Sablon Evo usb cable

[joaovieira]

Hi Mark! This is João from Brazil.
A friend of mine from São Paulo, violinist on OSESP, the best Brazilian orchestra, sent me a comment about the Evo USB cable I would like to share with you.
It’s just a Google translation, so maybe some inconsistencies.

Hello my friend João, how are you, my dear? Look at the USB cable I received to test. I was a bit shocked by this USB cable from Sablon. João it is an impressive thing what this cable does. It's shocking because I have a $1000+ pure silver USB cable. But in this Sablon, the harmonic body resulting in the system, the openness with docility. and it's also fast impressive impressive João

 

[Moladiego]

I want to express my special thanks to Mark Coles of Sablon Audio. I use his EVO USB cable to connect Taiko Extreme and Lampizator Horizon. It is the best USB cable I have ever owned and used. Mark cares deeply about his customers and often shares his experience and wisdom about the audiophile hobby. He provides great services for the products he sold. For instance, because of the quirkiness of my components, I thought removing the v-bus line from the EVO may lower the noise floor. Mark first ascertained that such removal would not cause any issue for my components and then promptly performed the work as I wished. I shipped the cable from the US and got it back within the same week. I cannot be happier with the EVO USB cable and Mark's services. He is a manufacturer and seller you can trust completely. Thanks, Mark.

 

[jeremya]

I’m wondering if anyone here has had any trouble with pops or crackles / ultra-brief breakups during playback with their Evo USB cable?

I just added one (new/unopened but second-hand) to my system (replacing a Lush^2 that was my mainstay for a couple years) and first things first: *everything* I’ve listened to so far sounds better overall… so major props, Mr. Coles!



On the problematic side, there are these infrequent/intermittent pops / crackles during playback (reminiscent of vinyl static discharges, sometimes quiet, sometimes louder, but never crazy loud) maybe half a dozen times during a song.

Some fiddling seems to be pointing (of all things) at the NOS mode on my Gustard x26 Pro DAC in conjunction with HQP either upsampling (or just transporting) the bits from Roon to my DAC.

For the past hour, I’ve tried:
- music of various bit depths and sample rates
- playing straight to the DAC (eliminating HQP)
- locally sourced music and NAS-delivered files
- music from Tidal straight
- music from Tidal upsampled

... the source doesn’t seem to impact it other than HQP being in the chain makes it more frequent.

The most “stable” I’ve gotten playback to be is by closing HQP on my server and selecting my Gustard directly via Roon plus disabling NOS mode on my DAC.

Really, really odd.

So, I’m curious — is my experience unique? Is this a known ‘trait’ others have witnessed? Any tips on how to work the gremlins out?

 

[Sablon Audio]

@jeremya - this is not a common experience but equally is not completely unknown.

In arriving at the sonic performance of the Evo model, I have taken the design further away from typical usb 2 spec and the parameters of some driver software / usb input card aren't always comfortable with this deviation. This issue has mostly arisen with 'budget' asian dacs / the T&A200 which unusually uses a Thesycon input card / some early Lampizator Pacific JLSounds installations which didn't have the 5vdc connected.

Upsampling per se is not necessarily an issue but the outcome depends on the usb input card - eg the older Amanero used by T&A was very accommodating and would accept DSD512.

 

[jeremya]

@jeremya - this is not a common experience but equally is not completely unknown.

In arriving at the sonic performance of the Evo model, I have taken the design further away from typical usb 2 spec and the parameters of some driver software / usb input card aren't always comfortable with this deviation. This issue has mostly arisen with 'budget' asian dacs / the T&A200 which unusually uses a Thesycon input card / some early Lampizator Pacific JLSounds installations which didn't have the 5vdc connected.

Upsampling per se is not necessarily an issue but the outcome depends on the usb input card - eg the older Amanero used by T&A was very accommodating and would accept DSD512.

Thanks, Mark. =^)

The Gustard x26 Pro is based on the XU216 XMOS USB chipset. It's (so far) been working flawlessly with everything I can throw at it via other USB cables. Generally, I PGGB or HQP my music and feed the DAC a steady diet of 32/384 or 32/768 PCM (12.2Mbps), which is a splash in the bucket by even the antiquated USB 2.0 hi-speed (480Mbps) standard circa 2001. So, I doubt it's a bandwidth issue.

Even with NOS mode disabled, I still get these little intermittent ticks/pops/hitches (though they seem to be fewer - perhaps 2 or 3 in a 3 minute period, whereas it's closer to 5 or 6 in the same period with NOS enabled) - the DAC doesn't complain of losing USB sync at all, it's just an phenomenon that doesn't repeat if you rewind and try the same section of music again (though you might get a new one in a new place...).

Given the intermittent nature of it, I wonder if perhaps it's some kind of charge build-up and dissipation that is (in part) a function of accumulated signal activity and/or ambient EM/RFI and/or Earth potential of my server and my DAC (they are both plugged into the same circuit and the same power treatment chain, so by all rights their ground impedance should be effectively identical).

And if it is that, then I wonder if there's a way to remedy it with a cable modification that doesn't "throw the baby out with the bathwater"...

 

[Sablon Audio]

And if it is that, then I wonder if there's a way to remedy it with a cable modification that doesn't "throw the baby out with the bathwater"...

Unfortunately not as this narrower operating is innate to the design. The earlier 2020 model is however more accommodating and still sounds great, especially with a little tweak learned from the development of Evo.

Feel free to DM / email me should you wish to further discuss.

 

[Mamon]

They invested in Evo very seriously, resolution / transparency / speed, beautifully draws realistic images. It does not pull into brightness or darkness, with a good black background and at the same time dense with a warm base from the bottom and below.
The feed is more analog, similar to a vinyl shade.
There's nothing to complain about.
Light Harmonic LightSpeed 10g went for sale.
Antipodes k50 - Lampizator Atlantic trp.

 

[mtcs]

I'v had my new Evo USB cable for a couple of weeks now and thought I'd leave a short review. It was a significant improvement for me right out of the box. Most noticeable was an increase in the overall weight of the music. I had excellent separation already but there seemed to be some empty spaces between the instruments. This is now filled-in with a much more coherent and pleasing sound.

Almost as important was an improvement in timbre across the frequency spectrum. The edge is gone from the treble. For example, when Morgan James belted out a high note, at high volume, on my old cable it was piercing and I learned to crank down the volume a couple of bars earlier. Now, I just let it ride
with a soft edged sweetness. The midrange is absolutely beautiful. Initially the bass was a little too pronounced but a simple change of filters on HQPlayer corrected that. Now the bass is crisp, focused and well balanced.

The last and most unexpected change was around the speed and attack. Fast riffs - from Chicago horns to Mahler orchestrals - once blurred and indistinct are now crips and compelling.

My USB cable journey went from cheap data cable to a Nordost Heimdall 2 to a Phasure Lush^2. The Heimdall and Phasure were both overall improvements but had some minor trade-offs. The Evo is better
in every regard.

This is my second but not last Salon product, Great job, mark!

 

[Sniper17]

Could not agree more. Owned the USB cable for 2 years. Bought the Coax also. These cables are by far the best value!!!

 

[skids929]

@Sablon Audio ...Do you offer home auditions of your cables?

 

[Sablon Audio]

No, because this product line carries return privileges

 

[skids929]

No, because this product line carries return privileges

Ok thanks..Where do you ship from? And what is the Diaelectric you use? Are the cables shielded and protected from corrosion?

 

[Sablon Audio]

I ship from UK and the wires have a plastic insulation. Feel free to dm / email me to discuss

 

[AnonymousAudiophile]

Was about to purchase an Evo USB from Mark directly last week when a used one appeared on the market closer to home, something of a rare occurrence. I purchased the used one, with apologies to Mark who had been very helpful via email.

Well, I’m grateful for the EVO USB appearing at this juncture of my USB cable odyssey. It’s a beautiful cable, with a tremendous ability to convey the intensity and passion of the music. I always demo my gear with a track from Krishna Das called Puja, because it is a Hindu devotional song with great heart and feeling. Most cables interfere with the feeling of this song (Shunyata omega I’m looking at you), but the EVO did not, allowing he familiar “chills” of true musical intensity through.

Been blown away recently by the Hapa Audio Aero Ag USB, which is clearer, more precise, and more airy, but ultimately it comes down for me in the characteristics described above. Not formally decided yet, but nonetheless very impressed.

My favorite digital cables and interconnects have been made by Black Cat over the years, but with the death of Chris S. I’ve been searching for a similar live and organic feel elsewhere.

Thank you Mark for making such a great cable for us music lovers.

 

[Andrew149s]

Sablon EVO USB for me after the first day, it was nervous at first. Freshly after about 2 hours of playing I was a little disgusted. Some kind of blanket and too much weight, the resolution is supposedly there but it's not what I already knew from the 2020 version. This weight was so bad that I thought: a mistake in buying. I know that cables need to be warmed up, but what happened after a dozen or so hours exceeded my wildest expectations. In the meantime, I wrote to the manufacturer about the bass being blown out and the general blanket, and he wrote to me: - leave the equipment turned on and leave the house for a few hours, the cable changes DRASTICALLY after the first day.

I think to myself: maybe there is hope :sad:. I put it on all night and the morning of the next day and only then sat down to listen, I literally sat down when I heard how it plays after the mentioned time.
- Free, natural, mega-resolved sound emerging from a tarry background, space in depth, musicality and incredibly controlled bass while going all the way down, plus smoothness and musicality, not through coloration, but such an unforced-natural one.
NO OH NO, how could this happen??? After one day, a change of such caliber? First time such a joke, from disgust to euphoria.
We'll see how it is after full warm-up (the manufacturer recommends 200h), but I know one thing, this purchase was not a mistake either, but a shot in the dime.
Thank you very much Marek for your cable and a super nice transaction

Andrzej

 

[treitz3]

This is not surprising to me at all. Audio can be aggravating at times. This is clearly one of those cases. I would personally advise to just listen and keep that part of the chain running for a stint. At some undetermined point in time? Everything will come into fruition/focus.

At that point, you can critically listen. You will know when it comes.

Tom