[corndog71]

I’ve been using Pangea usb cables for several years and they seem to sound ok.  I was just curious what everyone else is using and wondering if there are any real standouts.

[WGH]

I have tried at least 4 USB cables. All cables are system dependent but there is one standout that is 1,000,000 times better than the rest:

Hapa Aero USB
https://hapaaudio.com/digital-cables/

At $1299 is not for every system. The Aero excels at spacial presentation and low level information like echo and the tail end of an instrument's sound decay. A cello sounds real.
Speakers, electronics, setup and room have to be up to the challenge. The new beryllium tweeters or ribbon tweeters like RAAL with the Aero USB will reveal what most USB cables miss.
A subwoofer that goes down to 20 Hz is helpful because low level info also includes the recording venue's room sound.

[jjss49]

depends vastly on overall quality and resolution of the system, but on the affordable side, i have found these to be excellent

i personally would hesitate to spend more than a couple hundred bucks on a usb cable... if you are going to spend up to a grand or more, think hard about putting the extra $ elsewhere more impactful in your system (like cleaning up your digital audio internet feed)

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=33463&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz96WBhC8ARIsAATR253vxXfyRzvi3vbVwfkn4X9A-XXg_l0Y66LLKHgRdMCiQcgi_fBbJPYaAq5GEALw_wcB

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144444014712?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1gcJDKcVFRuajnFKIQlsXBA82&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=144444014712&targetid=1584571731043&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9032111&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1584571731043&abcId=9300697&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz96WBhC8ARIsAATR2516VPkZboG4gyi4hPvcoEM4pW4MDaTkuZxRA6uhBOK_m75a0JdOjVYaAsckEALw_wcB

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154929718441?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=154929718441&targetid=1529314452150&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9032111&poi=&campaignid=15428210793&mkgroupid=129606026639&rlsatarget=pla-1529314452150&abcId=9300764&merchantid=102017431&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz96WBhC8ARIsAATR252uFtxZpvvLmm9QfhMgiF07KT_TjhYHCjoe8cenbzyYFqCsqL8TQZgaAppYEALw_wcB

https://silversonic.com/products/digital-cables/maximum-bandwidth-usb/

[hi5harry]

Over the last 20 years I have tried too many usb cables in my system. They all sounded different, but not necessarily better. THAT'S NOT THE CASE ANYMORE! I now believe usb cables may be the most important in my system! I do have some suggestions.
For a mid priced system, do try the Hapa Ember. I really enjoyed this cable. It may have slight bass fullness, but that usually helps most systems.
In the next tier, I was, and still am blown away by the Hapa Aero. I know it's a lot of $, but I am guessing it's the last usb cable you will ever buy. WGH does a very nice mini review of this cable above my post.
My top tier is probably reserved for Lotto winners. I have tried only three in my system, so there are others I'm sure. The Shunyata Omega, the Gobel, and the Stage 3 usb. These are so darn good it makes you laugh out loud while listening! I'm blown away with both the sound and price! Happy listening!

[WGH]

... if you are going to spend up to a grand or more, think hard about putting the extra $ elsewhere more impactful in your system (like cleaning up your digital audio internet feed)

I agree. An expensive USB cable should be the final item to play with after you have reached the logical stopping point after upgrading everything else in your system, which usually means any more upgrades would cost a lot more than a new USB cable.

A USB cable has 2 ends (duh). The server end should supply a clean low jitter signal free of switching power noise. The receiving end shouldn't screw it up.

Laptops are considered the worst, hence the invention of the AudioQuest Jitterbug and similar filters. They make USB listenable but kill a lot of stuff along the way. Our Tucson Audiophile Group tried out the Audioquest Jitterbug, Uptone Regen and Intona in different homes. In the final analysis we discovered that the cleaner the power supply and electronics, the more harm these devices do. As our members upgraded their power supplies and music servers they ended up selling their filters. Nobody in our group are using the filters anymore.

An audiophile USB card with a linear power supply is a good start. Good luck finding an affordable one these days. The Pink Faun is out of stock, JCAT is the opposite of affordable.
The Schiit Unison USB card is new to me, at $150 it could be an option but I would read all the reviews first.

The HoloAudio DACs might eliminate the need for an audiophile USB card:

"The May [and Spring 3 KTE] DAC has the new and exclusive USB Enhanced module (L2 and KTE ONLY) which has our FPGA with the new Titanis 2.0  and custom firmware to improve USB Eye Pattern and reduce latency to near zero as well as reduce jitter to very very low levels. The USB module has completely new code written to optimize performance and reduce latency significantly. Low frequency performance (-40db) is also improved. The “enhanced” USB xmos module is twice as powerful/capable as the one that is used in the Spring2."

Golden Sound goes over the USB input section at 5:11 in the video
https://youtu.be/Wa3sOSRa-U0




At the more Cheap and Cheerful range of USB cable prices, the Schiit PYST at $20 does no harm. I happily used one for years. The PYST is exactly the same as the $50 Straight Wire USB-Link.
https://www.schiit.com/products/pyst-cables

[mkrawcz]

I have not been able to hear a difference with USB cables through my Holo Spring 3 KTE.

[mkrawcz]

Of course I’ve never tried anything beyond a couple hundred dollars. Maybe that could change.

[WGH]

I have not been able to hear a difference with USB cables through my Holo Spring 3 KTE.

I never tried any other cable except the Hapa Aero into my Holo May KTE. Sometimes music sounds so right there is no need to experiment any further.

When audiophiles keep trying different cables then they are still searching for the perfect sound + imaging. You'll know it when you find it, I got lucky.

There is a Hapa Aero review thread started by Mike Galusha, my impressions are exactly the same. I was also able to compare the Ember to the Aero to the JMaxwell Data Only USB, my favorite USB cable. I bought the Aero.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=177847.0

"We first put in the Ember, I was very surprised at the change, the simplest way to put it, is there was simply more of everything. Greater clarity and detail, better harmonic distinction and overtones, what sounded like additional layers of information. Massed voices gave way to individual performers and the sound stage grew wider and deeper, something my system already does really well. The more we listened, the more I kept hearing subtle nuances that were less clear previously. I mistakenly thought this what the top of the range and then Tyson let me know that this was the entry level cable. Hmm, now I'm really curious about the other one.

"We then installed the Aero, it was more of the same, very much like the Ember but with an even large spatial presentation, more distinction on voice and instruments, more resolution and subtle detail. Perhaps the Ember x1.5 or x2, no real way to put a number on it. What I was certain of, was how much difference there was between the stock Holo cable and the Hapa cables. I was also certain my wallet was going to notice. "

[jjss49]

to say it another way, think of a digital feed as a signal chain in and of itself that needs optimization

the usb cable between streamer and dac has a lot going on before it that needs to done right...

like it is not too smart worrying about the $1000 rca interconnect from turntable to phono stage when the cartridge, cartridge leads, alignment, vta, tt speed stability, quietness, isolation etc etc are less than 'just right' and as good as can be

[jrocks29ms@gmail.com]

I really like my wireworld starlight 8 usb cable. You’ll find they get all the love in the world and their next product up in their line is the top tier offering, the starlight platinum. The platinum is extremely well regarded. But also like 4 times the price of the starlight silver 8 is about $120 the platinum around $500.
I compared it to an audioquest cinnamon and carbon and it blew both away. The carbon was closer but at twice the cost of the starlight silver 8.  In terms of quality and noise floor. Just way more “right”.
Cheers on your search.

[oskar]

I am using a Supra USB that was recommended when I got the Regen. It was cheap and cheerful.
I wonder what difference a $200 cable might bring to my IDA-16.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

USB cables are DAC dependent and will sound different with different DAC's in my testing.  We did a usb cable shootout with my Luxman DAC a few years back with 2 $600 cables (Lightspeed and Starlight Platinum) a Starlight 7 Red and a Pangea silver cable.
The Platinum with fabulous sounding.  The LS was very detailed but bright.  The Red was muddy in comparison and the Pangea was thin, tinny and bright sounding.  The guy that owns both the $600 cables prefers the LS to the Platinum in his system.  The LS is not bright in his system.

I currently us an AQ Carbon.  It replaced my Starlight 7 Red that only sounded good if I used a Regen and my Oyaide Neo d+ Class A cable. My son has a Chord Qutest DAC and a $40 Ghent Audio USB cable sounds better than the $200 Carbon.

My advice is to check with the Cable Co.  They will let you take home 5 usb cables with a deposit and return the ones that you do not want to keep.

https://www.thecableco.com/cable/index/borrowform

[ksbruce]

$40 Ghent Audio USB cable sounds better than the $200 Carbon.

Agreed the Ghent Audio cables are fantastic for the money.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

$40 Ghent Audio USB cable sounds better than the $200 Carbon.

Agreed the Ghent Audio cables are fantastic for the money.

In my son's system with the Chord Qutest DAC, not in my system with the Luxman DAC.  In my system the Carbon sounds better but the Ghent still sounds good.

[Badd99]

I'm telling you guys this is the best usb cable you will ever hear. The only one you can actually tweak the shield orientation and DRAMATICALLY change the sound. The lush^3 USB cable.

This is such an incredible cable. I really can't recommend you buy one to try enough. You will truly thank me later.

https://stordiau.com/collections/cables-and-more-snakes-oil/products/lush-3-usb-audio-cable

[rbbert]

Sablon is definitely worth investigating

https://www.sablonaudio.com/digital

[Tyson]

I have tried at least 4 USB cables. All cables are system dependent but there is one standout that is 1,000,000 times better than the rest:

Hapa Aero USB
https://hapaaudio.com/digital-cables/

At $1299 is not for every system. The Aero excels at spacial presentation and low level information like echo and the tail end of an instrument's sound decay. A cello sounds real.
Speakers, electronics, setup and room have to be up to the challenge. The new beryllium tweeters or ribbon tweeters like RAAL with the Aero USB will reveal what most USB cables miss.
A subwoofer that goes down to 20 Hz is helpful because low level info also includes the recording venue's room sound.

I agree, Hapa is crushing it with their whole cabe lineup.