Regarding the USB cable used in a BDP-1. You are better-off spending your money elsewhere and sticking with a standard cable.
The data read from a connected HDD is not "Audio data", i.e. timing, jitter, noise etc. are simply not relevant, it is just the same as reading/running a computer program, passing through the processor, memory, sound card, motherboard and all the little conductors on the motherboard. I am not of the "bits is bits” persuasion but in the case of the BDP-1, the USB cable cannot be relevant to audio quality... Unlike synchronous/asynchronous DACs taking data from a USB stream where the USB cable could make a difference because they are reading audio data where timing, jitter, noise are relevant.
Regards
Russell