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Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:35 pm
by Rocker
I have a 1 TB external hard disk connected by USB for my music files and was wondering if anyone here found any difference [sonic improvement??] in USB cables. I seem to recall a post that said that the JKDAC is best connected direct to the source .
At the moment I am using the supplied freebie USB lead and it works fine. Anyone care to comment.... Thanks.
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:56 am
by Ken Moreland
Hi Tom, personally I'm not hearing much , if any, difference between a regular cable and something more exotic. I'm using an Elijah Audio cable which is signal only and it doesn't carry power. It's fine but not earth shattering. Here's Jplay's Marcin's ratings;
On a scale 1-10:
no name cable 1
Acoustic Revive 5
VertexAQ hirez illimani 5+
PPA Green is 6
Entreq Konstantin 7
Entreq Konstantin with minimus 7+
Entreq Apollo 2012 with minimus 10
Bear in mind the best one costs 2300$, if you buy one I'll pop over to hear it.
KM
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:19 am
by markof
Rocker wrote:I have a 1 TB external hard disk connected by USB for my music files and was wondering if anyone here found any difference [sonic improvement??] in USB cables. I seem to recall a post that said that the JKDAC is best connected direct to the source .
At the moment I am using the supplied freebie USB lead and it works fine. Anyone care to comment.... Thanks.
I think what counts is the connection between the DAC and the computer not the computer and the hard drive and the shorter the cable between computer and DAC the better. Some have claimed that the direct connection (via an adapter instead of a cable) is a bit harsh (the 6 Moons review, I think).
Apparently having the drive and the dac on the same usb bus can give rise to issues, so separate busses are to be recommended.
I use a 2 TB drive connected to a Mac via firewire and a JKDAC32 connected to the USB via a 30cm Chord cable and I'm happy with the sound.
Mark.
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 1:47 pm
by sdiesel77
It's a very personal opinion but I heard a significant improvement by changing a "basic" USB cable by a Wireworld one.
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 7:32 pm
by tony
John our inhouse dac provider swears by so called 'direct connection' just 2 male/female connectors. I use it all the time but a short cable is probably easier to operate. It all depends on whether you leave the laptop in situ or it is used in other rooms or taken out. i.e. direct connection is fine if just left in place but it is a little more messy when reconnecting in my view. I have heard a nordost usb cable (blue heaven I think anyway it is the basic one in the nordost range). Sounded fine but I didnt notice any difference between it and a cheapo.
The short braided cable made by a guy in australia(will check and post link) sounded very good also. I couldnt detect a difference between it and the connectors.
markok how expensive is the chord cable?
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:13 pm
by markof
tony wrote:John our inhouse dac provider swears by so called 'direct connection' just 2 male/female connectors. I use it all the time but a short cable is probably easier to operate. It all depends on whether you leave the laptop in situ or it is used in other rooms or taken out. i.e. direct connection is fine if just left in place but it is a little more messy when reconnecting in my view. I have heard a nordost usb cable (blue heaven I think anyway it is the basic one in the nordost range). Sounded fine but I didnt notice any difference between it and a cheapo.
The short braided cable made by a guy in australia(will check and post link) sounded very good also. I couldnt detect a difference between it and the connectors.
markok how expensive is the chord cable?
The cable was about £30 stg and is similar to the one at:
http://www.hificables.co.uk/12169/Chord ... -Plus.html
but a bit shorter.
Mark.
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:16 pm
by Rocker
markof wrote:[I think what counts is the connection between the DAC and the computer not the computer and the hard drive and the shorter the cable between computer and DAC the better. Apparently having the drive and the dac on the same usb bus can give rise to issues, so separate busses are to be recommended.
Mark, how is anyone to know if the busses are seperate or shared by other devices? Oh I forgot to add that my USB cable is from the external hard drive to the computer. From the computer to my system is aerial via the Squeezebox.
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:42 am
by markof
Rocker wrote:markof wrote:[I think what counts is the connection between the DAC and the computer not the computer and the hard drive and the shorter the cable between computer and DAC the better. Apparently having the drive and the dac on the same usb bus can give rise to issues, so separate busses are to be recommended.
Mark, how is anyone to know if the busses are seperate or shared by other devices? Oh I forgot to add that my USB cable is from the external hard drive to the computer. From the computer to my system is aerial via the Squeezebox.
On the mac the system information app details the various USB busses, their characteristics and which devices are connected to each one.
I only know the mac but I'm sure someone here can point you to the equivalent information on a PC.
Re. the cable between the HD and the computer. I don't think that the quality should make a difference except for a psychological one as most decent music players stream from RAM not directly from the HD.
Something else to check is whether the squeezebox is capable of outputting in HD (24/96 and higher) via wireless?
Mark.
Re: Is there a 'difference' in USB cables...
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:51 am
by Ken Moreland
Tom, in Windows, click,
Control Panel
Device Manager
Universal Serial Bus controllers
then
right click on each USB root hub and select Properties and you should be able to see the connected devices and if two are one the same hub you can move one to another.
KM