I’m a big fan of computer audio. I use a headless, keyboardless, optimised Mac Mini running Audirvana+. My files are carefully sourced, several from HDTracks, and curated. The Mac is connected via a PS Audio Lanrover (reclocker/regenerator) to the Denafrips Terminator DAC. I didn’t want to modify the Mac any further, for fear of losing functionality, and I didn’t want to use a dedicated music server, for fear of losing flexibility. So the area offering the greatest scope for improvement was the USB cable.
Having upgraded from a basic cable to a Shunyata Venom USB, I thought the job was done. I had thought that as long as a USB cable faithfully transfers the 1s and 0s without error and minimizes electrical noise, there isn’t much else to expect. And because I had a good reclocker/regenerator, even the timing errors would be eliminated. I had thought wrong.
I read about, and then tried two AG favorites – Curious Cable and Phasure Lush. The service from the Curious cable guys was outstanding – they even checked in advance the orientation of the two USB connectors and prepared the cables to correctly align with my setup. The Lush guys merely sent me a cable with some standard configuration and a data sheet that is too complex to decipher. The Lush cable outperformed my Shunyata, but the real big jump in SQ came with the Curious. It was as though a differently mastered source was now playing – a very clean sound with pure midrange and nice sounding highs. Cymbals now sounded like cymbals. Bass was a bit weak though, so I added a sub. I thought this was as good as it gets. I was wrong again.
A few weeks ago, an FM friend who was visiting my place pulled out a cable that he was experimenting with, for me to try. It was a revelation, but everyone was in a hurry to leave, so the session ended there. But it was enough to make me to request him to send me the latest version of his USB cable on trial. I needed two, one at either end of the Lanrover. After burn in of about 20 hours, the impact they had and the improvement in sound was truly truly incredible. I do not do an AB or an ABX comparison, because in doing that I get stuck on detail. I prefer to let a whole lot of my favorite music play and ask myself how enjoyable the experience is. I was amazed at how much impact the new USB cable had made! We were on to something great here. This guy’s research on cables, careful selection of materials, hours of tuning and voicing have resulted in a truly outstanding cable that outperforms all my previous cables, including the Curious and Lush cables. To me, the characteristics that stand out are the rich texture, the live feel, the openness, the deep bass, the shimmering highs and, I don’t know whether this is the correct term, the balance across the instruments. I now look forward to an opportunity to try his power cables and interconnects. If the USB cable is anything to go by, I know I can expect something outstanding!
All this has left me with a question - what does the USB cable do that is not addressed by my dedicated power line, power conditioner, zero RF suppressors, regenerator, re-clocker and all the other stuff I've invested in?
Would love to hear what other FMs have to say on their own experience with USB cables and the difference these have made.
Cheers!
Having upgraded from a basic cable to a Shunyata Venom USB, I thought the job was done. I had thought that as long as a USB cable faithfully transfers the 1s and 0s without error and minimizes electrical noise, there isn’t much else to expect. And because I had a good reclocker/regenerator, even the timing errors would be eliminated. I had thought wrong.
I read about, and then tried two AG favorites – Curious Cable and Phasure Lush. The service from the Curious cable guys was outstanding – they even checked in advance the orientation of the two USB connectors and prepared the cables to correctly align with my setup. The Lush guys merely sent me a cable with some standard configuration and a data sheet that is too complex to decipher. The Lush cable outperformed my Shunyata, but the real big jump in SQ came with the Curious. It was as though a differently mastered source was now playing – a very clean sound with pure midrange and nice sounding highs. Cymbals now sounded like cymbals. Bass was a bit weak though, so I added a sub. I thought this was as good as it gets. I was wrong again.
A few weeks ago, an FM friend who was visiting my place pulled out a cable that he was experimenting with, for me to try. It was a revelation, but everyone was in a hurry to leave, so the session ended there. But it was enough to make me to request him to send me the latest version of his USB cable on trial. I needed two, one at either end of the Lanrover. After burn in of about 20 hours, the impact they had and the improvement in sound was truly truly incredible. I do not do an AB or an ABX comparison, because in doing that I get stuck on detail. I prefer to let a whole lot of my favorite music play and ask myself how enjoyable the experience is. I was amazed at how much impact the new USB cable had made! We were on to something great here. This guy’s research on cables, careful selection of materials, hours of tuning and voicing have resulted in a truly outstanding cable that outperforms all my previous cables, including the Curious and Lush cables. To me, the characteristics that stand out are the rich texture, the live feel, the openness, the deep bass, the shimmering highs and, I don’t know whether this is the correct term, the balance across the instruments. I now look forward to an opportunity to try his power cables and interconnects. If the USB cable is anything to go by, I know I can expect something outstanding!
All this has left me with a question - what does the USB cable do that is not addressed by my dedicated power line, power conditioner, zero RF suppressors, regenerator, re-clocker and all the other stuff I've invested in?
Would love to hear what other FMs have to say on their own experience with USB cables and the difference these have made.
Cheers!
