What is the best USB cable under $500 for a natural presentation and good detail ?

I found a used curious cable to work well. Have not had the desire to try anything else

I am going to try the BBQ 🍗 GrannyRing is a straight shooter and many people say his cable recipes are excellent products and beat cables 2-3x the cost.

i will report back on this , thanks Guys for all the recommendations , the $14  cables  I think not , 8 have tried them and sound flat  compared to some of the $$ cables ,and tested  not knowing which cable was being installed .

fiesta75

834 posts

11-23-2021 8:48am

Monoprice 🤣 no way, noise city.

From a USB cable?  Are you serious?  If you are using a really bad DAC then maybe yes, but the signal is cleaned up (and what needs to be cleaned up is NOT from the cable) easily by the cheapest of DAC's.  

If you want to spend big money on speaker cables, RCA etc, that's cool, but USB cables is a TOTAL waste of money.  If it's working it's working, if it's bad it's bad, no difference in any way.  

Monoprice 🤣 no way, noise city.

anx0003

17 posts

11-23-2021 8:08am

Almost a laughable price of $14 when they are in stock. Multiple shields, insulated OFC with gold plated connector. What else do you need? keep the money in your pocket for something else more essential unless you want to contribute to the dealers’ retirement fund.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=33464

Good to see at least one person who's not nuts.

Almost a laughable price of $14 when they are in stock. Multiple shields, insulated OFC with gold plated connector. What else do you need? keep the money in your pocket for something else more essential unless you want to contribute to the dealers’ retirement fund.

@peter_s I don't know how true it is but I read years ago that all digital cables should be 1.5m or more, how much more I have no idea. However as far as USB goes lots of them come in a standard size of 1.5m so maybe this is correct.

Go with grannyring's cable (Acoustic BBQ)!! Best value, a no brainer!! Competes with cables at almost twice its price! To get a better cable you will have to invest close to $1,000!!!

Just going to casually place this here and leave before the pitchforks....

Is there an optimal length for a USB cable?

My choice would be a used Stealth Audio USB / USB-T that can be found for around or under your budget.

for a natural presentation and good detail

Emphasis on "natural" at your price point...which is a tough ask: at $500

I have had a Telurium silver in my system for a couple of years and I love it.

@ozzy62 - I can’t reliably break down benefits specifically attributable to the split version vs. the "Discrete" non-split version of the TRL cable. I have owned and listened to split cables before such as the ifi Gemini, where the signal and power wires are split, and to cables where the power conductor is spaced away from the signal conductors, such as the Wireworld Starlight 7. I have also had DACs where the 5V power was not required (it was supplied internally by the DAC) and with those I was able to run a normal USB cable without the power conductor being powered.

I directly compared the TRL Split USB Cable with the Curious USB Cable (original), the Totaldac D1 filtered USB cable, and the ifi Gemini USB Cable. In general, I found the TRL cable provided a combination of attributes (i.e., detail, tone, and dynamics), that combined to present a sound quality that works for me compared to the other cables I have tried in the price range indicated by the OP.

@melm 

+1

System dependent. I recently tried a Nordost Valhalla 2 AES (~$5K)and it actually sounded horrible... not at all what I was expecting.  Also tested a Nordost Odin ($17K) analog interconnect... sounded great.  I tested about half a dozen USB a few years ago.. in general the more they cost the better they sounded... but you just never know. 

@audioman58 This cable is fantasic I bought it on a whim several years ago and since then I've compared it to cables 20 times it's price and it's always come through and I'm talking hi-end systems.

I haven't tried it's big brother because I've been very content. It's a very detailed and exciting sound.

It is all system dependent. What may work for someone else may not work for you.  You'll never know what will work for you until you try it.  I was using an expensive solid core silver cable (in fact tried 2 different ones) for a DAC. These cables gave extra extension at both ends of the spectrum and added body. Then I changed my DAC to one with plenty of that extension and body and went back to an inexpensive solid core copper, Audioquest Pearl. Happy with that for the moment But it’s a continuing search for the best, not necessarily the most expensive! I suggest some experimentation first with cheap cables. Try the beautifully made Monoprice Monolith (solid core silver plated), for example. It may surprise you.  https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=33463

I can’t comment on splitting the power from the data as my DACs have provided power internally, not receiving any throught the cable.

@mitch2 

What are the benefits you heard from using the split cable?

I chose a Shunyata because it separates the data/power 

This one has worked well for me. 

They also sell one which does not have the data and power runs split.  

I have only tried the "split" version.

Go with Grannyring he knows what he's talking about.

CARDAS CLEAR

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1214/Wireworld_Platinum_Starlight_DH_Labs_Silver_Sonic_Cardas_Clear_USB_Cable.htm

I had very good results with the Oyaida usb: https://www.thecableco.com/continental5s-usb.html

Feel free to contact me as I can make you one for well under $500 that will more than satisfy your sonic desires. If you disagree just send it back. I don’t post like this, but I read your posts often and decided I would like to help.

You may try Zavfino Majestic USB cable and report your findings. My experience with their Interconnects and Power cords was quite astonishing given their asking price and build quality. 

I recently purchased an XLO UltraPlus from Parts Connexion for 75% Off. I don’t have a lot of experience with USB cables, but find it more than acceptable. Great deal as well. $60 vs $240. It is going from my streamer to DAC. I do use Silnote interconnects from my DAC to the pre. Which I also like a lot.