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Cables

Posted: 2018-09-06 15:50
by lejonklou
In this thread we discuss musical differences between the cables used in HAKAI:
SATA cable to SSD,
USB cable to DAC,
Ethernet cables between HAKAI, switch and NAS,
and other cables that are potentially used.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2018-10-30 08:08
by Lego
Got the supra USB cable yesterday and initial impressions are that solos and lead instruments especially guitar solos sound more important and engaging. The one criticism I had with the Hakai was that lyrics were not as intelligible as I would have liked/expected. Now they are very much so, with more emotion in vocals.
Not quite Frank Sinatra intelligibility, but getting there, I'm expecting more with burn-in as it doesn't seem to sound as exciting as with the stock cable, less of an edge I'd say.
Sound wise I'd say vocals are less thin and less of a general glare, if you know what I mean.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2018-12-02 19:37
by tokenbrit
Has anyone tried the 0.5m or 0.7m lengths of the "Deltaco Serial ATA-600 (SATA 6g) kabel", against the 0.3m?

Thanks to Manfred, I have a supply of the recommended 0.3m Deltacos, but the position of the SATA connectors on the m'board, and the SSD slots in the case (for a NAS) mean that the SATA cables are a little on the short side - the 0.5m cables would be a more comfortable fit.
Also, if using a separate SSD for the NAS operating system, does the cable for this disk need to be a Deltaco too, or can it be any SATA cable? A 0.3m Deltaco definitely won't stretch to the 3rd disk bay/slot...

Will I lose much with the longer Deltacos? If all SATA cables in the NAS need to be the recommended type of Deltaco, then I may need at least one (or three) 0.5m cables or, possibly, 2 x 0.5m + 1 x 0.7m, unless the longer cables lose a noticeable amount of musicality compared with the shorter Deltaco.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 12:40
by teatime
lejonklou wrote: 2018-08-11 20:15
USB cable to DAC:

Supra USB A - USB Mini-B, 1 m USB cable
Thats this one, right? That's the only Supra cable I can find that fits the description.

I have now tried two of them between the Tinker Board and the Gigaport. (And, to test, between my PC and an old GPS I had lying around - not too many things these days use mini-B.) Neither of them work. At all. The DAC doesn't even light up.

Have I really managed to find two completely defective USB cables (that would make them my first two, ever), or is there something going on here that I don't understand? As far as I can tell, you can not claim to be a USB cable without supporting power transfer.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 12:47
by lejonklou
Looks like the right one. Very strange that it doesn't work, I don't understand why.

I can test them for you on one of my streamers, if you want. But as you've already tested them between several products, perhaps there's no point?

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 14:05
by teatime
Thanks, but I doubt there is any point. I just got the seller to accept return.

It's just so very strange. Supra claim to solder and test them by hand. So how could two be non-functional? And yet they are. Tried the DAC on two PC (one running Linux, one Windows) + the Tinker Board. And the GPS on both PCs. Nope.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 14:07
by FairPlayMotty
Have I really managed to find two completely defective USB cables (that would make them my first two, ever), or is there something going on here that I don't understand? As far as I can tell, you can not claim to be a USB cable without supporting power transfer.
What are you using to power the Tinker Board S? I tried a few standard microUSB power adaptors before buying one recommended in a Tinker Board forum. Prior to buying that I had problems with the Tinker Board occasionally powering off and on. I suspect your Tinker Board S may not be getting enough power.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 14:17
by teatime
FairPlayMotty wrote: 2019-07-18 14:07
Have I really managed to find two completely defective USB cables (that would make them my first two, ever), or is there something going on here that I don't understand? As far as I can tell, you can not claim to be a USB cable without supporting power transfer.
What are you using to power the Tinker Board S? I tried a few standard microUSB power adaptors before buying one recommended in a Tinker Board forum. Prior to buying that I had problems with the Tinker Board occasionally powering off and on. I suspect your Tinker Board S may not be getting enough power.
Well.. since only one of my five failing test cases for the USB cable even involve the Tinker Board, it's hardly relevant, but I'm using the official Asus "TInker Board Power Supply".

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 15:06
by tokenbrit
teatime wrote:
USB cable to DAC:
Supra USB A - USB Mini-B, 1 m USB cable
I have now tried two of them between the Tinker Board and the Gigaport... Neither of them work. At all. The DAC doesn't even light up.
You don't mention it, but have you had success between Tinker Board and Gigaport, or other device, with another USB cable such as the one that comes with the DAC?
I know that it's a bit of a press to get the cable to snap in - is it possible that you're not getting the Supra(s) to snap fully home?

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 15:31
by teatime
tokenbrit wrote: 2019-07-18 15:06 have you had success between Tinker Board and Gigaport, or other device, with another USB cable such as the one that comes with the DAC?
Yeah, no problems with that one, or two other old cables of unknown origin I found lying around. All work fine with both DAC and GPS(the only other mini-B device I could find). The two Supras do not.

Linux kernel log from attaching GPS with "other" cable:
[325563.526959] usb 1-12: new full-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd
[325563.871341] usb 1-12: New USB device found, idVendor=1b1c, idProduct=1c05
[325563.871344] usb 1-12: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[325563.871345] usb 1-12: Product:
[325563.871347] usb 1-12: Manufacturer:
[325563.882518] hid-generic 0003:1B1C:1C05.0013: hiddev96,hidraw0: USB HID v1.11 Device [

And with the Supra cable:
[325526.418613] usb usb2-port8: over-current condition
[325526.586615] usb usb1-port8: over-current condition
[325526.802613] usb usb1-port9: over-current condition
[325527.018619] usb usb1-port10: over-current condition
[325527.238621] usb usb1-port11: over-current condition
[325527.454720] usb usb1-port12: over-current condition
[325527.454726] usb 1-12: USB disconnect, device number 2
[325527.814626] usb usb1-port13: over-current condition
[325528.030624] usb usb1-port14: over-current condition

Could it be a short? (In two cables??)

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 16:08
by tokenbrit
teatime wrote: 2019-07-18 15:31 Could it be a short? (In two cables??)
Bad batch? Can't see how they'd pass a basic quality test... but also can't come up with another plausible conclusion if there's no combo in which the Supra cables work, yet other cables work fine in the same scenario(s) :/ Have you tried Supra directly for support?

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 17:11
by teatime
tokenbrit wrote: 2019-07-18 16:08 Bad batch? Can't see how they'd pass a basic quality test... but also can't come up with another plausible conclusion if there's no combo in which the Supra cables work, yet other cables work fine in the same scenario(s) :/
My thoughts in a nutshell!
tokenbrit wrote: 2019-07-18 16:08 Have you tried Supra directly for support?
I considered it, but I think I should let the seller deal with that. They want the cables back to credit me, and I don't want to delay that by starting some sort of support case with Supra too.

Thanks for the feedback, though. Pity we will probably never learn what the problem is...

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 19:36
by FairPlayMotty
When I next boot up the Asus Tinker Board S I'll try it with my Supra cable and report back.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 21:12
by teatime
FairPlayMotty wrote: 2019-07-18 19:36 When I next boot up the Asus Tinker Board S I'll try it with my Supra cable and report back.
Thanks, that would be interesting to know.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 22:02
by maffe
I have been using the supra USB-cable with the ESI and TBs without any issue.
The TB is really power hungry and will not work with less then 5V 3A with something that draws power from the usb.

Edit: missed a “will not” :P

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-18 22:37
by FairPlayMotty
The TB is really power hungry
That was my impression too after trying a few different microUSB power supplies. The one that worked best was £1.99 from eBay.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-19 18:03
by tokenbrit
Is the proposal then that it may be the power supply and TB can't provide the current demanded by the Gigaport DAC via the Supra cable(s) rather than a short? Why then would other cables work in the same scenario for teatime, if I understood his tests & findings? The cables seem to be the only variable... Would be odd if their resistance characteristics changed the current demand that much I'd have thought, and could be an issue in itself.
(just interested speculation on my part since I'm yet to get a Supra cable for my Hakai)

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-19 21:49
by maffe
All i can say is that the TB S works for me with the Supra and the supplied USB to the esi using a 5V3A ps an when I by mistake used the 5V 2.5A from the RPI it did not work that well. Have not investigated it further then that.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-07-20 10:56
by lejonklou
This can't be related to the power supply. The only sensible explanation is that both cables are faulty.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2019-09-10 21:46
by teatime
The conclusion to my Supra USB cable drama (see above)...

Of course I never got any technical feedback from the firm I got the cable (and the replacement) from. They just, finally, accepted the return and I got my money back.

Fast forward a month, and I happened upon the same cable at a different online shop, and it was offered at a good (lower) price. Ok, so the first shop probably had a bad batch, right? I took a chance, and bought it again, from this second store.

Got the cable, and... It. Does. Not. Work.

I ignored the whole thing for a few days, because I was so annoyed with it (and feeling stupid over having taken a second chance (why not, it seems to work for everyone else!?), only to have to go through the whole RMA dance a second time).

Eventually I reported it, only to have the shop quickly respond that it had reported it to the manufacturer, and they (Jenvig/Supra) would send me a replacement directly.

It arrived today. And it works.

Fourth time lucky. :)

Re: Cables

Posted: 2020-03-03 02:39
by FairPlayMotty
Interesting review of Supra Ethernet Cable:

https://audiobacon.net/2017/05/31/supra ... erience/3/

Re: Cables

Posted: 2020-03-05 12:56
by OscarH
FairPlayMotty wrote: 2020-03-03 02:39 Interesting review of Supra Ethernet Cable:

https://audiobacon.net/2017/05/31/supra ... erience/3/
I've seen them... reasonably priced (at least 'round here) and (unsurprisingly) available from the same place that sells the Supra USB cables. I guues it's not too far fetched that Supra could put together a good ethernet cable if they can make a good USB cable.

It's on my shortlist as the digital setup at present largely comprises no-name cables.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2020-03-05 13:05
by FairPlayMotty
OscarH wrote: 2020-03-05 12:56
FairPlayMotty wrote: 2020-03-03 02:39 Interesting review of Supra Ethernet Cable:

https://audiobacon.net/2017/05/31/supra ... erience/3/
I've seen them... reasonably priced (at least 'round here) and (unsurprisingly) available from the same place that sells the Supra USB cables. I guues it's not too far fetched that Supra could put together a good ethernet cable if they can make a good USB cable.

It's on my shortlist as the digital setup at present largely comprises no-name cables.
It would be great to see a comparison of these with the blue jeans cables.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2020-03-05 13:35
by lejonklou
OscarH wrote: 2020-03-05 12:56 I guues it's not too far fetched that Supra could put together a good ethernet cable if they can make a good USB cable.
Yes it is!

Every result depends on what you're trying to accomplish and the method used for evaluating whether you're moving in the right direction.

This is not specifically about Supra, a company that has made hundreds of different cables with a musical performance all over the spectrum, but applies to nearly every HiFi company out there.

HiFi is not like other trades. If your local baker makes delicious cinnamon buns, chances are good they make tasty cookies as well.
Not in HiFi! With a few notable exceptions, HiFi companies are run by people who don't know what they're aiming for. And therefore most great products are a lucky coincidence, usually followed by twenty disappointments.

Re: Cables

Posted: 2020-03-05 14:32
by FairPlayMotty
I'm a fan of cinnamon buns, had great ones in Malmö and Copenhagen.

Lots of conjecture on Supra ethernet cables here:

https://hifiwigwam.com/forum/topic/1324 ... et-cables/

I just bought five brands of CAT8 cable from Aliexpress for £15. Suck it and see policy.