I'm not sure this is a correct analogy. While I'll concede that there may be circumstances where a USB cable could make a difference in how the data stream is delivered a file is a file and the ripped version can be verified against the original source. If the bits are determined to be identical what else could account for the perceived superiority of one ripping drive over another? It's a serious question - all things being equal what is the technical reason why two identical files ripped with different hardware could possibly sound different when played back?
