POLL: What USB cable are you using?

[d_elm]

Neutral Cable USB Blue, .8m, between microRendu and Ayre Codex.

[OldBigEars]

I've heard good things about the Curious Cables USB.

 

Does anyone have any views or experience?

 

Yes. Last year there was manic interest in the Curious Cables - there are numerous threads here that expound the virtues of these cables. There are also some very strong professional reviews. I bought a 'full loom' about 2 months ago, which I use with a W4S Recovery. Compared to its predecessor (AudioQuest Cinnamon) its a huge improvement, and is everything I hoped it would be. If a USB cable can be worth $600, this one can. I have no regrets.

[alfe]

Yes. Last year there was manic interest in the Curious Cables - there are numerous threads here that expound the virtues of these cables. There are also some very strong professional reviews. I bought a 'full loom' about 2 months ago, which I use with a W4S Recovery. Compared to its predecessor (AudioQuest Cinnamon) its a huge improvement, and is everything I hoped it would be. If a USB cable can be worth $600, this one can. I have no regrets.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, your DAC cost 850$ ?

[徐中銳]

For me, quite surprisingly, switching my Ethernet cables from stock, to BJC cat 6 and 6e, to Supra Cat 8, to Audioquest Vodka made a bigger difference than I noticed when upgrading the USB cable. Perhaps it's because I have both a DAC that employs galvanic isolation and I issue a Regen. As a result, I now have lots of Ethernet cables of varying size, cat, color and cost.

 

The Supra is an excellent value. Slightly, but noticeably, better than the BJC 6e and light years beyond the stock cable. The Vodka has a noticeable step-up in sound fullness and resolution from the Supra. But at 5x the price of the Supra, the Supra is high value.

 

Your experience fits what they recommended :

Marantz' White Paper Guide to PC-Audio pdf :

In this document we will mainly focus on the last option on the list' date=' the USB-B connectivity as this is the recommended way for music lovers to enjoy their music in the best quality possible. The player...

 

[b']TIPS AND TRICKS TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR USB-DAC[/b]

 

1. Select a good USB cable (sound will be strongly influenced by the USB cable; interference & noise).
   
2. USB-Cable: Not longer than 5m, and the quality of shielding will also have some influence on the sound quality. Test several cables to optimise performance. Try adding a Ferrite Core as used on some network cables.
   
3. We strongly recommend you to add a Ferrite Core on your network cable to minimize noise interferences.
   
4. For the PC / Mac an SSD hard disc is preferable – SSD stands for Solid State Disk and has, in comparison to standard hard disc, no rotating elements inside. Another step to reduced interference. Sound will be even smoother and more detailed.
   
5. Use your PC or Mac only for Music listening. Kill all unnecessary running apps. There is no need for a high performance super-fast PC. Standard processor is just fine.
   
6. If you use Spotify streaming service, make sure you set the data rate to 320kps – highest resolution.
   
7. DSD playback. The NA-11S1 supports DSD2.8Mhz (64) and DSD5.6Mhz (128). In case of DSD2.8 playback “DSD2.8224MHz” will be shown. For DSD5.6 it is “DSD>2.8224MHz”, this >means bigger than 2.8.
   

 

Of adding Ferrite Core, it's worth trying

[OldBigEars]

Correct me if I'm wrong, your DAC cost 850$ ?

 

Yes. And your point is...?

[alfe]

Yes. And your point is...?

 

No point, just curious.

[OldBigEars]

No point, just curious.

 

Well, thanks anyway for your pointless question. LOL :-)

 

The curious thing about consumer products - any category you care to choose, but especially products designed and targeted for "enthusiasts" and hobbyists - is the almost complete absence of correlation between price and performance. Wouldn't you agree? It's truly astounding how many people actually believe that the price positioning of a product represents its real performance, relative to others. Most premium products (any category) are simply exercises in waste: a manufacturer identifies potential demand at price X and creates a specification to 'justify it' . Sorry to break the news...

[Solstice380]

I thought "identifies potential demand" was a hallmark of business. Better if they meet that demand. And better yet if they do it at the target price. As consumers we each have our own target price for the product that fits our need. Sorry to break the news...

 

I've used everything from BJC to Mapleshade to Curious to Y.F.S. Reference (very good, BTW) both with and without 5V wire. Good shielding, good soldering and good wire isolation in the run do make a difference. Past that, I'm not so sure.

[OldBigEars]

I thought "identifies potential demand" was a hallmark of business. Better if they meet that demand. And better yet if they do it at the target price. As consumers we each have our own target price for the product that fits our need. Sorry to break the news...

 

Um.. yes, exactly

[wwaldmanfan]

Y

Of adding Ferrite Core' date=' it's worth trying[/font']

 

My Kimber Kable Cu USB came with ferrites. The only "audiophile" USB cable I've seen equipped with them from the manufacturer. The cable sounded at least as good, or better, without them, so I ditched them.

 

[hornytoad]

Radio Shack double ferret core

[徐中銳]

My Kimber Kable Cu USB came with ferrites. The only "audiophile" USB cable I've seen equipped with them from the manufacturer. The cable sounded at least as good, or better, without them, so I ditched them.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]28306[/ATTACH]

 

Well, us consumers trying Ferrite Core will be but an-inexpensive-tweak if noise interferences do impact our systems

Recalling a couple of amusing things, firstly, Kimber Kable are distributed in Japan by D[enon]+M[arantz] Holding Inc. :

Secondly, Ken's setups aren't cluttered by products that may emit noise, e.g. :

And he uses AudioQuest Diamond

[Sal1950]

Well' date=' us consumers trying [i']Ferrite Core[/i] will be but an-inexpensive-tweak if noise interferences do impact our systems

And he uses AudioQuest Diamond

 

Of course he gets them for free.

Manufacturers in the high end industry have to stick together and support each other.

Whether one of them is peddling snake oil products is irrelevant.

[徐中銳]

Haha, on this particular aspect/recommendation, try searching the cost-of-buying some Ferrite Core to add-on (to your existing cable).

Of course he gets them for free.

Manufacturers in the high end industry have to stick together and support each other.

Whether one of them is peddling snake oil products is irrelevant.

[Sal1950]

Haha' date=' on this particular aspect/recommendation, try searching the cost-of-buying some Ferrite Core to add-on (to your existing cable).

I was referring to the use of AQ Diamond $600/meter cables.

But then you knew that. Mis-direction is a specialty of yours.

[徐中銳]

I was referring to the use of AQ Diamond $600/meter cables.

But then you knew that. Mis-direction is a specialty of yours.

 

Hilarious, look closely at what you quoted of me :

Of course he gets them for free.

Manufacturers in the high end industry have to stick together and support each other.

Whether one of them is peddling snake oil products is irrelevant.

 

Well' date=' us consumers trying Ferrite Core will be but an-inexpensive-tweak if noise interferences do impact our systems

And he uses AudioQuest Diamond

 

Direction ? Most people have read what Ken said about buying :

« People have to decide themselves!! Very simple' date=' either you like or not! Isn’t it?? What I found crazy is asking someone supposed to be the specialist and able to tell sound quality! However, when you listen to the system he recommended, you don’t like it at all, yet—because he is the one supposed to be the specialist recommending this system—you accepted his advice and buy it!!! Don’t ever do that!!! You won’t be happy at all!!! You have to live with the system! You must love the system!! Just go for your own feelings…

 

What I always tell people is the following: whatever product you listen to, regardless of cost, if your emotion is moved by your favourite music when you put it on, then this product or system has a value to you. But if that does not happen - even if the product is very expensive - then it has no value to you. [/b']»

[k6davis]

Mapleshade Clearlink Plus. I tried a few others that cost more (but nothing over a few hundred dollars) and definitely preferred the Mapleshade. I preferred it over offerings from Supra and Audioquest, for example.

 

With the Mapleshade in place, the music sounds more natural, very transparent, but yet less fatiguing, less "digital". I was surprised to find that it made a noticeable difference.

[wwaldmanfan]

Radio Shack double ferret core

 

Sounds good

[Sal1950]

徐中銳

What's all this about? Are you related to the Yamaha's?

[Teresa]

I was referring to the use of AQ Diamond $600/meter cables...

 

Have you tried them in your system? If not, it's not proper to comment on something you have not heard IMHO!!

 

Would I ever buy $600 cables? No way! But I don't feel I need to insult people who enjoy better sound quality with them. I am not jealous of other people's audio systems. I accept that I don't own the finest sound quality available, I own that which sounds as good as I could find within my budget.

 

Ken used the AudioQuest Diamond despite the fact that his company is the Japanese distributer of Kimber Kable who also makes USB cables.

 

Also, I find your signature quote by Peter Aczel of the The Audio Critic highly offensive.

 

BTW his last name is spelled Aczel not Azcel. The Audio Critic is not longer published as Peter Aczel has retired at age 90.

[Teresa]

徐中銳

What's all this about? Are you related to the Yamaha's?

 

徐中銳 is his name in Chinese, Xuzhong Rui. Just use google translate.

[Octavius]

Have you tried them in your system? If not, it's not proper to comment on something you have not heard IMHO!!

 

Would I ever buy $600 cables? No way! But I don't feel I need to insult people who enjoy better sound quality with them. I am not jealous of other people's audio systems. I accept that I don't own the finest sound quality available, I own that which sounds as good as I could find within my budget.

 

Ken used the AudioQuest Diamond despite the fact that his company is the Japanese distributer of Kimber Kable who also makes USB cables.

 

Also, I find your signature quote by Peter Aczel of the The Audio Critic highly offensive.

 

BTW his last name is spelled Aczel not Azcel. The Audio Critic is not longer published as Peter Aczel has retired at age 90.

 

I've seen some misquoting in my time but misspelling the name of the author has a certain "je ne sais quoi".

[hornytoad]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]28310[/ATTACH]

Sounds good

 

They love nibbling on USB cables !

[Sal1950]

Also, I find your signature quote by Peter Aczel of the The Audio Critic highly offensive.

 

BTW his last name is spelled Aczel not Azcel. The Audio Critic is not longer published as Peter Aczel has retired at age 90.

 

Thanks Teresa, typo now corrected.

BTW, I also find your advice to others to ignore science and trust their ears only, disturbing and IMO very misguided. Our physical senses are the easiest of things to trick and are very misleading.

[Sal1950]

They love nibbling on USB cables !

 

Specially purdy, shiny ones. LOL