[Omega17TheTrue]

Has someone here made a true blind test (with a second people changing cable randomly) against ultra cheap cable and ultra high-end ones ?

If you can't hear any differences it is completely useless.

 

[Prog Rock Man]

Quote:

 
Every cable would have a different graph like that. That's getting utterly nitty gritty moving towards exhausting uselessness. You don't want to try it, then DON'T. But get off those who have, especially when the masses say they enjoy the difference their cable clearly make in their system. Jeebus
This is a circular argument which leads nowhere. Let the people decide. Have you tried it? No? Then your opinion is worth less. (If anything at all)
 
Just because you can't comprehend something at this time does not mean it doesn't exist at all.
 
 

Are you going to contribute anything at all to answering the question as to why USB cables make a difference. Or are you just going to further contribute to the circular argument that leads nowhere and constantly tell us what we already know, that they do make a difference?
 
WE KNOW THAT USB CABLES MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO SOME PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME. CAN YOU PLEASE CONTRIBUTE EVIDENCE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION WHY IS THAT?

 

[Hennyo]

Quote:

This is only a circular argument because cable believers make it so, multiple pieces of evidence have been provided that show there is no difference...
but do you accept that , no you are to wrapped up in your fantasy reality that you just go into complete denial and attack people.
If you can "hear a difference, it is because your mind is playing tricks with you, whether you are happy with imaginary differences or not is up to you.
 
I would just like to remind you your opinion is not valid and is completely worthless, you are massively bias towards your own self-interest, test and measurements on the other hand are not.
 

This guy makes my day everytime.
/putting words into other peoples mouths, as usual.

 

[jackmccabe]

Edited
 

 

[Hennyo]

Quote:

You are not allowed to discuss them here, I suggest you go to the sound science forum.
 

Way to troll out a thread. Hopeless.
 
Congrats, you've successfully decimated a perfectly fine thread, almost single handedly. Plague-like indeed. (Follow back through whole thread).
 

 

[jackmccabe]

Quote:

Way to troll out a thread. Hopeless.
 
Congrats, you've successfully decimated a perfectly fine thread, almost single handedly. Plague-like indeed. (Follow back through whole thread).
 

???
They are the rules, I was just informing a member so he does not get not into trouble.
This thread has no evidence what so ever that points to there being differences.
Just because cables are different that does not mean there are any audible differences.
 

 

[vandaven]

Some last measurements, for the community to decide:
 
difference01
 
difference02
 
This will be my last measurement here. The cable crowd is too ignorant. I want to emphasize on the fact that I own several "audiophile" USB cables that I bought for my measurements, and I keep them just out of vanity 

. Can't hear any difference between them. Not Audioquest, Oyaide Neo or Wireworld Starlight.
 
Apart from that, after providing so much evidence (that apparently is NOT understood anyway), I would like to see some evidence for the difference that some can hear.
 
Who beliefs that the cable does the same to the signal quality than a well designed DAC, headphone amplifier or pair of headphones may believe whatever he wants to believe. 
It's a free world after all. 
 
Accepting the fact that a signal might look "a bit" different in the analog domain seems to be very hard.
 

 

[TheGame21x]

That's because it probably won't.

USB cables transmit entirely digital signals and with digital signals, it either works or it doesn't, to put it simply. That's also why paying more than $5 or so for an HDMI cable (obviously scaling up or down accordingly depending on the length you want) is stupid.

 

[vandaven]

Quote:

That's because it probably won't.

USB cables transmit entirely digital signals and with digital signals, it either works or it doesn't, to put it simply. That's also why paying more than $5 or so for an HDMI cable (obviously scaling up or down accordingly depending on the length you want) is stupid.

That is what some of us are trying to prove for weeks...
 
 
 

 

[uelover]

Quote:

No need for a double blind test. 
 
Recently, I invested in a usb audio interface that is (among other things) built for audio measurements, and also tested this unit with 2 different usb cables. Signal flow for the measurements is Mac Pro -> USB -> DAC -> internal analog connection -> ADC -> USB -> Mac Pro. The resulting impulse response is a deconvolution from a 2 second sine sweep from 1 Hz to Nyquist, measured at 192 kHz 24 bit. 
 
Unfortunately, I can't upload images at the moment, so you'll have to use the links I have provided:
 
These two cables were tested.
 
Impulse response cable A.
 
Impulse response cable B. 
 
Have fun.
 
 

Hey vandaven, nice test there.
 
Wonder if you could run a test for high frequencies too, eg 8khz, 10khz?
 
Another way would be to record the entire track played on one cable vs another cable, saved the audio file and post it here and labelled them as file A and file B for us to hear.
 
I have been wanting to perform such test myself but am limited to the equipment I currently have.
 

 

[vandaven]

Quote:

Hey vandaven, nice test there.
 
Wonder if you could run a test for high frequencies too, eg 8khz, 10khz?
 
Another way would be to record the entire track played on one cable vs another cable, saved the audio file and post it here and labelled them as file A and file B for us to hear.
 
I have been wanting to perform such test myself but am limited to the equipment I currently have.
 

Hi Uelover, I am just trying to prove my point. This is the deconvolution of a sine sweep from 1 Hz to Nyquist frequency. Nyquist fq is defined by fs/2. Thus, a sweep from 1 Hz to 96 kHz, as the sample fq was 192 kHz. In this section, I am afraid blind tests are not allowed. I could post something like that in the parallel thread on the sound science quarter of this site. Nonetheless, a whole track wouldn't be allowed, I guess I'll take the iTunes preview limitations of 30 seconds for that.
 
 
 

 

[justanut]

My bad if you misunderstood me. I'm not trying to put words into anyone's mouth, but just thinking out loud on the possible retort. I've mentioned it before too that I'm very interested to know what is the variable causing the marked differences in audio quality when different USB cables are used in some people's setups. Although personally I haven't had a chance to experience it. Perhaps one day I shall really have to go over to your place and have a listen
 
Like I mentioned, I'm wondering if differences are caused by the DAC (that has certain requirements that the audiophile USB cables meet while the normal USB cables don't). Is it something that can be replicated on normal USB cables once we know the requirement?
 
Personally I do own the Cardas Blue. Its relatively cheap and well built, which is why I bought it. I THINK I hear a difference between it and my normal computer USB cable... after listening really long and hard... but my wife doesn't. But then again she wasn't able to tell any audio differences between my Mundorf gold LOD and the Copper LOD I had either. Although she could tell the difference between my Beyer T50p and the Ultrasone Ed8...
 
My uncle swears by his Axis USB cable, which I've compared with using my Cardas... again I THINK there's a difference but I can't be sure. Although my uncle next to me would excitedly point out the qualities of the Axis when in use... the better defined bass, the increased soundstage etc... All of which isn't logically possible to me.
 
I've also failed to hear any difference between the $15 iPod USB LOD and the $100+ one sold for the CLAS... which prompted me to go back and compare my USB cables actually, and started me on this quest.
 
I've read the descriptions of a few more popular USB cables, including the Cynosure. Alot of emphasis is made on the material used, the damping, the shielding, the isolation of the Data line from the VDC line... I suspect that perhaps the isolation part makes some sense... but i'm not EEE grad.
 
What exactly makes audiophile USB cables different from normal computer USB cables? I'll be upfront and say that I don't believe in difference in material making a difference over such a short distance. How they shield and isolate the cables might cause some difference though (I've heard jitter mentioned a couple of times in this discussion for example). Is that the only difference that causes the huge disparity in price?
 
Is it too much to know what I'm paying for? I appreciate people like Van who are trying to provide data to aid this enquiry. However its pointless to be shouting over and over that there is a difference when I've tried to hear a difference and failed to. Maybe 18 year olds have got better ears? Oh and Hennyo (I've to highlight you since you really do get on my nerves), don't assume and put words in other's mouth too. I for one HAVE compared relatively well built and reasonably priced USB cables against pricier but not crazy pricier USB cables. 
 
Btw, can those who hear a difference articulate the differences? Not a trick question, but I really want to now what to look out for when I do my own comparison.
 
Sorry for the long post
 

 

[justanut]

Btw, since we're on this... My songs are stored on an external hard drive that is connected to my Macbook Pro via Firewire... I was just thinking if there's anyone who actually uses an "Audiophile" USB cable to connect their external hard drives to their computers before connecting another Audiophile USB cable from the computer to the DAC?
 
Is there any manufacturer that sells Audiophile SATA connectors or Firewire cables?

 

[Mambosenior]

Quote:

justanut

Is there any manufacturer that sells Audiophile SATA connectors or Firewire cables?

Just give me a couple of days. I'll build you what you want.
 
Any color preferences?
 
 

 

[uelover]

Hmm describing the improvement in sound about a certain area and then asking the listener to listen for it might introduce the potential effect of placebo upon a listener =)
 
Up till the point of the USB module on your motherboard, everything has digital error correction so there is no need for 'good' or 'snake-oil' cables used in between.