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Item: Mad Scientist Black Magic USB Cable 85cm tip to tip Location: Melbs Price: $350 Item Condition: Excellent Reason for selling: NLR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Very nice cable from the Mad Scientist guys. These sell for $600+ AUD so if looking at one of these save some money. Comes with original box and bag. Will post at cost. reviews Mad Scientist Black Magic USB | HFA - The Independent Source for Audio Equipment Reviews WWW.HIFI-ADVICE.COM Once again the company issued a newer version of a product that beats the previous incarnation by a sizable margin, no matter if that previous product was already marvelous! REVIEW: Mad Scientist Audio Black Magic USB Cable Cable - paco - Cable Asylum WWW.AUDIOASYLUM.COM REVIEW: Mad Scientist Audio Black Magic USB Cable Cable - paco - Cable Asylum Mad Scientist Audio - Black Magic USB Cable - Audio Bacon AUDIOBACON.NET Honest reviews of the best audiophile headphones, speakers, amplifiers, preamplifiers, DACs, and cables.

Item: AUDIOLAB M-DAC with Bonus Analysis Plus USB cable Location: MEL Price: $550 Item Condition: Perfect Reason for selling: NLR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: This is a fantastic DAC and i've enjoyed it more than i expected to. I've used it mostly for USB audio which it does amazingly. I've since got a streamer/dac which i'm also happy with, so don't need this anymore. I will throw in a bonus Analysis Plus Purple USB cable with the sale.

Item: Range of cables to choose from RCAS< USB< HDMI AND XLR Location: Perth Price: Various see below Item Condition: Generally good to excellent Reason for selling: No need- clean up. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: As per Photos: however they seems to have reordered themselves but most you can read. 1) Monster Balanced RCA 2 metres. $100 2 and 3) Total Dac d1 USB filter $360 Euros new $400 Aus posted 4) Linn 30cm cable $50 5 and 7 and 10) Monster 1.5 metre component lead $50 6 and 9) Thunder Snake Digital Link Viper factory terminated with lockable Rca plugs similar to WBT heavy duty 75 ohm digital lead $100 8 and 11) Cardas Video Digital 75 ohm cable with cardas plugs $100 12 and 13) Soniclink Aero space technology 150 rca cables 1 metre $150 14) Radio shack rca cable 1 metre $25 15) Monster cable 300 mk11 i metre $50 20) TARA LABS PRISM KLARA Speaker cables 2 metres pair $250 21-22) Osborn SilverLink xlrs a pair sold Osborn Silverlink is the result of several years of careful experimenting with many different types of cabling and insulation materials. Silverlink is made from pure extruded silver wire which is specially made for Osborn Loudspeakers. It is extruded into one continual length. Many reference cables up to $6,000 per pair were used as comparisons during the selection phase. Neither I, nor any of my customers have yet found an interconnect to match the performance of the Silverlink. Silver Interconnects often suffer from a brittle top end and a restricted bass performance. The sonic purity, transparency, inner detail and soundstage of the Silverlink is extraordinary in both XLR and Single Ended interconnects.." from www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au/osborn-speaker-cables . 23)Monster cables xlrs $100 24)Clearer Audio Silverline hdmi i metre $100 25) QED purple UNEX HDMI- $100

A new and improved version of the Curious usb cable has been released (Curious Evolved), has anyone heard it yet? How does it compare to the original?

Item: usb Location:campsie Price: 250$ Item Condition: Reason for selling: Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: ##pickup only## Very good cable! Didn't think i would sell until i started using a reclocker. No usb required unfortunately. Pictures:

Item: Curious USB 0.8 metre Location: Daylesford Price: 250 postage included Item Condition: Great Reason for selling: NLR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Lovely cable, I just need something longer after regigging some gear. Pictures:

Item: KingRex UArt USB Y-cable (Dual Type A -> Single Type A) 2m. length Location: Melbourne Price: $375 (Retail price $850) Item Condition: Excellent As New in Box Reason for selling: NLR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Can ship, anywhere, to anybody, at purchaser's expense ! Unlike many other USB cables I've tried, the KingRex UArt cable produces a fundamental and positive improvement of sound which is immediately apparent ! It can be used either with, or without the addition of an external power supply or battery pack. I used it both with & without a generic USB 5v. output Li-on battery pack sourced from Office Works with remarkable results. Instead of waxing lyrical I've provided the following quotes and the links from which they were sourced, for more extensive description and comparisons. Of note is that the Srajan Ebaen of 6Moons.com has continued to this day, using it as a reference in all of his review systems since first discovering it. https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/cables-reviews/reviews-digital-cable/kingrex-unanimous-uart-usb-y-cable/ "The KingRex UArt USB Y-cable is the best USB cable I have heard, even without the use of battery power. When applied that way it simply excels: the music loses its electronic signature, becomes more soothing and emotional and the sound fills the room, with imaging becoming both wider and deeper. You won’t believe your ears. Highly recommended!" http://6moons.com/audioreviews/usbcables/1.html "Besides having the cleanest tightest most controlled* bass, the KingRex really nailed the presence region intensity for that desired but involuntary response of raised hackles. Once I'd sorted out this cable quintet into my four+one division, I also appreciated how with the KingRex I could best listen at very low levels without feeling deprived or constantly twitching to prime the pump. On pop music with gratuitous lead vocal reverb for those very delayed echo effects, the KingRex managed to stay the most unruffled. It kept such secondary events truly secondary and distinctly separate from the real foreground action. Its general advantage seemed to increase further with high-resolution fare à la Trondheim Solistene's Souvenir on 2L in 24bit/352.8kHz DXD (Tchaikovsky's gorgeous Serenade for Strings plus Nielsen's Suite Opus 1). Massed strings recorded superbly well really shone with it." https://positive-feedback.com/Issue72/kingrex.htm "First impressions when switching over to the KingRex combo? A bit stunned at the absolutely quiet backgrounds, I mean black as black can be. Soundstaging was more precise and individual instrumental images seemed to float free of the speakers." "It seems they left no stone unturned in regards to quality. Build is beyond reproach, and the cable is attractive." Pictures:

Item: WIREWORLD Starlight USB A--B cable. Location: Rowville Price: $85.00 (RRP $ 159.00). Item Condition: Very good. Original box. Reason for selling: No longer required. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Post, Bank transfer. Extra Info: Gold plated USB A connector to USB B connector, 0.5mtr (20"). I used it for laptop out to DAC input. When I used it it sounded much better than a printer cable. Pictures:

Item: Pro-Ject Phono Box USB V Location: Hobart Price: $150 Item Condition: like new Reason for selling: no longer required Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: This unit hasn't been used as it wasn't suitable for my purposes. Pictures:

Item: usb cable Location:campsie Price: $150## price drop##$$ 100 only Item Condition: perfect 10/10 Reason for selling: changing course Payment Method: Pickup cod Extra Info: fantastic cable! Built to last and i love its sound. i think it's worth spending a little extra on usb cable. nice looking cable too, so bonus used between streamer and dac. every cable i have had and sold has always has a very positive responses! Pictures:

The industry supported by Standards Australia have launched a website that has some very pertinent information for people in the industry, consumers and particualrly it has implications for DIY'ers and worth a read. The particular aspects relating to DIY would concern where utilising 3rd party power supplies, USB powered devices, USB power supplies, 230V AC related equipment etc. To quote Monkeyboi (Alan) whom suggested this sticky, this website and links are "essential reading for all those involved in DIY that encompasses the building or modifying of mains powered devices. Many DIY kits involve building even pre-assembled power supplies, use plug packs or operate from typical USB 5 volt adapters." With a recent fatality http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/67453-warning-on-usb-chargers it is come clear it is very much case of buyer beware. But also the ramifications go further if you actually DIY/make something and sell it on...keep in mind you are then the manufacturer and its upto you to ensure it complies ... the industry supported by standards australia has a website "Does it comply" and is here to try and help... http://www.doesitcomply.com.au there is a section to help identify conforming product http://www.doesitcomply.com.au/what_should_you_do/identifying_compliant_product and there is a webform to report to the electrical regulator a non compliant item http://www.doesitcomply.com.au/what_should_you_do/report-non-compliant-product also sections on who is liable, whether a contractor, supplier or wholesaler http://www.doesitcomply.com.au/who_is_liable/wholesalers_suppliers oh and incase you wondered since july last year if you actually grey import something it is your responsiblity to make sure it is compliant...and yep as an individual you will also be liable if you resell the item. the fines for individuals are quite significant as are the criminal sentences for selling non compliant product. anyways I do hope this is of some help, the work the industry is doing here to help is invaluable and if even just saves one injury or fatality its well worth it ! What can and can't do around the house when comes to electricity, http://news.domain.com.au/domain/diy/what-not-to-diy-with-plumbing-and-electrical-20120619-20ld9.html *** basically beyond changing a light bulb…forget about it … get an electrician for anything related to mains electricity as it can kill you ! *** ps great link here from DVP http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/79823-inside-an-apple-charger/ shows the difference between a cheap counterfeit and an apple charger ! and why he cheap non compliant chargers is a potential accident waiting to happen ! the worrying thing which doesn't help is the counterfeit is complete rip off externally so you are none the wiser. Probably only re enforces reason to buy from reputable sources this kind of thing. Stereonet article - Does your Power cable comply, http://www.stereo.net.au/news/does-your-power-cord-comply

Item: Curious USB 0.8m cable Location: Perth Price: Sold pending payment Item Condition: used good condition Reason for selling: Surplus Payment Method: Bank transfer COD Paypal Specs: https://curiouscables.com/shop?olsPage=products Lots of reviews online Pictures:

So this was a little relatively inexpensive experiment. It’s a Raspberry Pi audio server. The main OS is RuneAudio (http://www.runeaudio.com) which is a web based OS. Once the OS is installed onto the RPi you can control it all via a web browser that is on your home network. It works with an iPhone/iPad or anything that has web browsing capabilities. What’s great is that it’s freeware so your setup costs are really low. While it has a headphone socket for audio output, I wouldn’t recommend it at all, the quality is really low. It really excels when it is connected to USB DAC. I’m fortunate enough to have an excellent DAC built into my Amp, which is why I tried this experiment. It plays pretty much anything - MP3, AAC, AIFF, FLAC. Apparently it will play DSD but I haven’t really tried that because the music I mostly listen to isn’t available in that format. I have a large (128gb) USB drive plugged directly into it with the majority of my music. It will also connect to a NAS music server as well. But I mainly use it to stream Tidal and through a bit of experimenting it works really well. You’ll need an additional piece of software as RuneAudio doesn’t natively support Tidal, it does support Spotify, but I don’t use that so I can’t vouch for how all that works. For the iPhone I use an app called McConnect which fully supports Tidal. There’s a free version which works fine, but I got rid of the ads and went for the main version, and its reasonably cheap at under $10nz The RuneAudio OS is really quite easy to install and even for a complete novice I had it sorted quickly. Side note: I did have issues with the wifi but the RuneAudio forum guys were really helpful and I had it resolved quickly. If you have a USB DAC or input into your system it is a cheap little experiment to try. A raspberry Pi 3 board is around $60-70, I bought a complete starter kit from PBTech for $100ish. Which comes with a Micro SD Card, power supply and case. It does have Wifi built in, but if you want a stronger signal I would recommend a USB Wifi Dongle which are around $20+ Once I had that running then I started to experiment with accessories, every audio enthusiasts dream. I started with a Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB Cable which a: looks cool and b: helps get the best signal out of the Raspberry Pi. I upgraded the power supply to iFi Power Pack which is specifically designed for the Raspberry Pi, that has made the most significant difference. It may not look like much but it takes the background noise to virtually nothing. I also went for a iFi iPurifier 2 USB connector which galvanises the signal so it is a strong and as pure as possible. How does it all sound now? Stunning - Tidal will play FLAC master files and the clarity is great and the added accessories just help that clarity even more. You probably don’t need the iPurifier but a good USB cable and the iFi Power pack are well worth the investment. I think in total (minus the iPurifier) I spent around $300. So for sound for pound so to speak its a winner in my books.

Item: qed digital coax Location: campsie Price: 55$ Item Condition: great Reason for selling: nlr Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: usb cable included. From addicted to audio. Paid 50$ 1 meter qed digital coax. 1 meter, paid 125$ Both cables purchased 1st quarter of this year. i no longer want to run usb or coax audio. I run aes only now. Pictures:

Item: iFI Micro iUSBPower Location: Sydney Price: $120 (Includes shipping in AUS) Item Condition: Good Reason for selling: No Longer Required Payment Method: Bank Transfer or Paypal (as a gift or personal payment otherwise add 3% surcharge) Extra Info: Comes with original box and accessory Pictures: Attached Up for sale is an iFI Micro iUSBPower, that i purchased overseas a few years back. This is the USB2.0 version instead of the newer USB3 Note that the iFI low noise power supply is a UK Plug since there is no Australian low noise power supply at the time of purchase. You will need to use your own adapter for it. The USB socket grip is on looser side which is a common complaint of the early batch but still functions normally. Rubber feet at the bottom has also gone yellow which is a typical occurrence. Features: IsoPower separates USB Audio and USB Power outputs, an innovative system to eliminate signal contamination Includes Ultra Low-Noise power supply IsoEarth ground noise elimination system, 10x less ground noise Super Regulator purified power supply, cleanest power ever

Item: Chord Electronics QBD 76 USB Bluetooth DAC Location: Bayside, Melbourne, Victoria Price: $4,150 ono Items Condition: Great condition, no scratches or marks, fully functioning and sounding sublime. This is a non smoking, pet free house Reason for Sale: Upgrade....its a passion for me!! Im looking for a DAVE if there is a part exchange anywhere??!! Payment Information: Cash on Pick up, Paypal, Direct Transfer Extra information: I’ve had this remarkable DAC for a few years now and it’s never disappointed me. It replaced a Wavelength USB DAC, which was also very capable, but the clarity and the extended detail that was achieved with this Chord DAC was astounding. Although it’s always about the sound, you should also remember that this is a piece of artwork. It’s beautifully crafted, shimmers Blue hues from the corner of the room and at a couple of KGs it has presence.....this is not just another generic black box!! There’s masses of connectivity, optical, USB, co-axial, and Bluetooth. I stream to it, run a transport into it and USB my Digital Media.The manual is http:// https://www.manualslib.com/manual/899220/Chord-Qbd-76.html Question welcome, and I’m happy to audition it to any serious party!

Item: Audioquest Coffee USB A/B 1.5m Location: Lane Cove 2066 Price: $300 plus postage if required ( Ambertech rrp $535) Item Condition: 9/10 ( although the DBS pack is sticky, soft rubbery coating ) Reason for selling: surplus Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal as a friend Extra Info:great usb cable which I highly recommend Pictures: to come

Hi All, Over the last couple of years I've bought a few USB DACs (the bare circuit board kind) from eBay, and this is the head-to-head review. These DACs are all ready to be used, so apart from a case, they're fully functioning units. Here's the lineup: DAC 1: XMOS PCM5102 TDA1308 DAC 2: PCM 2704 (showing converter cable also used on DAC 5) DAC 3: PCM 2706 (X-DA4) DAC 4: PCM 5102A / BRAVO SA9227 (X-DA3) DAC 5: PCM 2704 (Modified) Test system The test system comprised of: 2012 Mac Air laptop running iTunes playing various media. It was running on battery power throughout the test. Cheap USB cables Test USB DAC boards TKD stepped attenuator volume control DIY interconnects (perhaps equivalent to $500+ commercial pair) 3-chassis 300B SET amp DIY copper stranded speaker cables Speakers comprising: RAAL ribbon super-tweeters (6dB crossover somewhere above 10kHz - tuned by ear) with teflon caps Coral Beta 8s in ported box run full-range Coral Beta 10s in sealed box to augment low end of 8's (6dB low-pass crossover somewhere in the upper bass) All the equipment in the system is very well run in, and I ran in all of the DAC boards (attached to my laptop / office system for weeks at a time, so they should be run in too. Test music 11:59 by Blondie, Down on the Corner by Credence Clearwater Revival and Elanor Rigby by The Beatles These songs test the speed of the system and also test how forgiving the system is of old and not-great recordings. The first two are both recordings that aren't great, either in the modern sense with beautiful recording the way Sting might record something, and they're not great in the purist sense like the high-end analog recordings from Nashville using those ridiculously expensive high-speed tape machines they used to use. If a piece of audio equipment makes two-thirds of recorded musical history unlistenable because of the recording equipment used then it has no place in my home. Dos Gardenias by Buena Vista Social Club This is a great test of imaging depth - the trumpet can sound like it's coming from 8-10m behind the system, despite there being a wall there. I've heard systems do this, so I know it's on the recording. Brothers in Arms by Dire Straights This takes the imaging depth test from Dos Gardenias and expands it to see how good the depth is on the left and right, and also what resolution there is. The best recreation of this recording I've heard on a system made the thunder sound real, revealed that there were multiple strikes occurring at once from different directions, and rendered the texture of them to be both deep and powerful and also crackling and brittle. If something passes the Dos Gardenias test then it gets tested on this track. Sultans of Swing by Dire Straights This song has very good pace, and is very neutral in terms of tonal balance. I've used this track for almost 20 years to design crossovers and have listened to it on high-end headphones as a reference during extended crossover fine-tuning sessions and it's burnt into my head. If you are aware of time passing during this song then your system is slow. Come Away From It by Ani Difranco This track is all about tenderness and delicacy. The track opens with very sparse instrumentation and Ani soulfully trying to sing her lover back from his drug addiction. If the system isn't able to communicate subtlety and nuance then this song is dull and boring, but if it is then it is deeply engaging. A system can have speed and imaging and still fall flat on its face with this one. High Roller by The Crystal Method This track has synth lines that have been overdriven and processed with real subtlety, processed with expensive reverbs and spatial positioning plugins, layered up and then had huge breakbeats and deep sudden bass notes put over the top. If a system has problems with how it manages its power supply then it can take simple folk songs and sound wonderful, but this song will make it sound like mush. Being able to hear delicate textures located in one place in the stereo image while there are monstrous things happening elsewhere makes it obvious if something can't cope with complex music. I used to write electronic music so I'm particularly attune to hearing problems with this kind of music. Slam by Pendulum This track is an excellent test of both speed and complexity because it has all kinds of things in it that just stop. In the physical world when something gets hit it will continue to make noise for a time afterwards, even if the musician puts their hand on it to stop it making sound, the sound continues for a time. In electronic music this rule does not apply and the system should show that sounds are full on one millisecond and then the next they should be gone like they never existed. Systems that are good enough to pass the Crystal Method test can be shown to be weak on a song like this. In short, I want equipment that can do absolutely everything, because I want to be able to listen to whatever music I choose to, and appreciate the music for all of its attributes, not just some of them. Round one of listening I listened to the DACs in the order below for the first round. DAC 1: As this was the first DAC I'd tested and one I'd also spent over a year listening to, I pretty much just acclimatised myself with it. My impressions were that it wasn't very refined in terms of imaging, but did a good job overall. It wasn't stunning in speed, but not painfully slow either. I thought it was relatively good at subtlety and delicacy. Its tonal presentation was detailed but not etched, the information is there, but isn't unpleasant. This was a good DAC to compare the others with. DAC 3: This DAC was immediately disappointing playing Blondie, and my mind wandered off almost immediately. So to with Sultans of Swing. It had quite good imaging, and was relatively forgiving of the older recordings, but I couldn't live with this DAC and music sounding like it was trying to run knee-deep in goo. DAC 4: This DAC was quite significantly louder than the other two, so I had to adjust the volume quite significantly. This was quite a lot faster than the other two, and also bettered them in imaging, being forgiving of old recordings, and subtlety and delicacy. At this point I knew that this one had made it through to round two, that the others hadn't, and that perhaps nothing else might which would mean this was the winner. DAC 5: Slow. Painfully slow. Dire Straits have never been so resentful to play the next note, and the next, and the next. Like they know playing music is dragging them one step at a time on a slow march to their deaths. I'm perhaps being a bit dramatic, and my notes suggest that #5 was as slow as #3, but #3 didn't give me this sense of it, and I didn't bother directly comparing, who cares if this comes last or second last? Unfortunately, it had better imaging than the others, and was as good or better at everything else. What a pity, it's not you it's me, goodbye now. DAC 2: I left this one to last because I had to change USB cables as it had the different connector and I don't have a converter. I was completely prejudiced about this DAC because of its size, lack of filtering capacitors and other such things, so I was quite surprised when it turned out to be just as fast as #4. It was just as forgiving, and potentially had better imaging. In terms of tonal balance it seemed to be slightly more laid back than #4, but I could have been wrong. It proved me wrong and was the only other one to make it through to round two. Round two of listening I swapped straight back to DAC 4 after DAC 2 and struggled to really pin point huge differences. I contemplated going back and forwards to get a winner, but I think I'm going to go a different direction with this review and call them both winners, but for different reasons. Some technical discussion In order to tell the difference between DAC 4 and DAC 2, we need to understand what we're looking at here. DAC 2 is a single chip and a timing crystal. It has almost no other circuitry on the board - nothing to filter the USB power coming from the laptop (which is probably filthy with all kinds of digital noise on it), nothing to 'protect' it from the outside world in a way. This chip has to talk to the computer over USB and deal with all the transfer of audio from the laptop to the chip, then it has to take that audio and turn it from digital to analog, and then it has to amplify that audio so it can go through my volume control, down my interconnect cables, and into my power amp. It has to do all that with the same power source, so when one of those devices does something the others will all suffer because the power supply will inevitably be contaminated slightly. DAC 4 is quite different. It has the BRAVO SA9227 chip that handles the USB connection to the computer, but then the Digital to Analog conversion and amplification of the output is handled by the PCM5102A chip. To add further complexity, there is another chip there that is a small data buffer, which handles the duties of receiving the audio data in bursts, but supplying them to the DAC chip in a steady stream. Separating these functions to specialist chips can mean that each chip is less stressed, and also less impacted by other things. Think of trying to pat the dog with one hand while the other hand repeatedly throws up and catches a bowling ball. You might be good at both activities separately, but doing both at the same time means you're not going to do a good job at either one. This also has other chips and components on the circuit board to filter the power coming in from the USB, which will also provide a level of protection between the different chips as well. In this sense, this is why these two DACs are both winners, but perhaps for different purposes. If I was looking for a USB DAC to plug in my headphones into my laptop, the tiny DAC 2 has many advantages over the larger DAC 4, but if you were looking for something to drive an amp (especially a valve amp) or if you were looking for something to use inside a chassis with some other circuitry (for example if you wanted to add a valve output stage) then the larger circuit board would be useful for mounting and soldering things onto etc. Round three of listening As the power supply filtering is such a different between the two DACs, I decided to connect DAC 4 with the USB external power supply module from AQVOX. It improved the sound slightly, which made me wonder what it would do for the smaller DAC 2, but unfortunately the USB socket types are different and I don't have the required adapters, so I couldn't try it. Enter DAC 6 At this point I wanted to return to a baseline, and plugged back in my current (second-best) DAC. It's the circuitboard from a SoundBlaster Live 24bit External mounted in a chassis with a custom valve output stage. I've been using this setup forever, and only replaced it when I got serious and built my current best DAC, which was assembled with electrical tape (literally) and got taken apart when I moved house once and hasn't been put back together again. My impressions on the DAC 6 were that it rendered textures much better than the other DACs. The strings in Elanor Rigby were much more real, other instrumentation was similar. The imaging was much worse with this DAC, it passed Dos Gardenias, but the thunder in Brothers In Arms was distant but all mushed together. Overall it felt like it was less harsh - it still had high end detail but you felt that it could be turned up a lot more than the other DACs. More technical discussion The DAC 6 effortlessness and rendering of texture could be that the DAC chip on the SoundBlaster circuit board is driving the input to my valve output stage directly - not having to drive a volume control like I made all the other DAC boards do. It may seem trivial to drive a volume control, and electrically they're not a particularly difficult load, but if you're a 1cm x 0.5cm chip that has to decode USB, convert Digital to Analog, and amplify that signal then you might not still be meeting your 93dB signal-to-noise spec, or 112dB dynamic range specifications. In hifi, everything matters at least a little bit, and the better your system the more audible the little things are. Hope you enjoyed this article! Kye.

I ordered some power and speaker cables, to go with the new Grandinote amp and DAC I am getting from Mike Lenehan, from Keith at KLE. He said no problem, I will bring some over and you can see how they go. Also, he mentioned, I have been thinking about a USB cable for a while, do you mind if I borrow your Mac-book as a source to develop it. I said sure. When finished, and bring the Mac-book back, can I bring it over, as well as the other cables, and see what you think. I said sure - should be interesting. Before going on I need to disclose I know Keith, having been with him at many GTG's, he is a fellow member of the Queesnslnd Audio Club, and have been with him during many listening sessions tweaking the Lenehan Audio ML5's, and hearing what his cables do. OK - power cables easily better than the standard ones I had in my system. Very analogue like and more revealing - sort of like a layer of grunge removed. But its hardly a fair comparison, as I said the cables I had were simply standard HW store stuff. The speaker cables were more interesting. They were replacing 10 year old Lenehan Audio Ribbonflex. Sound stage widened, much more harmonically rich and analogue like, more depth. Spoke to Mike and it didn't surprise him, things have moved on a lot in his cables - his new ones are a lot better. Trouble is at the moment Mikes cables have trouble with the Grandinote amp that Mike needs to sort out. But now to the USB. In the future when I have the Grandinote I will not be using USB - with that DAC you either stream or direct connect a USB Drive. At the moment I am using a small Curios from an ISO Regen into a Direct Stream. Generally the Curios has the edge on other cables. Well I was stonkered - here Keith's Cable was up there. Again more analogue like, the sound stage widened with greater depth. It was more organic. Was it better - maybe the Curious had some better detail - I don't know. Rawl99 calls texture and a organic type sound better harmonic resolution so maybe that's what it had. What I can say for sure is its one fine USB Cable. Like all things in Audio best to listen to it first to make up your mind - and do it blind if you are into that sort of thing. And please if you think cables make no difference watch the following where Rob Watts explains things that you can barely measure the difference between even with the best state of the art equipment are clearly audible, things other engineers say obviously would make no difference: Also some say - regarding power cables - with all the cable before how can the last bit make any difference? Does a filter in the cable make no difference? As Rob mentioned above about experiments with cables - power and otherwise - RFI effects of different cables, again barely if at all measurable, make clearly audible differences. And if you want to hear it for yourself all the cables will be at the GTG on the 4th of August at Mike Lenehans. Thanks Bill

Item: Light Harmonic LightSpeed USB Audio Cable (Standard 1.6m) 10G Location: Melbourne CBD Price: $550 Item Condition: Used, Excellent Reason for selling: Not using anymore, selling DAC Payment Method: Pickup - Cash Extra Info: Sorry, don't have the Box anymore. My favourite USB cable for my T+A DAC8 DSD to Roon Server. Had the Curious Cable as comparison but loved the Lightspeed more. Had more detail and air for this combo. But your mileage may vary. Lots of reviews on the Net. Still available new on Amazon for >US$1000: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Harmonic-LightSpeed-Audio-Standard/dp/B00MI2N6IG Pictures:

Item: JK Ciúnas USB-to-SPDIF Converter Location: Perth Price: $300 Item Condition: Very good Reason for selling: Excess to needs Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: This model is the direct upgrade from John Kenny's JKSPDIF Mk3. Unlike the JKSPDIF models, this one isn't based on the M2Tech HiFace. Instead, he re-designed it from the ground up on an Amanero board. VERY GOOD CONDITION. The unit is silver and is in perfect cosmetic condition. Comes with a power cable that connects to a computer via USB. I'll throw in a BNC cable for free. The only negative is that the blue light only stays on for a short while before dimming. This has NO effect on anything, aside from the visual aspect. The Ciúnas uses a LiFePO4 battery to take to remove Power Supply noise from the equation altogether. The Converter uses a trickle charger (included) and can run completely off the grid. It doesn't even use the 5V from the USB connection removing yet another source of noise. It uses Async USB and can handle bit/sample rates up to 24/192. This unit has been a fantastic companion for vintage DACs (Adcom GDA600, Theta Pro Progeny/Basic III, Sonic Frontiers TransDAC, and a Parasound D/AC 1000) as well as DIY units that benefited from using coax over USB (the AMB Labs Gamma2). More details can be found at JK's website here https://sites.google.com/site/jkciunas/converter. The price for one purchased new is €385 + €20 Shipping (~$615 AUD); they also include a 7-14 day wait time just to ship. I'm looking for $300 AUD. These don't come up for sale that often on the forums - for a damn good reason. Please message me and tell me your postage address and I can give you a total price including postage costs. Pictures:

Item: Cardas Clear USB A To B Audiophile Cable 1.0m Location: Brisbane Price: $200 Item Condition: 9/10 Reason for selling: NLR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, Bank Deposit Extra Info: Quality USB cable in excellent used condition. Cardas USB Info - Click here Checkout my other listings. Postage: $12 or pickup from Indooroopilly, Brisbane. Pictures:

Item: Allo USBridge - ethernet (and WiFI) to low noise USB audio output - networked USB streamer Location: Sydney Price: $200 with free postage in Australia Item Condition: Excellent Reason for selling: No longer required as I mostly use TOSLink and BNC digital coax at the moment Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: - This is around AUD270 shipped to Australia, without the USB to WiFi 2.4GHz adapter I am including - See here (note prices are in USD): https://allo.com/sparky/usbridge.html - Housed in a nice metal case - Note this WiFi adapter below is the one that Allo sell and supply as they have tested drivers to be working with the operating system. https://www.allo.com/sparky/usb-wifi-dongle.html - I didn't get the separate USB-to-gigabit adapter which Allo also sell. I had no issues using the built in ethernet port https://www.allo.com/sparky/usb-to-gigabit.html - Can be used as a Roon Endpoint and UPnP/DLNA endpoint and others - Note the bottom USB port (labelled USB host) is the low noise USBridge USB audio output. The blue USB3.0 labelled port is Sparky's general USB port to use with the WiFi adapter or ethernet adapter, if you get one later. - This is loaded with DietPi. - There is plenty of Allo Tech Support on Allo's sponsored section of Computer Audiophile forum if you need help setting it up. https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/32132-allo-sparky-usbridge/ - Mine didn't ship with an Australian PSU so no PSU is included in this sale. You just need a 5Vdc 2.5mm x 5.5mm DC plug power supply. I powered this with a 5V 2.0Amp USB powerbank and the following cables for $7: 1. https://www.spacehifi.com.au/cables-and-connectors/usb-cables/usb-to-5.5mm-x-2.1mm-power-cable 2. https://core-electronics.com.au/2-1mm-to-2-5mm-dc-barrel-plug-adapter.html A couple of reviews: https://darko.audio/2018/02/step-up-from-a-raspberry-pi-with-allo-digitals-usbridge/ and Pictures:

Item: PS Audio LANRover USB Transporter Location: Sydney Price: $450 ONO Item Condition: Excellent, however with no original packaging 100% functional condition. 95% cosmetic condition, there being some slight marking to the mirrored labels from wiping away dust. Reason for selling: Purchased a Sonore Rendu Payment Method: Pickup preferred but could easily post Australia wide - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: I purchased this device in late December 2017 from Mike Leneham and used it between a MacMini and Oppo 105D. To be honest I can't give an accurate portrayal of it's direct effect on my system as at the same time I also introduced an Isotek power conditioner & cables, a Nordost USB cable, and the aforementioned MacMini as a dedicated Audirvana server. Combined however they were a most positive development Anyway, as discussed in this REVIEW the LANRover provides the following: Regenerates, cleans, and reclocks USB audio data Galvanically isolates DAC from computer or music server Buffers and retimes audio data irrespective of computer or server Removes any need for separating 5V from USB cable Eliminates computer jitter Removes computer digital and power supply noise Increases possible distance between computer and DAC from a maximum of 5 meters to 100 meters Works over home LAN router Place computer or music server in one room and DAC in any other Dramatically enhances sound quality of USB audio Works with PCM or DSD audio PCM to 352kHz, single or double rate DSD Requires no additional software Works with any installed USB driver Windows, Linux and Mac compatible Thanks for looking! Pictures:

Item: Wyred4Sound uLink USB to Spdif Converter Location: Canberra, Australia Price: 270 + shipping Item Condition: Used but excellent condition Reason for selling: Have not had the need to use this one for quite some time Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: - bought from http://www.deephzaudio.com/Wyred 4 sound ulink - Dacs product page.html - people in Canberra are welcomed to come and have a look/listen. Pictures: