What are the top 3 USB cables being used today in reference systems?

For under $450 if you shop around the New NordostHeimdall-2 USB
cable is very good and on par with the Audioquest Diamond land Wireworld platinum just a bit different .Every cable will sound different
in each system.

Nordost Valhalla, Transparent Reference, Wireworld Platinum, AQ Diamond.

Hi Steve, I am using the tX-USBultra with the sMS-200ultra endpoint and the sPS-500 power supply that powers them both.  So far I am switching between the two USB cables I have here, either the Curious or the Totaldac USB cable.  Both sound good.

I also have here Metrum's Ambre endpoint, which allows me to use an I2S connection with my Metrum Pavane L3 DAC.  

I haven't yet decided which endpoint I like best as each sounds a little different but the SOtM stuff sounds very good.

Hi

I was just curious as to the process by which the cable physically rearranges the bit-stream to make the music sound different. I had assumed that USB cables are pretty dumb wires that just carry a signal.

I have been data network designer for some years and even I didn’t realise that some USB cables could ‘read and rearrange’ the data that they are carrying and make the sound, for instance, ‘warmer’. I guess that is why they are so ridiculously expensive.