Is there a USB cable consensus?

[ggking7]

I've been trying to follow the other USB cable thread, but it's so lengthy I can't get my mind around it. Has anyone been able to figure out if there are one or more cables that are universally considered to sound good and to be a good value?

 

I think the Wireworld Starlight is one.

 

[barrows]

The Starlight is a good USB cable. But as with any cables, there are better. I got better performance than the Starlight with the Nordost Blue Heaven USB (I still keep the Starlight on hand as a reference point, since many folks are familiar with its sound).

I do not think you are going to find the universal "best" USB cable. I am curious as to how good the Synergistic Tesla Tricon might be, and now they are introducing a new USB cable which features their active shielding approach-active shielding might be really good for USB...

 

[Audio_ELF]

I think the only consensus ever reached (or that ever will be reached) about USB cables is you need one... But not if you use FireWire (or SPDIF) to connect your DAC. :-)

 

Eloise

 

[sandyk]

Barrows

You are a very experienced DIY person, as well as clearly having better than average listening abilities. Have you tried making your own dual USB cable using a couple of reasonable quality USB cables joined together at the USB plugs only?

If you can get away with a .9M long cable, just cut a reasonable quality 1.8M USB cable in half, and fit them to solderable USB plugs.It should make for an interesting comparison with both a typical USB cable and one of your expensive USB cables.

Alex

 

[barrows]

tried any DIY USB cables... I am a little nervous about DIYing for USB2 HS, just because of the bandwidth requirements, of course your suggestion would avoid those problems by using available cables.

I woulld be interested in trying a full DIY USB some time-perhaps a twisted pair of 24 AWG litz wire for signal, with shield to ground on computer end, and then another TP for the +VDC and G, unshielded... I wonder if something like this would meet the USB2 HS spec for bandwidth...

 

[sandyk]

Barrows

I was unable to source locally any 90 ohm single twisted pair, screened cable. I would have liked to try that for D+ and D-, and a separate power cable.In any case , a cable with Vbus not connected at the PC end gave even better results in conjunction with a Linear +5V PSU.

Alex

 

[ggking7]

Barrows, I read the comparison you posted between the Nordost and Starlight USB cables. It sounds like there was only a very slight difference between them on CD material?

 

Has anyone compared the Starlight to the Silver and Platinum versions on CD material?

 

[barrows]

the differences between these two cables were small, but they were meaningful differences which better conveyed the music via the Nordost.

My DAC has made significant improvements since then, and I am about to upgrade the oscillators on my USB receiver board. After I make this upgrade it might be time to do the comparison again.

In any case, I would expect the delta of difference among good USB cables to be very system dependent-others may find bigger, or smaller, differences in their own systems.

 

re: DIY USB-my experience with finding the Nordost cable to be very good, leads me to believe that the "speed" of the cable (bandwidth) is very important in getting the best performance out of USB, considering that the design of the Nordost cable is focused on reducing dialetric effects to increase the "speed" of the cable, resulting in the fastest possible rise time for the edge of the squarewave.

Perhaps separated runs (by distance and shields) are really not that important at all... My USB interface runs on external power and the USB bus power, but it is hard to determine what parts of the circuitry may run on each! My Wavelink ran entirely on bus power, and certainly sounded significantly better when I applied an external supply with a USB B-B adapter I made (and a shunt, or battery based supply, the shunt being better).

 

[ggking7]

Does the SOtM USB interface sound better than the Wavelink?

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "and a shunt, or battery based supply, the shunt being better". Could you explain that?

 

[One and a half]

I totally agree.

 

[sq225917]

I'm intrigued, how might passing additional voltage and therefore another source of noise down the shield of a wire improve the sound? What other industry has this ever been used in?

 

Genuine question.

 

[sq225917]

I'm intrigued, how might passing additional voltage and therefore another source of noise down the shield of a wire improve the sound? What other industry has this ever been used in?

 

Genuine question.

 

[ggking7]

Tried my new Wireworld Silver Starlight HDMI cable last night and it's a big improvement over my Pangea HD-24PC HDMI. I think Wireworld might have digital cables figured out. I'd love to find used Platinum Starlight USB and HDMI cables. Are there a lot of fakes floating around?