The Great USB cable debate poll

If it is a question of data errors, then seemingly one should only choose a cable based on measurements. Do the expensive cables really measure better? Do any review sites or magazines perform such measurements?

 

OP didn't understand all the rules on polls or OP would've let everyone see the results... said the OP.

 

I think that "I don't know" should have been an option.

 

http://www.edn.com/design/consumer/4376143/Fundamentals-of-USB-Audio

 

It probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference as the data volumes involved that audio files send over are significantly less than a USB cable can handle.

 

I use this cheap usb adapter instead of a usb cable. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned the ODAC, which is what I use this with.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/180847722784

 

No, we must know.

 

Separate doubters from audiophiles. Oil and water do not mix.

 

Are You referring to Hitchen´s razor?

 

Healthy scepticism is necessary and as an audiophile I'm delighted that mine doesn't fit with someone else's idea that gushing acceptance of any old bit of supposed high fidelity tat constitutes audiophilia. That was never what the hobby was about.

 

I selected no but would have liked a 'Yet to be convinced' button.

I bought an upgrade-from-free USB cable (Fisual Havana) to connect laptop to MF V-Link II and noticed zero difference between them. Yea it's not an expensive one, but surely it should have had some improvement. Gut feeling was any changes in even expensive USB cables would be so marginal as to put efforts elsewhere.

 

I haven't voted so I cannot see the results but it's clear that I'm right and you're wrong.......

 

It should be noted that the total value of internal wiring & solder connections of most any piece of equipment is probably not more than few dollars yet that is seldom given any thought one way or another.

 

Wondering if a Gort can change the settings so anyone can see the poll whether they vote or not?

 

The point I was making was in a response to your comment "... or the checksum that's applied to check if packet data's been successfully received?" and although there is error detection via CRC for Isochronous Transfers there is no retry or guarantee of delivery so to talk about the checksum as you did is misleading. Even if the checksum fails, nothing happens.

 

To be precise, the USB packet header does have a checksum and the entire packet will be retransmitted if the packet header CRC check fails. However, the USB Audio Class 2 specification does not have any facility for determining the integrity of the data payload itself and thus, will do nothing if bad data is sent.

So Bit Error Rate could be a factor with USB audio. But until cable manufacturers publish BER specs for their cables, it's pretty much impossible to determine empirically if a higher quality cable will help with BER, or if it's superfluous.

 

I didn't make a point Geoff so I couldn't be misleading anyone. I asked a question which remains unanswered. You cherrypicked out of context I'm afraid.

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/a-note-about-abx-dbt-blind-testing-and-the-sh-forums.278682/

 

Hitchens´razor; "What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."

 

The reason I dismiss claims that measurable differences do not result in audible differences

 

But it´s not that difficult to show that measurable differences must not result in audible ones.

 

When a person says they've tried both basic and higher end USB cables and hear a difference, they're hailed. Welcome to the club, say the USB cable crew.

But when I say I've tried both basic and higher end USB cables and CAN'T hear a difference, I'm told I simply don't understand physics/engineering/life/etc. Or, if somebody is feeling charitable, they tell me I simply don't know what to listen for. You'd think this runs counter to the notion that these cables impart an obvious improvement, but if I point this out I'm just told my hearing is bad. Oh well!

 

Something has to happen. There's no resend, but from what I'm reading it sounds as if when there's an error the packet or frame will be dropped. For example: http://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb4.shtml#Isochronous
But it would be nice to know for sure. What happens in the event of an error? How frequently do errors occur? Is there any reason to believe that different cable composition might reduce the error rate?

It is interesting to note that the Mirage cable discussed in another active thread (see here: http://www.silversonic.com/docs/products/MirageUSB.html) is touted by the manufacturer for, in essence, maximizing signal integrity and minimizing noise. Shouldn't that capacity be measurable, especially with a digital signal? If so, would we expect to see a lower error rate?

 

https://support.serato.com/hc/en-us...bleshoot-USB-dropouts-audio-glitches-Windows-