The Great USB cable debate poll

I am sure you are correct.

 

Have tried and heard no difference and I'd love for a double blind test to be set up for those that say they have.

 

No. They could very well side with the view of their favorite magazines and the ads that fund them.

 

I wouldn´t be too sure.

 

Well, granted though two things spring to mind: we should also consider if any of those saying yes did a genuine test where they didn't know what cable was being used (and if I was spending the money on a three or four figure USB cable, then I know I would!).

The other was that I voted No but have tried a few USB cables up to about £30. Would I try a £200 cable? Yes but would need to have a return option if it didn't work for me audio-wise.

PS: And if be inclined to agree with Missan. I think someone could well vote Yes if they hadn't heard a cable.

 

Resistence is probably futile, but rather than re-fighting this battle in the endless digital audio-cable war of attrition, you can save a bunch of time by going to the comments in this post:

http://www.audiostream.com/content/audioquest-vodka-ethernet-cable-and-diamond-ethernet-cable

Wherein all the seething, biting, mud-wrestling, invective, eye-gouging, and crotch-kicking your heart could desire has already been said and done.

 

My AQ Forest had way to much bass, went back to my old Canon printer USB

 

Why?

 

I knew this poll wouldn't solve anything. However given that right now 1 out of every 3 forum members believe there is improvement and if you accept the supposition that most of the forum is made up of reasonable people who just really dig audio, seems to me that at least a few of the no voters might want to test for themselves. This is easily done through sites that offer money back guarantees like Music Direct

 

I wonder if the USB cable between the modem and cable box could have an impact on the computer's screen image quality as well...

 

This is the best post I think I've ever read from someone who doesn't have the experience and is not an expert on the subject. I also notice you did not assume you know exactly how data is transmitted in USB audio, and summarily dismiss the possibility that a USB cable can make a difference based on incomplete or incorrect knowledge of the subject. I think this is a much better attitude to take, there is no reason to form a strong opinion on everything in the world especially when you really don't know much about what you are forming an opinion on. I don't know why it is so hard to remain open to the possibilities in life and just say "I don't know".

Most of the people who think cables don't make a difference say they have an open mind, but ime this couldn't be further from the truth or else they would post something similar to what you just posted.

 

Better materials that should withstand plugging and unplugging over a longer period of time. My experience with cheap Radio Shack cords was if you plugged them in and never touched them again they were alright, but if you started moving them they would go bad.

 

I don't agree with that at all. I am sceptical of some of the claims that this hobby hears at times, the more "out there" stuff can be boxed and put out of harm's way. I have significant issues with claims that are hard to quantify/qualify and why I find blogs by the likes of NWAVGuy quite so useful.

And just for clarity, I use two cables for my main listening hooking up my main players to my amp - an Atlas Navigator and a Chord Chorus. Both come in at over £200 each. I've been through more cables from £5 up to that £200 mark than I care to recall and heard all the comments from "your ears aren't good enough" to "your system isn't resolving enough" when I say that the differences are relatively marginal, and all of these comments uttered by people who say to others "how do you know, you haven't heard X cable to comment". Sauce for the good in that case and they're all crap anyway.

So yes, I am open minded, and I quite fancy trying NWAVGuy's ODAC to give it a spin, or maybe even that USB cable or one of the other £250 jobs out there. In a sale of course. Funds aren't bottomless alas. Or if someone wants to mail me one instead and I'll give it a fair whack. Time will tell.

But I can see why people tire of the hoopla yet it's way more tiresome to see the glaring pass that much of this stuff gets without challenge, and especially when others might be spending big money (to them) on it. It's only fair they know the other side of the story that the likes of NWAVGuy, Sean Olive at Harman and others swear by too.

 

Absolutely no idea. I doubt that the one I use is anything special but the music played via it doesn't sound lacking in any way.

 

Been there, done that. I've had a greater degree of shift in sound by simply adjusting the position of my speakers.

And of course, the converse of your statement is that a lot of us that "really dig audio" may be more critical than readily accepting and hence more likely to challenge the claims some manufacturers make.

 

I have no problem with that of course. But I do think 1/3 of the forum being in agreement is significant.

 

That is exactly where I sit. But I have no firm knowledge if it is true or not.

 

And 2/3rds of a forum dedicated to great sound thinking otherwise is...?

I'm not being difficult for the sake of it, but I imagine that on both sides there are a bunch of guys that have no idea what-so-ever of what goes on in the land of USB standards, the technology involved and what really impacts audio via this method beyond what somebody else on here said, or they read on a pro- or con- site or blog.

 

USB cables work , or they dont. They absolutely do NOT affect sound quality in any way whatsoever. Not here, not on MARS, not in the 4th dimension.

 

I was beginning to wonder about that pesky majority thingy too.

 

The way the question is posed I answered yes, because at this point I believe it is possible. If the question was have you experienced a difference then I would answer no. I have experienced positive audible differences with interconnects, speaker cables and power cables. I have not experienced positive audible benefits of upgraded digital cables but I am open to the possibility. It's just too absolute the other way for me and I struggle with absolutes.

 

I voted no which, in theory, should be correct as 1's and 0's should not change.
However, to keep an open mind, I am currently trying to use various USB cables between my Raspberry PI and the Schiit Modi dac.
So far I have not detected any difference.

 

All I know is that my Shunyata Venom cable is the best of many cables at twice the price.

 

A digital cable passes 1's and 0's, its a simple as that. It works or it dosent.
There is no audio gain to be had by exotic cables of this sort in my opinion.
Lets be aware of confirmation bias here.
If you spend $200 and a bloody digital cable, you can be damn sure your looking for any difference you THINK you can hear to confirm it sounds better, and you didnt just spurt your cash up against a wall..which you just did. lol.