What USB cable to get?


I currently have the audioengine A5+ speakers. and thinking of buying the Schiit Audio Modi DAC. However it doesnt come with the usb cable. any suggestions? pls nothing super expensive. around $30. preferably braided cabl. thx

ardy97

the belkin has worked just fine for me... schiits cable is plenty good too

When I had the first generation Schiiit Bifrost I was at Belkin and Pangea. I moved up a bit to the Audioquest Forrest and Cinnamon. I had a very noticeable improvement. Might I suggest Amazon and their liberal return policy. You could try a few and return the ones you don’t like. Also a very short cord will reduce the cost. Happy Hunting, Mike B. 

I, too, would recommend an inexpensive USB cable. I’ve had fine results with Belkin Gold. As to the Schiit cable, IMO a manufacturer would not sell cables that would work poorly with their electronics.

I tried switching from Belkin to a more expensive Audioquest cable and couldn’t hear any difference. I have tried several other mid-priced USB cables and never could hear them doing anything different from the inexpensive ones. Not with a recent DAC with good USB connectivity, anyway. The only time I heard digital or USB cables make a difference was when I bought my first DAC in about 1992. Seems to me the interfaces have improved and become far less sensitive to cabling in the intervening 30 years.

I would not worry about it, Belkin is good. Cables and interconnects become more important as the sensitivity of your system gets very high. For the foreseeable future I would concentrate on components. Speaker wire would be the first connection to work on when your speakers are over $1 - 2K. Then once your average component cost is over $1-2K start working on interconnects.

In the beginning component performance is key… as well as system setup, and room acoustics. Then, as the sensitivity of your system increases interconnects start to make a difference, and then power cords.

+1 to what @ghdprentice said. Cables can sound different and better as you spend more, but only if your components can produce a commensurate level of resolution in sound quality. I would stick with the Belkin Gold for now, but this was my experience in trying some different USB cables at different price points.as you upgrade your other components.

Belkin Gold was fine. It doesn't do anything noticeable wrong

Pangea Premier SE: More resolution than the Belkin Gold but also more harshness to its sound. I didn't love how this sounded and would prefer the Belkin Gold.

Shunyata Venom: This would be where I would go to step up from the Belkin Gold as it provided even better resolution than the Pangea cord with more finesse and less harshness..

  • Better timing than the Pangea on Limbo Jazz. More clarity & clearer placement of instruments
  • Shunyata sounds tidier than the Pangea
  • Better sense of pace than the Pangea
  • More finesse than the Pangea with less harshness

Phasure Lush 1: This is where I've ended up. Compared to the Shunyata Venom, it provided more roundness & presence than the Shunyata cable with more realistic tonal quality and detail. All of this comes with the most non-fatiguing sound compared to the other USB cables I've evaluated.