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Linus Built a USB Cable

AudiOhm

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Oct 27, 2020
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London, Ontario, Canada
It took 4 years, but finally done.


At 11:20 he brings up Snake Oil marketing and mentions that he would never say that his cables would make your video look "crispier", or your audio DAC a more pronounced and resolved demonstration.

The prices seem affordable...

Ohms
 
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I think it is an interesting video, it gives some insight on what it takes to make a product like a USB cable and also interesting the comment that out of 30 OEM samples, none passed the signal integrity tests. I believe he mentions they might make a dedicated video, and no doubt he wants to sell his cables, but I find it interesting nevertheless.

PS: waiting to see the usual suspects coming now with coaxial constructions snake oil, if they hadn't yet :)
 
but I find it interesting nevertheless.
I always give the guy a nudge who is doing the building. I find some of the most interesting things by just paying attention and having an open mind. What gets me is people who have never built a thing in their lives, commenting on how it looks, it's snake oil, its measurements are bad, and there is always something cheaper that is better.

Bully for the man with the 4-year build. I wish him great success in his future.

AND God Bless the Mighty Mcintosh, If I had the money and the space, I'd buy 2 of everything they ever made, especially a McIntosh timepiece.

Regards
 
In the meantime....

Screenshot_2026-01-31-23-54-27-81_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12~2.jpg
 
It took 4 years, but finally done.


Ohms
OK, I watched it. No, it doesn't take 4 years to get a contract manufacturer to produce such a cable. It took them that long to find a vendor. Nothing had to be invented.

They say the current products on the market don't pass analyzer test. But.... they all work when used in actual applications. They don't say why other than there must be retransmissions. No, they work because there is a lot of design margin in such products.

Then there is the bit about price. He doesn't give it but says it costs more (naturally). Says to go to his store. When you go there, and you click on USB, it just says nothing found. A company like this can't produce a working launch website???

The cable seems nice but this market is hugely cost sensitive. That is the reason not many are making proper ultra high-speed cables.

Finally, he says it was too expensive and took too long to get certification. But that they did use a third-party lab.

Ultimately, this is about masterful business strategy of increasing the catalog of products they sell to their avid followers. Not about anything earth shattering.
 
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I saw the video the other day, wasn't anything to get too excited about unless you're selling the cables I suppose.
 
I have found Anker to be a consistently high quality USB cable manufacturer.
I can't confirm that they meet their stated specs, but they consistently do what I need them to do and they last forever...
 
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My setup requires long USB cables. I have had a ton of issues with extension cables and long USB cables straight up not working. Especially with my PS5 controller. Big pain in the butt.

USBC is a nightmare.
 
My setup requires long USB cables. I have had a ton of issues with extension cables and long USB cables straight up not working. Especially with my PS5 controller. Big pain in the butt.

USBC is a nightmare.
Has nothing to do with USB-C. That's just the end connector. USB isn't made to work with long cables. The PS5 controllers are wireless, why are using long USB cables? If it's just to keep them charged, just set up a charger where you sit.
 
The PS5 controllers are wireless, why are using long USB cables? If it's just to keep them charged, just set up a charger where you sit.

If you played any games on PC with a PS5 controller you wouldn't be asking me this question.
 
OK, I watched it. No, it doesn't take 4 years to get a contract manufacturer to produce such a cable. It took them that long to find a vendor. Nothing had to be invented.

They say the current products on the market don't pass analyzer test. But.... they all work when used in actual applications. They don't say why other than there must be retransmissions. No, they work because there is a lot of design margin in such products.

Then there is the bit about price. He doesn't give it but says it costs more (naturally). Says to go to his store. When you go there, and you click on USB, it just says nothing found. A company like this can't produce a working launch website???

The cable seems nice but this market is hugely cost sensitive. That is the reason not many are making proper ultra high-speed cables.

Finally, he says it was too expensive and took too long to get certification. But that they did use a third-party lab.

Ultimately, this is about masterful business strategy of increasing the catalog of products they sell to their avid followers. Not about anything earth shattering.
I saw something like $25 for 2 meters USB A to USB C, on the cheap side of nice ones probably.

Strangely the page disappeared today.

They admit they didn't certify it, with the same excuses, takes time, it's expensive, etc, etc.
Hard pass.
 
If you played any games on PC with a PS5 controller you wouldn't be asking me this question.
I have done so, actually, though it wasn't clear to me from your post that you were using them with a PC. I have found that the wireless connection between a PC and the PS5 controller is not nearly as reliable as with the PS5 console.

Best solution would be to use a controller that can utilize a 2.4G wireless dongle, as those tend to be much more reliable. 8bitdo has some good options.

If you're determined to stick with the PS5 controller for whatever reason, you should try an active extension cable such as this one, if you haven't already.
 
If you played any games on PC with a PS5 controller you wouldn't be asking me this question.
This is exactly why you buy an Xbox One or Series X controller... and Microsoft sells an adapter for it, so you don't need crappy Bluetooth for it. (mine also came with a 2m long USB-C cable)
 
I have done so, actually, though it wasn't clear to me from your post that you were using them with a PC. I have found that the wireless connection between a PC and the PS5 controller is not nearly as reliable as with the PS5 console.

Best solution would be to use a controller that can utilize a 2.4G wireless dongle, as those tend to be much more reliable. 8bitdo has some good options.

If you're determined to stick with the PS5 controller for whatever reason, you should try an active extension cable such as this one, if you haven't already.
Easy answer for this... PC wireless is half-***ed. You'd think an MSI Gaming Laptop would have stronger Wi-Fi than a Pixel 8, but nooooooo. A PS5 and its controller however, they better need to make sure that combination works well for most of their customer, since that's the thing they are selling.

However I find it hard to believe a dongle can be better than the PC wireless (for desktop, anyway), since the desktop wireless are usually proper transceivers with one or two external antennas which already make their hardware way superior than a dongle. Tho I do often see people forget to install the antenna and complain their wireless only works up to 2 feet.
 
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