Power Cable for Yggdrasil DAC

Thanks for the responses everyone. The TWL DAPC is performing really well with the Yggy. It’s a keeper. Now looking at getting the TWL HPDA PC for my Simaudio 700i Integrated amp. Planning on it delivering like the DA did with the Yggy. 

Jason Stoddard  and Mike Moffat who founded Schiit Audio as well as Frank Van Alstine all say all this cable stuff is all hype. 

A very happy audio accident happened today. I needed to buy the following cable for my Yggi+ Less Is More which is in my office system. I also have a Yggi+ OG in my Livingroom system.

Benchmark RCA to XLRM Adapter Cable for Analog Audio - pin 3 to RCA sh - Benchmark Media Systems

I wanted to have 3 things connected at the same time to my LIM DAC, a RAAL VM-1a headphone amp (using the same cable), a Benchmark HPA4 preamp, and a Schitt Mjolnir v3 preamp (used for RAAL headphones).

While on the Benchmark web site I was thinking I should get a new USB cable for my Benchmark DAC3B which recently got hooked up with a new fibre optic streamer. The same model as used with the LIM DAC. I saw this review on the site.

This is actually a "shadow review" of the DAC3 HGC, because I guess I missed following language in the manual for that product -- "Due to the jitter attenuation provided by the Benchmark UltraLock™ systems, special "premium" USB cables are not recommended." Having missed that language, I continued to use the $400 "audiophile" USB cable that had improved the sound of my previous DAC. I then stumbled upon the language above while shopping for additional Benchmark cables, and figured I'd substitute the cable that came with my DAC3 for the "audiophile" piece. You can guess the rest, and now I'm selling that $400 USB piece. If you own a DAC3, be sure to use the USB cable -- and power cord -- that comes in the box. These people know what they're doing.

So, I bought the XLR-to-RCA cable and I thought I bought 1 USB cable for the DAC3B. Today, I got the package and in it was 2 USB cables. I tried the USB on the DAC3B first, and it sounded really good. A bit of the harshness on top was eliminated. After a few hours I was thinking this is sounding the best I have heard this DAC. I have had this DAC for about a decade. The chain here was DAC3B | Benchmark HPA4 preamp | Sanders Magtech amp | Magnepan Mini speaker system. 

I now also have a second USB cable from Benchmark and a $200 or $400 name brand USB cable hooked up to the Yggi+ LIM. I replaced the existing USB cable with the $8 Benchmark cable and same thing happened. The LIM sounded the best I have ever heard it. With the Mjolnir v3, via the following pathway, Schitt Aegir v1 mono amps to my RAAL CA-1a headphone's. I had a bit of fatigue. However, with the $8 cable that fatigue was gone, and I did a comparison with the old cable and the $8 cable. They sounded a bit different, with the old cable having a bit of harshness on top that led to fatigue via the headphones. The $8 cable did not suffer from a lack of detail. It just sounded incredible. The Magnepan Mini's also sounded amazing with this $8 USB. In this case there was no fatigue with either cable.

I think this statement from Benchmark also applies to Schitt. It is also why I have not spent more than $20 - $70 on PC's for my 2 Yggi+'s.

"Due to the jitter attenuation provided by the Benchmark UltraLock™ systems, special "premium" USB cables are not recommended."

My $200 or $400 cable is going to the trash (recycler) and I am ordering a 3rd $8 Benchmark USB cable. It is likely the same as any cheap USB cable that comes with digital devices, but I am not taking a chance. 

I have only tried a Pangea PC and the Benchmark PC on the 2 Yggi+'s and they sounded the same. However, both are low-cost PC's or maybe expensive PS's do not matter for Schitt, like Benchmark.