Will a quality USB cable make a difference....

"Assuming that you have already USB DAC with async USB protocol - do you need special (async?) protocol for the sender i.e. your USB 2.0 computer port ?"

The computer device driver takes care of this, either native or custom device driver, and the USB port controller hardware in the computer.

"Again, you refer above to the DAC (or USB Adaptor) or to the computer(server) ?"

What I'm talking about is the DAC or converter USB interface design, not the computer.

"Today's fashion is to match cheap computer with expensive and very good USB DACs and I wonder how your comments are related to this fashion."

The cost of the computer is not usually significant. The only requirements are USB 2.0 compliant port and a reasonably fast I/O structure inside. Either of these can be compromised at any price. The latter has been poor on certain PC laptops, including Dells. Mac Mini has very good I/O using USB.

The more critical thing is how the USB interface was designed on your DAC or USB converter. With the advent of async USB interface, the role of the computer is much less significant.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

The Diamond usb cable is so much better ,it is across the board better than the carbon usb cable. The top end air, the transparently and better defined bass are easily distinguished differences. Don’t let anybody kid you there is no difference among usb cables. The difference to me is just like all the rest of the cables. They all sound different.

Sorry, but it's just not possible. Keeping it simple, USB is a digital data transport bus, not an analog port. All it moves in the data path is 0s and 1s. If a different USB cable results in a change anywhere downstream then you have a major problem somewhere in your system. I know that you think that you are hearing what you say that you think you are hearing, but all of my 30+ years experience in the physical sciences, data collection and computer systems design leads me to believe otherwise.

Br3098... please, please, please speak from audio experience. i.e. actually using different USB cables on a quality DAC with a quality computer such as the MacMini.

Give it a try... actually build some real listening experience with this equipment and cabling... and then come back to us with your listening experience on your own system, with your own DAC, your own computer, and your own music... not your book learning and theory derived thereof.

I respect learning from the academy. I am a product of it and an active member of it myself. But it has its limits, and this is one.

If I sound annoyed, I am.

I am frankly so tired of "authorities" who have not taken the time to gain their own audio experience misleading newbies with the "truthiness" of their book learning and university degrees on chat forums such as this one and in other places.

You wrote:

>>all of my 30+ years experience in the physical sciences, data collection and computer systems design leads me to believe otherwise.<<

Listening experience matters. This is not an article of belief or faith as in your statement >>leads me to believe otherwise<<.

:) listening,

Ed

Thank you Steve

Rafael

I have done exactly what you suggest Istanbulu and I could turn this arround on you. I agree with Br3098! Not just because of some education or the science of electronics but from experiance. I am not going to argue with what you say you hear, just that for most "newbies", as you call them, they are MUCH better off putting their money in the best equipment they can afford in the body of their system! Body= speakers, amp, line stage and dac. If I sound annoyed, I am.... for at one time I was a newbie and listen to such gibberish. If a usb cable makes a real difference it is so limited to my ears I can not hear it. Now that is not to say that if your cable has a loose connection or is so poorly made it may not hinder the transpher of digital information. It does not take an expenssive cable to complete this task. But, as long as the digital info is transphered completly, the sound quality is determind by the dac/clock conversion, the line stage's ability to magnify and transpher, without any added harshness or denigration to the amps, which must do the same for the speakers. Spend your money where you wish. It is your money. IN MY OPINION, Not on digital cables. Take it or leave it!