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Powered USB cables/ extenders

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Another cable question...

Due to room layout I'd need an 8m USB cable to connect a tablet to DAC, as I understand the maximum length for said cables is 5m. What are people's thoughs on using a powered USB cable? I can't see why they wouldn't be suitable for HiFi use, but before I start redesigning my living room...

Thanks in advance
 

M00ndancer

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I can't see that a powered USB cable should make any difference in audio since it's a digital connection. However, you might run issues with the tablet not recognizes the DAC. You don't really know until you tried it.

This might be a stupid question, what are you trying to accomplish? Please be as specific as possible. There might be another, more elegant solution
 
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I'm trying to connect from a tablet on my sofa to a dac with my hifi. I can't use a shorter connection because then I'd need 6m long RCA cables to connect to my amp. I'm waiting for some form of WiFi that allows music transfer. ie lets me play out through Android or Windows without using Bluetooth.
 

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I'm trying to connect from a tablet on my sofa to a dac with my hifi. I can't use a shorter connection because then I'd need 6m long RCA cables to connect to my amp. I'm waiting for some form of WiFi that allows music transfer.
Why not use a ChromeCast Audio as a wifi transporter? What are you playing on your tablet? Where is the music stored?
 
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Music is either on NAS or streamed via my Bluesound node 2 on Qobuz. The tablet doesn't exist yet, just weighing up options. I begrudge paying for Qobuz and only getting a search engine wth the blusound app.
 

RayDunzl

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I can't see that a powered USB cable should make any difference in audio since it's a digital connection.

Some "powered" cables may deliver less DC power to the distant device than others.

I have two types here, one which delivers the USB data signal well enough, but won't power some of the goodies I could hook it to, and another, that does.

Check that specification, since I forgot to, on the cable ($7) that only delivers 200ma (or whatever it does actually deliver), and it failed to satisfy.
 

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Due to room layout I'd need an 8m USB cable to connect a tablet to DAC, as I understand the maximum length for said cables is 5m. What are people's thoughs on using a powered USB cable? I can't see why they wouldn't be suitable for HiFi use, but before I start redesigning my living room...
The maximum allowed propagation delay for a USB cable is 26 ns, which limits the length to about 5.2 m. To reach further, you will need to use a hub as an extender. A cable, powered or not, longer than 5.2 m (without an inline "hub" along the way) cannot be spec compliant, no matter what the manufacturer says. Those 10 m powered extenders probably work most of the time simply because most host controllers aren't that strict in their implementations of the USB protocol and tolerate significantly longer delays.
 

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Possible to use Bluetooth with an adapter? Getting rid of cables is a liberating experience.
 
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Possible to use Bluetooth with an adapter? Getting rid of cables is a liberating experience.

I know I've just managed to get cable free, but I'm missing Musicbee and Foobar too much. Bluetooth doesn't have the quality I need plus as I live in an appartment block there are continual cuts to sound as other people use their stuff.
 
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Thanks for the answers above. I've heard some people claim that a 7m non powered cable worked better than a powered cable.....but you hear all kinds of stuff on the internet. What specifications are we talking about?
 

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Bluetooth doesn't have the quality I need...

You can use Bluetooth for uncompressed data if you choose the right codec. AptX is one example. There's also other wireless protocols (e.g., AirPlay, Sonos...).
 
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I appreciate your help but I don't want to go back to Bluetooth. I have a good system and I can clearly hear the difference using my phone which isn't AptX. I find it strange that noone has a better solution and that everyone has to have their computer wihin 5m of their dac, we don't all work at desks or live in a bedroom. There must be something in the future. I much prefer hard wired connections at present but who knows... one day..

I used to use bluetooth from my laptop and it cut when someone walked between it and the receiver.
 

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Like I said, there are other wireless protocols if you're unable to use AptX. And if optical SPDIF is in the cards, those fibers are a lot easier to run than wires.
 

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Music is either on NAS or streamed via my Bluesound node 2 on Qobuz.
The bluesound is next to the DAC? Doesn't that have all the functionality you need already to do what you want?
 
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Like I said, there are other wireless protocols if you're unable to use AptX. And if optical SPDIF is in the cards, those fibers are a lot easier to run than wires.
I'd be interested in running SPDIF, but most DACS seem to only have one of each input. I need my SPDIF to run from the Bluesound to the DAC, not. Multi-inputs on SPDIF seem like they're only found on expensive models.

Interested to hear about wifi protocols which would give sound quality at 44.1/16 as I'm not a great believer in anything higher.
 
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The bluesound is next to the DAC? Doesn't that have all the functionality you need already to do what you want?
It lacks a USB or SPDIF input, also if I'm honest I'd like to see what difference a transparent DAC would add especially with the possibility of a bit more DSP functionality.
 
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Indeed. I think you are misunderstanding the problem....which is fundamentally that I'd prefer to not use the BluOS interface and use my Bluesound node as just a streamer. The app simply does not have the functionality of a computer based app. it's not so bad but paired with an amp with no balance or tone controls is limiting.
 

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use my Bluesound node as just a streamer. The app simply does not have the functionality of a computer based app. it's not so bad but paired with an amp with no balance or tone controls is limiting.
Why don't you just sell the Bluesound and connect a CCA via ethernet or wifi to the dac instead and use a phone or a tablet to control the streaming music?
That is what I have done to have as much control as possible w/o the hassle: Computer to DAC via USB. Toslink in from CCA to DAC, Pre out to amp and speakers.
 
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