USB Cable: Oyaide, Cardas, Shunyata....

what did Cary say when you called them?

why not look at the products that Uptone Audio makes?  (no affiliation)

any cable should be about the same - an exception could possibly be Lush but they are not common in the US and it is unclear what they claim to be doing that others aren't

 I use a Shunyata Venom in my system and it is very good. I think the Wireworld is better but more money. I also thought about one of the higher end Audioquest. But in the end I think that the Shunyata is probably the best for anywhere near the money. USB is not the best interface for audio. I would rather invest in an all in one unit like an  Aurender or the Bluesound Vault 2 .

Look for a used Curious USB Cable.  Very nice sounding cable and reasonable prices.

I second the Curious cable. Keep it as short as you can
Alan

$200 budget... what is the cheapest LPS for a mac mini??

I had the Venom USB and recently upgraded to the Curious.  The Curious is better. However, I enjoyed the Venom and still think that it is a great cable, much better than its price might indicate.

Dave

+1 ~ "USB is not the best interface for audio"

Good recommendations here on Venom and Curious cables. If you’re not planning on replacing mini, I would look at Schitt’s Wyrd Decrapifier. It simply works in eliminating the inherit noise and glitches. They also offer 15 days in home trial.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/09/schiit-wyrd-usb-decrapifier-review/

I am using Wyrd along with Wireworld Platinum and very happy with the sound. To my ears, WW Platinum is bit more natural sounding compared to few others I have tried but it is pricey.

I have Wireworld Platinum. I'm curious about trying the Curious USB cable. Has anyone compared them to each other?

wireworld is better I tried them both.

Hi jwm,

I have read that the Wireworld Platinum is excellent. Would you be so kind to elaborate on the areas where you find it superior to the Curious?

Dave

Guess not. I found your prior post on this topic (FLAC vs WAV 1/21/16). Interesting.

I think maybe preferences could be system-dependent and person-specific.

ricred1 - I will audition a friend’s Platinum 2.0 next weekend and give you my impressions of it vs the Curious as an additional data point to jwm’s.

Dave

Does the Cary DAC require power through the cable or data only?  That could make a difference in your selection of a cable.