Not All USB Cables Are Created Equal

[la szum]

Shielded



for




your








recording














pleasure

Fast charging for your wife's vibrator. I mean, cellphone.

 

[JiveTurkey]

It got kinda awkward in here

 

[la szum]

I am not an acolyte. Yet! Not trying to sell a particular view. Just super curious.

 

[paisleywookiee]

This is some really funny stuff.

 

[la szum]

Hmmmm..... interesting conclusions. Time-stamped. I wonder if the naysayers will even watch this,
or are you all just ready to admit defeat now??

 

[unix-guy]

I am not an acolyte. Yet! Not trying to sell a particular view. Just super curious.

Well, that's at least the type of semi-scientific comparison I was hoping someone might have done.

I suspect the "tonal differences" he mentioned several times are probably Fletcher Munson. The ones that were louder sound better/fuller.

I wonder what a really smart guy like @FractalAudio would have to say about that video?

 

[unix-guy]

Hmmmm..... interesting conclusions. Time-stamped. I wonder if the naysayers will even watch this,
or are you all just ready to admit defeat now??

It's definitely interesting... I wonder if all the tracks were normalized for volume if there would actually be any difference?

 

[V|J]

Thanks, I know data transfer speeds can vary with different USB cables. I think most people have
experienced a "slow" charging USB Cable with their cellphones. Change the cable and suddenly
it is charging faster. Different cable = different result.

I also get people (some people) are saying that will be irrelevant related to sound, and the quality of
that sound as it is transmitted through a USB cable.

I can't help but wonder if it is like headroom in an amp, though. The more headroom a USB Cable has (faster
speeds and more bandwidth) then wouldn't it make sense that the signal would be cleaner and distort less??

Maybe that is a wonky analogy, but it does seem to be at least somewhat plausible. To me.

For the sake of clarification, It’s not the usb cable but the generation of USB technology that dictates speed, bandwidth etc. For our audio purposes, I guess anything will suffice.

Even I can’t understand how an expensive cable would be better besides being more durable.. The interference aspect is interesting but for such short distances would it matter, idk.

 

[la szum]

There are differences in transmission, capacitance, and conductivity with instrument cables. Is there
anything similar (albeit different) with USB cables??

I notice that this they either work or they don't work argument doesn't seem to apply when charging
a device. They can still work, but the device charges more slowly? Why is that? Are they somehow
breaking down and not transmitting as much voltage as they once did? If that is so, how would that
impact data transfer (aka audio)?

 

[laxu]

There are differences in transmission, capacitance, and conductivity with instrument cables. Is there
anything similar (albeit different) with USB cables??

I notice that this they either work or they don't work argument doesn't seem to apply when charging
a device. They can still work, but the device charges more slowly? Why is that? Are they somehow
breaking down and not transmitting as much voltage as they once did? If that is so, how would that
impact data transfer (aka audio)?

Charging is a case of negotiating a faster charging speed between devices and the weakest link - in this case the cable - will matter for this. I don't know what is the actual difference between cables that work and cables that don't, but it could be some electronics built into the cable itself rather than the cable quality.

It would have zero impact on audio because it's about negotiating "can I charge this device using a faster power delivery standard" between the two devices.

 

[Piing]

Stop relying on YouTuber influencers, and find the truth by yourself

1 - Record something from the Axe-FX to the DAW using the expensive cable
2 - Reamp that recording through the Axe-FX without any FX (In block direct to Out block) using the cheap cable
3 - Compare both recordings.... your brain is probably cheating you here, so don't use you ears and move to step 4
4 - Reverse the phase of one of the tracks (all DAWs have one Phase Reverse button)
5 - Mix the two recordings
6 - If the result is a flat line, both tracks are identical

 

[unix-guy]

Stop relying on YouTuber influencers, and find the truth by yourself

1 - Record something from the Axe-FX to the DAW using the expensive cable
2 - Reamp that recording through the Axe-FX without any FX (In block direct to Out block) using the cheap cable
3 - Compare both recordings.... your brain is probably cheating you here, so don't use you ears and move to step 4
4 - Reverse the phase of one of the tracks (all DAWs have one Phase Reverse button)
5 - Mix the two recordings
6 - If the result is a flat line, both tracks are identical

Did you watch the video above? That was done with multiple cables and the result was not completely null...

 

[Piing]

Did you watch the video above? That was done with multiple cables and the result was not completely null...

I just did it myself using the same USB cable and the result was not null. Therefore, the methodology is invalid
The results of that video are invalid

 

[murphy brown]

I believe standard audio cable can perform better than USB cable in for audio recording.

 

[fretworn]

I believe standard audio cable can perform better than USB cable in for audio recording.

Do you mean analog versus digital?
By going through the converters?

 

[la szum]

Stop relying on YouTuber influencers, and find the truth by yourself

1 - Record something from the Axe-FX to the DAW using the expensive cable
2 - Reamp that recording through the Axe-FX without any FX (In block direct to Out block) using the cheap cable
3 - Compare both recordings.... your brain is probably cheating you here, so don't use you ears and move to step 4
4 - Reverse the phase of one of the tracks (all DAWs have one Phase Reverse button)
5 - Mix the two recordings
6 - If the result is a flat line, both tracks are identical

Huh? What? Where? Have you never watched a video in your life out of curiousity? I am just researching
here Buddha Bro.

Lord knows I have heard enough here to confirm that most have their minds already made up about it. Not me.
I am just asking questions and comparing conclusions.

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are very few."

Shunryu Suzuki

 

[la szum]

It's definitely interesting... I wonder if all the tracks were normalized for volume if there would actually be any difference?

He admits that even he has no idea why he got the results he did. Neither do I!

 

[unix-guy]

I believe standard audio cable can perform better than USB cable in for audio recording.

In what possible way?

I've experienced on more than one occasion connecting my Fractal devices in stereo (with identical left and right output) via XLR to a mixer only to find the levels unbalanced. Swapping cables quickly solved it every time.

Analog cables are much more prone to issues that DO affect the audio signal...