What USB cable to get?


I currently have the audioengine A5+ speakers. and thinking of buying the Schiit Audio Modi DAC. However it doesnt come with the usb cable. any suggestions? pls nothing super expensive. around $30. preferably braided cabl. thx

ardy97

+1 to what @ghdprentice said. Cables can sound different and better as you spend more, but only if your components can produce a commensurate level of resolution in sound quality. I would stick with the Belkin Gold for now, but this was my experience in trying some different USB cables at different price points.as you upgrade your other components.

Belkin Gold was fine. It doesn't do anything noticeable wrong

Pangea Premier SE: More resolution than the Belkin Gold but also more harshness to its sound. I didn't love how this sounded and would prefer the Belkin Gold.

Shunyata Venom: This would be where I would go to step up from the Belkin Gold as it provided even better resolution than the Pangea cord with more finesse and less harshness..

  • Better timing than the Pangea on Limbo Jazz. More clarity & clearer placement of instruments
  • Shunyata sounds tidier than the Pangea
  • Better sense of pace than the Pangea
  • More finesse than the Pangea with less harshness

Phasure Lush 1: This is where I've ended up. Compared to the Shunyata Venom, it provided more roundness & presence than the Shunyata cable with more realistic tonal quality and detail. All of this comes with the most non-fatiguing sound compared to the other USB cables I've evaluated.

 

Two excellent low cost solid core cables:

AudioQuest Pearl USB Cable

Monoprice Monolith USB Cable (Don't laugh when you see the price; scroll down and see how well it is made.)

calvinandhobbes, have had the same Pangea for years now and just received a DH Labs Mirage USB cable. Didn't really know what to expect with a digital cable upgrade (just ones and zeros and all that). The difference is startling and it does make the Pangea sound harsh. This is between my N100h and a Qutest. Got it on sale for $150 this week. Just wow, don't understand how, but it sounds much better.

I think I'm finally starting to understand what real analog sounds like. 

@treynolds155

Congratulations. Yes, makes liitle sense, but it can make a big difference. My first huge cable difference between transport and DAC some 35 years ago. I was convinced it could not possibly make a difference. It was as if someone took the components out and replaced them with ones twice as good. My jaw dropped. Usually changes are more subtle… but huge differences can occur.

 

Probably also helpful you knew the sound of your system really well… instead of a new component. That is why it is best to upgrade and break in your components and learn what they sound like before embarking on interconnects and cables.

@ghdprentice 

I think we have similar setups: Wifi router > wireless bridge > Aurender. But you have an ethernet regenerator in place before the Aurender? I was assuming that the conversion (regeneration) to wifi would be adequate. I'll also assume you see an improvement if it's in place, can you please elaborate?

Thanks...Tim