POLL: What USB cable are you using?

[TS0711]

ACR silver reference in half meter and one meter, hand made in the USA and available on agon. I haven't compared them to anything of note but they were a setup over el cheapo.

 

[One and a half]

for USB Class 2 audio, for 192/24+ material.

 

Good is 1.5m - 2.5m, 5m you run to trouble.

 

Nothing to do with jitter, just dealing with high speed of the data-steam.

 

Ethernet cables need to be at least 1m from say a PC to a switch/router/hub. Just reflections for shorter lengths and for testing the darn things in the first place.

 

Anyway, this link will give you all information you need about the right cable between a computer and a DAC:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Best-USB-cable-use-between-computer-and-dac

 

There are about 900 comments, all sorts are discussed.

 

[JeffH]

Audioquest / Forest

 

[proth]

I switched to the AQ line from Wireworld, and have moved up from Forest to Carbon to Diamond. Each change provided a noticable (if confounding) difference, but the biggest difference was on the office system when I reconfigured things and went from a 5.0M Carbon to a 0.75M Diamond.

 

[ChrisAZ]

I also am using the AQ Carbon, but in a much shorter length than you did. I've read about USB cables needing to be used in short lengths - wonder if that could be part of the difference you hear between the Carbon and the Diamond (since you shortened up by quite a bit).

 

[proth]

Chris: In my main system, I definitely recognized an improvement when going from a 0.75M Carbon to 0.75M Diamond. Based upon that improvement, I decided to rearrange everything in my office system to minimize cable length and upgrade at the same time (the fact that the shortest Diamond costs less than longer versions was not lost on me either). Based upon the changes in both systems (and recognizing the multi-variables involved), I would estimate that the shorter length produced 75% of the overall improvement in my office system, with the upgrade from Carbon to Diamond providing the balance. YMMV. - Pete -

 

[Part-Time Audiophile]

The Lotus Group still has a bunch of Acoustic Revive cables, including the dual-lead USB cable (SP). As mentioned, they're no longer carrying Acoustic Revive so they might be willing to let their inventory go at some healthy discounts. Maybe. Who knows. Maybe I got one cheap. Can't say. Could be, though.

 

[ChrisAZ]

Pete: Well that's apparently good news - I may be 75% of the way there without upgrading to Diamond : ) If and when I take the next plunge to the Ayre DAC (my wallet is still recovering from prior credit card meltdowns by purchasing the Ayre Integrated Amp) I'll think about upgrading the interconnects as well.

 

[glgfromys]

I have just find a second hand AudioQuest Carbon to switch from generic current market cable. I haven't tested it yet. Let's hear the difference if any!

 

[ChrisAZ]

I've been listening to my new system (see below - Audioquest Carbon USB and Firewire interconnects used) for about 10 days now and it's still breaking in. Haven't tried other USB or Firewire interconnects, and since this is a completely new system that is not broken in I can't give you a meaningful comparison. Plus, I'm still working on speaker placement. While the system sounds great, and improves as time / break-in goes on, I'm guessing that the next step (in the future as cash allows) would be to upgrade the DAC and then the interconnects if necessary (i.e., for example, to Diamonds as discussed above, if there will be a significant sonic upgrade). Otherwise, I'll wait with interest to hear about your results. Chris

 

[Paul R]

The "thug in a rug" cat managed to damage the Cinnamon USB cable yesterday. I went on Amazon to replace it, and found a "Pangea solid silver 24AWG" USB cable for about the same price. Was thinking of trying it... anyone have anything good or bad to say about it?

 

I think it is an "off brand" name made for the cheap market, like Audio Advisor or someplace like that.

 

Alternately, there is the full range of Audioquest cables available for overnight deliver, so a short Coffee is available.

 

-Paul

 

 

[ggking7]

I just got my Pangea USB-AG cable from Amazon a few days ago. After about a day of burn-in, it beat my Starlight cable. The only caveat is the Starlight is 1M and the Pangea is .5M so that could account for some or all of the improvement.

 

Pangea is no "off brand". They make great cables. I have 4 of their power cables (check out the AC-9) and one of their HDMI cables.

 

[Paul R]

That's good news! I went ahead and ordered the 1 meter silver version, so I will be able to plug it in and let it start burning in tomorrow.

 

I ordered the 1 meter instead of the .5 meter because it is replacing a .75m Audioquest cable. Darn cats!

 

-Paul

 

 

[bixby]

Can you characterize the sound of the silver Pangea vs the Starlight which is silver clad? I have been looking for a good USB cable to replace the Wirewold Ultraviolet that I am borrowing. Are you using it between computer and dac?

 

I plan to use between dvd drive and computer for ripping cds and want something a bit more open than my Belden Gold and WW.

 

[ggking7]

I would definitely say the Pangea sounds more detailed and live than the Starlight. The Starlight sounds warm and the highs rolled off in comparison. I'm using it between my Proton DAC and computer.

 

[Paul R]

Well, this cable certainly made a lot of difference. I am not entirely sure if all the differences are good or bad. I am also not sure if the cable is introducing some coloration, or if the cable is just showing up faults that were hidden before.

 

The good:

 

- The "background" for the music is much more silent that it is with the Cinnamon cable. Eerily so, as I thought the Cinnamon cable was darn silent,but in comparision sounds like a noisy city streetscape. It is like a bit of greyish haze has been removed. I like this effect very much indeed.

 

- The cable is fairly well built.

 

The bad:

 

- I am not sure, but I think the soundstage has receded and lost some depth. Voices still float in the room, but they all seem to be even with or slightly behind the speakers now. There is little or no presence in front of the speaker plane. This might change as the cable gets broken in a bit, or it might be reflecting more of what the DAC is giving it. (Or it might be a more accurate presentation, I don't know, but I don't think I like it.

 

- The cable arrived in what can only be described as piss poor packaging. Not sealed, not wrapped in plastic, just popped in a cardboard box and coiled with a couple twister ties. For $100, I expected the cable to at least be fastened to the packaging.

----

 

I plan to listen to it over the weekend, and if I am still ambivalent, return it and just buy another Audioquest cable. The wonderful blackness of the audio is offset by the changes in the soundstage.

 

-Paul

 

 

[Russ]

How much break in time have you given the Pangea?

 

[bixby]

Paul, thanks for your impressions it has helped me decide on what to get. I am going with the WW Starlight. Even though the pure silver notion is laudable, I think in USB cables with the higher frequency signals traveling mostly on the skin of the wire that perhaps silver clad is all you really need. And I am not sure about their claim of using lower gauge wire is really necessary in this application, then again WW does the same.

 

Also, the geometry may have something to do with the soundstage position. I like the fact that WW keeps the power side a bit removed. Pangea does use shielding in the form of Al foil but the wires are right next to the signal wires. Perhaps some magnetic fields or eddy currents are affecting the sound. Who knows!

 

But thanks for your opinion so far. Let us know if the sound changes for the better.

 

[Paul R]

Hi Russ -

 

Been playing through the iTunes library pretty much constantly for 44 hours.

 

That might not be enough break-in time, but I have not really heard any difference manifest since it was put in the system.

 

I'll let it play and give it a good solid listen on Saturday afternoon. I'm pretty ambivalent about it right now.

 

-Paul

 

 

 

[Russ]

Paul,

 

I look forward to hearing what you think.

 

Russ...

 

[KDinsmore]

Go blue!

 

[REShaman]

deleted

 

 

[Garf]

Audioquest Cinnamon .75m

 

[DigiPete]

 

3.5m cost at least € 3

5.0m cost at least € 4

 

To those SI impaired:

 

11.7' at USD 4

16.7' at USD 6

 

 

Both sounds pretty good to me.

Mostly 16/44 - 24/96.

 

There should be no differences with a decent DAC implementation

with buffer and/or re-clocking.

 

[Paul R]

Well- I would say that a Wavelength Proton qualifies on all counts as a "decent DAC" implementation, and USB cables make a heck of a difference with it.

 

I have an $8 Belkin Gold that sounds pretty good, even very good. An AudioQuest Forest or an AudioQuest Cinnamon blows it completely away.

 

No idea why, but it surely does.

 

-Paul