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Do USB Audio Cables Make A Difference?

michman66

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Well said! Any topic can be drilled down to the ends of the earth. My comment and contribution to his post was a PerSonal experience. To be absorbed, then rejected or implemented. Nothing further has to said or done. No need to start a big todo about the basis of our passion with audio, which is our subjective approach and satisfaction with own system.

That's also why this is a Delete key on the keyboard. Lol.
 

michman66

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I can hear it too.... all you deniers.. your systems are simply not revealing enough. And your ears and brains are not trained. Only musicians can hear this (but usually have cheap crap systems because they are more into other aspects of performance). Measurements are not complete enough. There are things we cannot measure. You guys are all jealous of those that can hear these things clearly... like me. It's so obvious I don't need no stinking AB tests. These tests are flawed anyway. The brain is mysterious, we basically know almost nothing. Just like the universe and other things we know nothing about. The hearing is far more complex and revealing than any test device. You guys are not interested in listening to music but only look at graphs. You guys have cloth ears and don't recognize the subtleties in music. MQA does sound better because I can clearly hear it. There is no smearing at all. By the way I can perceive sounds well above 100kHz.

Finally got this of my chest..
Very well said. Here's 1 for the equation, at any time day or night, the electric grid may be very noisy or quieter. I tend to listen to my main system at night after 7. I have a dedicated line too, which I feel is one of the very first items anyone should take if possible.
 

the_hamster 2

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Very well said. Here's 1 for the equation, at any time day or night, the electric grid may be very noisy or quieter. I tend to listen to my main system at night after 7. I have a dedicated line too, which I feel is one of the very first items anyone should take if possible.
Quite agree... shortly after taking possession of our newly-built house, I ran a dedicated 20A circuit from main panel to near living room stereo cabinet, then used a pair of commercial-grade 20A duplex receptacles for plugin attachment of power centers, etc....never had any untoward voltage behavior, lights dimming, whatever. Obviated the need for “audiophile” AC power cords, IMHO.
 

scott wurcer

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Very well said. Here's 1 for the equation, at any time day or night, the electric grid may be very noisy or quieter. I tend to listen to my main system at night after 7. I have a dedicated line too, which I feel is one of the very first items anyone should take if possible.

I hope you realize the spirt of that post.
 

RayDunzl

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I have a dedicated line too, which I feel is one of the very first items anyone should take if possible.

I have a dedicated line, too.

It's in the spare bedroom.

Been there for several years now.

Never got around to installing it.
 

wwenze

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I use a wood stove to drive a steam engine for truly organic electricity. Natural spring water, naturally. And only lodestones, no nasty electromagnets; those have really non-linear behavior.
 

michman66

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As for Topping E30, how susceptible is it to the pc's power source and interference? this DAC has a usb cable for data and another power cable, but speaking of the USB data cable specifically, would it be better to use a very short common cable with shielded with ferrite or a "supra cable"?
I just got the Supra 3 days ago. I like the change it made very much. Nough said.
 

PaulD

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I use a wood stove to drive a steam engine for truly organic electricity. Natural spring water, naturally. And only lodestones, no nasty electromagnets; those have really non-linear behavior.
I'm going back to my cylinders on the Edison Ambrola - warmest sound ever!
 

michman66

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Quite agree... shortly after taking possession of our newly-built house, I ran a dedicated 20A circuit from main panel to near living room stereo cabinet, then used a pair of commercial-grade 20A duplex receptacles for plugin attachment of power centers, etc....never had any untoward voltage behavior, lights dimming, whatever. Obviated the need for “audiophile” AC power cords, IMHO.
Humm, I would try making your own power cables. IMHO, I hear a clear difference and is icing on the cake. I'm not into 3k power cords or the like. DM me and I'll tell you what I used.
 

pkane

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Humm, I would try making your own power cables. IMHO, I hear a clear difference and is icing on the cake. I'm not into 3k power cords or the like. DM me and I'll tell you what I used.

If you don’t yet have your own transformer installed at the power substation, you are simply not hearing real music. Not the way it should be.
 

mansr

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If you don’t yet have your own transformer installed at the power substation, you are simply not hearing real music. Not the way it should be.
Transformers are for beginners. You're not even trying to be an audiophile if you don't have a private substation. Anyone truly serious about the hobby obviously has his own power plant.
 

RayDunzl

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Installing what exactly, the outlets?

A 20 amp Breaker in an unused slot at the breaker box, about 80 feet of 10AWG 3-wire Romex, a horizontal Hole in the wall, a vertical hole in whatever is behind the gypsum that can get in the way of the wire path to the attic, a crawl through the attic, the Outlet Box, and the grippy Outlet.
 

ReaderZ

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Cross-posted from a “humor” thread:

Early in this thread, there was a link to this “Audio Bacon” site, in the context of “audiophile” Ethernet cables, and the virtues of a $1000 “Jcat Signature” number being evaluated...what struck me whilst reading the article was this:

The inexpensive Supra CAT8 Ethernet cable (~$50) is a great place to start. If you can’t hear the difference there – consider yourself lucky
I would perform measurements, but it’s more efficient for me to listen, describe what I hear, and decide what I prefer. And continue on with my journey. That is the way of the Audio Bacon.

I submit that this is the defining philosophy of audiophilism, and nothing - NOTHING - will ever dislodge an adherent from the position.
https://audiobacon.net/2019/11/02/the-jcat-signature-lan-a-1000-ethernet-cable/amp/

The best part
"Surprisingly, this is the case even when the Ethernet cable is hardwired to your modem and router – but is streaming music wirelessly to your devices. You’ll still hear characteristics of that Ethernet cable. "

:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:
 

Veri

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The best part
"Surprisingly, this is the case even when the Ethernet cable is hardwired to your modem and router – but is streaming music wirelessly to your devices. You’ll still hear characteristics of that Ethernet cable. "

:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:
This is game-breaking :oops::oops::p
 

Sal1950

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This is game-breaking :oops::oops::p
That's nothing. I accidentally installed my directional interconnect the wrong way and the music played backwards!!!
 

PaulD

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That's nothing. I accidentally installed my directional interconnect the wrong way and the music played backwards!!!
If you had played a blues track then your wife would have come back, your dog would have come back to life, and you'd have got out of prison!
 

Ninjician

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread.

I came from using the Tidal App on my AppleTV4k connected with HDMI to installing Audirvana on an old laptop and running USB stream to my XMC2.

I splurged and bought the Monolith USB cable for $15.

Went back and forth between the generic printer cable and the MonoPrice, no difference, just a nicer looking cable.

Now, going from the ATV4K to Audirvana, that was the true upgrade.
 
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