USB CABLE What's the score?

[WESTLOWER]

USB CABLE What's the score?
can anyone recommend a sure fire winner for connecting a DAC to USB/SPDIF converter?
The more I read about USB cables the more i get a head spin.. It really seems the HIFI world is split between a £10 cable and a £1000 cable
Any thoughts would be great, as usual if the product is a sure winner and proven to deliver the goods SQ wise, then money spent isn't a great issue
but lobbing good money at dubious cables is not just viable or desirable!

[Yomanze]

Yep, a sure fire way is to ensure that your cable is properly certified. For example, look at the Amazon Basics cables, under a tenner.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[struth]

I take it your looking for a coaxial 75 ohm cable?

[WESTLOWER]

Yes Grant

I take it your looking for a coaxial 75 ohm cable?

[Stratmangler]

I can thoroughly recommend this cable https://markgrant.co.uk/digital-cables/138-belden-1694a-digital-coax-black-phono-to-phono.html#/24-length-1_5_metres , and use one myself.
It conforms to specification, and simply does what it says on the tin.

[struth]

got a few around in my spare cable box. will have a look tomorrow if you want

[WESTLOWER]

Thanks chaps, very good of you, Grant thanks for the offer,
I suppose the purpose of the op was to see if
There has been a 'bake off' of USB cables and to see really
If one has to spend £20 or £200 and what, if any, giant killers out there.
I have a couple of cables I use, 1 a custom home brew, and another is a Supra USB
I can't tell a lot between them TBH..
I have got myself a nice digital set up now with upgraded PSUs and a lovely DAC
And I want to maximise the SQ. I presume the cable such as a Supra is a weak link in the chain?

[struth]

if its usb cables then again thats different to 70 ohm coax. Gazjam and Tony, plus Brian of the Scottish Mafia did some A,B,C's with digital cables.(I was at some of them) pm Gaz and ask him. he knows his stuff re dig cables.

[Barry]

I can thoroughly recommend this cable https://markgrant.co.uk/digital-cables/138-belden-1694a-digital-coax-black-phono-to-phono.html#/24-length-1_5_metres , and use one myself.
It conforms to specification, and simply does what it says on the tin.

Probably the best RCA terminated cable you can get, for a very reasonable outlay. It ought to be remembered that it is impossible for any RCA phono connection to have a characteristic impedance of 75 Ohm, but the crimped Canare designs go a long way to minimise the impedance mismatch.

[WESTLOWER]

Sorry grant not coax I should read the question first before answering!!

if its usb cables then again thats different to 70 ohm coax. Gazjam and Tony, plus Brian of the Scottish Mafia did some A,B,C's with digital cables.(I was at some of them) pm Gaz and ask him. he knows his stuff re dig cables.

[struth]

lol... no worries. ive got one that Ive used I got second hand. cost me 20. cant tell difference to a cheap one personally but its better made and looks better. Some of the guys with better ears say they can and I have to believe them as they wouldnt kid themselves on.

[WESTLOWER]

Cheers grant, I've PMd Gaz

if its usb cables then again thats different to 70 ohm coax. Gazjam and Tony, plus Brian of the Scottish Mafia did some A,B,C's with digital cables.(I was at some of them) pm Gaz and ask him. he knows his stuff re dig cables.

[wee tee cee]

Adam,
Us Scottish lads have had quite a few get together s trying digital cables. USB cables can vary quite a bit. Ive compared the supra to various budget belkins and the like and it is quite a noticeable upgrade. I moved to a furatech f2 which was an upgrade sonically. Brian of this parish made me up a usb cable with individually shielded silver co-ax wire-it was the best I have used.

I believe Brian has been using a new usb cable which he rates highly-he knows his onions when it comes to cables so it will be my next try( wont break the bank either!!)

[WESTLOWER]

Hi tony
Many Thanks for that, this cable you speak of by Brian, is very interesting....
How does one go about contacting Brian please


Adam,
Us Scottish lads have had quite a few get together s trying digital cables. USB cables can vary quite a bit. Ive compared the supra to various budget belkins and the like and it is quite a noticeable upgrade. I moved to a furatech f2 which was an upgrade sonically. Brian of this parish made me up a usb cable with individually shielded silver co-ax wire-it was the best I have used.

I believe Brian has been using a new usb cable which he rates highly-he knows his onions when it comes to cables so it will be my next try( wont break the bank either!!)

[Hudz]

Hi tony
Many Thanks for that, this cable you speak of by Brian, is very interesting....
How does one go about contacting Brian please

Brian2597 is his moniker on here just drop him a PM, as the lads say he really does know his cables and he won't take your eye teeth out with his prices.

[WESTLOWER]

Brian2597 is his moniker on here just drop him a PM, as the lads say he really does know his cables and he won't take your eye teeth out with his prices.

Thanks Martin, I will

[Hudz]

Thanks Martin, I will

Oops sorry Adam:doh:it's Brian2957 I always get it mixed up

[WESTLOWER]

I PM'd him Cheers Martin

Oops sorry Adam:doh:it's Brian2957 I always get it mixed up

[wee tee cee]

The furatech usb cables are very good I have a formula 2 which is very good, Gary or Brian had a GT2 which was better again. As said the cable Brian made for me and Gary bettered all comers but Brian is using a bought cable that he reckons shades his own creation-cant for the life of me remember what it was!!!

Silver something?

[Gazjam]

Brian's using a Chord usb cable nowadays, which 'blows away' the one you heard Tony.

Got your PM Adam, Brian's USB that Tony mentioned was a lot better than the Furutech's that we had (£100 cables), but his new Chord USB is apparently a big step up from his own recipe.

Not sure which one he has, best give the man a PM...he's a helpful chap.
(Me too...don't use USB nowadays and just cant remember which one Brian currently has!) :)

[brian2957]

This is the one I'm using at the moment http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chord-1-5-Metre-USB-Silver-Plus-Cable-A-To-B-Gold-Connections-New-/151315751576?hash=item233b1f2298:m:maShjaDIrP5OGRh ic_zBe2A

[struth]

I use a 10 meter one now so it has to be basic i guess.. its a repeater apparently. Sounds fine on the headphones

[Bourneendboy]

I'm also using a Chord Silver Plus, best by far that I have tried. Sevenoaks were selling 'open box' ones, 1.5mtr at £30 and 0.75 at £20. Had quite a number at one stage.

[WESTLOWER]

As ever the extremely knowledgeable and help
Parishioners have answered exactly what I needed to know
Thanks all for your valid input. Bloody great forum AoS :)

[Ali Tait]

+1 for the Chord, sounds good to me, bettr than the generic cable I was using previously.

[Qwin]

Even better would be to take USB out of the chain altogether, if that is possible.
SPDIF is better and i2s seems to be where things are going, more and more devices are including it.

[Ali Tait]

USB seems to sound better with the new DAC..

[Qwin]

What's your source for the DAC Ali?

[Ali Tait]

My NVA TFS.

[Gazjam]

Even better would be to take USB out of the chain altogether, if that is possible.
SPDIF is better and i2s seems to be where things are going, more and more devices are including it.

Agree with tbis.
USB is more prone to sonic gremlins imo.

AES/EBU was the best sounding digital hookup to my dac, so got a good digital XLR cable and called it done.

[Ali Tait]

I suppose it's how it's implemented in the DAC, certainly seems to sound better than sp/dif in my case anyway.

[Qwin]

Agree with tbis.
USB is more prone to sonic gremlins imo.

AES/EBU was the best sounding digital hookup to my dac, so got a good digital XLR cable and called it done.

On my Stello CD Transport I'm spoilt for choice regarding digital outputs, it has toslink and coax, AES/EBU(XLR) and i2s from a mini XLR. I would also go with the AES/EBU, but in theory the i2s should be the best, as all the other systems sit on top of i2s as an additional process, this also applies to USB, which has the additional hindrance of carrying lots of non audio traffic as its the main bus. Still if its working for you Ali, I'll go with the old adage, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". :)

[Ali Tait]

Indeed. Agree about I2S, I'd use it if it was an option. The DAC sounds damn fine as it is though..

[realysm42]

Curious usb cables are great, especially at their price. I replaced a tq Graphite with one and a mate replaced his lightspeed usb with them too.