Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Devialet and USB cables
#1
Hello guys

What are Your opinions about USB cables and Devialet? Did You tried any expensive models?

I have a simple no name USB cable that I received as a package when I bought some DAC three years ago. This cable works very well with my Devialet nad laptop. I tried very expensive model of Transparent Premium USB and I preferred my stock USB cable because of sound openess.
But today I tried Audioquest Diamond and this is first cable that made me thinking;-)
Do You have any experiences with Diamond? Any opinions?
Reply
#2
(27-May-2014, 23:53)moreno1973 Wrote: Hello guys

What are Your opinions about USB cables and Devialet? Did You tried any expensive models?

I have a simple no name USB cable that I received as a package when I bought some DAC three years ago. This cable works very well with my Devialet nad laptop. I tried very expensive model of Transparent Premium USB and I preferred my stock USB cable because of sound openess.
But today I tried Audioquest Diamond and this is first cable that made me thinking;-)
Do You have any experiences with Diamond? Any opinions?

My only experience with USB was using a Transparent Performance cable which isn't an expensive model compared to some! It sounded pretty good to me, I think at the time I thought it was pretty close to streaming via my UPnP setup (Moon MiND 180 connected to NAS via ethernet network).

In the latest issue of Hifi News (July) there's a group test of USB cables from £10-£999. Interestingly the Audioquest Forest USB which costs £35/1.5M scores the same (80) as the new Light Harmonic Lightspeed USB (80) which costs £999/1.6M. The winners are Nordost Blue Heaven USB 2.0 which scores 83 and costs £265/2M and Chord's Signature Tuned Aray which scores 85 and costs £400/1M.

Regarding the Audioquest Diamond with DBS I can well believe it! More on this later! Wink

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
Reply
#3
Haven't tested yet myself but am also very curious as to what everyone is using/has tested. I myself have my eyes on the Audioquest and Nordost USB cables (they've recently released the Heimdall 2 USB cable BTW). Also interesting to me are the iFi Audio Micro iUSBPower product (http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/micro-iusbpower/) as it can isolate grounds and provide clean USB power and their Gemini 'two headed' USB cable which splits power and signal (http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/accessory-gemini/).

Does anyone yet if the Devialet's USB input needs the power pins connected?

(PS: I checked USB2.0 cannot yet be galvanically isolated in full there are simply no devices/chipsets etc. available for that purpose. The ethernet input of the Devialet is isolated by the TDK chip on the board)
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.

The Netherlands
Reply
#4
Chord silver screen for me. If you read that Hifi News review they actually concede that they prefer it anyway. It is fairly cheap too!
Reply
#5
I'm using the audioquest diamond.
I'm very happy with it. Added detail, soundstage and clearer sound.
It's clearly better than a standard cable.
Devialet 440 pro CI, Shunyata Research Sigma S/PDIF RCA link, In-Akustik Referenz LS-4004 Air , B&W 802 Diamond.
Aurender N10, SR Sigma AES/EBU 
2x Paul Pang OCXO dual switch, SR Sigma Ethernet, Acousense GISO GB Lan Isolator
Rega RP8, Rega Apheta 2
SR Denali 6000/S V2, SR Alpha NR PL C19, Naim PL C15
IsoAcoustics Gaia I, Orea Bronze & Indigo
Reply
#6
(28-May-2014, 15:49)Antoine Wrote: <cut>

Does anyone yet if the Devialet's USB input needs the power pins connected?

<cut>

I can answer my own question since I've tested it using my new motherboard for which you can configure to cut the power in USB. The Devialet needs the USB ground active. It can do without an active +5V power from the source.
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.

The Netherlands
Reply
#7
Wow, just got my Totaldac USB cable. Surprised by how immediate and noticeable the difference was. Will blind test it with some friends, but at first listen it seemed to cut out a lot of glare/high frequency hardness and to make individual musical lines much more prominent. Listening to the astonishing new version of Nozze by Currentzis with great delight. Then on to Coltrane Live at the VV.
SYSTEM 1:Grimm MU-1 running Roon Server & Ready//Grimm TPM//GRIMM LS1be
SYSTEM 2: Antipodes DX Roon Server// MiniDSP// Grimm TPM// Dutch & Dutch 8C

Reply
#8
Nice. I've been seriously tempted by the Totaldac USB cable but I'm still umming and aahing over a source so not sure what to go with, and already have a very nice SPDIF cable which I ought to use somehow!
Reply
#9
I'm a cable skeptic mostly, especially speaker cables which I think are often a bizarre impedance matching racket. But I do think there's reasons to think that jitter effects sound, and my ears seem to agree! But yeah definitely hold off if you aren't sure about USB!
SYSTEM 1:Grimm MU-1 running Roon Server & Ready//Grimm TPM//GRIMM LS1be
SYSTEM 2: Antipodes DX Roon Server// MiniDSP// Grimm TPM// Dutch & Dutch 8C

Reply
#10
I've checked Tellurium Black Diamond, JCat, Synergestic Research Active, Audioquest Diamond, Entreq Konstantin with Minimus and Silver Ertha, which was very similar to Totaldac, which is my choice. AQ is good, but Totaldac is better. SR is also worth to try, it is fast, bright cable with great sounstage. Totaldac connects Auralic Aries with Devialet.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)