The Absolute Sound "review" of USB cable reads suspiciously like a press releaste

@tom32801

The "fiddling" I did with USB cables is to try a few.  I had started with a basic DH Labs USB cable, and I received a freebie Supra Sword USB cable rolled in with some gear that I bought, so I tried that.  I could hear no difference at all.  None.

Then some months later the importer of my DAC recommended a Final Touch Audio Callisto USB cable that other owners were really liking.  Wow.  It was like when I discovered what a really good power cord brings to the party.  My digital took some important steps to a truer sound, gaining some more information, and with an uncanny greater coherence and palpability, like the focus sharpened at the micro detail level and fleshed out harmonics, space, and dynamic shading a bit better all together.  And really feeling coherent.  The sum total is surprising to me, and it has certainly converted me to a believer that USB cabling matters.

For very high frequency applications like USB cables wouldn’t pure silver strands or silver plated copper strands be best, given that the signals travel very close to the surface of the conductors? Controlling the USB cables for directionality - as Audioquest does - also seems like a splendid idea. 🤗 I also like their “shield the shield” idea.

I’m a proud owner of Audioquest Carbon HDMI cables, which employ similar concepts. See link below for Audioquest web page for Carbon USB cable description,

https://www.audioquest.com/cables/digital-cables/usb-a-to-b/carbon

There is an excellent article from the late Charles Hansen Ayre designer about the USB DAC.  Although the article does not about USB cable specifically, but it will give you understanding of USB DAC architecture in general and how the cable "COULD" affect the sound.  I don't remember where it is but it used to be on Ayre website.  If I can find it I'll post it here.

For very high frequency applications like USB cables wouldn’t pure silver strands or silver plated copper strands be best, given that the signals travel very close to the surface of the conductors? Controlling the USB cables for directionality - as Audioquest does - also seems like a splendid idea. 🤗 I also like their “shield the shield” idea.

Actually for very high speed data, they don't really want it very fast.  If you look at those signal on the scope, the rise time looks more like a sine wave than a square wave.  High edge rate may cause a lot of EMI issues.

If you’re referring to the speed of the signal there is virtually no difference through copper or silver. In both cases it’s near lightspeed.