Have you compared the Cardas Clear Hi Speed to the Phasure Lush 2 USB cable?
What do you like about the Cardas Clear Hi Speed? I am using it but it doesn’t seem to have the traditional Cardas midrange.
1 Like
I’ve been using the Cardas Clear Premium Dual USB cable for a couple of years since replacing the Pangea AG that I started with. I never had the desire to change the Cardas because it sounded really good and I didn’t think the other brands make much difference.
I recently got a good deal on a different brand USB from the Parts Connexion and thought maybe I can try something new to improve the sound.
The cable is the Audience FrontRow USB. It sounds quite different from the Cardas. The Audience sounds more open with everything more defined more present. The Cardas is darker and a bit murkier images. I guess it’s a matter of taste. I’m not saying the Cardas sounds too dark, only in comparison it sounds a little darker. The Cardas is still a excellent sounding cable regardless.
I probably will leave the Audience in the system right now until maybe i want a change of pace and put the Cardas back. In a very good recording, the Audience really shines. In a not as good recording maybe the Cardas is more desirable.
1 Like
I would recommend Supra since it’s hard to beat them with their low price.
1 Like
I have owned in order: Cardas Copper, Wireworld Starlight 7, Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7, Light Harmonic Lightspeed and then it all changed. I bought a Uptone Regen with iFi Power and Curious. The Regen with two short 200mm Curious cables was better than the Light Harmonic and the Platinum Starlight at a cheaper price. I had all three on hand at the same time. Ultimately, I upgraded to the Wyred4Sound Recovery and haven’t looked back. The point is, if you haven’t tried the Regen or Recovery you should.
I finally settled on Audience Front Row - admittedly I did not hear a whole lot of other cables, I liked it much.
1 Like
Have a Curious Evolved right now
Sonore Signature Rendu SE Optical > Curious Evolved > Matrix X-SPDIF > WW Silver Sphere > DSJ
Suggested upgrade in USB?
The Nordost Valhalla2 USB cable is settling in nicely. It is the most revealing and transparent USB cable I have ever used, even better than my previous Audience FrontRow which was also very high in resolution. It brings even more incredible liveness and completeness to the music!!
3 Likes
Old thread but decided to throw in my 2 cents worth.
Just compared 4 USB cables from my PC to DSjr. The four were Monoprice 15’ ($3), TrippLite 15’ ($7), Belkin Gold 6’ ($15) and AudioQuest Cinnamon 1.5M ($110).
They all performed identically as far as I could tell. No dropouts. Streamed from Quboz using the WOW II playlist which was created to demo high end equipment at audio shows. Sonically, I could not tell them apart.
I prefer using the Bridge II as I find it produces a more open, lively sound.
6 Likes
USB stinks for audio, you are wise to nip the nonsense in the bud and stick with what works
1 Like
I would have thought the same thing, except I’ve come across my share of videos of ultra $$$ music servers that only use USB. Taiko (sp) is one such brand. I admit high cost just means you pay more (in every case). I does not necessarily equate to superior performance. Someone with greater experience here could most certainly add their $.02
FWIW, my observation is that the theoretical and/or actual limitations of USB as the primary signal carrier for musical 1s and 0s can be overcome with a variety of fixes and tweaks - many of which are discussed at length on this forum and deployed by its denizens.
That said, my bias is that it makes more sense to start with a “better” mechanism and maximize its deployment rather than to start with USB. Admittedly, however, I cannot convincingly offer a definitive argument for what the better transmission foundation is, due to the fact that I don’t have extensive experience with all of the alternatives.
Even so, I am partial to “ethernet”, Wi-Fi and optical transmission lines as opposed to USB, based on early my early (long ago) reading up on the perils of “computer audio and USB”. I have since, simply avoided USB. (Perhaps the early, reputed inferiority of USB is no longer valid?)
I think the ubiquitous nature of USB connections/their dominance in the realm of computer connectors is what has led to the common use of USB over other types of connections and cables in streamers, music servers and such.
My $0.02.
I’ll have to disagree. Servers depending on their design, quality of parts and power supplies can sound very different to each other, just like better quality CD or SACD transport can sound much better than a mainstream CD player as a transport.
USB is a very bad if not the worst interface on the DAC and I2s is the best. That is why many of us use a high quality USB to I2s converter to get the better sound.
I’ve try XLR, RCA, and Toslink as well as USB and no doubt, I2s is best.
Hmmmmmm.
I have a complete system with zero I2S cables.
4 Likes
But you’re not using a PS Audio DAC right now, are you?
I use the one the designer of the particular piece of gear says is the best and the one the most effort was put into. For the May it is USB and for the Aqua it is AES. With the DS Ted says it’s I2S so an individual owner needs to decide if he wants to invest in the extra parts and pieces or just use AES like I did. DSD was not a worry for me and to my ears the AES input easily beat the USB with at least a half dozen different USB cables.
What difference would that make to your statement that i2s is best?
4 Likes
Other DACs may have different interfaces that are better, but on the PS Audio DAC, I2s is the best interface.
2 Likes
You never mentioned a PS Audio DAC in your message crowning i2s King.
For what its worth, in my computer room I use a Dragon as an i2s cable between my DSD Jr. and my Matrix.
2 Likes
I have been going back and forth between USB and and I2S into the DS for several weeks now. There have been several times that I cannot tell the difference. If I had no choice but to use USB, I wouldn’t shed a tear.
Disclaimer - My ears are my ears. 
6 Likes
USB is on the way out for me but I’ve used a Wireworld Starlight 8 for the last 2.5 years and find it to be fantastic.
3 Likes