Ok, now we have got that out of the way. After performing a simple 3 way test of SATA cable vs no SATA cable at all and hearing the obvious benefits of SATA vs no SATA (in my system) I got out of my listening chair and went to my local (Dublin) electronic parts store. There are virtually no physical IT/Electronic stores in Ireland anymore so the few here can charge what they like and I paid an outrageous 12 euros for an obviously heavily screened silver "AKASA" cable. I got the shortest one (45cm). You can get them on Amazon for a lot less, maybe about 5 GBP:
Physically when you handle them they are clearly much better made than the cheap and nasty red and blue varieties that came with your motherboard. I have no affiliation with this brand. I was just told they are a popular after market brand with the gamers who actually have similar problems to solve as the audophiles (but from a visual rather than an audio perspective).
I have to say, I was stunned by the difference this outrageously expensive
5 quid cable made. I have absolutely no explanation at all. This silly old audiophool is just reporting the evidence of his ears.
1. The immediate effect was that the clear differences between the SATA cable and no SATA cable use cases were gone. And I mean almost completely gone. On balance, I had a slight preference for
HDD
vs
NAS
or mSATA. But it was now such a subtle difference that I can see why others might prefer it the other way round. To my ears if you listened hard (and you really have to concentrate), the
HDD
use case just seemed marginally clearer, less confused, like the lifting of the thinnest of veils.
2. This is what stunned me. I then swapped the
USB
cable out of the 700 USD
SOtM
/Battery combi into one of the m/board ports and I was amazed. The
SOtM
was still marginally better but it wasn't a lot and again you would really have to concentrate. All I could really hear was a very slight additional "bloom" on the m/board
USB
port. In direct comparison the
SOtM
combi therefore sounded slightly more focused and I preferred it. But I have to say that (in my system) a better made and screened 5 quid
USB
cable gave 98% of the benefits of a 700 dollar
USB
card.
mDx6I6uCq08zbBdW19XJXgg
![color]](http://www.computeraudiophile.com/images/smilies/wink.png[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][left][/left][/color])
5 quid cable made. I have absolutely no explanation at all. This silly old audiophool is just reporting the evidence of his ears.1. The immediate effect was that the clear differences between the SATA cable and no SATA cable use cases were gone. And I mean almost completely gone. On balance, I had a slight preference forHDDvsNASor mSATA. But it was now such a subtle difference that I can see why others might prefer it the other way round. To my ears if you listened hard (and you really have to concentrate), theHDDuse case just seemed marginally clearer, less confused, like the lifting of the thinnest of veils.2. This is what stunned me. I then swapped theUSBcable out of the 700 USDSOtM/Battery combi into one of the m/board ports and I was amazed. TheSOtMwas still marginally better but it wasn't a lot and again you would really have to concentrate. All I could really hear was a very slight additional "bloom" on the m/boardUSBport. In direct comparison theSOtMcombi therefore sounded slightly more focused and I preferred it. But I have to say that (in my system) a better made and screened 5 quidUSBcable gave 98% of the benefits of a 700 dollarUSBcard.
