[phier]

Hello friends,
 
 
I purchased DAC - audioengine D1. My question is if its good idea to connect PC with DAC with 4 or 5m of USB cable. I was looking thru forum for good USB cable (price/quality) and find this oneNewnex USB 2.0 A-B Cable - 4m/13ft (UH2-2414) which is fully USB certified. 

Which size is better for no quality lost 4 or 5m or it doesnt matter? Could be there any impact on DAC/sound based on length? Someone suggested me 3m is max, but i think specification says 5m.
 
 
 
Thanks a lot
 
Best,
Patrick

 

[NA Blur]

It does in fact matter and even at 3m or longer there can be issues.  I highly suggest going with the smallest USB cable possible for your setup.  In my case I ended up with a 2m long USB cable.  The issue is in regards to the data transfer rate per unit length of the cable.  If your data rate is really fast then you need a short cable to keep up with it.  Divide the speed of the signal by the length of the cable to get the time it takes the signal to travel down the cable.
 
Crunching some numbers shows that 5m is the max for an average USB 2.0 connection and 3m for USB 1.x.

 

[phier]

[size=12.727272033691406px]Thats strange, I got this from audioengine team[/size][size=12.727272033691406px][/size]
[size=12.727272033691406px][/size]
[size=12.727272033691406px][/size]
[size=12.727272033691406px]The D1 is built for USB 2.0 and up. Since the D1 is bus powered, you would want to use the shortest cable possible for the best results. The longest cable I've personally had good results with was about 5.5 ft [/size][size=12.727272033691406px](1.6m) [/size][size=12.727272033691406px]and USB "high-speed" certified. Any longer than that and I would recommend checking in to a powered USB cable. Hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any other questions.[/size]
 
 
[size=12.727272033691406px]so maybe the best solution is short usb 0.5m + long phono cable 4m? Does long phono cable impact sound quality?[/size]

 

[korzena]

Please recommend an inexpensive and decent USB cable.
 
I will need it to connect my laptop to USB-SPDIF converter (JKSPDIF MK3) that will send the signal further to DAC.
Because I use the converter I don't need a high-end USB cable. Besides I don't really hear sound differences between various USB cables (although I haven't tested very expensive ones and for the time being I am not going to ).
 
So, I need a decent, inexpensive USB cable of 1.5-2m length that will meet of the USB 2.0 requirements (A-B type). (Something like Blue Jeans Cables among audio interconnects; unfortunately Blue Jeans doesn't make USB cable that long)
 

 

[leeperry]

Lacie flat cable, but it's 1.2m

 

[korzena]

Quote:

Lacie flat cable, but it's 1.2m

Thanks, but too short i am afraid.

 

[PleasantSounds]

4 or even 5m should be fine for signal transmission, but if you are also powering the D1 over that distance, the voltage drop may be too much for it to work properly. Two approaches you may try:
- Get as thick USB cable as you can (note that thick relates to wires, not isolation) - this way you'll reduce the voltage drop somewhat
- Consider getting a powered USB hub to be located near your DAC - that way the D1 could be connected to the power source with a short cable.

 

[Roller]

5m is the maximum length you should use without a signal repeater, as per official USB specs.

 

[Skoobs]

i have a long USB cable that i was under the impression was fairly high quality. it is about 10 feet long, gold plated, sheilded, and on the side it says "28AWG/2c+20AWG/2c"
 
it seems very well built, but it does not work with the audioengine D1. like it doesnt work at all. says USB device malfunction. 
 
I guess it could be broken. was only using it to power a hub that i was using to charge my wireless mouse. 
 
cable that came with the d1 works perfectly. lovin' this little dac by the way. 

 

[proton007]

Quote:

i have a long USB cable that i was under the impression was fairly high quality. it is about 10 feet long, gold plated, sheilded, and on the side it says "28AWG/2c+20AWG/2c"
 
it seems very well built, but it does not work with the audioengine D1. like it doesnt work at all. says USB device malfunction. 
 
I guess it could be broken. was only using it to power a hub that i was using to charge my wireless mouse. 
 
cable that came with the d1 works perfectly. lovin' this little dac by the way. 

Longer cables may have trouble with power, but they'll be fine with data. So you can use them with an externally powered devices.