jacquesr Posted August 27, 2011 Share Posted August 27, 2011 Hi, Recently added a Calyx DAC with Kingrex PSU MKII. Any suggestion for a high-quality USB cable which would forego the power wires? I am preparing a shootout of the Calyx against the Young DAC, the QB-9 and the DAC202. Will keep you posted. Thank! Jacques Mac Mini Late 2014 (16G/SSD) w Uptone JS-2 w OWC Thunderbay 4 Mini RAID (JS-2) / Roon Aqua LinQ w EtherCon cable (Ghent) w Uptone EtherRegen w Uptone JS-2 Aqua Formula xHD w Ocellia RCA Interconnect & Shunyata Delta NR Kora TB 200 Integrated Amplifier w Audio Art Power Cable Magico V2 w Ocellia speaker cables w Shunyata Dark Field Elevator & JL Audio E-Sub e110 X 2 All equipment, including subwoofer on Modulum platforms (modulumaudio.com) Link to comment
ted_b Posted August 27, 2011 Share Posted August 27, 2011 (Prophecy) cable can get you there, with two source cable ends (signal and power). However, having a single USB without the power could be a problem as most DACs, regardless of bus-powered or not, need the power leg to at least handshake with the computer...then power can be unplugged (as is possible with the dual conduit cable). So, FYI...you may find a powerless USB cable will not get you connected up. YMMV. "We're all bozos on this bus"....F.T. My JRIver tutorial videos Actual JRIver tutorial MP4 video links My eleven yr old SACD Ripping Guide for PS3 (needs updating but still works) US Technical Advisor, NativeDSD.com Link to comment
HiFiInsider Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I can't find any high-end cable makers making a "data only" cable. Is it because it will not yield any performance improvements? http://www.youtube.com/hifiguy528/videos Link to comment
barrows Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 will need the ground at least, and as ted notes, many (though not all) DACs need the +5VDC leg as well, at least to get going. On any USB cable you can block the +5V contact for experimenting by carefully covering the contact in the connector with a thin piece of Kapton tape, no cutting or other mods needed, just an Xacto, a pair of tweezers, and some thin Kapton tape. Last time I bought Kapton tape I think I got it from: kaptontape.com, but Google should find it in any case. Very handy stuff to have around, excellent dialetric strength, good adherence, and very, very heat resistant. Google can get you the info as to which contact is which on the USB "A" plug. SO/ROON/HQPe: DSD 512-Sonore opticalModuleDeluxe-Signature Rendu optical with Well Tempered Clock--DIY DSC-2 DAC with SC Pure Clock--DIY Purifi Amplifier-Focus Audio FS888 speakers-JL E 112 sub-Nordost Tyr USB, DIY EventHorizon AC cables, Iconoclast XLR & speaker cables, Synergistic Purple Fuses, Spacetime system clarifiers. ISOAcoustics Oreas footers. SONORE computer audio | opticalRendu | ultraRendu | microRendu | Signature Rendu SE | Accessories | Software | Link to comment
ted_b Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 "powerless" USB cable, but make sure the ground is still there. I now have a PK90USB inhouse. It uses the SOtM USB card that has a power switch on it to cut the 5vDC on/off. With my Antelope Gold it works with the power off, BUT only after first establishing a handshake with it on. Not all USB DACS work this way....some require constant USB power to power up the USB receiver, some don't require anything. "We're all bozos on this bus"....F.T. My JRIver tutorial videos Actual JRIver tutorial MP4 video links My eleven yr old SACD Ripping Guide for PS3 (needs updating but still works) US Technical Advisor, NativeDSD.com Link to comment
Trev or Trevor Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I can confirm the QB-9 needs constant power. I lose the connection to the dac if I lift the power switch on the SOtM card at any time. Sonore Signature > Ayre QB-9 > Ayre K-5XE^MP > Ayre V-5XE > Focal Diva Utopia BE Link to comment
Jsmith Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I have a PK90 and have tried USB Cables with the power and without to my DAC. The one with the power sounded better, although it was 5 times the cost. Point is don't focus just on the design elements but rather the best things that sounds good for the money power or not. Main / Office: Home built computer -> Roon Core (Tidal & FLAC) -> Wireless -> Matrix Audio Mini-i Pro 3 -> Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire (On order) Portable / Travel: iPhone 12 Pro Max -> ALAC or Tidal -> iFi Hip Dac -> Meze 99 Classics or Meze Rai Solo Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now