Inside an AudioQuest USB cable

[mansr]

This is the short type A to C cable that comes with the Dragonfly DACs. There's a shield braid and foil inside which we find the power and ground wires, a string, and more foil around the data wires (hiding under the string).

 

[Blumlein 88]

When you cut it open the magic must have escaped before you got a picture of it.

 

[thewas]

When you cut it open the magic must have escaped before you got a picture of it.

If it would be a network cable we would be talking about Schrödinger's CAT.

 

[tw99]

View attachment 108138

This is the short type A to C cable that comes with the Dragonfly DACs. There's a shield braid and foil inside which we find the power and ground wires, a string, and more foil around the data wires (hiding under the string).

Audiophiles can now tell us about the "tightly woven rhythms" they experience with these cables.

 

[Soniclife]

Is that special audiophile string?

There are often thin threads in normal cables, I assume for a good reason, but why?

 

[Killingbeans]

There are often thin threads in normal cables, I assume for a good reason, but why?

Strain protection. It's just to stop it from falling apart if you pull on it by accident.

EDIT: I was partially wrong. The thin ones (made of nylon) are ripping cords intended to be used for cutting through the jacket when stripping cable ends.
Was news to me. Have never used them.

And some of them seem to be nothing but an identifying marker? Don't know... Guess strings in cables are just a versatile thing.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Is that special audiophile string?

There are often thin threads in normal cables, I assume for a good reason, but why?

I believe usually the string is to keep spacing between strands of the cable.

EDIT: see below how it can be for stripping the jacket off. I've seen some cables with more than one string in them. I've assumed that was for spacing. The cord in the AQ above looks too thick for cutting the jacket, looks more like it is a core around which they wind the wires.

 

[Vini darko]

Seems well constructed.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Strain protection. It's just to stop it from falling apart if you pull on it by accident.

EDIT: I was partially wrong. The thin ones (made of nylon) are ripping cords intended to be used for cutting through the jacket when stripping cable ends.
Was news to me. Have never used them.

And some of them seem to be nothing but an identifying marker? Don't know... Guess strings in cables are just a versatile thing.

Video on using rip cord.

 

[sq225917]

Why would anyone use a usb cable that isnt certified?

 

[Wes]

I can see the phlogiston! - it's near the center of the photo

 

[pozz]

@mansr Do you know which series of cable it is? Good to put a price/name to it.

 

[mansr]

@mansr Do you know which series of cable it is? Good to put a price/name to it.

According to their website, it's the "Carbon" variant. MSRP for the short cable is $29.95. A regular 1.5 m cable of the same description is $219.95, a little less per unit length.