USB Cable - Audioquest Coffee
Posted by: eagle3333 on 05 January 2018
A flying visit to report the following for anyone interested :
I've been very happy with the SQ served up from Melco through my DAC's USB port. But, over xmas, having successfully upgraded my phono IC's, I wondered what a posh USB cable might do. I had an Entreq lead which was already a bit snooty but, whilst on a roll, acquired a 'Coffee' on demo'. It took roughly 60 seconds to be deeply impressed at the change wrought by this cable. After getting the excitement under control, I listened intently through different tracks to be sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. There was no doubt; sound had become obviously fuller, smoother, more airy, more decay to notes, more depth, width and height to soundstage, a greater sense of presence, realism and vocalist in the room. The proverbial black background was already pretty black but this cable deepened it, against which the presence of vocals and lead instruments became more palpable than I'd heard them before. I'm much less than expert, but guess a lot of this is to do with stopping ingress to DAC of invasive, cable-borne crud. The Coffee's spec' speaks to excellent shielding and it has a strange tube attached into which is plugged what looks like a ground wire - but might not be. Whatever it is, it works. There's also an element of silver plating which goes from 10% on the coffee to 100% on the top-of-line Diamond. I was sorely tempted to send it back and get the Diamond because if the improvement is of the same magnitude, it would be fabulous and worth the doubling of price. But I've spent enough on cables right now and have to draw the line. I'm keeping my Coffee - but might demo a Diamond in the summer when the itch becomes too unbearable.
For anyone not wanting to add more powered devices to their chain, this is an easy and significant upgrade. (The last time I had a result of this magnitude was when I put in the SL speaker cable. Actually, I don't recall even that being as across-the-board in its effects.) I don't know how it stacks up against those devices, but the joy of cables is you can demo and return if you don't like.
Posted on: 05 January 2018 by No quarter
All the rage right now on the Headfi forum,is adding ferrites to USB cables,which I have done...and they do seem to work.Have you ever tried any on your USB cables?
Posted on: 06 January 2018 by Mayor West
Nice write up. I've tried a few different USB cables but they've been a bit hit and miss for me, normally taking something away at the expense of something that was there before. Most expensive I tried was a Chord Signature TA. I've always ended up going back to the standard one supplied with my Hugo which can lack a bit of sparkle compared to the others I tried but seems to give the most coherent performance.
I have had success from adding ferrites however which yielded a very noticeable improvement for the cost of about £5. Will certainly consider the audioquests though if I get the itch again but at the minute I think I might gain more improvement switching to a dedicated player from my Mac mini.
Posted on: 06 January 2018 by eagle3333
I had a ferrite at both ends of the Entreq cable. If there was a difference is was subtle. Ferrets all over power cables, Sky box, ethernet.. The effect of the Coffee was far from subtle. I agree re: hit and miss, Mayor. I would say there was little difference between a cheapy cable and the Entreq. Latter has an attached ground lead which, if grounded, might have made more difference but was more hassle/money than I was prepared to invest. Our systems are all different but definitely worth a sale or return demo' IMO. I (think) I'd like to hear a genuine, objective comparison review of the Coffee vs Diamond.
Posted on: 06 January 2018 by Mayor West
Well Eagle you've certainly piqued my interest so I'll probably give one a go at some point. If you google 'audioquest coffee usb steve hoffman' the first hit is a review of different USB cables and does do the comparison between the diamond and the coffee :-)
Posted on: 06 January 2018 by eagle3333
I think I know what it'll say! However, essential to try in one's own system before getting too carried away. It's probably a retrograde step in mine 
Posted on: 06 January 2018 by eagle3333
Hmm - haven't found his comparison yet but did read his Coffee reports. Agree with every word. The g/f is sitting here jigging along to David Byrne like never before. I'm thinking this is possibly the best cost/benefit ratio improvement I've ever made. For a change. I am reading him saying elsewhere that the Diamond is better, but not by so much and that the law of diminishing returns applies. I feel better already.
Posted on: 07 January 2018 by Huge
All the rage right now on the Headfi forum,is adding ferrites to USB cables,which I have done...and they do seem to work.Have you ever tried any on your USB cables?
I do this with all my digital cables (as well as most analogue ones).
The best ferrites I've found so far are the ones made by Würth Electronik.
Posted on: 07 January 2018 by Gavin B
All the rage right now on the Headfi forum,is adding ferrites to USB cables,which I have done...and they do seem to work.Have you ever tried any on your USB cables?
I do this with all my digital cables (as well as most analogue ones).
The best ferrites I've found so far are the ones made by Würth Electronik.
Any chance of a simple guide for what types might go where and on what? And where they might be obtained? Thanks
Posted on: 07 January 2018 by Huge
What goes where...
Very simple:- Clip-on (aka split) ferrites are sold according to the cable size on which they are designed to fit. Use 6mm for cables between 5mm and 6mm, 8mm ferrites for cables between 6 and 8mm, etc..
I use them on the 'recieve' end of all electrical digital cables - Ethernet, USB and digital audio (no point on optical 'cables'), most power cables - mains and from SPMSs (but not on PLs), and on most analogue connections.
Würth Elektronik ferrites are available from CPC Farnell in the UK.
Posted on: 08 January 2018 by No quarter
All the rage right now on the Headfi forum,is adding ferrites to USB cables,which I have done...and they do seem to work.Have you ever tried any on your USB cables?
I do this with all my digital cables (as well as most analogue ones).
The best ferrites I've found so far are the ones made by Würth Electronik.
Hi Huge
i have mine on my Ethernet cables right now,but have read that ferrites should NOT be used on analog cables.
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by Huge
Hi Huge
i have mine on my Ethernet cables right now,but have read that ferrites should NOT be used on analog cables.
What reason did the author give for recommending that ferrites should not be used on analogue cables?
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by eagle3333
Seemingly perversely, I have read more than one story about how ridding the lines of all 'noise' can lead to a bit of a lifeless sound, low on dynamics?
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by Huge
Seemingly perversely, I have read more than one story about how ridding the lines of all 'noise' can lead to a bit of a lifeless sound, low on dynamics?
I agree with the "Seemingly perversely" bit, I never found it to be like that.
I strongly suspect that it indicates something else is wrong in the system if it requires electronic noise to create a sense of dynamics!
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by No quarter
Hi Huge
i have mine on my Ethernet cables right now,but have read that ferrites should NOT be used on analog cables.
What reason did the author give for recommending that ferrites should not be used on analogue cables?
I can look it up again if you want a definite answer Huge,but I think he said it increases the capacitance Or inductance of the cable...not that I know what either one of those words really mean in this situation.
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by Huge
OK, it increases the Common Mode inductance of the cable, but that doesn't affect the signal travelling inside the cable.
I think this is a case of mistaken identity; i.e. confusing the effects of Common Mode inductance for the effects of Differential Mode inductance (DM inductance indeed could be damaging to the signal, but even then not necessarily so).
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by eagle3333
Incidentally, just to go back to the Coffee usb - I think Audioquest separate the 5v power supply route from the digital signal (combined in other usb cables) and that probably contributes most to improved SQ.
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by Huge
Yes indeed that's known to be a "good principle".
We used to do that with high sensitivity electronics such as self-scanned diode arrays and photomultipliers, both in linear (analogue) mode and in photon counter (digital) mode.
The other approach where the USB device is self powered is to have a non-standard 'USB like' cable where the 5v supply pin isn't connected at all (technically this is no longer a USB cable as the 5v is a mandatory part of the USB standard!).
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by eagle3333
Thanks Huge, excellent to understand these things.
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by Stormange
My experience is that sometimes the 5V line is necessery for the computer to discover the connected usb device even if it is self powered.
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by Huge
That usually happens because the device electronics are self powered, but the device's USB interface is bus powered - it's not a truly self powered device, but often described as such by marketeers.
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by eagle3333
As I understand it with the Coffee, it's not removed, just separated from digital signal.. somehow..
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by Huge
Indeed, the data wires are inside their own screen, separate from the +5V.
