[cconnaker]

Hey Guys - If you're interested in learning about the differnce a quality USB cable can have on your audio system be sure to check out this forum thread from my site. I am not shamelessly plugging my site here. I think most people will really be interested in this and benefit from reading it. The therad starts out with a major skeptic. Then two well know experts in the field chime in to offer some great information.

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/node/209

 

[lordmozilla]

i have to admit that I believe that digital cables can only make a difference on enormous distances. and even then....

I have talked to my dad who works in HDTV and who keeps on laughing at anyone who reckons they can see the difference between his 30 US cent cable that they bundle with their HD IPTV box and a monster HDMI cable.

We did a few tries with my uncle who is a physicists and thought there might be a difference, but the fact was none of us (there was 5 of us - my dad was swapping the cables), could tell the difference. We thought we sometimes could, but we got it wrong half of the time lol.

If you can argue that there are packet losses from a usb transmission then yes a better cable will make a difference. But if there are packet losses, you are either going too far with your usb cable or it isn't usb compliant.

It's easy to see that a receiver will still be able to see a big difference between a 1 and a 0 even if the signal is not perfect.

but ehehe many people will argue against me. I personally say pay for gold plating and a soft cable, its not expensive, keeps you happy and looks good, and provides a stable connection. but after that you're wasting money.

 

[OverlordXenu]

Saying a USB cable makes a difference is like saying an SPDIF cable makes a difference.

Are we going to start seeing audiophile USB cables due to this influx of Predators and Picos?

I hope not.

 

[cconnaker]

I hope we don't have a big pissing match here, but I am a firm believer that everything makes a difference.

Lordmozilla - maybe the difference between the 30 cent cable and a monster cable are not that big, but there should be differences if you involve a high end hand made cable. IMO.

 

[bigshot]

A reasonably good USB cable will sound as good as any. If it doesn't work, you are going to know about it in a big way. No need to worry about it.

See ya
Steve

 

[sejarzo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif A reasonably good USB cable will sound as good as any. If it doesn't work, you are going to know about it in a big way. No need to worry about it. See ya Steve

Precisely.

 

[hempcamp]

Funny link. It's one thing to bring up skin effect when talking about speaker cables, but relatively short-distance USB cables? :

: What is the world coming to?

--Chris

 

[Nebby]

Well, if the cheap SPDIF cable doesn't conform to the 75ohm spec, I think it might just make a difference

But personally I find most expensive digital cables to be be overpriced unless you're doing a run where you have
1) long cable run
or
2) high noise environment

just IMHO

 

[MichaelPublic]

I'd second the "it either works or it very much doesn't" response...data...Hmmmm
- possible exceptions? - a cable damaged or otherwise that requires error correction constantly then stall data transfer - don't know how to measure that easily
- a cable with really high resistance for some reason on the 5volt wire? so the device on the end isn't getting enough power, or is that inductance? heck, back to the books again.

I guess I'll second the buy something reasonably well put together "vote".
-gold contacts are nice as they don't have to be cleaned much.
-if available shielding from EMF is a nice idea in general, though I think if you have something radiating strongly enough to disrupt signal in an external USB cable you'd probably feel it in your teeth as well.
link has diagrams of USB transfer for data
USB in a NutShell - Chapter 4 - Endpoint Types

 

[Capunk]

Funny, I have a generic USB cable came with my portable hard drive enclosure, very cheap looking... after I fully assembly the portable hard drive, my computer is hardly recognize the USB drive, it keep crashing/drive error message keep popping up ...

I thought there is something wrong with the hard drive or the enclosure... but I have a spare Belkin USB cable, which is look far better, in terms of build quality and it even has gold plug.

My computer back to recognize the portable hard drive, no problems since then... so I guess cables makes difference tho...

 

[meat01]

Quote:

My computer back to recognize the portable hard drive, no problems since then... so I guess cables makes difference tho...

Yes, as someone else said, if they don't meet the standard, there will be a difference, otherwise, they work or they don't.

 

[xnothingpoetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverlordXenu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are we going to start seeing audiophile USB cables due to this influx of Predators and Picos? I hope not.

Kimber Mini BUS 1.5M @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

 

[hughwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kimber Mini BUS 1.5M @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

well... at least that is guaranteed to confirm to specifications

but seriously, the only reason for paying more is convenience, eg. looks/build quality, softer, more flexible, clean less often, etc.

As others have said, as long as it conforms to specifications and you are not attempting to run a huge length of it.... i doubt it makes any difference!

 

[SoFlaChris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kimber Mini BUS 1.5M @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

Oh gawd!

 

[genjamon]

do any of you know-it-alls actually have any experience trying different usb cables in the same exact system? if not, this is all just opinionated tripe.

i have a computer-based home system, computer feeding external dac via usb, and the external dac usb receiver is self-powered (usb 5V bus only serves for recognition purposes). i started with a 6 foot cryo'd cable i got free a while ago when i bought a cheap usb-spdif converter (before the current external dac). this wasn't long enough, so based on the word on the street that all usb cables are the same, i bought a cheap-o 15 footer. before changing cables, i liked the sound quite a lot, but immediately upon changing to the longer cable, the sound lost all of its immediacy and coherency. all the sounds were surely there, but they were harder to discern and absolutely less musical. switched back to the original 6 footer and it was back to normal.

i have no idea the brand of the 6 footer - it does look a little nicer than the cheap-o one - but this is no case of audio jewelry placebo, i can assure you. i have no vested ego in the shorter original cable, i'm in it for the best sound.

i know some of you will want to take pot-shots and say it's all in my head. however, before you do, consider that i have ACTUALLY experienced this in my own system, a comparison between two usb cables with two very distinctive and distinguishable effects on the sound. if you haven't bothered to make comparisons of your own, in the same exact system, with the same music. please spare me the ridicule and your baseless opinions.

however, if you have made some real comparisons, please share! maybe it was just the length in my case - although 15 feet doesn't seem that extreme to me, especially given there were no power demands on the cable. or maybe it's something to do with the build quality?

ok, now go ahead and give me an earful