To my ears USB cables do make a difference.

[Jasonovich]

Just for interest here's a small quote from the owners manual for my CD player; "You should either use a twin screened audio cable or a pair of single-screened audio cables. These cables can have a considerable effect on the quality of the sound, and you are advised to seek your dealer's advice on the best types of cables for your system."

Just out of curiosity, does your cd player support balanced outputs, such as XLR.
You'll get cleaner and fuller sound from XLR cables.
If that option is available, I would suggest quad wiring Mogami or Canare cables.

 

[Al ears]

Just out of curiosity, does your cd player support balanced outputs, such as XLR.
You'll get cleaner and fuller sound from XLR cables.
If that option is available, I would suggest quad wiring Mogami or Canare cables.

What does this have to do with a USB cable thread??

 

[JDL]

Just out of curiosity, does your cd player support balanced outputs, such as XLR.
You'll get cleaner and fuller sound from XLR cables.
If that option is available, I would suggest quad wiring Mogami or Canare cables.

Hi, thanks for your suggestion yes the CD player does have XLR outputs but I do know about the amp. Any idea if or how to use them if no XLR on CD input to amplifier? I think the CD input is just RCA.

 

[JDL]

Only if and when they genuinely do not know which cable they are listening to - then they cannot be biased, nor have any incentive to hype their usual favourites - no agenda.

Otherwise, their opinion is no more valid than anyone else's.

Yes, I see your point. I was thinking about this. One of them should sneak in to their testing room and swap out their cables for cheap ones for a few days and see if anyone notices. I think it could be cause for some fun and interesting write ups.

 

[Gray]

the CD player does have XLR outputs but I do know about the amp. Any idea if or how to use them if no XLR on CD input to amplifier? I think the CD input is just RCA.

No point going XLR to RCA.
Any advantage you might have got from XLR to XLR would be lost as the RCA unbalances the signal.

 

[Jasonovich]

What does this have to do with a USB cable thread??

Absolutely nuffink LOL

 

[Jasonovich]

Hi, thanks for your suggestion yes the CD player does have XLR outputs but I do know about the amp. Any idea if or how to use them if no XLR on CD input to amplifier? I think the CD input is just RCA.

Gray is right, does it have TRS balanced jack input?
XLR to TRS will work without compromise. Better to stick with RCA if there are no balanced inputs on your amp.

 

[aversaurus]

I've never noticed a difference with any usb cable I've owned

 

[Al ears]

I've never noticed a difference with any usb cable I've owned

Good to know.
The OP obviously has a different opinion....
This is the way cable threads go so no newbie is likely to glean any useful information from them.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

I've never noticed a difference with any usb cable I've owned

Which ones have you tried ?

 

[aversaurus]

Apart from generic computer ones I have a qed and a audio quest one .I've never noticed a difference same as optical.

 

[AJM1981]

Some cables might make a difference due shielding but there should be audible distortion in the chain in the first place to make a comparible difference. But when it comes to USB, HDMI, Spdif etc. there should not be any difference apart from looks.

In general the distortion is rarely there and when the argument is sound I would find expensive cables a waste of money. If the reason is that owning a beautiful amp and loudspeakers that need a good looking fat cable.. be my guest.

My large Wharfedales have a silly thin shielded speaker cable hanging at the back. It could use a thicker one, just to make them look better, just as 2 fake double exhaust pipes make a car look better.

That would be my only point when I would be selling cables.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

Some cables might make a difference due shielding but there should be audible distortion in the chain in the first place to make a comparible difference. But when it comes to USB, HDMI, Spdif etc. there should not be any difference apart from looks.

In general the distortion is rarely there and when the argument is sound I would find expensive cables a waste of money. If the reason is that owning a beautiful amp and loudspeakers that need a good looking fat cable.. be my guest.

My large Wharfedales have a silly thin shielded speaker cable hanging at the back. It could use a thicker one, just to make them look better, just as 2 fake double exhaust pipes make a car look better.

That would be my only point when I would be selling cables.

Agree 100%.

I use QED 79 strand speaker cable. A lot of the more expensive speaker cables sold are just QED 79 strand with a thick outer jacket to make the cable look more "impressive"...

Same thing with interconnects too. The ones supplied with my CD player are the same as some selling for £50 a time. Once again the only difference is the £50 ones have a thicker outer jacket all to make the buyer think they are getting more cable for their money...

 

[npxavar]

The toughest part of the audio chain is not the cables, not the source, not the amplifier, not the speakers, not the speaker stands (if applicable). It's the room. Size, ratios of length, width and height, surface reflectivity, furniture sound absorption, room treatment and on top of everything not looking like a studio.

Why pay so much attention to cables?

 

[Gray]

surface reflectivity,

That one in particular.

It's truly laughable that someone might worry about what cables they're using in some of the reflective rooms I've seen.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

The toughest part of the audio chain is not the cables, not the source, not the amplifier, not the speakers, not the speaker stands (if applicable). It's the room. Size, ratios of length, width and height, surface reflectivity, furniture sound absorption, room treatment and on top of everything not looking like a studio.

Why pay so much attention to cables?

EXACTLY.

Build a system to fit your listening room and its unique "sound signature".

Its the reason why i, ultimately, only judge a component in my listening room and not an unfamiliar dealers demo room.

 

[Friesiansam]

Now as a headphone listener, room acoustics are irrelevant to me so, maybe cables might be more important. Like others I don't believe digital cables make any difference, if there is going to be any problem with noise, it's going to come from inside the PC but, there is no problem with noise and the DAC in my Pathos amp, corrects everything.

When I changed the headphone cable, I'm damned if I could hear any difference between the Focal original and the new Oidio Sound cable.

 

[Al ears]

Now as a headphone listener, room acoustics are irrelevant to me so, maybe cables might be more important. Like others I don't believe digital cables make any difference, if there is going to be any problem with noise, it's going to come from inside the PC but, there is no problem with noise and the DAC in my Pathos amp, corrects everything.

When I changed the headphone cable, I'm damned if I could hear any difference between the Focal original and the new Oidio Sound cable.

Then why did you change the headphone cable?
Anyway this thread is drifting away from the original post..

 

[JDL]

Some cables might make a difference due shielding but there should be audible distortion in the chain in the first place to make a comparible difference. But when it comes to USB, HDMI, Spdif etc. there should not be any difference apart from looks.

In general the distortion is rarely there and when the argument is sound I would find expensive cables a waste of money. If the reason is that owning a beautiful amp and loudspeakers that need a good looking fat cable.. be my guest.

My large Wharfedales have a silly thin shielded speaker cable hanging at the back. It could use a thicker one, just to make them look better, just as 2 fake double exhaust pipes make a car look better.

That would be my only point when I would be selling cables.

Some cables might make a difference due shielding but there should be audible distortion in the chain in the first place to make a comparible difference. But when it comes to USB, HDMI, Spdif etc. there should not be any difference apart from looks.

In general the distortion is rarely there and when the argument is sound I would find expensive cables a waste of money. If the reason is that owning a beautiful amp and loudspeakers that need a good looking fat cable.. be my guest.

My large Wharfedales have a silly thin shielded speaker cable hanging at the back. It could use a thicker one, just to make them look better, just as 2 fake double exhaust pipes make a car look better.

That would be my only point when I would be selling cables.

I like your analogy.

The toughest part of the audio chain is not the cables, not the source, not the amplifier, not the speakers, not the speaker stands (if applicable). It's the room. Size, ratios of length, width and height, surface reflectivity, furniture sound absorption, room treatment and on top of everything not looking like a studio.

Why pay so much attention to cables?

I think for peace of mind. No one's going to spend hundreds or more on seperates and then connect using cables of which you don't know what the quality of the screening, terminals, the manufacture quality of the whole, is. Surely it has to be worth it to not necessarily spend any more than is necessary, but enough so that one knows exactly what one is using.

 

[hifi]

I like your analogy.

I think for peace of mind. No one's going to spend hundreds or more on seperates and then connect using cables of which you don't know what the quality of the screening, terminals, the manufacture quality of the whole, is. Surely it has to be worth it to not necessarily spend any more than is necessary, but enough so that one knows exactly what one is using.

👍

 

[Friesiansam]

Then why did you change the headphone cable?

Because the original is annoyingly stiff and too short.

 

[Al ears]

Because the original is annoyingly stiff and too short.

An excellent reason then. Thanks for the update.

 

[Al ears]

An excellent reason then. Thanks for the update.

So, presumably you now have something less rigid and the right length? Who cares if there is no apparent change in sound quality.

 

[jjbomber]

Because the original is annoyingly stiff and too short.

Oh matron!

 

[Dom]

Stiff and short, eh? I have long and flexible 💪😎