[limdongfi]

Hi, guys. It's my first post and some present. 

 
It started from a thread quarreling the sonic improvement of usb cable in an audioasylum.com forum. I was also in the same situation before but found the improvement from the cable now I use. You can find its picture on my blog, http://limdongfi.blogspot.kr/2012/08/my-computer-audio.html In fact I don't understand what makes the difference exactly. I want to share more result and opinion on the same cable with different systems.
 
So I suggested the maker(a person) of the cable(I use) provide the free test and he agreed three cables for one month test. Then I posted about the test in the forum but no one applied to it. I am afraid that it take so long and lose the chance of the three good cables. For the fast distribution I also post the test here.
 
If you email me your local home address to receive the cable then he will send it to the first three of you who request the free test for one month. I must help him since he doesn't understand English well. The only requirement of the free test is that you must test it with your own risk. 

I hope you post about your test to share your experience and opinion in the forum. You can return the cable to South Korea or give others for a further test. He confirmed that he will not claim for the cable even though it is not returned and regard it as donated.
 
Peace be with you.
Dongho.

 

[GREQ]

I think this comes down to personal beliefs and science. I don't think you're going to get many people who think that a higher quality cable can increase the quality of a digital data signal that gets interpreted into music later in the chain of components. 

 

[limdongfi]

Yes, your understanding is same with me As a guy who majored in physics and worked long in computer companies like I* and M*, me either don't believe USB cable make any difference in digital transportation besides broken one. But many people report the sonic difference of the cable, so I had to try it by myself and the result was quite impressive. I am not sure about the whole mechanism how it makes the difference. But a clue that I found was like this: 
http://www.aqvox.de/usb-power_en.html
http://www.goodsound.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=278:audioquest-carbon-cinnamon-and-forest-usb-cables&catid=56&Itemid=37
 
*** I am really not related with the German company or AudioQuest or the sites at all. Believe me! Please head-fi administrator don't ban me permanently as computeraudiophile.com did.***
 
You may hear the sonic difference of DAC or other audio gears with changing power supply. You know DDC operates by the power of USB cable from PC not by the separated power. So the German sell the equipment above to provide a better power through USB cable itself.
 
You can see the cable I get as a donation from a local cable maker(of South Korea) on the link in my first post. The cable has the same idea, separating the power line and data line at one USB port of DAC with two USB cable. He explained its design concept as the separation of data route from the power line to prevent any interference. But I guess the real benefit of Y type design is it can use power from other port or other source like battery. I don't know much about DAC technically but I believe the sonic performance of DDC or DDC portion of USB DAC is affected by its own power source. And I suspect somewhere in the whole circuit may be somewhat affected by the power of the USB port in DDC/DAC. Currently my conclusion is that USB cable can make the sonic difference not by the digital bit but by the power in the USB cable. And the power in USB seems affected by the source of the power and how the power line itself was made.
 
The normal(single cable) type USB cable as well as Y type can deliver the different power to the USB port of DDC/DAC by changing the port on the same PC or changing the board of PC. This is one of the reason why I tried different main board for my audio computer like Gigabyte board with USB3 http://www.gigabyte.sg/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3441#ov tested on my blog. My focus is not the speed of USB3 but expects better power. Of course the material and the design of the normal (single) USB cable also can make the difference in the power delivery bus to the USB port of DDC/DAC not in data delivery bus.
 
Actually you can try any well made USB cable with a normal printer cable. I did test several and this one was the best of them until now. In fact I don't get any chance to test any well known brands besides one of Kimber. So I cannot guarantee this no brand one will make an improvement or not in your system. Anyhow we cannot bet a fortune on "no difference" without the proof of the test. Why don't you try this cable? It's free! 
 
At first he sent me two kind cables known as made by very complex material process: but simply said, one is silver plated and the other is silver. But I chose the former cheaper one(silver plated) since it sounded better for me than the latter expensive one after some test.
 
My final tip is I don't invest too much money in USB cable since the sonic improvement by it is not so big but somewhat there.
 
Cheers,
Dongho.

 

[limdongfi]

Finally I finished my first mission to donate the cables. I didn't expect that kind of work is so difficult. It started when I saw a severe argument about the usb cable in audioasylum.com. As a blogger of computer audio and a happy customer of one of usb cable, I wanted to contribute in that matter. But there was no volunteer. Then I searched and found head-fi.org and computeraudiophile.com also having debators about the same issue. So I posted the same offer to the two site.
 
Right after that, I got a permanent ban from computeraudiophile.com. But you guys in head-fi.org helped me a lot and make me finish my mission as in the bible: 2 Corinthians 5:18 Now I pray the donator keep his words to send them well and soon.
 
Thanks all.
God bless you all.
Dongho.
**P.S. My private message allotment today was full, so the last volunteer may contact me by my email : gigauser@gmail.com, thanks.

 

[Caution]

Okay I just received my Cable, that was really quick! First things First, this cable looks really well made.
 
Will do a comparison between a Furutech GT2 and regular printer cable. Will post back my findings within the next few days.

 

[limdongfi]

Thank God that finally one of them received it safely. I hope a good result though mine is half priced than Furuthech GT2
 
Thank you for the testing.

 

[Lenni]

I should receive mine in the next few days...

 
[edit]: wow, the cable's just arrived like five minutes ago! 

 very good packaged, and looks well made indeed.
 
I wasn't expecting this: it's actually two cables joined together at one end with a standard B connector.
 
I'll get some pics.
 
am I supposed to plug both ends of cable into the usb ports, or just one cable? not sure

 

[limdongfi]

Thank God another safe shipping.
You can use it either way. But some DAC may not work with data cable only. Using both hooked was sounded better for me.

 

[Lenni]

quick pics, sorry about quality.
 

 

[Lenni]

okay, I've been swapping usb cables for the past few hours (pita). my usb cable is also after-market. have to say the conditions for which I had to do the test weren't ideal. it'd have been easier if I didn't have to walk behind the system and swap cables, and the switch was instantaneous.
 
I cannot reliably say I didn't hear a difference at all, but I cannot say I heard a difference either. if there was a difference it'd be rather subtle, imo. also using headphones might be easier to notice these subtleties than speakers.
 
looking forward to other recipients impression.
 
if you've a somewhat hi-res system, and 'd like to test this cable, send pm and I'll mail it to you free of charge.
 
 
thanks Dongho for sending the cable.

 

[limdongfi]

Thanks Lenni for your test and sharing its result.
 
I am sorry that you don't get much improvement on your system than me with the cable. But I guess the following two explanation is possible from your test.
 
1. Your cable's quality is already good enough not to be beaten easily by any other cable. And my cable's quality is comparable to that of yours. Could you explain about your cable, like brand or price? Mine(which I sent to u) is "No brand" and 60 USD(price in manufactured country, Southern Korea)
 
2. Your system is good stable enough not to be so susceptible by changing USB cable. What gears are there on the both ends of the USB cable? In my case, PC(made by me, its detail is on my blog) is at the one end of the USB cable and Chord QuteHD DAC is at the other end of the cable. I suspect that the part contacting USB cable in both systems(my PC and DAC) is much susceptible to the quality of the cable.

 

[Lenni]

 
Hi, my usb cable is made by ACR. note: mine is the previous version which has not the data & power conductors isolated. gears listed in sig. below. 
 
Quote:

...
2. Your system is good stable enough not to be so susceptible by changing USB cable. What gears are there on the both ends of the USB cable? In my case, PC(made by me, its detail is on my blog) is at the one end of the USB cable and Chord QuteHD DAC is at the other end of the cable. I suspect that the part contacting USB cable in both systems(my PC and DAC) is much susceptible to the quality of the cable.

 
yes, that's a possibility.
 
---
 
anybody curious about testing this cable let me know. 

 

[limdongfi]

You have nice system better than mine except the power gear.
If I were you, I will add a pre-amp over $1000 as used. It will make the other parts of your system sound as much as their value.

 

[panhead]

First of all I want to thank  Limdongfi for sending me a cable.    I was quite surprised to find it has separate cables for power and signal and seems to be of good quality.
 
 
I built a pc to stream media rather than buying a box.   Its an XP box with some optimizations including Fidelizer and hooked up to the USB of the PS Audio PWD M2  via a  Wireworld Starlight USB cable.    Right out of the box this cable seems better than the Starlight.   Its brighter has more detail and a bigger soundstage.   I listened  yesterday to several of my fav artists and Im very happy with this upgrade.   
 
 
Im not sure how valid first impressions are and today I let the cable break in by streaming a local jazz station WDCB with JRM V17 and ASIO.    I didnt have much time to listen today but I think this cable has more to offer if I install a separate power supply and eliminate the computer's 5v.   
 
 
Ive agreed to send Limdongfi one of my Wireworlds and it will be in the mail in the morning.
 
 
 
Thanks again for your generosity!

 

[limdongfi]

Thanks for sharing your result with us. I am really happy to hear my effort made you an enjoyment. But the gratitude must be given to the cable guy who sent me the free samples. I just do deliveries of them to you.
In fact the cable is not expensive but similar with the price of your wireworld cable. So it is really a profitable deal for me. 

 
Hope to hear more improvement from the testers.