USB cable hype

"03-08-15: Axle
Contrary to what you have assumed, I don't want to hear an answer that supports mine. I want to hear an answer that challenges mine.
Axle (Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

I've tried several usb cables and can hear differences between them.

I don't understand the reason for your question. You're telling us, in no uncertain terms, what the answer is. Have you ever been to the website Hydrogen Audio? I think you'll get the answer that you're looking for over there.

"03-09-15: Axle
I never said cables don't matter."

You're right, you didn't. And I never said that you did.

"I said transmission should be error-free over a short USB cable. I would like to hear the reasons why you disagree."

I never said that I disagree with that either. Of course you want the cable to transfer the signal error free.

"Your answer should be more substantiated than "I heard it was better""

No it shouldn't. Those are the results I came up with after listening to the cables. Anything else wouldn't be truthful. Also, I never said one was better than another. I was very careful to say different. Better is a subjective term that will vary from person to person.

"But my question was "Can you explain it"?"

No I can't. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Maybe someone that has experience with cable design can give you a better answer as to the why of it.

Have you listened to any USB cables yet? If you have, what cable did you like the most?

"My question wasn't about the cable's effects on SQ. It was about failure: At what distance does a vanilla USB cable start to fail?"

You have an odd way of asking questions. Reading your original post, I would have never guessed the above quote is what you are asking for.

"I'm sure the answer varies with drivers and date rate. For example, we know that PCM should travel farther than DSD."

I'm not sure how you came up with that. PCM data can be transferred in more than 1 way. 75ohm coax, Toslink, 110ohm balanced, AT&T ST fibre optic, I2S, USB.....

"My OP asked about need not preference for expensive USB cables. This could have been posted more clearly. Need is about functionality."

"Having said that, what is good enough? Is it the cable that costs another $50 or $500? I think the cable industry intentionally does us a disservice of keeping us in the dark in order to sell into that ignorance."

If you're just concerned about the function of USB, and things like maximum cable lengths before the signal starts to degrade, there really isn't any industry conspiracy. USB specs are published like any other format. Now if a private company wants to go out and make high end, expensive USB cables, who's to stop them? And why would someone stop them? (I'm assuming the people making these high end cables are not breaking any laws, such as copyright infringement, or similar type of offense.). So, as long as you stick to whatever standards the format requires, you shouldn't have any problems from a functionality standpoint, regardless of cost. Even a cheap cable should be fine. I found this website for you to look at. Its a business that sells cables, but they go over the requirements for the different versions of USB cables (USB 1, USB 2, USB 3, etc...)

http://www.yourcablestore.com/USB-Cable-Length-Limitations-And-How-To-Break-Them_ep_42-1.html

Axle,

Have a look at this new thread. "Dual Headed USB hookup?"

You may find it interesting. I've never seen a USB cable set up like this before.