[ColtMrFire]

If you all are done with your own circle jerk, maybe you can all finish up and leave the rest of us alone.

Its fine.

I was gonna drag out the ol' lion/sheep metaphor, but I don't wanna insult anybody

 

[StanD]

Its fine.

I was gonna drag out the ol' lion/sheep metaphor, but I don't wanna insult anybody

You just did.

 

[Jiggybutt]

  I posted about the 560 with balanced cable.  I felt the bass impact improved and tightened up as well.  Also after some more time listening I would say overall control improved as well.  Not night and day but I feel it was definitely worth the upgrade. 

Ok thanks! I will be able to build my own cable for about 35 euros, so then it will be very worth the time and money.

 

[nerone]

  USB length is negligible.      
 
The reason we have balanced cables like XLR is because they carry an analog electrical signal, and if the cable is one meter or greater in length will pick up noticeable electromagnetic interference from surrounding electronics and radio waves.
 
Since USB is digital, it is not susceptible to such interference. The handshake will either fail, or work 100% properly.
 
However, power over USB can be an issue.

Although the information transported is digital, the way to do it on the cable is analog, 0 is represented by a voltage below one specific level, 1 is a voltage above the same level.
There is an interesting article about this in Audiostream: http://www.audiostream.com/content/draft#urpWoKPEMjyO8ABl.97

 

[Atavax]

can we get back to the amp and leave the cord cable discussion to another thread? Its too damn tempting to troll this cable discussion...

 

[StanD]

 
Although the information transported is digital, the way to do it on the cable is analog, 0 is represented by a voltage below one specific level, 1 is a voltage above the same level.
There is an interesting article about this in Audiostream: http://www.audiostream.com/content/draft#urpWoKPEMjyO8ABl.97

That's a bunch of malarkey meant to mislead. The signal goes well past the threshold of 1's and 0's so any noise is meaningless and most comparators employ hysteresis to further mediate any noise. The signal is modeled after a square wave so the transition times are not a factor. Additionally the data is buffered which prevents a host of potential problems, many not related to signal transmission, Also, disruptions to the signal will result in glitches or disruptions to the music, not compromises to SQ. Most USB issues are probably due to ground loops or noise conducted via the USB power, these are not usual and shouldn't be used to mess with a lion's share of audiophiles and strap them with unnecessary expenditures. In the small number of cases of conducted noise or unsolvable ground loops, one could get a USB galvanic isolator.
IMO if one doesn't have glitches, disruptions of music or noises directly attributable to USB, just enjoy the music. Anyone is free to feel otherwise and spend as they wish. Nuff said.

 

[franzdom]

I sidestepped this controversy by using the $20 PYST USB cable. It's mid range and recommended by the Schiit!

 

[pdferguson]

You will hear different opinions from both sides, but IMO there's no point spending $400 on an amp and or $250 on DAC and using $5 cables since a system is only as good as its weakest link.

 
A $5 cable doesn't make it the weakest link, nor does a $100 cable change that. Expensive USB cables are for people who don't understand the difference between digital and analog signal transmission. The only point to spending that kind of money on a USB cable has nothing to do with electronics and everything to do with human psychology.

 

all I'll say is going from a stock USB cable to a LH labs 1G made a major jump in SQ in my system.
 

 
LH Labs web site advertises these $140 USB cables with this little gem of absolute engineering nonsense: "LightSpeed 1G is an affordable high-end USB cable that boasts more than twice the bandwidth of USB 2.0's Audio Specification standard. Due to its wide bandwidth, the USB controller inside your DAC isn't overburdened when jitter makes its way into the signal, making your DAC run optimally and signal noise-free."
 
Twice the bandwidth? Overburdened? It just makes me cringe when I read BS like that. I couldn't stand to read what they had to say about their $2000 USB cable (on sale now for only $799!)...

 

[Atavax]

Placebo is a hell of a drug...

 

[StanD]

  Placebo is a hell of a drug...

It preys upon innocent people that don't understand the technical mumbo jumbo good and bad.

 

[bavinck]

   
A $5 cable doesn't make it the weakest link, nor does a $100 cable change that. Expensive USB cables are for people who don't understand the difference between digital and analog signal transmission. The only point to spending that kind of money on a USB cable has nothing to do with electronics and everything to do with human psychology.

 
 
LH Labs web site advertises these $140 USB cables with this little gem of absolute engineering nonsense: "LightSpeed 1G is an affordable high-end USB cable that boasts more than twice the bandwidth of USB 2.0's Audio Specification standard. Due to its wide bandwidth, the USB controller inside your DAC isn't overburdened when jitter makes its way into the signal, making your DAC run optimally and signal noise-free."
 
Twice the bandwidth? Overburdened? It just makes me cringe when I read BS like that. I couldn't stand to read what they had to say about their $2000 USB cable (on sale now for only $799!)...

Yup!

 

[Delayeed]

Cables are like religion 

 

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I hear pink USB cables can reduce sibilance.

 

[Atavax]

i hear thickness is more important than length

 

[Tomasz2D]

  I hear pink USB cables can reduce sibilance.

Remember, red cables are the fastest