Recommended USB Cables.

Well as good as the AB USB cable is you should check out the Network Acoustics ENO USB cable. It is just stellar! My new standard and I have heard and built many a USB cable 🙂

Now is does cost much more than mine unfortunately.  

Another vote for Network Acoustics’s USB III.  

The Network Acoustics ENO cables look very good, but unfortunately they do not specificy of the conductors are solid-core or what awg size they are.  Most of all the USB cables I have seen are 28awg stranded wire.  At least ENO uses OCC copper, which is good.

I do not have direct experience with USB cables (I only made one for myself, but don't have good USB transport).  However, all other testing for both digital cables (S/PDIF and AES/EBU) as well as analog cables all show that high grade solid-core conductors are superior.  In the case of digital cables, silver does actually improve things.

The two/three cables I would probably consider are:

Nordost Tyr 2 USB ($1600 for 2 meter) 20awg conductors.

Nordost Valhalla 2 (probably $4.5k for 2 meter) 20awg conductors.

Oyaide Continential 5S ($495 for 1.8 meter) 24awg conductors

The Nordost cables get seriously expensive.  My experience with Nordost Heimdall 2 Digital COAX is that it has a lot of depth in the sound, but it's somewhat laid back in the upper mids/highs. 

The Oyaide is solid-core pure silver 24awg conductor, which could be very good.

If anyone has direct experience with these, please post.

I am currently using an Audioquest Diamond to connect a Chord 2Go/2Yu to my Weiss DAC.  I was pleasantly surprised at how good it sounds.  Improved clarity but difficult to describe beyond that it in that it seems to have no discernable coloration on my sound.  

I just compared this to a Kimber Select AG I had in on trade and thought they were similar in terms of quality.  Again, very clear with great detail but not coloration.  

I also had a customer just buy a Shunyata Omega and he said it was like he bought a whole new component it had such a big positive impact on his system.  I have not heard this personally though.  

I am also on the search for that magical sounding digital USB cable.  Whats most important to me is its ability to reproduce the harmonics richness and tone of instruments.  Musicality is essential, then resolving power.  If it cant do that first I'm not interested.  I think the next one i will try is the Cardas USB clear.  Im currently using the Aural Symhonics xxv USB ( big fan of Aural Symhonics cables, but haven't been a fan of their digital cables in the past ) and my impression is they are a bit lean across the whole spectrum and resolving power is just decent.  My search continues.

 

I have been exploring this further and at its relatively modest retail price, I am a huge advocate of the Clarus Crimson USB.  I am quite surprised at the clarity and detail I am getting without a hint of coloration.  It is my preferred USB at this time.  

@auxinput,

 

I have the Oyaide cable. While good,it gets very substantially bettered by the Intona Reference USB cable from Germany. Very much more leading and trailing edge, bigger and deeper soundstage and more flow.

Can’t get my head around spending $500+ for a USB cable, or at least not yet anyway.  I went for a LavriCable Ultimate Silver Dual USB that was $134 for a 1m cable.  I haven’t compared it to any other USB cables, so all I can say is my headphone rig sounds very neutral and detailed but still musical so seems like the USB cable is at least not doing much damage to the signal.  Just another option FWIW. 

Assuming one's system has sufficient resolution, you will hear differences in usb cables. I've tried Supra, Wireworld, Cardas, Audioquest Diamond is present cable, superior to others I've tried, don't feel the need to change.

Network Acoustics ENO USB cable Is incredible!! Cost around $900. Best value …..Acoustic BBQ!!!!

You are correct! Glad you like the ENO! 

I've been talking to Rich at Network Acoustics the last few days. They are coming out with a new filter, streaming cable and USB called Muon. I went ahead and ordered it. I'll report back. 

 

@sbayne Dare I ask how much it costs?

@soix - Sorry, but I'm going to hold off on further commenting on the Muon system out of respect for Rich and jumping the gun before it officially launches. I will say it cost me more than the EVO system. He will be updating his website soon. 

Speaking of what’s new at Network Acoustics, they are also coming out with a new Ethernet switch called Rubicon. 

A couple of years ago I was feeling a little randy and bought myself an over the top (price, that is) USB - Shunyata Sigma.

Lucky for me, it was like verdant's acquaintance spoke about, it transformed my system performance. I'm not happy about spending that much and am sure a higher value could be found. I just haven't been motivated enough to experiment since possession is 9/10ths of the law. ha

Still have some guilt for outlaying that kind of cash...

Forgot to mention I had a Totaldac usb and a Curious USB cable prior.

The USB cable I am using now is the CAD 11 which is very expensive but I think it justifies the cost ( £1250.00 ). It completely blows away my old Tellurium silver cable with much richer tones and more detail.

I bought a Phasure USB cable. Do not have much to compare it with. For sure better than what it replaced.

Some respect shown on this site.

CARDAS CLEAR

 

I recently put an Audioquest Diamond USB 3.0 cable between a Seagate external drive (housing 24 and 16 bit FLAC and ALAC files) and a Cambridge Audio 851N streamer and was amazed by the results.  There is no other way to put it other than that the sound came alive in a way that I had never heard from my system before.

The Cambridge streamer is connected with Kimber Hero XLRs to my Mac pre-amp, which in turn is connected to a MAC solid state amp with more Kimbler Hero XLRs.  The final connection are Audioquest Rocket 88s speaker cables to a pair of B&W 702 Signatures. 

I thought the system sounded great until I swapped in the Audioquest Diamond USB 3.0 and all of a sudden I had a brand new stereo system.  The experience made me realize how much difference one weak link in a system can make.  

I compared a Phasure Lush to several low priced cables. 

Generic HP printer cable: Free with printer

Belkin Gold: $15

Pangea Audio Premier SE: $50

Shunyata Venom: $100-200

Phasure Lush: $253

The Phasure was both smoother and more detailed in its presentation. Win-win in my book.

Infigo Audio usb sparkle series has launched. We offer free demos.