USB Cable

Question. @tvrgeek what is in your audio chain, equipment wise? DAC, Streamer, Amplification, Speakers or are you using Headphone. Just curious. 

@tvrgeek Nice, the Vidar amplifiers are very nice. Thank you helps to put things in perspective, with your post. 

@tvrgeek I am sorry I had to look all that stuff up as it is not traditional audiophile or even mid fi gear.  Now back to my original question you never answered. What is in your audiophile setup, what is the audio equipment you currently use for listening for pleasure, not test equipment. 

So let me get this straight, you have a DAC and a Streamer-Server that only has USB that is bad? That using a USB cable from a company like DH Labs is foolish even though the cable is not that expensive. That the DAC and the Streamer builder are not using 5v protocols, it is still bad even though the DAC and Streamer engineers built their respective devices around these  protocols. Please explain this to me @tvrgeek I must be stupid. As must these engineers at all these companies. 

Wow someone is up on their soapbox, I asked a question, I am here to learn.

Though the focus is on PC and I will not use a PC in my audio chain as they lack shielding and introduce noise. I like a well built cable as opposed to the cheap crap from Amazon. 

Can there be an audible difference with proper implementation. I do think so and this will be more evident in well engineered higher end equipment not the stuff from AMZ or AEX.  Not saying anyone is wrong just that your mileage may vary. 

Yes I did a little research (alibet very little) and lot's of cutting and pasting.  Enjoy there is some really good information here in my opinion and supports some of the posting in this subject. 

Now to @tvrgeek point these people point out here:  EDN (2012).

Here in this article EDN claims that Colcking is the major hurdle for quality audio over USB:

https://www.edn.com/select-your-usb-audio-mcu-with-care-scary-stories-from-the-test-bench/

https://www.edn.com/usb-audio-simplified/

USB is a versatile interface that provides many ways to propagate and control digital audio; however, it is important for the industry to follow a standardized mechanism for transporting audio over USB to secure interoperability, which has been the cornerstone for the adoption of USB. To respond to this fundamental request, the USB organization has developed the Audio Devices Class, which defines a very robust standardized mechanism for transporting audio over USB. The USB audio class specification is available to the public from the USB Implementers Forum (www.usb.org).

One of the major issues with streaming audio over USB is the synchronization of data streams from the host (source) to the device (sink); this has been addressed by developing a robust synchronization scheme on “isochronous transfers,” which has been incorporated into the USB specification.

https://www.edn.com/can-you-hear-the-difference/

Now, I can understand not buying the cheapest of USB cables, but I'd do that for reliability, not audio quality.

Don't fool yourself. Paying $695 for a USB cable will not get you better audio. You will get the same audio quality from a $6.95 cable. The audio quality is a function of the original encoding, the decoding, the analog signal processing and amplifier, and the speaker. Go ahead, prove me wrong. Get yourself a top-of-the-line audio analyzer and show me the difference in audio quality between cables that carry digital signals.

Take a look at the linked page above. Be sure to read the comments over there as well, and then tell us what you think.

https://www.edn.com/fundamentals-of-usb-audio/

Found this and calls out some hardware limitations in Audio/Music transmissions (2013) and that clocking can be the issue?

https://www.edn.com/usb-audio-asynchronous-is-the-only-choice-for-compromise-free-audio/

“…understanding of audio may have passed the current generation of microcontroller suppliers by, resulting in a generally rather poor standard of audio replay. This may be down to a tendency for pure-play MCU companies to treat audio as just another data interface format… Some of the methods proposed and implemented for generating the audio master clock… have no place in a high-quality audio product”

On one thing, however, we do see eye to eye: the article concludes with the advice 'look for a vendor team that clearly knows what it's doing in the audio field.' With that, we couldn't agree more!

@tvrgeek I think you need to take some Xanax. Clocking absolutely is still an issue. I also made full disclosure on the dates of the information I compiled, oh and was not compiled for you you arrogant azz. You must need a ladder to get on that high horse. You sure make it hard for people to respect you or even want to read your opinions on anything. Truly sad your ego gets' in the way of what should be enjoyable.

Yet in other publications (2016) they find the articles I sited as relevant.

https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded/article/21801786/achieving-bitperfect-usb-audio

Also USB Protocols were written in the 1990’s, so really little has changed in the protocols. Changes have been in clocking and hardware, no?

Regardless I think the credentials and experience of the authors EDN outweigh you alleged expertise. JUNE 27, 2012
BY HENK MULLER, PRINCIPAL TECHNOLOGIST XMOS LTD.

As a longtime audio DIYer I can sympathize with audio enthusiasts who don’t wish to have their fun spoiled by the likes of such objectivist methods as hardcore engineering measurements and double blind testing (DBT). But audio subjectivists should realize that ignoring the objectivist “reality” side of audio means never being able to determine an objective “better” or “best” and forever drifting from one product to another in search of the “holy grail.”

Me, I’d rather spend my time enjoying listening to music.

https://www.edn.com/audio-subjectivist-vs-objectivist-debate-2/

From USB.org.

https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/audio10.pdf

@twoleftears aside from the Amazon cable would love to know who’s USB’s are in the X-ray image. Thank you.