[mobbaddict]

With the growing use of smartphones in the headphone community (USB dongles, bluetooth adapters...), I wonder why USB to IEM cables have not become popular. The whole point of these cables is to bypass the need for an external DAC and plug your IEM straight into your smartphone, which is usually enough for casual listening or easy to drive IEMs. Some of them even feature a microphone which I find very appealing for an office environment.

I would like to start this dedicated thread and list all the IEM cables which integrate a DAC and can plug into a smartphone. I'm not listing below any Lightning cables since I'm an Android user, but feel free to mention Apple-friendly cables. Here are the models that I found so far:

Shure RMCE USB cable (with mic): https://www.shure.com/en-ASIA/products/accessories/rmce_usb
Etymotic MMCX to USB cable: https://www.etymotic.com/product/mmcx-to-usb-c-audio-cable/
Dunu modular cable system
https://www.dunu-topsound.com/cables-accessories
Hakugei cables (Big Rice, Obsidian, Moonstone, Rose, Kuro... some of them are modular)
https://m.aliexpress.com/storesearc....smartGrouping_2004184474318.1005004984453974
Penon type C earphone cable: https://penonaudio.com/type-c-earphone-cable.html?tag=Type-C Earphone Cable
AAW Capri (with mic, discontinued): https://www.aaw.me/products/capri-balanced-lightning-earphone-cable-with-hi-res-dac
Null Audio USB cables: https://www.null-audio.com/collections/iem-headphone-cable/For-IEM
Jcally USB cables (with mic): http://www.dgjcally.com/upgrade-cable-s8.html
7hz zero stock USB cable (with mic): https://www.linsoul.com/products/7hz-salnotes-zero

 

[mobbaddict]

I got the Hakugei Big Rice copper cable recently with the USB type C termination for less than €20, it's apparently using a Realtek alc 5686 DAC.
It sounds great overall (very similar to my Meizu hifi + Nicehck copper cable), the build quality is good and it's so light and compact compared to having a separate USB dongle.
Too bad I get these crazy crackling noises when commuting in the subway (probably phone interferences?), it looks like they are cutting costs on the DAC section. I only recommend it for home use.

 

[mobbaddict]

I managed to find what I was looking for - or even better actually! This cable has a built-in mic and uses an OCC copper cable according to specs:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175742232440

I received it this week and used it at work, mainly during Teams meetings and phone calls. Works perfectly. SQ-wise it just sounds very similar to my Meizu hifi dac + Nicehck OCC copper cable. The cable is flexible and has a nice rubber feeling. It doesn't get twisty like the Nicechk cable.

 

[Husteri]

Why aren't this type of cables more popular? They seem like a no brainer.

 

[mobbaddict]

Why aren't this type of cables more popular? They seem like a no brainer.

Absolutely. It seems those USB cables gained some interest among popular manufacturers lately though
https://www.linsoul.com/products/moondrop-free-dsp-usb-c-earphone-cable
https://www.fiio.com/productinfo/1059462.html
No MMCX option on these two however.

 

[572139]

Is sound quality degradation still a concern?

Fiio cables look great!

 

[Husteri]

Is sound quality degradation still a concern?

Fiio cables look great!

Well, you have the DAC in the cable and that will clearly influence the sound. So you want to make sure the DAC in the cable is to your liking.

There is a USB audio pass through mode that uses the USB connection as analog, but AFAIK it is barely used. I've tried checking modern phones to see if they include a DAC for USB and have found no info about it so I suspect they don't, but I am not sure. At the end of the day, a DAC outside will tend to sound better, as a DAC inside the phone will suffer from a lot of electromagnetic interference from the rest of components of the phone.

 

[mobbaddict]

Is sound quality degradation still a concern?

Fiio cables look great!

For me it sounds the same as a dedicated $30 DAC, so pretty good. The whole thing is just so convenient when switching from music listening to office work.

 

[aziomatic]

Has anyone found a decent USB-C cable with MMCX connections & a mic that works well? Thanks!