Lush ^ V2 USB cable.

[roberto]

Hola Chicos,
I just wanted to tell what happened to my sound quality with this cable:

1) The bass is deeper and robust, but without coloration...the right amount is what I am getting.
2) The stage opens up from left to right, and still with great sense of 3D
3) The harmonic texture of the musical instruments is more detailed and more pleasant.
4) The vocals are projected to the air, but with space between them and the musicians.
5) The piano exhibit a much better coherence and beautiful musicality.
6) The strings are delicate with a silky sound that only the strings have.
7) Winds, metals are easy to distinguish between the woden made. The clarinet is breathtaking.
8) The percussion is truly dynamic with the right amount of any stroke of the drums sticks.
9) Any kind of music is a revelation.

I am thrill with this cable. I never thought that I was going to hear this big difference...spend some time with your cable, then change the cable an have a listen with about the same material, then go back to your original cable and have a listen. Spend at least one hour with each cable...and let your ears decide.

Happy listening!

 

[kach22i]

Interesting that digital cables just like analog cables make a difference and have break-in.

 

[roberto]

Interesting that digital cables just like analog cables make a difference and have break-in.

My dear friend,

Most of us believe that 1 and 0 is all about digital. I just would like to know how this is possible. The config of the cable, (the shield of the four conductor cables into this USB cable are made of different material, silver and copper with different gauge too) and their shield possible combination affects the sound quality. This is amazing! I have several brands of USB cables, and usually they do sound alike...but with this Lush V2, the difference is astonishing.

You should try, and also might like it as I do.

Happy listening!

 

[amey01]

I won't question what you hear.

But I will ask: You do understand how the USB standard operates, don't you?

USB cables are used to transfer billions of terabytes of data, all around the world, every day. 100% bit perfect.

This data is orders of magnitude more important than consumer audio/music - things like military data, national intelligence, banking records, government records, health records, air traffic control, and data which drives our electricity grid, water grid, etc.

None of this data requires anything more than bog-basic USB cables (which meet the USB-IF spec).

In fact, perhaps 100s of cheap USB cables were used for the recording, mastering, retail, downloading and storage of the very files to which we are listening.

As for this cable, I can't even find if it meets any form of USB_IF standards, and what ones (if any).

And aside from all this - any DAC manufactured in the last 10 years buffers everything anyway - so what the DAC chip sees is completely and unequovically independent of the USB operation.

 

[roberto]

With much respect, have you listen the Lush V2 cable? If you have not, then you should. There is a lot of theory and physics that don't match the truth, don't you think so? As an example, when I was kit, I learned at school that the Atom was indivisible and on these days, we do know that it is. Today's truth, tomorrow could be different.

The most incredible discoveries are done by accident. Read what happened to Peter...
http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=4071.msg43516#msg43516

I won't question what you hear.

But I will ask: You do understand how the USB standard operates, don't you?

USB cables are used to transfer billions of terabytes of data, all around the world, every day. 100% bit perfect.

This data is orders of magnitude more important than consumer audio/music - things like military data, national intelligence, banking records, government records, health records, air traffic control, and data which drives our electricity grid, water grid, etc.

None of this data requires anything more than bog-basic USB cables (which meet the USB-IF spec).

In fact, perhaps 100s of cheap USB cables were used for the recording, mastering, retail, downloading and storage of the very files to which we are listening.

As for this cable, I can't even find if it meets any form of USB_IF standards, and what ones (if any).

And aside from all this - any DAC manufactured in the last 10 years buffers everything anyway - so what the DAC chip sees is completely and unequovically independent of the USB operation.

Read about it, and have one in your system, hearing is believing. Of course I do know how a regular USB cable works...this is not a regular, normal standard USB cable. It is a totally different device. The cable configuration is the clue.

https://stordiau.com/products/lush-2-usb-audio-cable
Happy listening!

 

[amey01]

With much respect,

With utmost respect to you also

There is a lot of theory and physics that don't match the truth, don't you think so?

Fully, 100% agree...........

As an example, when I was kit, I learned at school that the Atom was indivisible and on these days, we do know that it is. Today's truth, tomorrow could be different.

............except that we (human beings) created digital technology (and electrical representation of bits). We know exactly how it works.

But more importantly I guess - we know exactly the performance characteristics we require to get the result we desire. That; is defined by USB-IF.

...this is not a regular, normal standard USB cable.

BUT! The computer sending the data (and the USB receiver in the DAC), is depending on it meeting USB-IF standards!

It is a totally different device.

Ok. I have no doubt this cable contains some pretty special design features. - but how can it affect sound? If all the bits arrive in perfect order; and the timing is defined by the DAC itself, from its own buffer........what is it doing?

But let's look at this pragmatically:

• Will this Lush cable make my bank balance greater if I do my banking with it?
• Will it make my family photos look better if I transfer them from the camera with it? Will it give them more "harmonic texture" and illuminate detail I didn't know was there before?
• Will it make my voltage more stable if I connect one to my solar inverter?
• Will it make my water cleaner if I insist my water distributer connect one to their sanitation equipment?

I don't think any of us are going to question that the answer to any of these questions is anything but "NO".

So why with audio?

I do think it's worth thinking about.

 

[Robert D]

Logically it makes zero sense, but most of us spend big bucks on HDMI cables. Isn't that the same thing? HDMI carries digital doesnt it?

I know there are 4k certified HDMI cables, not sure what makes them better than "lower grade". The HDMI I use is Wire World.

https://store.wireworldcable.com/products/silver-sphere-hdmi-audio-video-4k-18gbps-hdr-cable
Thats certified 8k. Maybe someone that knows a lot about cables can lend a hand. Dont HDMI and USB both carry digital?

 

[roberto]

All I would say: just try it, it works like wonder. Here is another forum where are doing different configurations and the users response.
https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/49648-lush2-share-your-configuration-experiences/
Happy listening!

 

[kach22i]

If I'm not mistaken both Bobby Owsinski author of studio mixing and acoustic books, plus the Sound Doctor Barry Ober have made claims about the miles of circuitry and interconnect cable/wire a recording goes through before the customer has access to it.

In short, don't sweat that last mile or last few meters in your home system. If you only knew how the sausage was made and what was in it.

Additionally, Ralph Karsten of AtmaSphere once said in a fourm that their 180 degree phase switch is of questionable value because about 50 percent of recordings are not even in phase. An out of phase recording will do much more to a sonic presentation than almost anything else - and most people cannot event hear the difference.

That said, there was an LP a while back that at Todd Rundgren was given final say on the production of. When the band heard the recording after the fact they were so upset that it did not match their studio performance they remixed it themselves and rereleased it. Todd defended the recording saying not every song was out of phase, but I have not heard either recording so cannot comment.

Point is, human hearing is the final judge, and not everyone hears the same.

 

[amey01]

Logically it makes zero sense, but most of us spend big bucks on HDMI cables. Isn't that the same thing? HDMI carries digital doesnt it?

I know there are 4k certified HDMI cables, not sure what makes them better than "lower grade". The HDMI I use is Wire World.

https://store.wireworldcable.com/products/silver-sphere-hdmi-audio-video-4k-18gbps-hdr-cable
Thats certified 8k. Maybe someone that knows a lot about cables can lend a hand. Dont HDMI and USB both carry digital?

Just like USB, the HDMI standard has evolved over time - and HDMI cables are required to be manufactured to different specs.

These are specified and defined standards defined by USB / HDMI's governing bodies. All cables are required to meet these standards. The standard defines the ideal spec - you can't get more "ideal" than ideal, just by throwing money at it.

If you're not using a certified cable, you should be.

But as I said above - I can't even determine if this Lush cable meets the required standards or not - they don't say on their website.

 

[Robert D]

So what happens if someone with a 4k tv tries to run the video signal through an HDMI cable that isnt certified 4k and not up to snuff? Does the picture quality just suffer, or is there no picture at all. I got the impression that a digital video was all or nothing kinda thing, you dont get static like on the old analog tvs. If the picture is indeed better with a higher quality cable, why is that? Does some of the data get lost going through a lower quality cable? If it did, youd think that there wouldnt be a picture at all.

Do some 0s and 1s get lost or arrive out of sync? What would make music sound better going through a higher quality cable, if the info is all digital? Thats something that doesnt make sense to me. The data is what it is, it either gets transported or it doesnt.

 

[Robert D]

This article talks about what I am thinking:

"Blu Ray players and the TVs they hook up to are completely digital, so you are talking about ones and zeros," said James.

"The cable itself isn't contributing to the quality of that picture at all. It is just moving it from one place to the other. It's the electronics at both ends that do the hard work."

"
He said: "You wouldn't buy a more expensive printer cable and expect to print higher quality documents.

"The document quality depends on the printer and it is much the same with a digital system."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/10056547/are-expensive-digital-hdmi-cables-better
Another article:

"You can spend thousands of dollars on HDMI cables. But there’s absolutely no reason to. Unlike analogue cables, where higher quality ones can at least in theory deliver superior audio or picture results, HDMI’s digital nature essentially means that cables either carry enough zeroes and ones from end to the other to deliver a signal, or they don’t. "

https://www.the-ambient.com/guides/hdmi-explainer-best-cables-2080
The article mentions the premium certification if it can handle 18 GBPS. It also discusses category 1,2, and 2.1.

I would think that USB cables are the same principle as HMDI.

 

[amey01]

I would think that USB cables are the same principle as HMDI.

To be honest, the thread and my comments related to USB, not HDMI. I am not into video, and I don't understand HDMI, other than it is a specialised standard for a specialised purpose (video). I do understand USB on the other hand - both from experience in the ICT sector, as well as from audio.

I would assume similar principles apply, although I have no understanding of HDMI handshake/data flow principles, nor do I have understanding of video error correction, etc. Just because HDMI is digital, doesn't mean it is the same as USB. USB is an industry standard, robust and time-tried format which is used for audio, as well as all sorts of things far more important than the audio quality we get in our listening rooms!

I assume the links you posted are correct in the context they are posted (video/HDMI). But I'm not going to stick my neck out and give my opinion either way, because quite frankly - I don't know.

But I will comment on one aspect - the certification or meeting of a standard is different to spending megabux on premium cables. A USB cable (for instance) either meets the USB 3.0 specification or it does not. There is no "half-way" or "this one meets it better than the other".

 

[Robert D]

To be honest, the thread and my comments related to USB, not HDMI. I am not into video, and I don't understand HDMI, other than it is a specialised standard for a specialised purpose (video). I do understand USB on the other hand - both from experience in the ICT sector, as well as from audio.

I would assume similar principles apply, although I have no understanding of HDMI handshake/data flow principles, nor do I have understanding of video error correction, etc. Just because HDMI is digital, doesn't mean it is the same as USB. USB is an industry standard, robust and time-tried format which is used for audio, as well as all sorts of things far more important than the audio quality we get in our listening rooms!

I assume the links you posted are correct in the context they are posted (video/HDMI). But I'm not going to stick my neck out and give my opinion either way, because quite frankly - I don't know.

But I will comment on one aspect - the certification or meeting of a standard is different to spending megabux on premium cables. A USB cable (for instance) either meets the USB 3.0 specification or it does not. There is no "half-way" or "this one meets it better than the other".

On many audio systems, people don't even use USB. Most use HDMI. On mine I just use HDMI, optical, and RCA to my amp.

 

[roberto]

Are the Industry standards right?
There are so many paths and possibilities in the digital electronic world. And I do believe that this Lush cable has a kind of magic that the industry standards lack. Just have a listen and tell us your findings. At the forum of audiophylestyle.com (was computersaudiophyle before) the comments of this lush V2 cable is doing a lot of fuzz.
I can report to you, that I am very happy with the quality improved sound
Happy listening!

 

[rpokuls]

I'm going to assume that everyone agrees that almost any USB cable will do a good job of getting the 1's and 0's to the DAC. Unless your environment is so electrically noisy that error correction codes are swamped, you can pretty much assume you will get a pristine signal from your digital source to your DAC or whatever.

Is it possible that some unknown physical process is present with some USB cables and not with others? Is this physical process degrading the performance of the DAC in some cases? Because if this real, then it has to be something like that.

If this is real, then there has to be a physical cause for it.

Has anybody heard of an explanation as too why some digital cables sound better than others?

Right now I don't see it, but I could be wrong.

But as Carl Sagan once said "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof"

 

[kach22i]

Regarding HDMI, about seven years ago I had an issue with a long run of HDMI from laptop computer to my first flat TV (Plasma). I tried a different and shorter route with same low cost brand and it worked fine.

Then last year I read that cheap long run HDMI was notorious for having problems that more expensive brands do not have.

Also, HDMI is certified for only certain run lengths, less than 30 feet if I recall correctly.

Therefore in theory, a better quality HDMI cable acts like a shorter run.

Taking this into the USB discussion, super long lengths again are a problem.

Therefore shorter is better, and better is better.

A bit of a stretch?

Why limits on length then?

http://www.yourcablestore.com/USB-Cable-Length-Limitations-And-How-To-Break-Them_ep_42-1.html

The 2.0 specification limits the length of a cable between USB 2.0 devices (Full Speed or Hi-Speed) to 5 meters (or about 16 feet and 5 inches).............

The 3.0/3.1 specification does not specify a maximum cable length between USB 3.0/3.1 devices (SuperSpeed or SuperSpeed+), but there is a recommended length of 3 meters (or about 9 feet and 10 inches). However, the biggest limitation to the length of the cable is the quality of the cable.

Worth repeating.

However, the biggest limitation to the length of the cable is the quality of the cable.

 

[Robert D]

I had monster cable HDMI a few years back that went bad somehow, no picture or sound at all. In the 80s and 90s it was good quality stuff, guess no more. The wire world cables I use now are good quality and have a lifetime warranty.

 

[Nuri58]

Like for electric current a cable is limited to carry a certain current. That is essentially the difference in the hdmi standards. Certified only guarantee you have the bandwidth. If not you may experience snow on the picture (these are the lost 0 and 1 in the transmission), which can also happen if the cable gets physical damaged. The latter happened to me recently so I got a new cheap cable. For quality in picture one of the bigger film instructed checked and said he couldn't detect any difference. So I dare say there isn't as long the cables are screened against electric noise.