Higher End USB Cables

Definitely system dependent. I have just spent about 3 weeks with the Locus Design Polester ($250), taking it in and out of my system. I have used the Belkin Gold for 4 years now. The Polestar added a tiny bit of image density on my best recordings but I enjoyed the music no less when I put the Belkin back in.

If your system is reasonably revealing you will hear differences whenever you change something in it. Don't be fooled into thinking that different is always better. You have to try these cables in your system over many weeks to be able to decide whether it is a real improvement.

That's a similiar experience I'm having with the 10' Cryoparts USB cable. It clears up the presentation moreso than the Belkin gold and does add a sense of dimension and weight, particularly to the midrange frequencies (fairly noticeable in my system). I can skate by with the longer USB cable given the USB converter I'm using, otherwise I wouldn't even consider anything over a 6' cable like when I owned Benchmark DAC1 a while back.

I decided to try the Ridgestreet Audio Poiema USB, but it hasn't arrived yet. We'll see how it fairs and if the money is worth any margin of improvement.

Let us know how the Poiema works for you. I may try that one next. I am also trying the bel Canto USB link and thus far I am having mixed results. On the one hand it cleans things up rather nicely, especially internet radio, but at the same time it robs the dynamics on some music.

Pardales and Mb9061... the RSA USB Poiema is a really good cable, and another 'gonner who probably might read this thread just traded up to the RSA Alethias USB cable... which is quite a statement because of his and other's initial skepticism. If he choses to "testify" (and I hope he does) his insights have been valuable to me as well.

As George Z says, "you'll like what you hear."

:) listening,

Ed

I took delivery of the Poiema cable yesterday. Right out of the bag it's incredible. I liked what the Cryoparts cable does versus the Belkin Pro Gold, but the Poiema is honestly in another class. I'll spare all the cliches on describing the improvement in sound and its characteristics, since results may very based on the system this cable's inserted into, but it is as has been advertised (and it still needs time to settle in).

Pound for pound, I'm beginning to get the impression digital source cables may have as much or more impact than analog ICs and/or power cords.