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CD Players, Digital Music & Servers Aurender, dCs, Esoteric, Lumin. |
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#11
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I have been listening to the AQ Diamond USB cable now for about a week. It is fully broken in. In the past I clung to the belief that cables as long as they were well engineered didn't matter. However, I am amazed at how much better my computer audio sounds through this all silver topline AQ USB cable. I'm not going to write a review but I just want to say that if you are using USB to not spend the relatively small amount of money to upgrade to a solid silver USB is a significant mistake. You will hear the difference immediately and it will get better and better as the cable fully breaks in.
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#12
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System: ML:5206,5302 Serafino's Nordost Lumin U1 RM15 |
#13
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I've recently auditioned (and in one case, bought) two Shunyata USB cables that, IIRC, utilize silver-plated copper conductors, and in my system, these cables, including the entry-level Venom USB cable, outperformed the AQ Diamond. So, I don't think that a 100% solid silver conductor is absolutely required, I think what's much more important is cable design, materials, construction and ability to reject noise, RFI and EM radiation. I wlll agree that the solid silver AQ digital cables sound better than a partial-silver AQ digital cable.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components. Last edited by Puma Cat; 04-25-2019 at 02:10 PM. |
#14
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And passing a perfect square wave is very difficult and susceptible to all the noise factors you have mentioned.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components. |
#15
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Puma, are the Diamonds solid silver, or wrapped with silver? AQ refers to perfect surface or something similar, making it not clear to me |
#16
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“Solid 100% PSS Silver” |
#17
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I remember posting about this several years ago and was shot down by someone saying “bits are bits”. Not interested in a useless online discussion of same, i didn’t engage.
I’m glad some others have had the same experience I did. |
#18
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"I've recently auditioned (and in one case, bought) two Shunyata USB cables that, IIRC, utilize silver-plated copper conductors, and in my system, these cables, including the entry-level Venom USB cable, outperformed the AQ Diamond. So, I don't think that a 100% solid silver conductor is absolutely required, I think what's much more important is cable design, materials, construction and ability to reject noise, RFI and EM radiation. I wlll agree that the solid silver AQ digital cables sound better than a partial-silver AQ digital cable."
Puma, several points. I believe the AQ Diamond from a manufacturing standpoint is at least the equal of any Shunyata USB cable and also equal to them as far any specs. The Diamond uniformly receives superb reviews whenever reviewed and this compared to other topline USB's, not entry level. Audioquest is almost as large as Monster Cable having thousands of outlets. This means they have the research and materials development money to spend that smaller manufacturers simply don't have. I don't agree with you that the entry level Shunyata Venom will best sonically the Diamond. All things being equal, silver sounds better than copper. Now if your ears tell you that a topline Shunyata or even a second tier sounds marginally better than a Diamond, preferences are what makes the world go round. Respectfully, Charles |
#19
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I can't say which cable might sound best for you, either with respect to your listening preferences, room, and associated components and their configuration. We all have different sensibilities, a different auditory system and we don't all hear the same. I can say that I used an Audioquest Diamond USB cable in my system for the better part of five years and was very happy with it, but in my room, with system, configuration and speakers, the Shunyata Venom sounds better the Audioquest Diamond in number of ways. Both are excellent, but I prefer the Venom: its quieter, with more air, spaciousness, extension, bigger soundstange and more precise imaging, and better and more accurate tonal range and timbral colors than the Diamond,in my system. That result may change in another system with another set of components in another room. As for manufacturing a USB cable, in my experience, here's what matters: All devices, whether they be a MC cartridge, DAC, preamp, cable, whatever, perform a set of functional transformations. They take an input, and tranform that input into a functional response based on a transfer function, y=f(x). The things that impact the central tendency (mean or median) and variance of the functional response are the input factors, the control factors and the noise factors. Virtually all functional systems work this way. How effective an engineer can accomplish this is dependent on how effectively they can characterize, optimize and make robust the type, number and levels of the input and control factors to mediate the desired functional response, either by putting it on-target, or maximizing or minimizing the functional response, while minimizing the impact of noise, and in so doing, create a design embodiment (product) that accomplishes this. None of this has anything to do with how big a company is, how many stores it has, or how long it has been in business. Its all simply down to how effectively the engineer or designer can implement the transfer function into a physical design embodiment. Respectfully, Stephen aka Puma Cat
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components. |
#20
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I think the key here is the phrase "in my system" but I doubt that your preference of the Venom over the Diamond would be the case generally in most folks systems. Certainly I don't believe it would be in mine. Respectfully, Charles Last edited by Charles; 04-27-2019 at 07:32 PM. |
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