I can't give you enough props for being one of the few (if not the only) headphone RU-vidr(s) consistently tackling this topic. I appreciate your presence in our community as someone who isn't afraid to normalize a topic that doesn't need to be stigmatized or met with hostility. Also, thanks for touching on system synergy. Very underrated factor to consider.
So glad you like the content. I do intend to continue and I'm working on an interview to explore the reasons why we might hear differences between USB cables so hopefully that will be interesting and helpful.
@@PassionforSound looking forward to it. So long as you continue to search for answers in this topic, I’ll continue to follow your work. Great job Lachlan and thanks again.
Cannot express my appreciation of your mature approach to this topic. With your help, the polarized audiophile landscape will change for the better. Also, it's nice to come by videos like yours, that are just nice to tune in to, without triggering that itch to buy. Big fan of your work.
So glad you feel that way and I do hope you're right about reducing the division in the audiophile community (and therefore the world a little bit too). 🙂🙂
Thanks for another great review Lachlan. I'm in high voltage engineering where the larger cross section of a cable (irrespective of material) provides better performance as it reduces resistance which in most cases is the enemy, however in low power applications such as those often found in audio, I don't know whether this info is of any significance. I however feel you should not apologize as much as you do, people who are honest and with genuine interest understand your reviews and your stance on these things. Do not concern yourself much with those who intend to troll instead of inform.
Thanks Tai Dee! I don't like to see the division that often occurs in this hobby (and so many topics in general) so I'm doing my best to create a more open and less one-sided approach (hopefully). As for the resistance question, I imagine that plays a part here too along with capacitance and no doubt other factors that are beyond my knowledge. There was a really interesting video on @veritasium (I think it's called) just recently about how the electrical and magnetic fields OUTSIDE the cable are actually transmitting the energy. That kind of blew my mind when I considered the amount of insulation and separation of conductors that goes into designing audio cables. There is still much to learn I think 🙂🙂
I bought a Supra Excalibur USB cable back in September, and I wasn't expecting to hear any difference compared to my old regular Supra USB cable. I got it just for the improved build quality and theoretical signal integrity advantage. But even with those modest expectations I heard the same difference you did, which is a sharper sound with more attack. This was surprising to me given I usually don't hear any difference between headphone cables for example. But in this case the difference was blindingly obvious, and appreciated. I'm guessing there will eventually be a measurement that shows the difference we're hearing. But until that time the more objectively focused people will have to cringe as they read/listen to our unexplainable accounts lol.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Peter. I completely agree that there will be some measurement(s) that will eventually demonstrate what some of us are hearing, particularly when what we are hearing seems to be consistent.
@@PassionforSound Benchmark Media has a blog post called "listening vs. measuring". I liked this bit from it as it's similar to our experience: "An APx555 test set has far more resolution than human hearing, but it has no intelligence. We have to tell it exactly what to measure and how to measure it. When we hear something that we cannot measure, we are just not doing the right measurements."
@@PeterHas I’m curious what the standard for measuring resolution or details are? I’ve watched hundreds of videos on measuring frequency response and they compensating for something like a harman curve which was a statistical sampling on “preference”. I’ve never seen any measurements on resolution or details so that would be exciting.
@@aceofspades6667 I don't know. Or rather, I can't answer it in a useful way. Maybe I've seen a good explanation, but I can't think of it. I can make some guesses about what it's like to make audio products though. I've looked at datasheets on components like op amps and dac chips. They often provide impulse response graphs for how their devices behave. Even though people on forums or reddit can claim that parts today are audibly transparent, that isn't the case at all in my experience. I've personally done a lot of testing with op amps from the 90s, early 2000s, mid 2000s and current year. Each decade there are clear obvious improvements in perceived resolution, with older parts genuinely sounding obsolete, like the sound equivalent of using a vintage computer. So if a manufacturer designs a dac today, every part of the signal chain from dac stage, the up sampling technique used, the analog output stage affects how the transient response looks like. That's not even mentioning the digital input stage. Because perfect parts don't exist yet, the resulting sound will be a product of what's possible today with current manufacturing techniques. Because there's only so many different off the shelf dac chips and op amps to choose from, I'm not surprised there are many alternative techniques used today in dacs. About the harman curve. Sean Olive who led the creation of the curve seems to have a healthy attitude to it. He's a true scientist, so he isn't dogmatic about it at all. The harman curve is a hypothesis for what a headphone should sound like in order to please the largest amount of listeners. But from what I could tell reading his blog, he's completely open to someone else "proving" it wrong. The curve says nothing about resolution or anything like that, as it's just a frequency curve. There's so much more that goes into the impression of the sound. Like there's one thing that seems impossible to measure at the moment, which is how the physical size of the sound wave affects the perceived size of the sound. I think it was in a Darko video about Hedd audio where the CEO of Hedd said that he's challenged university students several times to figure out a way to visualize this obviously audible phenomenon. The CEO of Hedd was annoyed that he couldn't show in marketing material the obvious difference between big and small speakers, beyond just frequency response, SPL or distortion. Big speakers sound bigger. Seems obvious, but there's no easy way to visualize it, beyond just doing artist impressions. I seem to have gone on for a bit, hope you enjoyed reading this lol.
Yeah, that's a great quote. I was chatting to someone recently about this topic and used the example of dark matter. We can't measure dark matter, but scientists are sure it exists and have many theories about it (some of which will be right and others wrong). Imagine if they stopped looking for it and declared it impossible because they couldn't measure it!
Used the old supra for years, decided to try this new one. And I keeping it. The old supra 2.0 emphasis on midrange and Bass and it's sounds fun, but the small details in instruments drowns a bit. But the Excalibur brings out less base and flatter sound and more details. I know my system real good and can hear changes I do. But usb cables was verry easy to tell the difference. My Setup is. Raspberry pi4 Volumio, ifi power X 5v, ifi purifier 3. Topping D90 MQA + Tidal Bushardt s300mk ll speakers Musical Fidelity M6si
With high end equipment, cables can give you that extra 5-10% people usually go crazy trying to get. I've seen many in this hobby spend alot switching out different DACs/Amps, when a simple interconnect or hp cable upgrade would've probably done the trick. At least for my system, upgrading to silver opened up the soundstage a bit and provided a little more detail.
I think that's a great point. Once the core system is almost right, cable tweaks are probably a better option than gear changes when seeking subtle adjustments to the sound.
It's more than 5-10%. It's like a fresh tomato off the vine, vs store-bought. You know the difference is only "technically" small. But that "small" difference is magic.
Thanks for the review, really interesting. I’ve never been able to differentiate sound quality in cables whether they be expensive, mid range or really cheap. They all sound the same to me so to my mind I’ve saved a ton of money. However if you can make out a difference it provides another upgrade path to your system. To my mind it’s win-win, I save money and you get your upgrade.
You are soooo lucky Monty. Its a curse to hear that! Your wallet will suffer if you ever realize some expensive cable does something specific that you love and never have heard from any other cable.
Honest opinion as a 40 year IT veteran, USB is a digital transport (it is not an audio cable, it's a data cable). It is error corrected at both ends to account for any loss of 'data' this is part of the USB protocol. Much like CD players/transport, the data is read, and then reread or error corrected as required, before being transmitted to the DAC. The higher levels of USB (2, 3, USB-C, thunderbolt 4, etc) allow for generally faster transport of data. The Amazon basics USB cable is just about perfect for use connecting a CD transport to a DAC. p.s. The cable is very pretty though.
The finely detailed and objective analysis of uncommon components is THE reason I found this channels ages ago when I discovered your op-amp reviews. Keep it up.
Excellent review. You hit on the nuances of the issue and my experience was exactly the same after trying both Curious and Supra Ex. My preferred music is jazz, which requires a lot of pop, zing, punch, and micro-dynamics to satisfy. With that music and with my Dac, I preferred the Supra for just the reasons you mentioned. While granting that the Curious does give a bit richer presentation and better soundstage. I also feel that the Supra allows bass to shine through a little more. PS: it does take both cables quite a long burn-in time.
Glad you've had a chance to try both and I can absolutely understand people preferring the Excalibur in certain setups and for certain music - it's definitely a great cable especially at the price
I didn't track it, sorry. I tend to add products to my system for a few weeks before each review, but what that means in terms of active hours is hard to gauge.
I own the supra excalibur cable as well as much more expensive usb cables by Intona, Curious and Sablon, and yes they all sound different enough that any good ear listening through a resolving system (including my 93 year old mother, who in her youth trained as a singer) could identify the difference in a blind A B X test. Based on my listening in various systems the supra is a great value cable and well worth the cost.
@@athanasiosmegas6016 In my system the Intona was more resolving of detail; it emphasized clarity. The supra was a warmer, easier listen. Each has it's place and either can be used to tune your system to your liking. That said, I prefer the sound of the Sablon overall as it somehow manages to unite the Germanic precision of the Intona with the easy going stride and sweetness of the Swedish offering. Hail Britannia , I guess.
USB cables do make a difference. I use AQ Coffee cables and one Excalibur cable in my system. However I once tried the AQ cinnamon micro usb cable with my Schiit Hel and 560S setup I use for work and it actually sounded worse to my ears than the stock micro usb cable the Hel came with. The difference was immediately noticeable. The sound lost its warmth/bass with the 560s and sounded much brighter to the point of being harsh and when going back to the stock cable it sounded warm again. So I had every reason to favor the more expensive fancier cinnamon cable but ended up returning it. This proved to me that USB cables do make a difference. Whether that difference is favorable or worth it is entirely dependent on the synergy of your setup and your personal tastes.
Forget theory, Do you hear a difference in cables over repeated trials in your system? If it makes a difference that you want, your only choice left is whether the change is worth the asking price.
Thanks for the video. I love how calm and composed you are, even during the introductory disclaimer as you expect backlash. I have a SKW brand printer / "audio" cable from Amazon and am rather tempted to upgrade to the Excalibur. I find the SKW to be extremely stiff and hard to manage at the back of my computer. I also happened to purchase a needlessly long cable, and I am afraid those bends are not helping audio quality. Just wondering if the Excalibur is flexible enough for cable management or if it requires a straight run. Thanks
The Excalibur is quite flexible for a premium USB cable so I've had no issues running it through cable management as long as you allow a little excess for going around tighter corners
Very good review! Based on this review in particular, I bought the Excalibur in the hope that I would hear a little improvement over the basic but still very good supra I have. Last night I exchanged the old supra for the new excalibur and...... shocking!! This cable is not a little better, this cable is much better. Immediately I heard much more sparkling and detailed highs. But especially the pressure and dynamics in the low frequencies made me very happy. Overall, this excalibur is much more musical than the basic version, well worth the money!
With USB-C becoming more standardized, it would great to see a roundup comparison reviewing the different USB C cables. There aren’t as many C type audiophile cables compared the B type.
That's a good point. I haven't done one yet because I'm not even aware of any good USB-C cables beyond the one I use which I think is no longer available
I will write this for the benefit of others. I purchased an 8 metre Supra USB 2.0 cable, the more economical light blue model, connected from iPad to amps DAC. It performs perfectly with no technical issues and to my ears sounds absolutely fantastic.
I just bought the Excalibur coming from a cheap printer cable, running from my iPad via Apple Camera Connector to a Rega DAC. So far seems like a perfect match with Rega’s well known warm sound, and the Rega DAC’s very analogue sound with lots of oompf. I used to connect a Squeezebox Touch to the DAC with a Wireworld coaxial cable, and the difference in sound is there. The coax has a more forward sound, but as the coax input uses a different chip than the USB input, I’m not sure what causes the difference.
Thank you! I have been following along with your "inverted" samples comparisons. This review is timely since I just ordered a Bifrost2 and was concerned that it might be overly warm, even for me being more into EDM than Classical. It sounds like the Excalibur cable might be able to add back a little more edge and definition to the presentation!
I have got today Excalibur and I can confirm this is a fantastic usb cable. It’s connected between bluesound and RME dac and my more expensive Onkyo 6170 connected to RME via Van den Hul The First Ultimate MK2 coaxial it’s not sounding much better, but before bluesound with different usb cables was always clearly losing to Onkyo with this setup. Thanks for great review Passion for Sound🙂
I think the concept of “better” in a cable is not always easy to define. The fact that cables sound different still baffles me… Especially in the digital domain. I’ve been a fan of Supra cables for many years, and all my cables are Supra today, I think they simply price their cables properly, aligned with their true cost of R&D and production. And I trust their engineering, I believe they are truly passionate about music and do have the know how to built professional cables that are optimized for RMI/RF rejection, low capacitance, etc… All that said, I’m looking forward to have the Excalibur in my system and see if I can perceive a difference compared to my existing Supra USB. I’m not holding my breath though as I’ve not been able to hear clear differences with modern asynchronous USB DACs…
I very much like that 2 meter cable is priced only $10 more than 1 meter. Other cable makers typically charge double for each doubling of length, which is ridiculous.
That's a great point. That's likely closer to the cost of the actual wire and then the plugs, assembly, quality control, packaging and distribution are consistent costs regardless of length.
I wouldn't shoot down the idea that a high end USB cable could make a difference in sound. I say this as someone who had an interesting experience with higher quality cables. My partner needed a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable for connecting their phone to her car. I was already putting in an order with Hart Audio for cables to connect my DAC to my headphone amplifier, so I ordered one of those cables as well. In the wait to receive the cable, I found I already had a 3.5mm cable from Anker. I connected it to her car and didn't think anything of it. When the new cable came in, I switched it out with the Anker cable and tested to make sure it worked. I noticed right away the new audio cable made the sound stronger and more forward. I was surprised by this and decided to test the cables on my headphones and noticed the same thing. Well, I put the cable back into the car and later in the day my partner and I went out to grab some food. When she played some music she noticed right away the improvement in sound. She asked if I messed with the sound settings at all and I said no, I just traded out the cables and she was surprised she noticed a difference as she doesn't consider herself an audiophile.
Great example! Thanks Braillynn. Many will argue that digital cables are different and there's some truth to it because different factors become important, but it's still current and voltage travelling along a wire 🙂
Thanks for the review Lachlan. I bought an Excalibur on sale or return on the strength of it as I have kit in my system which you have reviewed and I have agreed with your conclusions as to sound quality. I agree with your conclusions on the Excalibur and it has now replaced my original stock Supra cable. Thanks again. Have a safe and happy New Year.
Dude, man, I’m glad all I have are low end systems or I would be ticking off the Mrs. “You spent how much on a USB cable? I don’t care how much metal it contains.” Thanks for being so succinct in breaking things down. While your experiences are anecdotal, they do appear to repeat the results. The journey is always the most interesting part as the destination is sometimes anticlimactic. You seem to be getting the best of both worlds.
Sometimes keeping things simple is a definite benefit. After all, music can still be loads of fun from even a lower end system and it's all about the fun in the end. I do count myself very lucky to have the opportunity to try a bunch of gear that I wouldn't otherwise get to, but I also have to watch what I but because it can get very tempting sometimes when I try these high end products that I have on loan!
I've covered this off in a previous video, but blind testing has its own challenges depending on how it is done. There are also other ways to manage bias by doing things like acknowledging the bias exists, seeking to consciously test/disprove the bias, using extended listening where the conscious expectations fade and allow unbiased listening, etc. And then of course comes the fact that there are more expensive cables that I like less than cheaper ones (goes against expectation bias) and also that certain cables suit different DACs more or less than others. Placebo is very unlikely to have these effects when expectations are tilted significantly in the other direction.
I think it's good to keep in mind that the subjective perceived quality of wine or even water follows the price. Is someone convinces one that normal tap water is of a fancy origin and costs 20$ a glass then for most it will taste better as they are more open and concentrated to the potential higher qualities. If a placebo makes an experience better then how isn't it as valuable as some "real" change with the same level of improvement?
@@jeremywilliam79 I find a lot of elements people care about when it comes to any kinds of products are somewhat irrelevant to the function. Premium materials, specific design, being hand-made etc, but if that makes you enjoy a product, that is meant for enjoyment, more then it seems valid. I think a lot of that is placebo as well. A kind of halo effect. Setting up your fancy audio system with thigh thick 4k$ cables made from insanium can have a feel to it that really makes you enjoy the music even if you could never tell them apart soundwise from straightened metal hangers. Enjoyment still is the highest value here. Sales claims that cannot be proven are of course a separate problem.
thanks so much for the review. I bought this cable after watching some of your videos. I been used oyaide d+, a very expensive oyaide Continental 5s and low and med price range wireworld usb cable for very long time. My system used to have a very high pitch and shape sound when using oyaide d+ usb. The supra cable definitely made the sound more focused on the med range and made the sound softer and smoother. And the rhythm is noticeably slower a little bit?This usb cable can let me enjoy music much longer. When I was using oyaide d+ and wireworld Ultraviolet, I got tried after half an hour. The supra cable maynot have the crazy separation and details like oyaide and wireworld but it sounds much like the "music". It has the same tend like the continental 5s which is made the sound smoother but I have to say supra still has the gap to those high end cable. Considering its price, mind blowing. To those who think the usb cable cannot make difference, I recommend dont have your mind set before you really try them. It is usually the first cable in the system kind of important. And thanks for the videos, it is kind of hard to pass your idea and feeling to audience when u make video hifi related but your are doing the good job!
I usually dislike any cable that makes the music "sound slower", so that is very perceptive of you. Not everyone notices that cables do have an effect on the timing and rhythm but they can.
thx enjoyed the video. I like how you described cable matching based on different device synergy. I never thought about that aspect for USB cables, until you described your experience. Thanks for sharing your experience, I am sure it will help me in a future USB upgrade
I have the original Curious cable and I can confirm that these USB cables makes a difference in sound. More open and clean sound. Of course the difference is not near changing your amplifier or dac but it is there. The biggest change I have heard was changing a pair of low key interconnects between a CD player and amp with DH Labs Revelation interconnects.. wow what a difference. Powercables on the other hand I have had no succes with.
Found this vid because I went out and picked up an Audioquest carbon usb and forget about the sound, it’s connection with my Node is so weak that comes out much to easily. Anyhow cables shmables, just wanted to thank you for the Beth Hart / Joe Bonamassa recommendation. This whole album is so good👍🏻
I just had my Supra Excalibur USB cable arrive this morning and spend the morning and most of the afternoon listening to music and playing games with it. I use a Clear MG on a Jotunheim 2 plugged in to a Bifrost 2/64 and the cable the DAC was using was just a PYST Straight Wire cable, so nothing terrible, but it wasn't a premium cable. The difference immediately was the volume was lower, or at least perceived lower maybe because of the fact the soundstage was wider with more separation of instruments from the vocals and such. It also could maybe be cleaner and more detailed, I'm not 100% sure. Point is, it definitely made a difference, and this is coming from a sceptic who is fairly new to the audio game. Cables were one thing I really wanted to have a look at, on what is otherwise probably my end game setup.
Yup, I definitely agree these things DO make a difference, but just because these products make a difference doesn't mean it makes sense for your specific setup. This is why I think most audio reviews should include a system synergy section because imo it's more useful looking at the system as a whole and not in individual parts (especially when reviewing higher-end gear). What's the point in buying a hi-end headphone you want if you're not going to build a system around it to get the most out of it? Anyway, thanks for the review! I have both supras and, in general, the basic one I find to have relaxed highs, a bit intimate, and a bit of a mid-bass boost while being warm and fatigue-free overall. The Excalibur I find to be a bit brighter but with a delicate touch, along with a nice stage, detail, and a slight sub-bass boost (at least compared to the basic one). Cheers!
Thanks for sharing your experiences, David! It's very difficult to cover system synergy in reviews because there are so many variables. I do believe that a system should be built with products at similar levels of price/performance, but a good DAC or headphone amp should work well with any good headphone. If a headphone is in significant need of a particular type of amp or DAC, I'd question it's initial tuning.
@@PassionforSound Yes, that would be difficult but that's what makes this fun! lol I kind of disagree with your point on the good dac/amp working well with any headphone, at least for the hi-end stuff. If it's around the budget stuff then yeah I think you can get away with it. As an example, the Utopias are a very picky set of headphones (which I'm sure you know since you reviewed them) that if ran by budget gear I probably would have ended up selling them. If ran by good gear like the soloist then they would sound fine, but I'd be truly missing out on what the Utopias are capable of. So while the method of having one reference system is more efficient, the chances of it being the bottleneck is very high when it comes to the hi-end stuff. Anyway, that's how I started to view things recently. Your videos are still helpful, enjoyable, and detailed don't get me wrong and I appreciate all that! But it would be great if reviewers can incorporate whole systems in their reviews. This hobby is already niche itself, why not make reviews even more niche and tailored? Easier said than done I'm sure. It's just a thought...
My finding is that the individual pieces in a system should roughly match in price (or tier). So a flagship headphone like the Utopia should be paired with a flagship DAC and amp if you really want to hear what it's capable of. At that point though, synergy becomes less important IMO. No doubt, some headphones pair wonderfully well with certain amps (e.g. the Utopia is great with the Bottlehead Mainline in high impedance mode), but it's equally excellent with the TT2. My final piece of logic on this is that if a headphone is far enough from someone's preferences that they need to find a perfect source chain to enjoy them then I'd suggest trying a different headphone first. For instance, I like the Utopias, but rather than chasing the right system to tame them and kind of retune them, I'd much rather listen to the Meze Elites because they suit my tastes already. Reviewing system synergy kind of implies one best sound and I think that's so personal and subjective that it might limit the value of my reviews to a wide audience. I do appreciate the thought though as it's always good to consider these things and seek opportunities to improve the content I'm creating.
@@PassionforSound But at the same time I feel that one of the main reasons why people hear such different things is because of the chain. Reviewing things as a whole, I feel, eliminates a part of that subjectivity and results in a more consistent conclusion that will likely help viewers get a good sense of what to actually expect (sound-wise). Anyway, I think I veered off-topic too much. Thanks for the replies and short discussion. In regards to usb cables, please see if you can get your hands on a Final Touch Audio usb cable. I've heard only great things!
I would love to see a comparison between USB cables and toslink for clarity and presentation of the music. Ive watched a couple of your USB videos and it always leaves me wondering about USB vs toslink. I know toslink cannot go say above 24/192 but i really like using it as my main transport because it separates one part of my system from the other in terms of noise
I often compare USB and toslink for DAC reviews (checking if the inputs perform to the same level) and my experience is that they can both perform equally well as a protocol. Sometimes it will come down the implementation in a particular device (source or DAC) and the cables you're using.
Thanks for the review, that brought me to my own comparison between the Excalibur (130 euro)and the Cardas Audio Clear (180 euro) USB. In combination Audio PC /Buckheed/Infinity Blade - Denon PMA A110 - Supra Excalibur Speakercabels - Magnepan LRS. The Cardas was the clear winner and definetly worth the extra 50 euros, both had 50 hours runtime. tonally quiet the same , but the micro room informations, the more of "iam sitting in the concert or in the recording room" was presented by the Cardas. Just as an example DSD file from : Lightnin`Hopkins ...going away. Cardas just let you feel , these guys performing infront of you. To my ears, an easy audible difference (on this level of highend kit).
Thx for taking the time to do these kinds of review. Well i only have an micro degree in elektronics, but have worked many years with sensetive mil grade sytems like radio`s, radars, optics, satcom equipments , ecm´s and so on, and in my experiance if there is a way to reduce elektronic noice, like shielding, grounding and so on especially before the noice hits an AMP, you should do it, ofc if its within an resonble price :) and i find this logic usefull anywhere even when you talk about computer network`s. reducing the noice floor can fix alot of random and periodic problems and should allways be on you mind when trouble shooting. only this year have audio taken my interest, havent had the time b4 :) and i find it that i can hear a differnce when i use like double shielded rca cables compared to non shielded and ofc in my openionen/experiance, and i allso hear the differnce between double shielded usb cables compared to non shielded, this allso makes sence, if not why would on but an optic cable ? Well this was my input and some of my experiance on this matter :) thx again for the video cheers
I want to echo Jurumal. Thank you for talking openly. Most RU-vid audio reviewers are afraid to talk about cables. I am old audiophile but new to audiophile related social media like youtube. I am surprised by the enmity that the people that don't hear or believe in a difference between cables express. I feel they are the lucky ones! I came upon my experience with cable's various sound signatures quite by accident 30+ years ago. Since then, I have spent more for cables than I ever imagined I would. I also don't believe you have to spend outrageous money on cables. There MUST be less costly cables with similar sound signatures. It's just that they are often too hard to find unless you are willing to buy a lot of cables. Then you are better off shelling out the big bucks for the one you find that does just the right thing to your system. You are also right in that what sounds good to you in a cable depends on the sound signature of your system. I have the Ares 2 DAC and tube pre-amp and amp. I found I need cables that can deliver clear, detailed and airy highs while not losing the bass or mid. Thanks for the tips about the Supras. I've seen their videos on youtube and have been curious. I also appreciate the comment on the Audioquest diamond. I have the AQ carbon USB between my computer and the DAC and I'm concerned about it's sonic deficits (Decent but a tad edgy, no obvious bass/mid strengths.) I will keep your ideas in mind!
Thanks for the comment, Matt. It's such an interesting and sometimes confusing topic I think, but realising that system synergy plays a part will certainly help a lot of us fine tune our choices I hope. I think the Supra Excalibur might be a better version of the Carbon based on what I recall so it might be worth a go with the Ares II. I can actually imagine it being an excellent match.
Something I don’t understand about the standard Supra cable is the package says 480 megabits a second yet I have read somewhere that it can handle up to 1,200 megabits a second. I think cd quality is about 1,400 megabits a second. So one would presume that if using this cable to connect the iPad to the amp I’m not actually getting all the bits from the lossless files on Apple Music, let alone the high res tracks. I’m using a 2 metre length and it sounds very nice, I’m planning on trying a 7 or 8 metre length so I can control it from my comfy chair. Supposedly you can go to 15 metres with this cable so hopefully 7 or 8 metres will work, but the megabit thing is still a mystery to me.
480 Mbps is just the USB 2.0 specified standard so I think Supra are confirming that as the achieved rate according to specs, but as you say, it can perform beyond that. The CD transfer rate is a little different because if it's an audio CD playback, the transfer rate is in the Kbps range. For data from CD (e.g. if you're ripping a CD to a hard drive) then the rates can be higher, but it won't affect the playback of music.
Hey good on you mate to get content out like this. I believe and hear the difference between each cables. You are correct in conclusion that the synergy each cable brings will be dependent on the preference of the listener. I'm currently using a Phasure lush^ 3 USB in the original config. At the end of the day just enjoy the music I say.
I'm not really clear on what you're saying, Dave. Companies reaching out to reviewers is very necessary because I for one can't afford to buy all the gear I review. So long as it doesn't come with an expectation of a biased review there's no harm. As for your experience, are you saying that you were not disappointed AND that you sent it back? So you're happy you didn't like it? Just trying to understand
@@PassionforSound it made no difference, and I was expecting that out come. The problem with RU-vid reviews of usb cables is no one ever shows evidence. I have been looking at the reviews of the chord mojo 2, with one saying that it's 10 to 15 percent better, based on what ?. But it's up to people what they believe and spend their money. Audio science review have measurments to prove no audible difference, maybe you can show some of a audible difference !.
The measurements use by ASR only capture a partial picture of what influences sound quality. For example, show me the measurement that indicates the spatial characteristics of a DAC or amp. (Hint: it's not there) Also, hearing science is still evolving. We are only just now learning that high frequency sound outside of the Audible range can somehow influence our perception within the audible range. These studies are very new, but are providing definitive evidence that inaudible content in music does influence our brain activity and perception of music. None of that is in the measurements because scientists don't even know what to measure yet
I am returning the iFi Zen dac, but to do that I had to put their included USB cable back in the box with the dac. I replaced it with a generic USB cable, and it has affected the soundstage. So now I went out and got two Supras. The "cheap" ones. I needed two because I have an iFi galvanic isolator. This passion (for sound) is going to ruin me. But I'm taking my time on my ride.
They can make a change in sound. But this is due to RF-noise going in to the DAC. Some cables (especially audiophile cables) are more susceptible to RF-noise.
@@PassionforSound Flatter but sometimes wider Soundstage, brighter and harder sound, sometimes the impression of more dynamics and tighter bass(but also faster listening fatigue)… these are the things that I know from RF-noise. I have not heard anything getting better in a natural musical way.
Hi Lachlan🙂, I would like to buy some usb A to usb micro cable to improve also my dongle dac, and it seems that AQ is the only option for me, also I would like to achieve what Supra 2.0 does. Where the supra 2.0 would be placed performance-wise between the AQ pearl, forrest, cinnamon and carbon? If you can compare it just from the memory, even broad estimation would help 😃 thanks.
I tried a same cable type (good quality) in 0,5m and 5m. The 5m sounded significantly less clear, more muffled. That proved to me that USB cable do matter
That's interesting because theory would suggest that longer cables will lose signal integrity. What it says to me though is that whatever IS happening to the signal over the longer distance is preferable to your ears and that's all that matters. 🙂🙂
@@PassionforSound You may have misread or misunderstood. It seems he was saying that the longer 5 meter cable did not sound as good as the shorter 0.5 meter cable 🙂
Hi :) I saw your earlier video about USB cables so I bought the supra 2.0 and heard a difference. Do I need to worry about this Supra excalibur 😁? Sorry I propably dont have time to see whole video but u have my view and like 😃😄👍and sub from long time ago
The Excalibur is an upgrade in my opinion. Whether or not you should buy it probably depends on the level of your system and what you're wanting from your listening experience.
OK, sending data from for example your Streamer or CD transport source is of course digital, this data is corrected as part of the process. Else how would Hi-Res streaming across the internet (possibly 1,000's of miles even work). Why would you need a $100 plus cable just to cover the distance of a few metres? Up and until the data enters the DAC it is digitally perfect, and corrected at every stage. Only when the data stream becomes an audio signal is it effected by interference.
I'd recommend looking into the differences between USB Audio protocols (where there is no error correction), but more importantly, take a look at Alpha Audio's tests of network switches where they showed how noise entering a digital device like a streamer or DAC via the devices and cables upstream can alter the timing accuracy and therefore degrade sound quality. I suspect what we're experiencing is more about noise entering the circuits than data loss, but I'm still trying to get to the bottom of it.
I use this cable between my PC and My Audiolab DAC. I chose it because it looked as if the money might have been spent on the cable rather than its presentation. I use a 6m length, works fine despite sharing its route with many other cables, no interference of any kind.
It would be interesting to compare the Excalibur to the QED Reference USB cable, which is a bit cheaper and seems popular with the people who have bought one.
Cool content! glad you're willing to tackle this topic as the headphone, usb, interconnect cable camps are quite passionate about their opinions. Do you ever use DDCs like the Singxer SU6 or Matrix x-spdif 2? Just wondering if the USB cables make a noticeable difference from a streamer to DDC then I2S into the Dac rather than just the source to Dac.
@@PassionforSound yeah I’m starting it as I get into streaming. Upgrading usb cables and hdmi (I2S) cables are next up on my path. Got the Burson supercharger to improve the soloist so I’m almost “there”.
Nice! I2S and power cables are on my agenda for the future. I'm still sceptical about power cables, but that's why I need to check them out and see what I hear.
Just thought I’d add my 2 cents… I have an SU6 and the usb cable you use does matter even with one of the best DDCs like the SU6. SU6 will fix time domain related stuff but is still sensitive to noisey usb cables. UGreen braided usb is the worst cable. Glare in the upper mids, anaemic bass and noisy edges of higher notes. Supra hispeed fixes those issues but still has some noisy edges. A pretty neutral cable which I would say is the minimum quality someone should get when spending more than $20 on a cable. Excalibur makes midbass more impactful and increases attack. Less noisy edges. Curious evolved gets rid of all “glare” and noisy edges which is fantastic if you don’t have clean power. If you’ve taken care of your power already then you won’t benefit from the smoothing as much. I’m still deciding which cable is for me but there’s no doubt that the Excalibur is a great value and one of the best performers as Lachlan states.
Lachlan (hope I got that right) another USB 2.0 cable to check out - Oyaide Neo D+ series. There are 3 models - entry level Class B. mid range Class A and the high end Class S. They are available at Store DJ Downunder, and are priced at $39, $59 and $99 respectively for a 1 metre length.. Can't comment on theirn performance coz I don't use USB as an interconnct. But I do use their Class S RCA stereo interconnects and it is pretty amazing. Was trying to get hold of their SP/DIF coax AS-808R, but it's no longer stocked.
I actually tried the Oyaide in a previous comparison (where I attempted a somewhat flawed experiment). Subjectively though, the Supra regular cable was better.
I have Oyiade Neo D+ class A rca and very happy with it, but the same class usb Oyiade connected from blusound to RME dac is not great at all. It is worse than my ordinary usb computer cable😒
Two things, Curious Evolved in America for 1 meter is $589.95, .8 meter is $549.95. Just so you know. I’m interested now in the interconnects for TT2 to the M Scaler from Supra. Oh, I have 108 hours of burn in time now. The wait is grueling. lol
I'll be testing the Supra BNCs VERY soon now. Do feel free to reach out to me at passionforsound@lachlanfennen.com and I'll gladly send you some early impressions.
I'd love to see a double blind A/B test if someone can systematically tell the difference between a decent USB/HDMI/other digital cable and the fanciest one on the market. It's outside my imagination, but that exactly would make is so interesting if it was proven. Technically all I can think of is noise being passed through the cable, but that would just be bad design on both ends and not really about the cable, but maybe there will be other possibilities mentioned here.
There are some challenges with blind testing that don't necessarily eradicate errors, they just change the source of those errors. I think it's probably best if people stick to trying these things out for themselves and making up their own minds. You can do this with a very affordable entry-level Supra USB cable so it doesn't require a massive investment. As for the causes, there's a lot going on such as noise (like you said), possibly changes to the phase (timing) of the signal, and maybe things we don't really understand yet.
Hi Passion For Sound. Would you recommend the Excalibur USB in a Eversolo A6 - Hifiman EF600 setup or would you recommend a Audioquest Carbon (I own this myself) or maybe something else. Do you prefer to use the USB in my setup or the spdif Coax input on the EF600 ? Looking forward to your answer. Keep on making great reviews :)
I haven't done extensive testing of the coax vs USB inputs and outputs of these, but if you've already got the Carbon USB cable, I'd stick with that and focus on enjoying the music because any differences will be so small as to be a question of preference and therefore unlikely significant. 🙂
@@PassionforSound I Understand. But if it was up to you would you normally go for the coax or the usb input or do you test them both each time before with every new product before you make a choice? Is it not so that one is better for audio as the other? Funny thing is that the service department of Hifiman tells me that the spdif coax is the one to go for when it comes to audio. While normally usb can player higher quality music files I think. You tested the Excaliber yourself and you know the way it sounds. Would it be a good option sound wise in my setup or would you prefer the sound of the Audioquest in my setuo yourself? No more questions :) Thanks for your time and effort :)
A lot depends on your source because USB can be a noisy connection. If coaxial is easily available and you don't need high sample rates (e.g. >192Hz PCM or DSD) then I would trust what HiFiMan have said. If you do go down the path of USB then I honestly would just stick to the AudioQuest cable that you already own. The Excalibur will be different, not necessarily better.
@@PassionforSound My source is a Eversolo A6 and a Hifiman EF600. Not a bad source for USB I guess or am I wrong ? If I choose for USB I am using the clock and dac of the EF600 and when I go for spdif coax I'll be using the clock of the Eversolo. Is that correct? If you want to go for the dac of the EF600 isn't it better soundwise to go for the clock of the EF600 as well? This means that you have to choose for the USB connection....
I'm not an expert on clocks, but my understanding is that the DAC will always reclock the signal as it receives it so either connection will work the same.
I think what might ease my skepticism of high end cables - particularly digital and mains power - would be if there were reviewers going out on a limb, doing double-blind listening tests of such cables compared to the cheap/free ones. If someone would stake their reputation on being able to reliably hear the difference between a power cable that came in the box with their PC and a £4500 Audioquest Dragon power lead (with or without the £2400 fuse upgrade), or a standard printer USB cable and a £1400 Nordost one, then I might accept there might be more to it than just an Emperor's-new-clothes con designed to separate the gullible from their cash. With interconnects and speaker cables, I am more inclined to believe there might be subtle differences, but there are still few if any tests where someone else changes the cables and the listener picks the expensive one based on the sonic differences. Ultimately though, cables can't add detail that isn't present in the recording. They can only reduce losses caused by interference or poor electrical properties and even modestly priced cables do a fairly good job of that, meaning expensive cables are the epitome of diminishing returns.
I have a series of content planned to cover this exact idea (in a slightly different way) so stay tuned. You're right that cables can't add detail, but every cable (no matter how expensive/fancy) is a filter because it has resistance and capacitance. As a result, it's more about how LITTLE the cable takes away rather than how much it adds (which is nothing as you say)
Thanks for your review. I completely agree on your findings on system matching. Having never spend more then 150 Eur on USB cables I'd like to give Supra Cables a try. From your findings I would assume that the cheaper Supra might be a better match for the amazingly neutral ADI 2 DAC. What are your impressions as someone being familiar with the ADI?
Glad you liked the review! I think the base level Supra probably would be better for the ADI-2 (I don't think it needs any additional attack). I don't know any others in that price range that I'd recommend specifically... Maybe the AudioQuest Carbon?
Just a suggestion: the data carrying integrity of any cable can be tested. NRZ signals in the USB cable can be viewed on a scope or other specialized test equipment (XY Plot or Eye Diagram) this is done at the highest specified speeds and the better cable can be identified with the most “open” eye pattern. That still does not mean it makes a difference in the audible sound. EMI coming from the power lines in the cable or the outside environment have the “potential” for corrupting the differential data, and this interference has to first overcome the error correction capability of the system before it “can” become audible, because some errors may not be audible to the user. EMI susceptibility is also very testable, and the shorter the cable the less impact it has. Then we have build quality, very important to guitar cables as they get plugged and unplugged thousands of times and trampled on stage, but how critical is it to a USB cable that you plug in and forget? If you are building a million dollar sound system and money is no object, have at it.
Hi Pablo, one of the key issues in USB audio is that there is no error correction process like for file transfers between hard drives (as an example). Having spoken to a few cable manufacturers, there are lots of theories about how cables influence the sound and some of them relate to shifts in the phase of the signal (i.e. the eye pattern becoming slanted), but I haven't yet gathered any solid data to predict how a certain cable will sound. All I know is that my experiences (which often go against expectation) suggest that there's more to this than we understand yet.
@@PassionforSound Without error correction it should be even easier to quantify and pick out the better cable. This also tilts the scale toward a more robust cable. Either way, these things are measurable (data errors, EMI susceptibility)
I'm yet to see anyone show measurements that explain the variations of sound from one cable to the next - most measurements are focussed on proving that there can be no difference and based on the current available measurements (at least those commonly cited) there is no clarity around why these cables could sound different. The experience of trying all these cables still says they do make a difference though so I hope that we'll one day get access to some measurements that help our understanding of this.
Hi P4S. Thanks for a useful discussion.Would be interested to hear your take on USB choice when it comes to mScaler + DAVE when you get round to it. Source in my case is Auralic Aries G2.1. Thanks for your professionalism and care. Greetings to you and yours.
Hopefully I'll get the chance to answer you eventually. My expectation is the Curious Evolved would be my choice because that never fails to impress. 🙂🙂
This was highly informative. I appreciate your insights and focus on how you experienced the differences. You have a new subscriber! These higher-end cable manufacturers seem to focus on USB A to B connectors. In connecting my iPad to a Raspberry Pi, I need a C to A connection. I realize adapters are available, but I suspect they will degrade the sound quality. Are you aware of warmer, open-soundstage cables in the C to A configuration? Are my concerns about B to A adapters unjustified? Many thanks!
I'm so glad you found it helpful! I feel the same about adapters, but I've never taken the time to test. As for a USB-A to USB-C cable, I have a Cosemi Active Optical USB-A to USB-C cable and it fits what you're looking for perfectly. I'll see if I can get you a link to make it easier...
I am considering buying this new USB cable from Supra as I have the 2.0 version and have been pleased with it. Trouble is I am in Thailand -They want 85000 Baht for the cable here ! Thats AUS$3500 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ebay in Oz $269 Grotesque profiteering
I watched your video and while you referenced testing the Excalibur with the HugoTT2/M Scaler, I am unclear if you felt it was a good match. I am currently considering this cable for connection from an Innuos Zenith MK3 to a Innuos Phoenix USB Reclocker to the HugoTT2/MScaler.
I feel like it's a good match compared to some cheaper or slightly more expensive cables I've tried. It's not as good as say the Curious Evolved USB, but at the price I think it's a great choice for the TT2
Hi there, Very informative video , i have a Schiit bifrost 2 OG and 2/64 card dac, i am thinking of getting audioquest carbon usb and rca cable …. do you think its a good combo ?? i am looking more for a smoother sound signature that you find with curious cable and coffee cable hence the question… your inputs will be helpful for my purchase
I'd say that will be a good choice. The Carbon is a nice USB cable (I haven't tried the RCA equivalent) and should match what you're looking for well I think.
Not related to cables... But I am curious about DDC's to clean up PC USB Audio, bridging between a PC to a DAC, and if you can tell a difference between the I2S, AES/EBU, SPDIF & TOSLINK OUTPUTS that a DDC typically provides. Perhaps a shoot out between the newish Topping U90, Denafrips Iris, Gustard U18, and Singxer SU6? Something like this might be handy for a reviewer like yourself. Take the U90, it has 2x each of AES, SPDIF & TOSLINK, all running simultaneously. How easy would it be to A/B test between 2 or more DACs with that in the chain?
@@PassionforSound I just last week ordered the Topping U90 DDC. I ordered it because the CSR contact at Shenzhen Audio informed me that the Gustard and Singxer DDC's weren't I2S compatible with my Topping D70s, and also because the U90 offers more simultaneous digital output connectivity. I don't know which DDC is the best, IDK if I could hear a difference with or without one, or between them, BUT, what I DO know Is that having multiple desktop DACs and only 1 USB source is a PITA when I want to switch between DACs. I tried a USB switching hub, much cheaper, but i didn't get great results. The U90, or any DDC might be an overkill solution to run multiple DACs, but it should get the job done. If it doesn't, IDK what will. BTW, my other 2 DACs are RME ADI 2 DAC FS and Schiit Yggdrasil A2. Amps are A90, Soloist 3xp, Cayin HA1AMK2. I suspect my Cayin has a BEAST of a transformer output stage, despite being only single ended, it handles my HE6SE headphones effortlessly. EFFORTLESSLY. For my purposes, its a keeper. Anyway, I am looking forward to your SU6 review..I find myself agreeing 80-90% with your assessments that we have common experience with. The remaining percentage isn't so much of a disagreement, but inability to hear what you report. Im stone deaf above 15khz, and my hearing tapers off steeply after 12khz so there is that. Lol. Cheers, and thanks for your great reviews.
Hope the U90 is a great fit for your system, Mark. I'm glad to hear that my reviews are an accurate guide for you too. It will be interesting to see how my experiences with the SU-6 align with your experiences with the U90.
Ever tried the Monoprice Monolith USB Digital Audio Cable USB A to USB B? It costs next to nothing. But hard to beat at any price point. Would appreciate a review on the Monoliths. Thanks.
@@PassionforSound Thank you for the positive response. Looking forward to your comparative observations in the near future. The Monoliths are brilliant; the difference in sonics is not just subtle.
So at the start of your video I was thinking that I get bit perfect data copies across USB all the time so how can a cable make a difference. As an IT person with an electrical background I stopped your vid a few times and did some quick googling and here's some initial thoughts on why the cable may be helping. Lots of data transfer to and from computers is stateful in that the sending end sends checksums with the data and the receiving end then checks the received data against those embedded checksums and if the received data isn't a correct then the receiving end asks for that section of data to be resent. This way any issues in the transmission between the two devices get corrected. Seems that music over USB doesn't utilize stateful protocols (probably due to timing needing to be correct to match with video) and sends stateless data in that there is no checking at the receiving end. So now we are in position where noise and other interference can cause the receiving end to interpret the signal as something different to what was actually sent and that's the answer to why a cable can make a difference. Now there are a lot of other issues to consider, mostly around noise from the computer due to how well it's USB circuits are designed and how the DAC end handles that noise, once again design. Then you throw a different high end cable in there and there is now an interaction between both ends and the cable and the environments around them and my gut feeling is that different cables will be different on different systems for highly complex reasons that most wouldn't be able to work out and so this leads to the only way to know what USB cable is right for you system is to have a handful of good cables and try them out. This is mostly consistent with what you've posted in this vid. I'd suggest you can't categorize a USB cable's sonic performances the way you normally would with other cable interconnects, you can really only say on setup X I notice Y difference as you could have many different problems occurring with data rates, frequency, noise, timing etc etc that a different cable may or may not help with. So if you can hear the difference between the USB cables then I think the best advise is that which many high end audio folk recommend which is avoid USB due to it inherent noise problems if possible (though I'd say avoid it if practical to do so). There also seems to be a rabbit hole of who controls the clock timing and how that causes jitter that I was too lazy to read which somehow comes into the quality on USB also. This reading up on USB noise has led me to an interest in the PI2AES device but unfortunately they don't have any in stock :-(
Thanks for adding your research and knowledge to the conversation! The only point I disagree on, based only on experience, is that the cables do seem to behave predictably from one system to the next so the cable itself seems to dictate some sonic character over and above the synergy/interaction with the devices sending and receiving the signal. As for using other protocols, I2S may offer the best solution by separating the clock signal (I don't know if this actually helps), but I do know that coax, AES and optical all have their own issues. That, combined with massive improvements in USB circuits over the years means that USB is generally on par with all the other protocols from most devices these days.
If you have a VALID link to purchase these cables in the U.S. plz let me know. I am looking for a USB cable from a Schiit WYRD (USB-A) to a Hugo2 (USB-micro). The generic Amazon cable and the Audioquest forest cable sound a little rough
I've had trouble finding links to buy these - sorry! The Supra cables seem to be less broadly available than other brands so you probably need to find a local hifi store that stocks Supra.
Thanks for the review. Can’t believe people get angry for hobby related subjects. Anyway, do you have any theory why you have been hearing a difference?
I know, it's a bit of a shame. I have lots of theories, but I'm still working on narrowing it down to an easily summarised explanation. I'm hoping to interview a cable designer soon and see what I can glean (and share) from that discussion.
The Excalibur is the better cable and they're not tonally different enough that I'd choose one over the other so I'd go Excalibur to get the most out of your setup
Thank you definitely the cable to pair with my Gustard X18. My question is if I’d loose anything in having to use an us-b to us-c converter? This is needed between my source (Apple pro book M1) which only supports us-c. Unfortunately Supra don’t make us-c to us-a. Thanks in advance for any reply. Find your channel super informative as I introduce digital to analogue music into my mostly vinyl collection.
Bought the Excalibur thanks to your review. It’s brilliant! Then I’m just using an Audio quest us-b to us-c converter into my Mac’s usc port. No jitters, just wonderfully smooth, great timing, high resolution sound. Thank you 😊
Cable and antenna theory is not easy science to understand, when considering audio I feel that cables and the quality of the conductors and connectors can make a difference, I have in the past preferred silver cables for a slightly extended treble that seems more natural to me. It is important and generally a good idea to keep an open mind about complex ideas that can not be easily distilled into just a few words.
Ive never had a USB DAC cable work well that was over 2 M long. If you could show me this cable, or any cable, 3 M or longer work without ANY problem in ANY. DAC, then I'll be a believer.
In my experience, usb cables are DAC dependent. What sounds good with one DAC may not sound good with another DAC. I have done many usb cable shootouts with my audio friends with many different DACs.
I feel the same way. A great USB cable is probably always better than a generic one, but once you get to a level like the Supra Excalibur, etc. a lot comes down to preferences and synergy.
To add to my earlier comment, on a higher end system where you've already spent a hefty amount of money, getting a cable with higher quality terminations will also help in terms of longevity in terms of delaying rusting/corrosion that leads to poor connections in the long run. So even if one cannot discern a difference in sonics, the upgrade can be worth it.
My local pro audio store makes their own xlr, rca, and speaker cables. They use parts like Neutrik connectors and really nice materials. They sell them for about $25 per cable for 12 feet so it works out quite well.
Very helpful videos on USB. Where to buy in Oz ? Look to upgrade my Belkin Would postage raise the cost a lot? How does it compare to AQ carbon more easily available ? Thanks
I gather from your other comment that you found a local supplier. I don't have the Carbon anymore, but it should be pretty similar in overall performance I think. I liked the Carbon when I reviewed it years ago
Thanks for reply. I’m enjoying yr channel a lot. I don’t know much about computer audio so like your approach and learning I think this cable whilst a bit more than I thought to spend seems to keep pace with high company so seems worth it. Thanks for bringing it to my attn.
Thought I had found my next cable went on line price here in Oz $249! Shame. I liked yr price better ha ha any ways great review I enjoyed it and going back over bye dac reviews I have a BF2
Sorry about that! I've started only quoting USD prices as kind of a baseline for everything because so often the local pricing varies significantly. It's an excellent cable for $249, but it depends a lot on your needs, budget and appetite for small tweaks.
I liked the cheaper Supra, but as my front end changed, the Surpa vocals felt too recessed. Purchased an Acoustic BBQ Full Rack 1m and i find it is very spacious and open and detailed, but too far on the energetic side and slightly sibilant. With Horns and solid state Accuphase, i'm looking for a cable on the warmer side, and it seems the Excalibur wouldn't be a fit for me. Recommendations?
Like yourself, I find disturbing that usb are influencing the tones on music , I feel when I listen to music I’m looking for a true representation of how that track was recorded. I don’t use equalizer or other tone controls , I want to hear it how it was recorded. I feel the curious evolved replicates this compared to some of my other cables , yes they add sharpness clarity sounds attenuated, they have this sort of out of phase openness, and I mean that in a good way.
Update : I do have the curious evolve and only bought on the grounds that you were able to verify a true tonal representation of the track . I purchased the Excalibur, and I feel I have to eat my own words . The Excalibur just has that slight attack on the musical instrument that extra but not over the top shimmer . Does offer a more but not by much clarity than the evolve. The excalibur I would imagine sounds like a usb cable costing many times over . In quick , the evolve has a sort of tube like warm sound and the Excalibur has a solid state sound
I agree. It also seems to depend a lot on the DAC you use it with as to which is preferable I think. On a DAC like the TT2 which already has the sense of attack, the Evolve is just right (to my ears), but with the Yggy OG or certain R2R DACs, the Excalibur is my preference.
@@PassionforSound I have a Smsl m400 with a tube amp so the curious would warm things even more , the Excalibur brought a little more dynamic to the sound . Love your I. Detail review, you go that extra mile on your review. Keep it , very informative
I haven't found one as yet, but I know the ANZ distributor (based in NZ) is building up the presence in this part of the world. Maybe reach out to him here and see if he can point you in the right direction: supracables.co.nz/
Hello Lachlan, Have you tried Mad Scientist Black Magic cables? USB, IC, power types? In terms of USB there's BM USB & BM Ultra USB. Would love to have the Ultra, but also Nitro Nano power cord and Carbon/Graphene Digital Interconnects tested (sonically mostly). Heard about them recently on Steve Huff's 'Controversial HiFi Things I Should Not Talk About' vid (at 5:42), where he claims their speaker cables are noticeably better than Nordost, which he thinks are better than Cardas, which he thought were better than all his previous ones. While he seems to be quite clueless on the topic of headphones (recommends Verum Audio, saying they're "better than Mark Levinson and Bose"), this seems to be largely due to himself not using them, but just speakers and otherwise seems to be a trustworthy guy. There's also a mention of BM USB cable specifically in the 'My Own Devices Audio Channel' channel vid 'I Learned To Respect USB Cables Made For Audio' (at 9:32), where it seems to perform best, though testing done on some relatively low-end HP setup. They're expensive, but with a 30-day return policy. And from NZ, which is kind of close to you :D Closer than to PL, that's for sure. They sure have unique on global scale technology claims (on their website), which makes me willing to believe they might potentially work better and who knows, maybe could be the single best out there. They also have reviews of their products linked on the website and those seem cautiously convincing. So I think it might be great to have one of the cable-believing audio channels like yours test them out. Maybe you'd be able to get in touch with them?