USB cable - USB A to USB B for DAC

[Misternavi]

On 18/07/2020 at 4:43 PM, Ittaku said:

Looks like I started something

look out for hate mail from audio cable manufactures. who knows you might even get a letter  from Monster cable.

[blairy]

On 03/07/2020 at 1:02 PM, Ittaku said:

These are excellent if you're not wedded to the idea of spending as much as you've budgeted.

https://www.lindy.com.au/2m-usb-2-0-type-a-to-b-cable-cromo-line

I too gave this a go.  Needed a couple of shorter cables after rearranging some kit and grabbed two 50cm cables.  Ordered Sunday, delivered Tuesday.

 

Put one of these in my main listening room.  It replaced a longer wireworld ultraviolet cable.

 

Certainly not disappointed with a $13 cable but I have gone back to my wireworld.  More depth and detail but for about nine times the price there'd want to be 

 

I'll put the cable in another setup in my study where it's replacing a cable of unknown origin.  Haven't tested yet but it should sound better.

 

Anyway, that means I have one USB cable still in its packaging that won't get used.  Lindy USB 2.0 CROMO LINE 0.5M.  PM if interested.

 

And thanks Ittaku - good recommendation.

[DSD_Fan]

I too gave t another go over the whole weekend. I played a lot of tracks I know and love. I was happy with the sound. 

I then changed back to my AQ Coffee and right away me and the wife could hear the difference. 

The Lindy I'd say is better than the lower end AQ cables I've tried, but the higher end cables I'd say no (in my system) 

But for anything under $200 I'd use this all day long 

[Digital]

Happy Friday mates,

Between wireworld and Curious which is better?

 

Is curious evolved how much times better in comparison to yellow curious?

 

Thank you

[Crosscourt121]

On 23/06/2020 at 9:08 PM, Snoopy8 said:

Try these

https://m8audio.com/product/kr-2-silver-usb/

They are suprisingly good and I prefer them to much more expensive Audioquest ones.

 

I just ordered a pair of these to run between a Project Streambox S2 Ultra and a Schitt Eitr replacing a generic cable that came free with something.  Hopefully I'll hear an improvement.  Will report back.

 

Cheers

[andyr]

On 12/08/2020 at 4:22 PM, blairy said:

 

I too gave this a go.  Needed a couple of shorter cables after rearranging some kit and grabbed two 50cm cables.  Ordered Sunday, delivered Tuesday.

 

Put one of these in my main listening room.  It replaced a longer wireworld ultraviolet cable.

 

Certainly not disappointed with a $13 cable but I have gone back to my wireworld.  More depth and detail but for about nine times the price there'd want to be 

 

 

I understand digital cables (well, those with RCA plugs, anyway) need to be no shorter than 1m, to work properly.  So that could be your problem, blairy?

 

Does the same limitation apply to USB cables, @Ittaku?  (My gut feel says it must.)

 

Andy

 

[Ittaku]

1 minute ago, andyr said:

Does the same limitation apply to USB cables, @Ittaku?  (My gut feel says it must.)

No. The problem is to do with reflections and are worse with impedance mismatching in the cable, but only when the signal is used to drive the clock of the device downstream. In USB communication, the signal is completely asynchronous from the DAC's clock which must drive its clock itself as the timeframe of USB packets is completely different from the normal DAC clockspeeds (multiples of 44.1 and 48kHz).

[andyr]

41 minutes ago, Ittaku said:

No. The problem is to do with reflections and are worse with impedance mismatching in the cable, but only when the signal is used to drive the clock of the device downstream. In USB communication, the signal is completely asynchronous from the DAC's clock which must drive its clock itself as the timeframe of USB packets is completely different from the normal DAC clockspeeds (multiples of 44.1 and 48kHz).

 

Aah, OK.  Tks, Con.  

 

Andy

 

[Grizaudio]

On 23/06/2020 at 8:36 PM, Drunken Monk said:

Hello SNA,

Can any one recommend a good USB cable for a DAC - USB A to USB B.

 

Length : atleast 2m

Budget: $100 - $200

 

Thank you

https://www.storedj.com.au/oyaide-neo-d-usb-2-0-class-s-cable-1m?SearchID=9540562&SearchPos=12

Comes is class S (Thick) and class A (Less thick). 

Cooper cores. good shielding, and separation of data and power pairs. 

 

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/oyaide-neo-d-class-a-usb-20-cable/

 

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Grizaudio

[Grizaudio]

On 09/11/2020 at 7:38 PM, Grizaudio said:

https://www.storedj.com.au/oyaide-neo-d-usb-2-0-class-s-cable-1m?SearchID=9540562&SearchPos=12

Comes is class S (Thick) and class A (Less thick). 

Cooper cores. good shielding, and separation of data and power pairs. 

 

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/oyaide-neo-d-class-a-usb-20-cable/

 

 

 

I tested my new Oyaide class A vs a generic 2m cable tonight. 

 

I heard no difference between my generic USB cable and my new Oyaide Neo D+ Class A. 

I'm using an RME ADI 2, which uses Steady Clock FS for jitter rejection. 

 

Interestingly I have heard differences in SPDIF cables via the same dac. 

 

Obviously that's with my ears and system. Others may have different observations. 

If there are other RME ADI 2 users here, I would be interested to know if they hear differences between USB cables. 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2020 by Grizaudio

[Crosscourt121]

Well my ViaBlue™ KR-2 Silver USB Cable 2.0 A/B has arrived and sounds great after just 4 hours run in.  The sound is more refined (smoother, more liquid) and timbres sound more woody where there is 'wood' or more twangy where there is 'twang', etc...  I won't go on.  Keep in mind it is replacing a generic freebie.  Thanks for the recommendation Snoop!!  BTW has anyone had experience with their digital coax cables?  That would be from my Schiit Eitr to my Ayon cd player replacing a Monster subwoofer cable that is incidentally 6m long.

[BioBrian]

On 15/11/2020 at 7:23 PM, Grizaudio said:

I tested my new Oyaide class A vs a generic 2m cable tonight. 

 

I heard no difference between my generic USB cable and my new Oyaide Neo D+ Class A. 

 

From Karl Schuster's review:

[I auditioned the Oyaide d+ Class A USB cable briefly each day for a week, tracking the sonic changes as it warmed up. Some days it sounded shrill, other days dull. By the fourth day, it sounded quite coherent, and encouragingly similar in many respects to the reference, but still a little sweet and euphonic in the upper octaves. I was unable to conduct any serious listening on the fifth day, but returned on the sixth day to find the residual euphonic sweetness gone. Thankfully, by the seventh day the warm-up process appeared to reach a plateau, as the sound was recognizably similar to that of the preceding day.]

 

Give it time, you might have caught it on one of its 'dull' days.

 

(I hope this isn't the end of the story - I like what I've seen of Oyaide quality, and would gladly try more).

[Grizaudio]

33 minutes ago, BioBrian said:

 

From Karl Schuster's review:

[I auditioned the Oyaide d+ Class A USB cable briefly each day for a week, tracking the sonic changes as it warmed up. Some days it sounded shrill, other days dull. By the fourth day, it sounded quite coherent, and encouragingly similar in many respects to the reference, but still a little sweet and euphonic in the upper octaves. I was unable to conduct any serious listening on the fifth day, but returned on the sixth day to find the residual euphonic sweetness gone. Thankfully, by the seventh day the warm-up process appeared to reach a plateau, as the sound was recognizably similar to that of the preceding day.]

 

Give it time, you might have caught it on one of its 'dull' days.

 

(I hope this isn't the end of the story - I like what I've seen of Oyaide quality, and would gladly try more).

 

I can't say I believe in cable burn in. 

I believe this is psychoacoustic's at play.

 

Happy to keep an open mind. 

 

 

 

[Ittaku]

2 hours ago, Grizaudio said:

I can't say I believe in cable burn in.

Is that because of experience, or the science saying otherwise?

[lycos]

On 03/07/2020 at 1:02 PM, Ittaku said:

These are excellent if you're not wedded to the idea of spending as much as you've budgeted.

https://www.lindy.com.au/2m-usb-2-0-type-a-to-b-cable-cromo-line

Thanks for this!

i decided to try and put order on Friday. It arrived on Monday.

 

Its definitely an improvement from stock cables (although a minor one and requires AB testing). Its more detailed and tighter.

 

Would love to get curious usb but the money may be wiser spent on something else in my systtem.

 

[Grizaudio]

5 hours ago, lycos said:

Thanks for this!

i decided to try and put order on Friday. It arrived on Monday.

 

Its definitely an improvement from stock cables (although a minor one and requires AB testing). Its more detailed and tighter.

 

Would love to get curious usb but the money may be wiser spent on something else in my systtem.

 

 

What DAC are you using?

[lycos]

3 minutes ago, Grizaudio said:

What DAC are you using?

Topping e30 & Chord 2qute

[WasM]

Digging up this thread.

My new dac has arrived and comes with both USB-B and USB-C inputs.

I'm wondering if I should buy a USB-A to USB-C cable rather than the normal USB A to B cables.

I am not sure there are many 'audiophile' cables out there offering this connection.

Been thinking if the USB 3.1 specification would have any sonic differences to that provided by USB 2.0?

I have an Innuos Zen Mk3 >> SMSL SU-10 >> Eve Audio SC4070 setup if that has any consideration.

[Grizaudio]

14 minutes ago, WasM said:

Digging up this thread.

My new dac has arrived and comes with both USB-B and USB-C inputs.

I'm wondering if I should buy a USB-A to USB-C cable rather than the normal USB A to B cables.

I am not sure there are many 'audiophile' cables out there offering this connection.

Been thinking if the USB 3.1 specification would have any sonic differences to that provided by USB 2.0?

I have an Innuos Zen Mk3 >> SMSL SU-10 >> Eve Audio SC4070 setup if that has any consideration.

I would personally stick with A to B. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by Grizaudio

[Gabehcuod]

On 17/11/2022 at 9:28 PM, WasM said:

Digging up this thread.

My new dac has arrived and comes with both USB-B and USB-C inputs.

I'm wondering if I should buy a USB-A to USB-C cable rather than the normal USB A to B cables.

I am not sure there are many 'audiophile' cables out there offering this connection.

Been thinking if the USB 3.1 specification would have any sonic differences to that provided by USB 2.0?

I have an Innuos Zen Mk3 >> SMSL SU-10 >> Eve Audio SC4070 setup if that has any consideration.

Audioquest has USB-C. Honestly, considering your not plugging and unplugging the dac constantly, USB B would be the sturdier connection.

 

[WasM]

Running on usb-c for now using cable which came with the dac. Will try usb-b after more hours to hear if there is any difference. 

[Gabehcuod]

On 20/11/2022 at 8:22 PM, WasM said:

Running on usb-c for now using cable which came with the dac. Will try usb-b after more hours to hear if there is any difference. 

You can't hear a difference, the DAC still uses the same pins.
It would just be down to durability and aesthetics.

[WasM]

I hope so too. But one could think the usb cable of a higher specification is less susceptible to noise and fault tolerance, quality should be higher compared to lower spec? 

Eg hdmi cables

[Gabehcuod]

If you're concerned about noise and interference, you could get a USB over fibre cable.

[WasM]

After a year of use I'm sticking to the USB-C cable.