Unmasking the Truth – Do Audiophile USB Cables Really Make a Difference? ddHiFi TC07BA Review

Welcome to my in-depth exploration of the world of audiophile USB cables. In this video, we dissect the controversial realm of high-end USB cables, focusing on the ddHiFi TC07BA. We'll examine the claimed benefits of audiophile USB cables, including enhanced audio quality, reduced interference, and craftsmanship.

However, I don't shy away from addressing skeptics' concerns, who argue that these cables might offer only modest improvements, lack scientific evidence, and might be overpriced. My goal is to help you make an informed decision, considering your unique needs and budget.

Join me as we set aside the rhetoric and dig into the facts. Are audiophile USB cables a valuable addition to your audio setup, or are they just another example of industry hype? Stay tuned to discover the truth.

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[JohnKaess]

You tube audio is lossy mp3. Playing your audio with differing USB cables and expecting us to hear a difference is a fool's errand.

[grahampearce]

USB cables transmit data, not audio. The USB protocol ensures that data leaves and arrives intact (it includes error detection and correction).

Therefore the DAC receives a perfect digital signal (exactly as it left the CD transport, or even as it left an Apple server over 1, 000 miles away), regardless of how much you spend on the USB cable (Amazon Basics cable is more than good enough).

[Yarach]

I cannot believe it would make any difference. Hard measurements conclude this also. Yes jitter would be a thing, but can be fixed by either a reclocking dac or setting the the DAC to be the master clock, but ALL the data still gets transmitted. If a digital stream fails, there will be NO AUDIO at all. If a digital cable would impact audio in any way, an HDMI cable would also impact image quality. If a digital cable would impact audio in any way, we would have lossy audio when streaming digital data with Qobuz or Tidal. Placebo is a real thing. I was finishing my self built amplifier last week and installed a VU meter with driver. I thought I heard negative impact on audio and could swear I could hear a difference when enabling it on or off. I asked a friend to switch it for me and so I would have a blind test and suddenly I was completely unable to tell any difference at all. If noise from a cable is an issue and the quality of the audio gets impacted that way, then consider buying a DAC which has proper filtering.

[rayreza]

I also tried it on the dac q11 fiio with ddhifi tc-05 the trable went up the bass remained steady the soundstage added spacious.

[e.g.]

Nothing new here. The problem is due to galvanic connection between miniPC and DAC through Ground and +5V wires. Some of the 'noise' coming from miniPC is transferred to DAC and will have more or less perceivable effect on final sound. Different USB cables will have different resistances and capacitances and different effects. But there are different solutions, depending of specific of each case. An expensive cable is NOT always a solution.

[RackGearAddict]

Awesome video! thank you so much! i could hear a huge difference. it's like the generic cable lacked depth of sound field

[tedmingolla]

A bad USB cable can make a difference. The cable carries 5v and PCM audio signal. The lack of quality on the computer side can add noise and jitter to the signal. Designers are well aware of this issue, so they add filters and asynchronous precision clocks on the DAC side. The cable needs to be as short as possible and of decent quality. There are excellent USB cables for under 20 dollars.

[KTZ_]

I literally recorded both USB cable sections at 4k resolution (which gives the best Audio youtube can offer), and played it back on 2 sources to conduct an A/B test, which was done on me and vice-versa, I did it on my wife. I replayed both sections 8 times for each test. 1st test was with a pair of Focal Bathys connected via USB (DAC mode) to my PC, the 2nd test was via my home stereo setup - Triangle Signature Delta speakers, Dynavoice T-12 sub, Yamaha A-S2100 amp and Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Streamer/DAC (all cables are Van den Hul). I am telling you, concretely - there is NO DIFFERENCE in the way the cables "sound". At first I just listened to it on my Focals while watching your vide and jumping with the cursor. And I literally couldn't tell any difference but I thought I was mistaken because you clearly said at the end there is a difference. So I had to conduct this test myself. NO difference whatsoever my man. I'm telling you. And no, we don't have "bad hearing". We're both 32 years old.

[barrypayne]

I've had usb cables that sounded jittery and it could have been fixed by replacing with another cable but I opt to buy the lower cost audiophile usb cables for the shielding and premium connectors to eliminate interference, not the magical transformation of the music.

[beyondergalactus]

I have tried several usb cables between a desktop pc and a nearly 500 dollar geshelli dac. USB sound sucks, period. Perhaps your mini pc is less noisy. However, using a wiim pro streamer and either coax or optical output, the sound is amazing.

[iikatinggangsengii]

it might have some coloration on the material

most logical would be reduced potential noise & signal loss, which would be quite impactful

[aaaz]

You're not paying for a better sound, per se.. You're paying for RFI rejection and thus details being allowed to come through the reproduction.. This is not a very expensive cable, so calling it HiFi is questionable. I tried using a Schiit Audio Bifrost 2/64 DAC and a Blue Sound Node streamer with a basic unbranded USB cable for $15 and I could actually repeat over and over and over on the same tracks a lot of error issues; it was absolutely unlistenable. I replaced the cable with a $55 cable off of Audio46, can't remember the brand, and it solved it. Then, I came across a deal for an Audioquest Diamond USB cable; that's right, a $700 1 meter cable. I only paid $250 for it used. Again, noise rejection is the deal and with Diamond, the same tracks were even better. Better sound stage and better texture in the highs and mids. I would never pay $700 for that thing, but I don't regret paying $250 for it. The reason things are better is there is less noise allowed to get into the signal. The cheap cable had no noise rejection whatsoever. The middle cable had better noise rejection and solved most of the problems, but all of the audible problems which were obvious. The last cable is solving the issues almost entirely.

[wernerviehhauser]

Of course they do. In the bank accounts of seller and buyer...

I wish I was ruthless enough to sell them, would make me a pretty penny....

[eyecibus]

We accept that humans see, taste, smell and feel differently, why does the audio world have such a linear opinion about what humans can hear? I'm not trying to debate it one way or another.. but if someone hears a difference, who are we to say they don't? We can use all the measuring tools we want, but we can't measure everything about the brain. Even if it's placebo, placebo is a thing that we don't understand.

"I can't taste the difference between cilantro and soap!".... "Yes you can!"

[kkklllaaa]

If people can hear differences in this video it should be easy to measure the difference

[yonggheelim]

I wonder how would these cables perform compared to Curious usb cables. Any idea?

[ecodelta]

I'm looking for a cable for my neo dsd ifi, USB port B to C cable, I can't find you'll have a link

[chrisantoniou]

Given that the cable is transmitting digital information, it would be interesting if the actual numbers the cheaper cable was transmitting were in any way different. There are always going to be reasons why analogue cables sound different but I want more investigation into why digital cables sound different.

My experience is that whenever an A and B comparison is made, the B sample almost always sounds better than the A, so it would be instructive to see if after a few days, you reverse he procedure and do a B then A comparison as well. Psychoacoustics is a real thing and can often colour ones listening experience.

[LevelMan]

DD cable had much more meat in the sound even via YouTube 👏🏻

[grahampearce]

Its digital, this is why the digital signal (Hi-Res Audio) that comes from Apples server (which could be in excess of a 1, 000 miles away) gets to your DAC in error free perfect condition.

Magic, no, digital protocols that correct the data at every point in the process, as a point USB also includes such protocols.

Don't believe me, easy test of USB cable....Connect cable to PC and external HD. Copy a file from one to the other, check that the file is IDENTICAL.

if it is then "success" the cable is perfect.