Do USB cables make a difference?

[jadedavid]

I have not had the opportunity to compare with some of the higher dollar USB cables, but I have tried Supra, Ifi, and Belkin gold. Then after reading the reviews I went for the Curious cables with the Regen. For me in my system it was a very good choice. Very holographic with very good depth. Sonic balance is as Mike stated a little on the warm side, with a very smooth and clear mid, good bass and a very slight softness on top. Which can be a plus for some over bright speakers. (as you are aware of tuning with wires). For the price, I think they are an excellent deal. If you purchased them and didn't like them they would be an easy sell.

[Kt77]

I have not had the opportunity to compare with some of the higher dollar USB cables, but I have tried Supra, Ifi, and Belkin gold. Then after reading the reviews I went for the Curious cables with the Regen. For me in my system it was a very good choice. Very holographic with very good depth. Sonic balance is as Mike stated a little on the warm side, with a very smooth and clear mid, good bass and a very slight softness on top. Which can be a plus for some over bright speakers. (as you are aware of tuning with wires). For the price, I think they are an excellent deal. If you purchased them and didn't like them they would be an easy sell.

Goodevening Jadedavid,

Youve made a very valid point........., and rethinking all of this, I'm inclined to try the Curiuos | TotalDac D1 | WW Platinum Starlight 7 USB cabling once again, and merely pursue the one which speaks to my senses in a manner in which I never question myself on what sounds | feels right, and buy accordingly.

Thanks to those of you whom were willing to add your insight on said matters, as it's the one area where I'm still learning........., but one in which I'm eager to learn and get behind me.

Have a great weekend ( or what's left of it ) to each of you........., as you've each opened my mind to the possibilities of " what if?".

[Jim Smith]

I have been on record recommending the Curious USB Cables.

I still use mine, but now with the PS Audio LanRover, which introduces an ethernet cable between two USB short connectors (I eventually replaced mine with an AQ ethernet cable) which can allow for longer runs than straight USB. But I like the LanRover because it just sounds better than USB alone, even if it is Curious....

http://www.psaudio.com/products/lanr...b-transporter/

[jadedavid]

Very interesting Jim. Thanks for the info and link. Are the two short USB connecting cables provided with the unit?

[Jim Smith]

Are the two short USB connecting cables provided with the unit?

No, only one. They expect you to already have the USB cable on hand that you were using.

I decided to buy another 0.8 M Curious cable (already had one from my REGEN/USB set-up).

[Kt77]

Very interesting Jim. Thanks for the info and link. Are the two short USB connecting cables provided with the unit?

Very interesting indeed Jim.

Thanks for responding to this late post, on my behalf as well. It seems that I've some catching up to do on these 3 USB cables after all........

[Kt77]

Hi all,

After all my questions on the Curiuos | TotalDac | WireWorld Platinum Starlight 7 USB cables, I took order via the Cable Company one of their deals on an Audience AU24 SE ( Show Special ) Single USB cable, and have to say that out the box I'm very impressed with its overall sense of refinement | sound staging | seperation of the notes themselves | layers and layers of hidden nuances as if presented anew | it's sense of beauty as heard and felt, as well as a keener sense of textural integrity and tonality.

As I'm awaiting shipment of the just released Emerald Physics USB Power ( in essence a USB device like the Intona | iFi Micro 3.0 USB | UpTone Audio Regen | W4S Recovery devices ) next week, here I'm thinking if I'd be forced to buy another one?, or just use it in tandem with a Cabledyne Vanguard or Pi Audio Group USB cable coming from the Mac Mini, with said AU24 SE from the device into my DAC.

Either way.........., I'd like to thank those of you whom added to this thread, as it really allowed me to narrow my options down much quicker then I thought, and once again I'm most grateful.

[Mike]

Nice! I bet that Audience is great.

I just added a Siltech Royal Signature USB to my system. Night and day better than my Curious, WW Platinum 7, etc.

[bzr]

Nice! I bet that Audience is great.

I just added a Siltech Royal Signature USB to my system. Night and day better than my Curious, WW Platinum 7, etc.

Ahh shite, will you stop that already. looks like I'll have to upgrade so I can keep an ear on things...

[Kt77]

Nice! I bet that Audience is great.

I just added a Siltech Royal Signature USB to my system. Night and day better than my Curious, WW Platinum 7, etc.

Yes Mike.

It's a wonderfully musical cable, yet I'd dare say in the same league as your Siltech Royal Signature USB, yet if I close my eyes just some........, I can then dream it is such.

And then I wake up.........., either way it's just nice to be able to sample one that's over $500, as I'm not the type whom believes one stops at the $50 - $150 versions, and are content, in this hobby I've learned one very important lesson when it comes to cabling..........., higher priced ones if chosen correctly enhances ones sense of involvement, yet there are those rare occasions where a cheaper cable presents itself as more truthful to the source, so nothing is cast in stone, and it comes down to synergy above all else........, besides having a decent ear for tone and pitch as they relate to music that is.

[wisnon]

Nice! I bet that Audience is great.

I just added a Siltech Royal Signature USB to my system. Night and day better than my Curious, WW Platinum 7, etc.

Mike, make sure to try an UNpowered USB cable with your Lampi and any self powered USB Dac you have.

[Mike]

Mike, make sure to try an UNpowered USB cable with your Lampi and any self powered USB Dac you have.

Do you have a link?

[Alpinist]

Nice! I bet that Audience is great.

I just added a Siltech Royal Signature USB to my system. Night and day better than my Curious, WW Platinum 7, etc.

Hi Mike,

Can you describe specifically how the Siltech Royal Signature USB cable sounds superior to the WW Platinum 7?

Thanks,
Ken

[Mike]

Hi Mike,

Can you describe specifically how the Siltech Royal Signature USB cable sounds superior to the WW Platinum 7?

Thanks,
Ken

Meat on the bones without loss of detail. That same Classic Siltech sound which lures you into the music with its richness. Bad 80's digital recordings have more weight and become quite listenable and even enjoyable. Siltech with its silver and gold (no copper) tames the upper frequency edge, that thin, tizzy top end on some recordings, without any loss of detail. I have two full looms, so yeah, I love the Siltech sound.

[wisnon]

Do you have a link?

http://lampizator.eu/Fikus/CABLES.html

http://sablonaudio.com/index.php/panatela

or an adapter for a normal cable (though Sablon claims an adater is never ideal)
https://www.sbooster.com/sbooster-tw...-vbus-isolator
You can also use the new iFi iDefender to cut the ground connection.

Finally, the dual cables like Light Harmonic or iFi Gemini cables can be used in the same way, just by connecting ONLY the signal section and not the power leg.

Lampi Amanero is self powered and does not need even a handshake.

[Alpinist]

Mike,

Thanks for the description! It sounds like a mighty fine cable. Which Royal Signature USB cable do you have, the Golden Universal II or the Golden Universal Crown?

Best,
Ken

Meat on the bones without loss of detail. That same Classic Siltech sound which lures you into the music with its richness. Bad 80's digital recordings have more weight and become quite listenable and even enjoyable. Siltech with its silver and gold (no copper) tames the upper frequency edge, that thin, tizzy top end on some recordings, without any loss of detail. I have two full looms, so yeah, I love the Siltech sound.

[Mike]

Golden Universal II.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Yash]

Unpowered as much is definitely the way to go after you've become accustomed to hearing changes in SQ with different cables.

Do ask your Manufacturer if they have any objections to this though: based on your DAC's design there could be some long-term implications.

For instance, I knew that for my DAC, I can disconnect GND and get much better SQ like this (no more glare/hash) as this removes noise on the GND plane coming from the computer.

However, I asked iFi and they recommend not doing it this way (I have a switch on the GND line on my DIY USB cable) because it puts the DAC in an unplanned state, so the results long-term are unpredictable, and if it's working at all, it's because there's a ground loop somewhere else.

And so, they recommended their iDefender 3.0 which does do the GND disconnection in a safe way, but also allow for a clever +5V disconnection.

Now, I have also read that the VBus (+5V) is where there is the most noise when the computer is directly connected to the DAC, but unfortunately if I just do a manual/switched disconnect of that line, my DAC goes unrecognised by the computer.

So, DACs will vary in terms of 'disconnection' abilities in various ways: some need the VBus, some need both.

But at least the iDefender 3.0 is quite interesting in that it also makes the VBus disconnection possible with my DAC and on top of that, allows me to inject clean VBus to it. I could do that with a DIY 5V Linear Regulated PSU for instance (I have a +12, -12 Linear Regulated power supply built on my electronics desk right now).

One way to test your DAC in these modes is to use a little piece of scotch tape on pins 1 or 4 of one side of the USB cable. This is easily reversible by removing the scotch tape afterwards.

[Lee Henley]

Has anyone ever made a DIY USB cable using pushback wire? There was an article on Jeff Days website showing how to make one, was curious if anyone had tried it

[wisnon]

Unpowered as much is definitely the way to go after you've become accustomed to hearing changes in SQ with different cables.

Do ask your Manufacturer if they have any objections to this though: based on your DAC's design there could be some long-term implications.

For instance, I knew that for my DAC, I can disconnect GND and get much better SQ like this (no more glare/hash) as this removes noise on the GND plane coming from the computer.

However, I asked iFi and they recommend not doing it this way (I have a switch on the GND line on my DIY USB cable) because it puts the DAC in an unplanned state, so the results long-term are unpredictable, and if it's working at all, it's because there's a ground loop somewhere else.

And so, they recommended their iDefender 3.0 which does do the GND disconnection in a safe way, but also allow for a clever +5V disconnection.

Now, I have also read that the VBus (+5V) is where there is the most noise when the computer is directly connected to the DAC, but unfortunately if I just do a manual/switched disconnect of that line, my DAC goes unrecognised by the computer.

So, DACs will vary in terms of 'disconnection' abilities in various ways: some need the VBus, some need both.

But at least the iDefender 3.0 is quite interesting in that it also makes the VBus disconnection possible with my DAC and on top of that, allows me to inject clean VBus to it. I could do that with a DIY 5V Linear Regulated PSU for instance (I have a +12, -12 Linear Regulated power supply built on my electronics desk right now).

One way to test your DAC in these modes is to use a little piece of scotch tape on pins 1 or 4 of one side of the USB cable. This is easily reversible by removing the scotch tape afterwards.

Unpowered cable is simply one with pin1 disconnected. Amanero in the Lampi doesn't need it.

[Yash]

Unpowered cable is simply one with pin1 disconnected. Amanero in the Lampi doesn't need it.

Technically there are two things to consider when speaking of 'power': the VBus and the GND line.

If you disconnect the GND, current can't flow, but the VBus is still connected physically.

Some DACs won't be recognised anymore by the server if you disconnect the VBus in a straightforward fashion: there is a need for an actual circuit to prevent that, so a normal cable with just the VBus disconnected won't work.