

[Paul R]

I think what you might take from that is simply to go and listen to different cables before you start making sweeping statements about them. A very large number of people can and do hear differences.

 

Me personally? I don't hear any differences in USB cables once you reach somewhere around the $100 mark. The few $500 cables and even fewer $1000+ cables I listened to did not sound any better to me than the $100 cable.

 

(But I do have two AudioQuest Cinammon cables that sound different. They are different lengths, so I expect that is the reason, but I did not expect them to sound different. )

 

YMMV.

 

-Paul

 

 

[Elprior]

Hi Metalnwood,

 

Would they suggest this one? http://www.locus-design.com/index.php/cynosure-usb-cable

Doesn't it insult your intelligence just a little that you will get a better sound by using it?

 

That's the brand I am using, although not that one : the Axis 2 and the Essentia.

I didn't want to mention it, but Jacques said it all, and with great care... thanks.

 

And no, it doesn't insult my intelligence.

On the contrary I'm making extensive use of it so as to be able to buy such products.

 

Elp

 

[metalnwood]

OK, so two people have expressed their feeling about my comment re the locus cable.

 

Firstly, I dont know the owner or his history so please don't take any offence.

 

As I am sure you know, any manufacturer is up for some ridicule in the stereo world when they have a cable on the market at $3000/3ft. I am not the first or the last person to point this out.

 

In fact, I pointed this out for that specific reason. To be honest, a $100 cable doesn't bother me at all. For us it's really just a percentage of the cost we put in to our components.

 

One thing you will get with a cable at $50-100 is pretty much a guarantee that it is well built and will do the job for you. I think at $20 you are probably covered and who know exactly with very cheap generic ones as you really don't know where they came from or who made them.

 

This thread was about advice for cheap or fancy cables and while it got off topic a little bit I still think the advice given by myself and a few others has a lot of merit.

 

Like others who I may have disagreed with have said, and I agree on this point, if you like it and have the money then there is no problem. If you want to spend any amount of $$ on a product that is fine with me. Where I hesitate to stand back is where advise is given to people who are not in the same position as us. To me it is murky waters when we start suggesting to a new guy that $500 could be an appropriate amount of money to spend on a usb cable.

 

Also, consider that while you may be taking offense at what I say because it seems that I am saying what you hear is all in your mind, the same goes both ways. It's just a discussion. You can't have a disagreement without it being just that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brian A]

It’s only tangentially related to the main topic here about why USB cables sound different, but I became curious exactly how much data is flowing through my gigabit Ethernet related to music reproduction. I pulled the attached screen shot of some of my system monitoring widgets (while playing Muddy Waters ‘Folk Singer” from an Apple Lossless file format) (a new CD for me: wow, wow, wow). It shows a maximum network data rate of about 100 kB/sec (putt, putt, putt).

 

 

 

On another topic:

 

Quoting Paul.Raulerson on Fri, 09/23/2011 - 14:59. Joined: 03/01/2010:.

“... a Friday - Sam Adams time ...”

On what data are you basing your assertion that it is Sam Adams time?

 

 

[Paul R]

“... a Friday - Sam Adams time ...”

On what data are you basing your assertion that it is Sam Adams time?

 

There are six cold ones left in the fridge? Come on over and we can test out if it is really SA time!

 

-Paul

 

[Elprior]

@metalnwood

 

Then there is no disagreement.

I'm not suggesting anyone with a Vlink should buy such a cable.

 

Originally, I am suggesting that usb cables do make a difference, based on my own cables.

 

This is up to the Vlink owner to decide where to set the bar...

 

Elp

 

[Paul R]

I begin to understand the confusion, just had to replace one today. I weasled out and decided to try one of those Pangea cables, but with a return option. If I don't like it, I play to buy a Nordost USB cable.

 

-Paul

 

 

[pwack]

Hello All

Long time lurker ,first time poster

Can anyone confirm whether the V-Link supports DD/DTS passthrough and is there any special config to achieve it.

Many Thanks

Pwack

 

[metalnwood]

OK guys, I am prepared to try for myself and see if I can hear a difference between a cable from the computer shop or a audio supplier.

 

I am in New Zealand so I don't want to import. Here are my choices

 

Audioquest forrest 1.5M

Wireworld ultraviolet 0.5M

 

I have new dacs coming and I am curios after all the discussion.

 

Thanks,

Jason

 

[Jud]

Either or both of these cables should provide good value for money IMHO. My own preference is the Forest, but I liked the WW Starlight as well.

 

[No Rain]

Hi pwack. DD and DTS are 6-channel outputs. D TrueHD and DTS HD are raw 8-channel outputs. V-Link is a pure stereo processor. You will have to configure your computer to output stereo, because V-Link cannot downgrade to stereo.