New USB Cable from DH Labs: The Mirage

It's my understanding that there is a difference. One is time sensitive and one is not. One can execute a complete check sum and one can only have parity checking. One can resend and one cannot.

 

Maybe someone important here is an investor? ;o)

 

Which is different the HD video with 5.1 sound vs. the audio only track from high-res music? Or just the file sent to the printer?

The video should benefit with the better cable because as you just stated it is "time sensitive" as you called it.

 

Time sensitive as in jitter? 3 feet of cable is going to cause the electrons to do what exactly, some of them will screw off and show up late? No, sorry, and the error rate is almost nonexistent. If you dig up the thread that was spawned by this one you'll find tons of information that address this. Also, errors dont show up as decreased soundstage hight and less airy mids. They show up as glitches and artifact like clicks and drops. If you ever use a busted up USB cable you'll find out for yourself. Expensive USB cables are the new magic clocks and green highlighters of the audiophile world. They're allowing retailers and semi legitimate companies to bump up their profit margins.

Anyways I still can't believe this thread is back

 

I can believe it's back! Thre is a lot of money to be made on ones and zeros. There are even a few (long time) members here who can hear those ones and zeros played back more accurately with a hundred dollar cable. They have money and they donate here as well.

 

Very colourful - do you actually think the electrons go from A to B carrying 1s and 0s in their backpacks?

 

Yes, closing of that thread was a pity, as it was getting interesting and for many knowledgeable, this is not interesting, this is a pseudo-thread without any meaning IMHO.

 

Well, now that you come to mention it...

 

All you haters are gonna LOVE this!
http://uptoneaudio.com/products/usb-regen

 

I should be receiving mine very soon. Do you want to borrow it for a review? Seriously.

 

I might just buy one based on your user review.

FYI. I have the iFi iUSB which essentially does the same thing, and it is priced at $199, and this is $175. But a comparison would
be great, and I am sure we will see that on various forums

 

*slow clap*

If it hadn't resurfaced, I wouldn't have gotten the above quote and subsequent mental image, for which I am ever so grateful.[/QUOTE]

 

It's threads like this that keep me coming back here. Most of the audio discussions on all forums are pointless but none more pointless than cable discussions, especially USB cable discussions!

But the main thing that draws me back here is to see what Mazzy is doing with his home audio set-ups.

 

Cable length forUSB 3.X is limited to 3ft. USB 2.0 can handle greater cable lengths (12ft) unless you have repeaters.

 

Don't you mean 3 meters for USB 3.0?

 

I can see this doing things that (good) cables alone cannot do. I'd be interested in what "The Audiophile Optimizer" thinks of this, or whatever his name is.

 

An interesting device.

 

It is an active product, so really it can't be compared to a cable.

 

Agree. It also shows how flawed the USB ecosystem really is...if it works.

 

Aren't there a few things out there that all do (putatively) the same thing? I seem to recall Schiit offering a "decrapifier" along these lines...

 

Well... that is exactly what some folks are doing, making claims that a cable can do some very active type of things, resulting in cures. And you are the one who brought this device into a discussion on cables.

 

True but... if it's all "just 1's and 0's" (not quoting you specifically) than what could ANY device, active or passive, do to clean it up? I think the obvious answer here is timing issues which products like Regen and Schiit Wyrd (aka the decrappifier) aim to do, among other things. But, that still in a sense proves that digital is not infallible and is susceptible to issue just as much as, if not moreso than, analog.

Until I can afford/justify a "proper" USB setup, I have to say that Toslink out to my DAC is extremely satisfying. The only thing it lacks is compatibility with various bit and sample rates. A proper sound card would support more formats, this is just plain-jane onboard Toslink at this point.

 

The issue as I see it with problems or potential problems with USB are simply not the cable or cables. There are other thing going on that can be improved or fixed without upgrading the good solid Belkin USB cable.

I use toslink opticle and like it. I have a cheap card and it works well. I can do 24/96 but no 24/192 playback.

 

I agree with you. For instance, I'm using Mogami XLR cables - they work great and I highly doubt I could discern differences from a pricier cable. And yes, USB is a format fraught with issues, but cabling is low on the totem pole. With that said I secretly love a good looking cable

My onboard can do 24/192 but, for instance, can't do 16/88.2 or 16/96. So I just have Jriver --> DSP doing the conversions on those tracks, and always go in whole multiples where I need sample rate conversion, so in the case of not being able to do 16/88.2 natively I have it downsample to Redbook and it seems fine to my ears. Sorry, going off on a tangent - I blame the whiskey.

 

Smart post.