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KIMBER KABLE: Do High-end USB Cables Make A Difference?

GGroch

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The only USB cable that actually made a measurable difference: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ents-of-wireworld-starlight-7-usb-cable.6599/ ......:)

Let me make sure I understand this correctly.

Paying $60 for Kimber is not acceptable to most of us at ASR because its benefit is Kimber Magic. Kimber Magic makes absolutely no difference in perceivable sound. Kimble's benefit is that it makes those who believe in it subjectively enjoy their systems more.

Paying $100 for Starlight Cable is acceptable to many at ASR because it tests a bit better...so because Science.
But, its improvement (according to the test) makes absolutely no difference in perceivable sound. So Starlight's benefit is that it makes ASR members who like science feel better and therefore subjectively enjoy their systems more.

So, converting to a Kimber Magic believer would save you $40, right?
 

Veri

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Let me make sure I understand this correctly.

Paying $60 for Kimber is not acceptable to most of us at ASR because its benefit is Kimber Magic. Kimber Magic makes absolutely no difference in perceivable sound. Kimble's benefit is that it makes those who believe in it subjectively enjoy their systems more.

Paying $100 for Starlight Cable is acceptable to many at ASR because it tests a bit better...so because Science.
But, its improvement (according to the test) makes absolutely no difference in perceivable sound. So Starlight's benefit is that it makes ASR members who like science feel better and therefore subjectively enjoy their systems more.

So, converting to a Kimber Magic believer would save you $40, right?
If you check majingotan's signature he buys stuff like bifrost 2 knowing it doesn't sound any different but just because he wants to. I suppose it's the same with his 'silver starlight' usb cable.
 

SolarFox

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He he he he
I read this and i can agree only one half. Got bunch of usb cables from crap 2$ to 70$. So with "better" cable you won`t get less noise or more bass or treble or whatever, they all will be the same in measure but sound will change a little. lol one more guy who think there is a difference. Well, there is, end of story.
If you don`t hear any changes, you got similar cable or your system probably can not reproduce all that small details and all cables are same, than, simply stich with that you have and you done.
Thing is, when you change bunch of cables for better usb cable on dac, interconnect cable for better one, speaker cables for better one, power cable for better one you will still have same amount of bass, mid, treble etc but than sound will change more and more with every piece, sometimes in wrong direction sometimes in good, depend on cables etc.
How can usb cable sound different? Easy, if USB cable is bad and not even made from copper than zeros and ones (voltage signal) need to pass so many barricades on their way, that signal is deviated a little on other end of cable that DAC think, ok i got this i play that, and on end, what you get? You get crap analytic techno sound from your expensive DAC. Because all small fine peaks and details are eaten by your mighty amazon Printer cable and only high peaks will left untouched and that`s why test are always good. This is very important where analog signal got eaten by some crap cable. You will NEVER have natural, life-like sound from your speakers with bad cable, NEVER. Same goes for capacitors, but that`s other story.
You can buy best speakers in world, amplifiers etc and put some crap cables there and ppl will laf on you when they hear your sound.

My friend also did not believe in cables, he say hahahahaha there is no way that cable can sound different especially in digital domain. We told him, if you hear difference you will order a Pizza for us. OK, he agree, Than we change only ONE power cable for crap PC power cable on amplifier, he just say. Where is the phone :)

p.s. You don`t need to waste 2000$ on usb cable, this days there are many very very good, any kind of cables online for 10-30$. Just google it.
And guy`s don`t fool yourself that amazon cable on picture will sound good. It will never sound natural. If you listen a techno, please don`t waste money on cables. amazon one will be even better in that case than 2000$ cable for that.

Good luck with that amazon cable.
 
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amirm

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OP
amirm

amirm

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My friend also did not believe in cables, he say hahahahaha there is no way that cable can sound different especially in digital domain. We told him, if you hear difference you will order a Pizza for us. OK, he agree, Than we change only ONE power cable for crap PC power cable on amplifier, he just say. Where is the phone :)
We all experience the same thing. The problem is that you contributed the change to the cable when in reality it is you (and your friend) who changed when cables changed. You didn't listen the same way twice. Do the test blind and repeat it 10 times. If you guess the right cable 8 out of 10 times, then I will buy you 10 Pizzas. :) If you didn't, you buy me one. Game? :)

Until then, you have just have to accept that we know why you hear what you hear. You are not understanding our point of view of why that has nothing to do with cables.
 

Veri

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Uh huh...

Not so far...
I'm really lafing at you right now Woody

cable, this days there are many very very good, any kind of cables online for 10-30$. Just google it.
And guy`s don`t fool yourself that amazon cable on picture will sound good. It will never sound natural. If you listen a techno, please don`t waste money on cables. amazon one will be even better in that case than 2000$ cable for that.
Try this SolarFox: Google "Confirmation bias". just google it.
 

GGroch

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...This just offends me. In the scheme of things, irrational belief in audio is relatively harmless. But it’s a microcosm of how easy it is to fall into irrational beliefs, or to propagandize them, on far more consequential issues.

Agreed, this is the big issue, and I feel much the same way. But, I am beginning to question whether my offense is an objective, rational, response to an understanding of how humans think.

I am half way through a book that has shifted my views on how human logic works: Why We're Polarized. The book's focus is on political rationality, but I think the science inside applies to all thought that involves group interaction: That is, rationality and logic for humans is not so much an individual pursuit for truth, as it is a a group exercise designed to support and enhance our standing in our group. Being accepted as part of a community much more directly impacts our happiness and success than does an objective understanding of how cables work, unless you design cables for a living.

I earlier posted about the relative cost of this Kimble Cable and a Scientific Cable. It got no likes...and in retrospect may seem like a mild affront to a valued member of our community. I did not mean it that way...it was meant as a mild affront to all of the members of our community, myself included.

It is objectively less rational to spend $100 on a scientific cable than to spend $60 on Kimber when neither of them has any impact on sound. On the other hand, I spent $150 on a Topping D50 DAC for what I thought were rational reasons. It measures great, I like it and it gives me something to talk about here. That feels a lot more rational to me than spending the same amount on a multi-bit DAC I could discuss on a Schiit forum, because I do not belong to a Schiit forum.
 

majingotan

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It is objectively less rational to spend $100 on a scientific cable than to spend $60 on Kimber when neither of them has any impact on sound.

It's even more objectively irrational to spend 60 on a cable that doesn't have any impact on sound than compared to a 5 USD amazon basics. Just like buying a DAC that is audibly transparent, you pay for extra features or the exoticness of topology in my case (look that they're not even related to sound fidelity and is 100% purely subjective). With regards to exotic topology, I would be looking for something crazy expensive as Mola Mola Tambaqui if I want transparent reproduction included on that price tag along with the exoticness of its implementation, and even that is subjective since I took into account the "exotic topology" (that has nothing to do with fidelity) as part of purchase decision. So back to cables, I did NOT pay for it because of sound fidelity (it sounds as transparent the printer cable that you get as freebie), but other features such as USB 3.0, some silver plating and braided conductors (which I relate to "exoticness" so this is a subjective choice) and an actual measurable difference (which makes it scientific).
 

cjm2077

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How can usb cable sound different? Easy, if USB cable is bad and not even made from copper than zeros and ones (voltage signal) need to pass so many barricades on their way, that signal is deviated a little on other end of cable that DAC think, ok i got this i play that, and on end, what you get? You get crap analytic techno sound from your expensive DAC. Because all small fine peaks and details are eaten by your mighty amazon Printer cable and only high peaks will left untouched and that`s why test are always good. This is very important where analog signal got eaten by some crap cable. You will NEVER have natural, life-like sound from your speakers with bad cable, NEVER. Same goes for capacitors, but that`s other story.

That's not how digital signals work. Especially digital formats that include error checking, like the ones you're feeding into a DAC. If you hear a fault, it will not be subtle. It will not lose low level information. It will sound broken.
 

Jimster480

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It's even more objectively irrational to spend 60 on a cable that doesn't have any impact on sound than compared to a 5 USD amazon basics. Just like buying a DAC that is audibly transparent, you pay for extra features or the exoticness of topology in my case (look that they're not even related to sound fidelity and is 100% purely subjective). With regards to exotic topology, I would be looking for something crazy expensive as Mola Mola Tambaqui if I want transparent reproduction included on that price tag along with the exoticness of its implementation, and even that is subjective since I took into account the "exotic topology" (that has nothing to do with fidelity) as part of purchase decision. So back to cables, I did NOT pay for it because of sound fidelity (it sounds as transparent the printer cable that you get as freebie), but other features such as USB 3.0, some silver plating and braided conductors (which I relate to "exoticness" so this is a subjective choice) and an actual measurable difference (which makes it scientific).
USB 3.0 as a "feature"? There are $2 cables that are "USB3.0" which makes no difference since DAC's aren't USB 3.0 anyway. There are so many good cables that it just doesn't make sense to spend $100 on a cable ever.
 

majingotan

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USB 3.0 as a "feature"? There are $2 cables that are "USB3.0" which makes no difference since DAC's aren't USB 3.0 anyway. There are so many good cables that it just doesn't make sense to spend $100 on a cable ever.

I agree it's irrational, but as is my mind and curiosity for that cable also. You can also say the same for someone buying a Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC where a Soncoz SGD1 can be had for 20x cheaper with similar performance
 

Wes

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be fun to blind test those 2 DACs
 

Crane

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I still think you are wrong @amirm .

Don't you see those changes around the 180-220hz below 150!
 
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