USB Cables: beginning the rabbit hole

When I had a separate DAC, I always got the best results with one of the Wireworld Starlight USB cables. I tried a few from DH Labs, Kimber and Audioquest.  The Wireworld was far superior but that was back then. 

Similar, I upgraded to a WireWorld platinum from a Transparent, big difference.  

I suggest you look at the Cardas Clear High Speed Serial Buss.  Should fit your price point.  It splits the signal and power lines between two cables, similar to the Curious Cable, for better isolation of the signal.  I have both, I prefer the Cardas but not a huge difference in my opinion.

I've found that USB cables are just as much of a rabbit hole as any other cable type. Depending on your system they can make a small or a pretty large difference. So it seems worth experience to find a good one that you like.

I recently went through that process and wrote about it here https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/experience-up-leveling-streaming-with-usb-cables/post?postid=2760708#2760708 if you want to read the saga.

The summary is that I really loved the Pink Faun USB and the Veritas Cables Audax, with the latter being an amazing value. I also really enjoyed the Audience Frontrow although it seems a bit expensive compared to those first two cables. Also tried a Clarus Crimson which was decent and a Crystal Cable Diamond which I didn't like at all. 

Moral of the story is that price doesn't necessarily always determine performance, and some well regarded cables didn't really do great in my system. Maybe they work better for other situations though. Out of all the cables the Veritas Audax is worth a look, it falls in your price range and has an easy return policy if it doesn't end up being a good fit.

David Laboga EMERALD USB here

I am interested in hearing your comments after trying a few.  You really need to blind test them which is easy enough with a USB cable.  I tried a $40 'audio' cable from Amazon, which I think is very nice, a WireWorld cable, and the DH Labs Mirage.  I don't think I could tell a difference if I was blind tested.  Maybe I need to re-listen again.  I tested them with my wife and she felt the Mirage was the best, so we kept it in the system.  

My own journey proved to me that I upgraded cables too early. There's a good discussion here with a top guy at Benchmark about the order in which to upgrade components and the degree to which upgrades are likely to help. Cables are dead last and almost not worth thinking about given that most people have not optimized much more impactful parts of their system. FWIW. Here's the discussion.

@dvvilkins can you list your digital components that you would be connecting with this new USB cable?

@dvvilkins 

I will save you a lot of time. The Inakustik Reference and Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 will fit your bill. You need to spend $3k to better them, and that will only be by a little bit. Been there and done that.

Best of luck!

If you're streaming from your Mac, I'd upgrade the streamer before I upgraded the cable.  My one rule for digital cables of any kind-silver or silver plating.  don't confuse this with advice you've gotten about silver analog cables.

Jerry

@jeffreyw That's good to know.  I bought an Inakustic Reference USB with my Innuos streamer.  I've not owned any other higher quality USB cables to compare. 

A $100 coax cable can beat a $1000 USB cable. I jumped off the USB wagon after spending thousands on cables. I strongly advise to find another way to get the signal into the DAC. Maybe a DDC.

That really depends on the transport (some only have USB, some have a bunch of options), the DAC (some have much better USB implementation than others), the coaxial cable, and the USB cable involved. Sometimes coaxial is the better choice and sometimes USB is.

I don’t think you can return this, but their cables offer great value.  Here you get 5N silver with separate cable legs for data and power, neither of which you get from other manufacturers unless you pay big $$$ and this will set you back all of $150.  A better value I don’t think you’ll find.  I’ve got several of their cables and they’re all excellent in terms of both quality and value.  Best of luck. 

https://www.lavricables.com/cables/ultimate-silver-dual-usb-a-b-interconnect-cable/

It will depend on the equipment you are using.  I tried a well reviewed Audience AU24 SE cable into a Bel Canto REF Link usb converter and it made no significant difference.  However, in my current desktop set-up which consists of MacBook Pro direct to DAC, the USB cable makes an easily discernible difference.  I changed from an Apple branded USB-C cable to a Logitech MX Master 3 mouse charging cable which improved sound quality.  I am now upgrading the connectors on Audience AU24 SE to see how it compares to the Logitech cable.

I have been using Cardas USB and it has been end game for me. I even tried their hi speed usb and though it was more sparkly up top I preferred their standard cable. It’s so natural sounding it’s like no cable at all. 

Not a peep from OP in 3 days. I guess he’s already deep in the rabbit hole…so deep that there’s no internet. 

@audphile1 Lol, made me laugh  

Easy to get lost in the rabbit hole, but that's for sure the way to learn to discern.

@dvvilkins Save your money, if the cable does not have physical defects, there will be no difference whatsoever in the sound quality. There well might be some difference how flexible it is or how pretty it is but if the upgrade is for sound quality take the 500 bucks and use that as a starter fund for speaker upgrades. Nearly all of use would get more SQ improvement from a speaker upgrade than from any electronics change unless there is something truly inferior and unsatisfactory in the chain, i.e. the current amplifier has to little power to adequately drive your speakers or the speakers you decided to buy...but other than that, upgrading speakers makes a lot more sense sound wise. And the second part of the question, ’is break in required?’ and the answer to that question is no. If no physical changes occur when you first starting using a new item, then no break in is required. Solid state amps don’t materially change when you start using them so no break in is required. Tube amps sort of break in though I would not use that terminology to describe what happens. Tubes, because of their filaments will ’settle in to a stabilized state’ after the first few hours of operation from brand new. The tubes then remain relatively constant in terms of performance for the rest of their useful life. Speakers do require some exercise to get to their stable point from brand new as the spider assemblies relax slightly, normally helping low frequency extension. The change is measurable in many cases. But solid state electronics is normally rock solid stable from the get-go. No break in required. Same goes for cables.

Save your money, if the cable does not have physical defects, there will be no difference whatsoever in the sound quality.

@livinon2wheels You have no idea what you’re talking about, and if you can’t hear differences between cables then either your system or hearing is deficient. Either way, your input on cables here is useless. What’s your system BTW. Bose?

@soix 

+1, emphatically so. And that‘s both on nonsense content and inappropriate language

Typical cable discussion. Rabbit holes and ass holes. 

I don’t appreciate being told I dont know what I am talking about. I have likely done more with audio than you have and for quite a bit longer as well. The original poster asked for opinions and I expressed mine. It’s within my rights here as a member to do so, if you don’t like it kindly go whine about it somewhere else.

@livinon2wheels So, I wrote professional reviews of audio equipment for 17 years and have been an audiophile for 40+ years. You have done more than me with audio? Maybe, but I highly doubt it especially given your comments on cables. Plus, your comment flies in the face of not only my but most very experienced people here. Yes, you have your right to your opinion, but this is America and I have the right to refute your opinion as much as you have to express yours. Again, if you can’t hear differences between cables unless there are physical defects, okay. 99% of the very experienced people here would say something very different.

@audphile1 I got a good chuckle out of that one.  😅

I see no reason to engage further with @soix due to him obviously being a legend in his own mind. I will add one thing to my original post, as long as the cable you are using for USB service can pass the bandwidth of data being transmitted, its all about the bits. If the cable has the required bandwidth then you gain nothing by spending more other than perhaps physical appearance and possibly durability. Other than that, its a wash. But its a free world (sort of) and you can spend your hard earned money however you wish. Choose carefully grasshopper. 

I see no reason to engage further with @soix due to him obviously being a legend in his own mind. I will add one thing to my original post, as long as the cable you are using for USB service can pass the bandwidth of data being transmitted, it’s all about the bits. If the cable has the required bandwidth then you gain nothing by spending more other than perhaps physical appearance and possibly durability. Other than that, it’s a wash.

@livinon2wheels Ha! What exactly are your qualifications for, well, anything? If you can’t hear the differences between cables then I truly feel sorry for you. Audio Science Review is calling your name hard. You’ll find more like-minded friends there who also can’t use or trust their own ears. 

@livinon2wheels 

You‘d do all of us a favour in not nly not engaging with @soix who knows what he is tslking about but refrain from unqualified commentary altogether. Bits are bits? A bit short, that. Read up on distortion in DA conversion as a result of RMI, EFI and ground level noise. If you get that continue reading on timing errors through impurities in the metal, etc. Or join Amir as suggested by @soix