Which USB-AB to buy ??

[grandsvaux]

Hi Guys,
Looking for some guidance in the purchase of a new USB-AB Digital cable any recommendations on a good quality USB cable my
sauce is a mac going to a classe ssp thanks in advance.

[wkhanna]

first off, this thread will be highly scrutinized from the get-go to insure all discussion remains on topic, technically relative & most importantly, civil.

secondly, i doubt many of us here have much experience with such expensive cables.

and thirdly, i will take it upon myself to ask the $64k (£50,645) question.....

why do you feel the need to spend £500 ($600+ US) for a USB cable?

please note, grandsvaux, i am in no way attempting to discourage you or your question.
however, history has shown cable discussions among audiophiles to be quite the volatile topic, especially on the internet.
therefore, I will be keeping close tabs as this thread develops.

the primary reason we are here is to learn, & while anecdotal examples are welcome, we will always defer to factual & scientific evidence.

[wkhanna]

i have played with some of these ifi products......

....my experiance....they tend to be more system depenant than anything else.

they help some on one system configuration, not so much on another...

lots of things come into play like the quality of the powersupply in the PC or LT, to which bus is being used, to what software app your using & how it is configured.

Edit: added description of A & B cable here

[grandsvaux]

My primary reason for joining the site is to learn from like minded people who perhaps have already been down the what cable route and could give me some pointers and probably save me from spending my hard urned cash on some thing that will not despite its price tag dose not make that much of a improvement to my listening enjoyment. your post in regards to power supply and bus used and software ext has already raised a lot of questions. And this is also the kind of reply that is important as it takes the enfaces of the cable and gives a bigger picture of the overall workings that comes together to make the end result the music reproduction the best you can reproduce given your equipments limitations.
Now were did I put that mac hand book LOL

[wkhanna]

My primary reason for joining the site is to learn from like minded people....

V pleased about that!
& V pleased you are here!
everyone has something to offer

.....people who perhaps have already been down the what cable route and could give me some pointers.....

Yep, that what this place is all about...

....... save me from spending my hard urned cash on some thing that will not, despite its price tag, not make that much of a improvement ......

i truly hope & expect that to be the end result :T

[JonMarsh]

I am only using USB in one setup, with the output of a Sonore microRendu going into a Berkely Alpha USB converter (USB really requires good isolation between the source and the DAC, in my experience, and many/most built in USB inputs in DACs haven't been the last word in performance, IMO. YMMV, etc, etc.

The microRendu is a special case because it uses a linear regulator to power the DC output from USB. The USB power is not running off a switcher SMPS. Neither is the microRendu itself; I have it running with a high grade linear supply. Also, the Alpha USB goes to extraordinary lengths to minimize common mode coupling input to output.

If your DAC doesn't need to see DC from the source in order to run the USB receiver, then you might want to consider one of the cables that omits the power connection.

OTOH, in my own setup, a Cardas USB cable has been working fine. I'm sure there are others that would, too. Note, I'm a Cardas fanboy from back when George was just getting started, so my normal reaction when I need a new cable is to try a Cardas first, and use that unless I think there's something missing, or system synergy that isn't working out.

With USB, the main issues seem to be around CMRR, particularly from the USB power, as most companies cables can handle the data rates just fine.

I have seen other systems that benefitted from the TotalDAC USB cable with filter, to ameliorate common mode noise coupling into the DAC. However, with my setup, it doesn't have any impact. This is an example of where system synergy comes in. I do like the TotalDAC Ethernet cables, which have heavy common mode filtering via staggered tuning toroidal cores, but again, the need is system dependent- if everything else is done well, the benefit may be small to none existent.

[wkhanna]

i have used AudioQuest USB A-B style from my PC/Server to my USB to S/PDIF Musical Fidelity V-Link II & to Schiit designed converter in my Schiit Gungnir DAC. only some of my audio friends & i could tell slight differences between the various Audioquest models of cable used. when i say differences, i do not mean night & day type transformations, but rather the V subtle type that you can sometimes detect after of or weeks of listening to a new component.

were the price differences worthwhile?????

depends......can your system reveal any difference, is the system synergy affected at all?
of course, these are all just my anecdotal experiences.
i have no science to offer as validation.

been wanting to try this Mapleshade cable for a while Clearlink USB

I use their speaker cables & have done many comparisons to other far more expensive cables but for the price, which is ridiculously cheap in my opinion, i have yet to be persuaded to change.

AFA Cardus, do not see how you could wrong with those.

[wkhanna]

Yah know, it has been my experience from the time I began reading such things many years ago, that when cable discussion take place on the internet they rapidly degrade into name-calling personal grudge fests resembling presidential debates.

Not sure what is happening…..either we have all grown up, do not care, or just got fed up with it all.
Regardless, it seems my earlier expressed concerns about keeping it ‘real’ were for not.
:scratchhead:

[bigburner]

history has shown cable discussions among audiophiles to be quite the volatile topic, especially on the internet.


the primary reason we are here is to learn, & while anecdotal examples are welcome, we will always defer to factual & scientific evidence.

Bill, I'm glad to see you didn't use 'audiophile' and scientific evidence' in the same sentence.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

:roflmao:

good one, Nigel