Cut the red wire

[Superaintit]

Cut the red usb power wire. No seriously, just cut it.

It's what I did with a standard 3 quid usb and detail has improved in the sense that I now hear better separation of instruments and some details I hadn't noticed before.

After communicating with customer service from a certain hifi manufacturer on the merits of usb cable upgrade, I got the advice to look for usb cables that have the power cable seperated from the data wires. That gave me the idea to cut the power cable on a cheapy as I figured the dac most probably got it's juice from the walplug. Some googling gave me the rest I needed to know.

 

[6th.replicant]

Well, you were quite correct re the rDAC needing c. 70-100 hrs run-in, so perhaps this theory also deserves some consideration...

 

[Anonymous]

So I just cut the red wire of my £100 Wireworld Starlight
USB cable?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5299/5495348760_008f5c3542.jpg

 

[Superaintit]

w2s:

So I just cut the red wire of my £100 Wireworld Starlight USB cable?
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5299/5495348760_008f5c3542.jpg

No, your wireworld usb cable has the power cable seperated from the data cables.

As it shows here:

Try it on a usb that you got free with some kind of usb device and compare with the starlight.

Should be interesting.

 

[Jammoe]

(I think w2s was being funny)

 

[Superaintit]

Jammoe:(I think w2s was being funny)

That's what I thought, but you can never be sure... and his whole cable is red.

 

[Anonymous]

Re. (I think w2s was being funny)

Your absolutely right....Please no offence is meant Superaintit

I first read about this a while ago over on the CA forum (USA).

Although I think it is probably a good idea in practice....I wouldn't dare recommend this here in the UK.

I think you need to think of the bigger picture - Health and Safety etc...

Should you ever want to use the cable again for some other application...Cutting the red positive (+5V) power feed is not such a clever idea!

From the smallest sparks come the largest fires!!!

 

[Superaintit]

No worries W2s,

I wasn't offended in the least! Actually your remark made me laugh.

..but I would still be interested in a comparison my stock cable and the wireworld usb.

Will probably take a punt in the not too distant future with the wireworld ultraviolet to see how it compares and let you knoew my findings.

 

[Anonymous]

That's good no harm done then..As I didn't mean to offend.

I suspect that the Wireworld Starlight is probably no better or worse than your recommendation...It does look prettier though.

I did write a comment here...For what it's worth.

http://whathifi.com/news/WireWorld-set-to-launch-two-new-high-end-USB-Audio-cables/

My O/A feelings (again for what it is worth) are to try and keep the USB cable as short as possible, as I do believe that is probably the best method of reducing jitter.

Buy a decent well made and well shielded cable within USB 2.0 spec. (WITHOUT FERRITES)....Belkin Pro series USB 2.0 is a typical well made good cheapy that you can find on ebay. (I personally can't tell the difference audibly between my 0.5m Wireworld Starlight and my 0.5m Belkin Pro!)...No doubt others will claim they can...I probably just have more hairs in my ears than others do blocking the signal path.

I suspect your suggestion is a good idea...If you have a loop in your system...It should then defeat the problem at source (Unsolder rather than cut might be a better idea as it is reversible)....Mark the cable as it is now in effect no longer a USB cable any longer.

Otherwise I have defected back to the original idea that it is just 1's & 0's at the end of the day...Not wishing to get flamed here (or anywhere else!)...But save your money.