Thank you everyone for the helpful responses!

Here’s the response I received: “ Dear Sir, thanks for your email Mscaler doesn't 'need' the power but it tends to work best on cables with the power feed inside. It is possible the unpowered cable won't work.“

Has any used an unpowered Sablon USB (or other unpowered USB) to feed the M Scaler? My USB cable is currently with Sablon and I’m trying to decide whether I should have the 5V power leg added. I asked Chord customer support and didn’t receive a clear response. Thanks!