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Trying to understand Audioquest Forest USB cable

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Marcos Mazur

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What does this cable actually do to the sound? As I can't measure it then I go through my ears. I used to think this was supposed to be an OPTIMIZED USB CABLE to reduce signal loss, jitter and interference in general, but I realized that it doesn't improve the sound by itself, it changes the sound , ''gives a different flavor'' as they say and at least FOR ME it's not good, using it this year and comparing it to common cables noticed that Forest sounds more solid and ''analog'' (it would be an improvement in a certain point of view) but at the same time I feel uncomfortable after a while (ends up generating distortion or coloration, maybe?), I should also say that the cable gives a kind of bright feeling to increase the liveliness of the reproduction, but this sharp one ends the general fatigue, I don't feel the same with regular cable, although it sounds ''less alive''. The question here is... it deserves the investment in this cable or more expensive ones? if they ''change'' the sound instead of optimizing it, so in fact it wouldn't be an improvement, THE SAME I would say from Audioquest Jitterbug, these are small subtleties in the sensation that the sound gives, but over the hours, you realize that it is not a good experience.
 

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Jimbob54

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What does this cable actually do to the sound? As I can't measure it then I go through my ears. I used to think this was supposed to be an OPTIMIZED USB CABLE to reduce signal loss, jitter and interference in general, but I realized that it doesn't improve the sound by itself, it changes the sound , ''gives a different flavor'' as they say and at least FOR ME it's not good, I've been using it this year and comparing it to common cables, I noticed that Forest sounds more solid and ''analog'' (it would be an improvement in a certain point of view) but at the same time I feel uncomfortable after a while (ends up generating distortion or coloration, maybe?), I should also say that the cable gives a kind of bright feeling to increase the liveliness of the reproduction, but this sharp one ends the general fatigue, I don't feel the same with regular cable, although it sounds ''less alive''. The question here is... it deserves the investment in this cable or more expensive ones? if they ''change'' the sound instead of optimizing it, so in fact it wouldn't be an improvement, THE SAME I would say from Audioquest Jitterbug, these are small subtleties in the sensation that the sound gives, but over the hours, you realize that it is not a good experience.
Uh huh
 

DVDdoug

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Digital audio is "numbers". The text you wrote and posted and send all over the world kinds of wires & wireless connections is also "numbers". If there are any errors they are typos... No letters or words were changed damaged and we are reading exactly what you wrote. The same would be true for an audio file.

Now, real-time audio (or video) is a little trickier because the timing is more important but unless something goes terribly wrong digital is darn-reliable! Also if/when there are digital errors gross errors are just as likely as slight errors so unlike analog audio, subtle errors are rare. Another analogy is your bank account... One wrong bit in the bank's computer could cause a 1-cent error or a billion dollar error!

P.S.
A proper scientific, blind ABX Test can often be very humbling... ;)
 
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Katji

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What does this cable actually do to the sound?
Nothing. Nothing. This is USB i.e. Universal Serial Bus - computer data, not analog electrical signal.
to reduce signal loss, jitter and interference in general
There can be no signal loss, there is no issue if within specification of, say, 5m.
Jitter? ...is not relevant to USB cable.
Interference - if it means EMI/RFI, then (1) there should not be noise on the computer USB port, and (2) entering the cable through the air, refer to USB cable specification (check Wikipedia.)
it changes the sound , ''gives a different flavor'' as they say and at least FOR ME it's not good,
No. That is the mind, the human mind, it is understood and explained by psychology studies, long ago.
(ends up generating distortion or coloration, maybe?),
Not possible. It is computer data.

"audiophile USB cable" - In physical reality, there is no such thing. There is USB specification and USB cable is designed according to that specification or not, and properly constructed for durability or not. "audiophile USB cable" is a mental construct because , as humans, we somehow have to maintain ourselves. and there is no limit to what people do for that, to get money to live.
 
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AdamG

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And you have your scientific answer. It does nothing to the sound. Case closed, just like this “another damn cable” thread! Bye bye now…
 
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