Do USB Audio Cables Make A Difference?

[Roland68]

That may be, Roland, but the same doesn't seem to go for quite a few of the current USB audio interfaces.

For example, Universal Audio specifies 4.2 W max. / 2.5 W typical for their current Volt 2 model - the latter power at the limit for USB 2.0, the former near the limit for USB 3.0. And while the Volt 2 sports an additional barrel jack for external power (and a USB-A to barrel plug cable), it nevertheless is primarily intended for bus-powered operation (with the included cable being USB-A to USB-C (host to device)), with its port being specified as USB 2.0 port (in form of an USB-C jack).

So all in all, that seems quite confusing to me.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

I've only talked about HiFi DACs here, as anything other than USB 2.0 is the exception.

USB audio interfaces and pro audio devices are a different world, with everything from USB 2.0 to the latest Thunderbolt generation being used.
The easiest way is to use the original cable or a suitable cable for the specified interface. Especially here, I would recommend a brand-name cable, but nothing overpriced.
If you have any questions, it's best to include the exact device name.

That was general.
Universal Audio specifies a USB 2.0 port on the Volt 2 USB and also states in the manual that this is sufficient.
But if an external power supply is possible, as is the case here, I would always prefer that. But that's just my personal opinion.

 

[Yachats]

Your SMSL Raw Pro-DAC1 only has one USB 2.0 port, and the included cable is also USB 2.0.
USB-C is just a connector, not a USB or cable standard. USB 2.0 always has the same speed, regardless of whether it's a USB A, B, or C connector, or any combination thereof.
Physically, USB A and B are the more stable, durable, and less sensitive connectors.

I recommend the simplest USB port on your computer and a USB 2.0 cable.


In the hi-fi sector, you'll almost exclusively find DACs with a USB 2.0 interface, even with a USB-C connection.

In the pro audio sector, it makes more sense to focus on the device and its features, number of channels, etc. I personally recommend Thunderbolt, but many devices also have USB 3.0 or 3.1 ports; MOTU has even released a device with a 4.0 connection.

Thanks so much for your insights Roland! So I'm planning to connect via the USB-B input on the DAC. I have to select a cable to run from my laptop to the DAC.

This is one from Chord I'm considering:

Clearway USB digital audio interconnect - The Chord Company

The perfect ‘next step’ on the upgrade path for a streaming audio system. Clearway USB benefits from significant shielding and construction improvements

chord.co.uk

This is a much less expensive one from Lindy that also looks good:

Lindy 3m USB 2.0 Typ C/B Anthra

USB-C/B 2.0 Cable Length: 3 m, USB 2.0 type C plug < - > B plug, Colour: Black

www.thomannmusic.com

Here's another one that is even more expensive than the Chord:

Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 USB 2.0 Audio Cable

Experience audiophile quality with the Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 USB 2.0 audio cable. It's designed for breakthrough sound and unmatched purity.

wireworldcable.com

Of course, Wire World Cable offers less expensive cables.

Just to make sure I understand your recommendation - you're saying go from USB-A on the laptop to USB-B on the DAC using a USB 2.0 cable. If that's the case, I'll restrict my searches to this type of cable.

Thanks for all your help!!!!

 

[August West]

That cable is a simple "printer cable". (that came with a printer). That is all you need.

 

[somebodyelse]

That cable is a simple "printer cable". (that came with a printer). That is all you need.

There may be a generational divide on this one. When you say "printer cable" some of us think of one of these:

 

[Roland68]

Thanks so much for your insights Roland! So I'm planning to connect via the USB-B input on the DAC. I have to select a cable to run from my laptop to the DAC.

This is one from Chord I'm considering:

Clearway USB digital audio interconnect - The Chord Company

The perfect ‘next step’ on the upgrade path for a streaming audio system. Clearway USB benefits from significant shielding and construction improvements

chord.co.uk

This is a much less expensive one from Lindy that also looks good:

Lindy 3m USB 2.0 Typ C/B Anthra

USB-C/B 2.0 Cable Length: 3 m, USB 2.0 type C plug < - > B plug, Colour: Black

www.thomannmusic.com

Here's another one that is even more expensive than the Chord:

Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 USB 2.0 Audio Cable

Experience audiophile quality with the Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 USB 2.0 audio cable. It's designed for breakthrough sound and unmatched purity.

wireworldcable.com

Of course, Wire World Cable offers less expensive cables.

Just to make sure I understand your recommendation - you're saying go from USB-A on the laptop to USB-B on the DAC using a USB 2.0 cable. If that's the case, I'll restrict my searches to this type of cable.

Thanks for all your help!!!!

For HiFi DACs, my recommendation is generally a pure USB 2.0 cable, and if possible with USB A and B connectors, but that only applies to the robustness and durability of the connectors.
In my experience, special or expensive USB audio cables aren't worth it at all. If you're looking for a bling bling cable, just get a Lindy Cromo Line, or build one yourself, then at least you know it's not junk.

A few years ago, we conducted a blinded listening/comparison test with cables up to the mid-four-figure range. We then cross-checked it with a USB analyzer, and the results were absolutely conclusive. One of the best cables was an HP USB cable that HP used to include with its business devices.
Anyone who wants to spend more than €10 or €20 on a USB cable should think about it.

 

[August West]

I should have typed non-vintage printer cable. My bad

 

[lini]

Am I confusing you even more now?

Let me put it like this: Even after in the meantime having survived the digestion coma after yesterday's birthday dinner for my stepfather, I'm still not quite sure, what the correct answer might be...

Anyway, question: Those USB standard excerpts in your post - are these from publications, that one can download for free at the USB-IF web-site?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[watchnerd]

I should have typed non-vintage printer cable. My bad

Vintage new old stock printer cables sound waaaay better than modern ones.

 

[NTK]

Let me put it like this: Even after in the meantime having survived the digestion coma after yesterday's birthday dinner for my stepfather, I'm still not quite sure, what the correct answer might be...

Anyway, question: Those USB standard excerpts in your post - are these from publications, that one can download for free at the USB-IF web-site?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

Yes. The USB Type C connector and cable spec is in the free download ZIP archive.

 

[Yachats]

For HiFi DACs, my recommendation is generally a pure USB 2.0 cable, and if possible with USB A and B connectors, but that only applies to the robustness and durability of the connectors.
In my experience, special or expensive USB audio cables aren't worth it at all. If you're looking for a bling bling cable, just get a Lindy Cromo Line, or build one yourself, then at least you know it's not junk.

A few years ago, we conducted a blinded listening/comparison test with cables up to the mid-four-figure range. We then cross-checked it with a USB analyzer, and the results were absolutely conclusive. One of the best cables was an HP USB cable that HP used to include with its business devices.
Anyone who wants to spend more than €10 or €20 on a USB cable should think about it.

Ordered the Lindy Cromo line as you suggested. Thanks!

 

[VientoB]

Your SMSL Raw Pro-DAC1 only has one USB 2.0 port, and the included cable is also USB 2.0.
USB-C is just a connector, not a USB or cable standard. USB 2.0 always has the same speed, regardless of whether it's a USB A, B, or C connector, or any combination thereof.
Physically, USB A and B are the more stable, durable, and less sensitive connectors.

I recommend the simplest USB port on your computer and a USB 2.0 cable.


In the hi-fi sector, you'll almost exclusively find DACs with a USB 2.0 interface, even with a USB-C connection.

In the pro audio sector, it makes more sense to focus on the device and its features, number of channels, etc. I personally recommend Thunderbolt, but many devices also have USB 3.0 or 3.1 ports; MOTU has even released a device with a 4.0 connection.

Evidence for this statement?

 

[Roland68]

Evidence for this statement?

Which statement do you want proof of?

 

[VientoB]

Which statement do you want proof of?

The one in bold.

 

[Roland68]

Evidence for this statement?

The one in bold.

Do you need proof of that? Aren't there enough references online?

In my 20 years of working with USB in IT, I've encountered at most a handful of defective USB-B sockets and plugs on well over 5,000 devices, all caused by brute force (stepping on them, bumping into them, getting stuck, breaking off).

In my personal life alone, with friends and acquaintances, I've had more than 30 defective USB sockets on cameras, audio devices, microphones, hard drives, etc., in the last 6-7 years.
Repair shops for cell phones and cameras (photo and video) make good money repairing USB-C sockets. Likewise, many companies make good money with special accessories that secure and protect USB-C plugs and sockets on photo and video cameras, cell phones including rigs, etc., from damage.

The USB-C plug/socket is very small for 24 contacts, so even if a little cost-cutting is done here, the question is no longer if it will fail, but when.

Some cables with USB-C connectors are also more fragile or of poor quality, as many negative reviews and ratings on Amazon show.

 

[VientoB]

Do you need proof of that? Aren't there enough references online?

In my 20 years of working with USB in IT, I've encountered at most a handful of defective USB-B sockets and plugs on well over 5,000 devices, all caused by brute force (stepping on them, bumping into them, getting stuck, breaking off).

In my personal life alone, with friends and acquaintances, I've had more than 30 defective USB sockets on cameras, audio devices, microphones, hard drives, etc., in the last 6-7 years.
Repair shops for cell phones and cameras (photo and video) make good money repairing USB-C sockets. Likewise, many companies make good money with special accessories that secure and protect USB-C plugs and sockets on photo and video cameras, cell phones including rigs, etc., from damage.

The USB-C plug/socket is very small for 24 contacts, so even if a little cost-cutting is done here, the question is no longer if it will fail, but when.

Some cables with USB-C connectors are also more fragile or of poor quality, as many negative reviews and ratings on Amazon show.

I have found USB-C far more reliable than USB-B. I had USB-B fail.

For a component that is going to stay plugged in more or less forever USB-C is perfectly good

Also a quick Google reveals USB-C is designed for more plug / unplug cycles than older connector types and I can't find much on them being weaker. So I think I was correct to ask you for a source.

 

[Roland68]

I have found USB-C far more reliable than USB-B. I had USB-B fail.

For a component that is going to stay plugged in more or less forever USB-C is perfectly good

Also a quick Google reveals USB-C is designed for more plug / unplug cycles than older connector types and I can't find much on them being weaker. So I think I was correct to ask you for a source.

That's perfectly fine, and your experience may be different.
I'm not saying that USB-C connectors are bad. But there are huge differences in quality, which are even more noticeable because the connector is very small and therefore sensitive. Take a look at the opening between the plug and socket; there are 24 contacts inside.
Even though I no longer work in IT, I use countless USB devices with all types of connectors, both professionally and privately. For me, the most reliable are clearly USB A and B.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, I've had more than 10 USB microphones from my circle of friends with defective USB-C sockets on my workbench, including the popular beyerdynamic FOX several times, all with contact problems. I've had exactly two microphones with defective USB-B sockets. Both were heavy microphones with drop damage from a height of over 1.5 meters, with the cable plugged in directly onto the connector. The plug and socket are intact, but the socket was ripped off the circuit board, soldered in place, and it works.

I've been lugging my Thunderbolt RAID system around for years, and the plug is constantly being plugged in and out. After over 1,500 plug-in cycles, the contact feels better, more solid, and more trustworthy than any DAC with a USB-C socket that's ever been on my desk, including the SMSL C100 and DO300EX.
So, I'm not fundamentally opposed to it.

 

[KSTR]

My experience fully matches @Roland68's. USB-C tends to be more mechanically fragile than USB-B and breaks more often. And that's by first physical principles, not by design fault (sometimes the latter come on top of that). Mini- and Micro-USB are just as fragile.

 

[VientoB]

My experience fully matches @Roland68's. USB-C tends to be more mechanically fragile than USB-B and breaks more often. And that's by first physical principles, not by design fault (sometimes the latter come on top of that). Mini- and Micro-USB are just as fragile.

That's not my experience. I've had USB-B get pretty loose on printers etc. USB-C these days seems pretty good. I've just replaced my Xiaomi POCO F1 phone with a POCO X7. I'd had the F1 for 6 years and the USB-C socket still works. And that was with me plugging it in every day to charge, and plugging it into my car for work each day to use it for satnav duties.

I'd question whether people are comparing similar use cases here. USB-B is typically only used on things that stay plugged in all the time, not portable products. Whereas USB-C is used a lot on portables. It's also used far more - everything uses it nowadays so you will notice some failures.

The mini and micro B I have had problems with in the past as well

 

[KSTR]

I'd question whether people are comparing similar use cases here. USB-B is typically only used on things that stay plugged in all the time, not portable products.

Nope. I've been using USB-B devices "on the road" constantly where stuff gets treated badly, and USB-B never broke unless subject brutal impact (like a keyboard dropping from its stand landing directly on the plug). And if it breaks, it usually just disintegrates the socket itself, without damaging the PCB therefore easy to repair even under field conditions.

USB-C, quite the contrary. You hit it from the side just slightly and it instantly breaks and usually takes the PCB down as well, with SMD pads lifting off. Show stopper.
And you won't imagine how many cell phones go to the trash just because of the broken USB-C connectors. Some recent cell-phones use sub-assemblies for the USB-C connector on a flexible PCB which can easily be replaced in case of a damage, rather than having a broken USB ruining the main PCB.

There is a reason why we see options for more sturdy USB-C connectors with lock screws (either one on the top or two at the sides), or with exactly mating recessed types. The obvious aim is to relieve the connector from mechanical stress which it cannot handle, as mentioned, by first physical principles. That's a fact.

 

[VientoB]

Nope. I've been using USB-B devices "on the road" constantly where stuff gets treated badly, and USB-B never broke unless subject brutal impact (like a keyboard dropping from its stand landing directly on the plug). And if it breaks, it usually just disintegrates the socket itself, without damaging the PCB therefore easy to repair even under field conditions.

USB-C, quite the contrary. You hit it from the side just slightly and it instantly breaks and usually takes the PCB down as well, with SMD pads lifting off. Show stopper.
And you won't imagine how many cell phones go to the trash just because of the broken USB-C connectors. Some recent cell-phones use sub-assemblies for the USB-C connector on a flexible PCB which can easily be replaced in case of a damage, rather than having a broken USB ruining the main PCB.

There is a reason why we see options for more sturdy USB-C connectors with lock screws (either one on the top or two at the sides), or with exactly mating recessed types. The obvious aim is to relieve the connector from mechanical stress which it cannot handle, as mentioned, by first physical principles. That's a fact.

What portable devices use USB-B???