USB cable suggestions

Legolas

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I will consider that. The Kassandra does need the handshake, I tried without and it won't see the source.

Do FTA do sale or return?
 

christoph

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I will consider that. The Kassandra does need the handshake, I tried without and it won't see the source.
We used M's powerless FTA Callisto for our Lampi(s) vs. Kassandra shoot-outs and it worked flawlessly with the fat Sandy ;)
PS: I have more than one, should I bring it to Munich for you to try?
 
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Legolas

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That's odd, are you sure? I tried with the VBUS USB power clip adapter, and I couldn't get a connection. Restarting the Kassandra and restarting the music server.

Yes please bring the FTA, I will bring my Curious and we can try it out.
 

christoph

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M's Callisto worked flawlessly with Brad's Sandy.

Excellent idea to bring your Curious as well. We compare in Munich (if Stavros allows) so no need to ship cables around :cool:
 
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johndoe21ro

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Well, what happened? How did the comparison go?
 

christoph

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Well, what happened? How did the comparison go?

May I spill the beans?

Astrostar was sent a Final Touch Audio Callisto test cable and is contemplating to (or did already?) add it to his portfolio ;)

Additionally I brought Audioquattr my FTA Callisto (I have - well had - three sets of the FTA Callisto USB cable) for him to compare it to his Sablon powerless USB cable and he immediately bought my already burned-in Callisto cable (to avoid shipping and being without that cable for a while)
Now I have to get a new one and burn it in again :oops:
That is not a punishment because it sounds excellent already from the beginning only to get even better after some additional 100 to 150 hours :eek:

This cable is so good, it is an absolute no brainer :cool:

PS: I once (over 30 years ago o_O) bought a CD with a sticker on it saying "Do yourself a favor - buy me" and this CD turned out to be still one of my top 3 favorite Rock Albums. With this FTA Callisto cable, I often think of that sticker on the CD :D
 
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christoph

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Do you have some dealer disclosures to add to your profile Christoph?
Why would I?
I'm just a happy customer :cool:
IIRC there are also quite a few testimonials from happy customers of yours ;)
 

Sablon Audio

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I think we both know you are a bit more than a happy customer Christoph. I have no problem with you selling stuff but you have crossed the rubicon from my perspective today.
 

christoph

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I think we both know you are a bit more than a happy customer Christoph. I have no problem with you selling stuff but you have crossed the rubicon from my perspective today.

It would suit you well to refrain from your ill-founded insinuations :mad:

My answer to your "accusation" comes only now because I really do have a quite stressful fulltime Job (luckily outside the seemingly cut throat, backstabbing, shark tank Audio Business) to be able to afford my beloved but expensive Hobby :)

Your perspective on this is just plain irrelevant ;)

And by the way:
Maybe you remember that I once asked you some years ago if I could have one of your USB cables to test and you said you don't ship test cables outside the UK but that I could buy one unheard :rolleyes:

Maybe If I would have been able to test and compare one of your cables (and if It was really very good and really special), I would have been able to recommend your cable instead of the FTA ;)
 

Sablon Audio

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Christoph, we are having this conversation today because you have chosen to put down my product in order to promote your friend's brand.

You claim to be 'just a good customer’ however in my experience good customers do not possess multiple examples of usb cables which they are keen to run around demo’ing to other people. They may occasionally post an appreciative word online but seldom multiple posts on the same subject. Furthermore, they would not feel the need to link their posts to other threads, like you have done today, nor show such keenness to report comparisons against perceived competitors.

I do not believe that I know Audioquattr personally and couldn’t say exactly which model or generation of my cable he has, though like most things in life my designs are continually evolved without announcing to the marketplace.
 

christoph

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Christoph, we are having this conversation today because you have chosen to put down my product in order to promote your friend's brand.

You claim to be 'just a good customer’ however in my experience good customers do not possess multiple examples of usb cables which they are keen to run around demo’ing to other people. They may occasionally post an appreciative word online but seldom multiple posts on the same subject. Furthermore, they would not feel the need to link their posts to other threads, like you have done today, nor show such keenness to report comparisons against perceived competitors.

I do not believe that I know Audioquattr personally and couldn’t say exactly which model or generation of my cable he has, though like most things in life my designs are continually evolved without announcing to the marketplace.

We won't have a conversation because this is my last answer to you in this regard.

I have not put down your product. I said someone compared a product of yours he already owns and the Callisto and then bought the FTA cable. Nothing less and nothing more.

Doesn't the text fit into both threads? Don't you think?
I was just too lazy and time constrained to type it twice :oops:

If you look at my signature below and count the number of DACs, you might find a not really coincidential congruency between the amount of DACs I own and the amount of FTA Callisto cables I own.
I bought it three times because I want one in every digital system I have.
Yes, it is that good and that special :cool:
Maybe you should give it a listen yourself some time ;)
I compared an awefull lot of USB cables before I was convinced. Your cable was not in the mix for obvious reasons I mentioned in my last posting.

I'm very curious about my Hobby and like to listen and compare a lot of gear and tubes and cables and stuff. That is part of the fun for me.
When audioquattr offered me to try some very exotic tubes I never heard, I gladly took him up on his very generous offer.
I wanted to enable him as well to satisfy his curiosiy and offered that we exchange tubes and the FTA cable when we meet in Munich.
When I asked AQ what USB cable he currently uses, I was very curious to know about his findings because I earlier already wanted to try your USB cable. It was a nice confirmation for me that AQ also liked the Callisto so much to immediately buy it.

PS: I also often recommended the KR 242 for my former Golden Gate DAC and now the KR PX25 for my current Pacific DAC and for both the KR RK 5u4g rectifier. Does that make me a KR Dealer as well? :rolleyes:

PPS: In our last output pentodes compare for my new Golden Atlantic TRP, the winner was a cheap, easily available Genalex Gold Lion KT77 and not a tube from KR... Genalex Dealer now? o_O

PPPS: Because I have NO Industry Affiliation, I can try and like anything I want to and then buy or don't buy accordingly :cool:
 

wisnon

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I know Chris Personally. He is NOT a dealer for FTA at all. I also know where he works and it has nothing to do with audio.
 
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christoph

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I know Chris Personally. He is NOT a dealer for FTA at all. I also know where he works and it has nothing to do with audio.

Thanks Norman, but I think there is no need to step in here.
It should be obvious enough... ;)

There is a saying in German that goes like this: "Jeder blamiert sich so gut er kann"
Meaning: "Each one embarrasses himself to his best abilities"
:D
 

DSkip

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The Wireworld Platinum sounded broken compared to the Final Touch Audio Callisto USB cable when we compared them. I begged my friend to take out the WW Platinum and re-insert the FTA Callisto :eek:

It's interesting because I've had a similar comparison with the Synergistic USB in a client's system, but when I got back home to my system, the Platinum Starlight exhibited none of the issues we found in his system. The client had an almost full loom of Synergistic cables whereas my system was completely Wireworld, so I'm thinking there might be some synergy going on with the different looms.
 

Blackmorec

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It's interesting because I've had a similar comparison with the Synergistic USB in a client's system, but when I got back home to my system, the Platinum Starlight exhibited none of the issues we found in his system. The client had an almost full loom of Synergistic cables whereas my system was completely Wireworld, so I'm thinking there might be some synergy going on with the different looms.
As an industry friend of mine pointed out, when you implement a full loom from a single manufacturer you get that manufacturer’s vision of how his/her cables should perform. I’ve taken this advice on several occasions and in generally it brings extremely satisfactory results that are difficult to improve on with any kind of cable cocktail. I currently use a full Synergistic loom of power, speaker, interconnect, ethernet and USB cables and substituting single cables from other manufacturers generally results in shortcomings, due to the introduction of a ‘foreign’ character. Even placing a USB signal regenerator in the final USB link robbed the system of some of its magic.
 

DSkip

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As an industry friend of mine pointed out, when you implement a full loom from a single manufacturer you get that manufacturer’s vision of how his/her cables should perform. I’ve taken this advice on several occasions and in generally it brings extremely satisfactory results that are difficult to improve on with any kind of cable cocktail. I currently use a full Synergistic loom of power, speaker, interconnect, ethernet and USB cables and substituting single cables from other manufacturers generally results in shortcomings, due to the introduction of a ‘foreign’ character. Even placing a USB signal regenerator in the final USB link robbed the system of some of its magic.

Right. I've never considered the digital cable part of said loom but it seems to be just as important. It makes perfect sense but it just didn't occur to me previously.
 

ihmeyers

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Sorry for bumping. Hope this is relevant. I had a Callisto I used with my Lampi TRP and Lucas Domensky's server. It sounded very nice but was bested by David LaBoga's Ruby USB which Lucas D. recommended (roughly 3X price of the Callisto). The Ruby kind of crapped out yesterday, losing lock within a 20 minute time span. A cheap AQ cable worked fine so the Ruby will have to be replaced (under warranty). I bought an Intona Ulitmate today because I'm not sure how the Ruby and TRP will ultimately work together. I believe the issue is neither the cable nor the DAC per se, but rather the JL Audio USB card I had Lampi install last year. It's kept kind of quiet but I have heard of a number of issues between certain cables and the JL USB. The TRP Amanero USB worked fine and in complete honesty I heard no upgrade in sound related to the install of the JL. I know Lukaz from Lampi likes the JL but IMO if your Amanero works fine just leave it alone. (edit I have been told by reliable sources it's not only the JL in the Lampi but installed in other high-end DACs that have had problems with certain cables)

Now I am almost back to square one. I'm getting a new Ruby but it will take a month and I'm not sure it will work correctly in my system long-term. In the mean time I had to spend $2k to buy a back-up USB cable (the Intona) which I've been told I might like best of all. I have been an audiophile for 45 years, and while I LOVE the hobby the lack of 'plug and play' between components/cables/etc makes me almost want to buy a mass market system that just works. Venting now but I have had a lot of issues with components and cables over the past six months that I don't think one should experience in a $150k system. :confused::mad:
 
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christoph

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Sorry for bumping. Hope this is relevant. I had a Callisto I used with my Lampi TRP and Lucas Domensky's server. It sounded very nice but was bested by David LaBoga's Ruby USB which Lucas D. recommended (roughly 3X price of the Callisto). The Ruby kind of crapped out yesterday, losing lock within a 20 minute time span. A cheap AQ cable worked fine so the Ruby will have to be replaced (under warranty). I bought an Intona Ulitmate today because I'm not sure how the Ruby and TRP will ultimately work together. I believe the issue is neither the cable nor the DAC per se, but rather than JL Audio USB card I had Lampi install last year. It's kept kind of quiet but I have heard of a number of issues between certain cables and the JL USB. The TRP Amanero USB worked fine and in complete honesty I heard no upgrade in sound related to the install of the JL. I know Lukaz from Lampi likes the JL but IMO if your Amanero works fine just leave it alone.

Now I am almost back to square one. I'm getting a new Ruby but it will take a month and I'm not sure it will work right in my system long-term. In the mean time I had to spend $2k to buy a back-up USB cable (the Intona) which I've been told I might like best of all. I have been an audiophile for 45 years, and while I LOVE the hobby the lack of 'plug and play' between components/cables/etc makes me almost want to buy a mass market system that just works. Venting now but I have had a lot of issues with components and cables over the past six months that I don't think one should experience in a $150k system. :confused::mad:
Sorry to read about your woes.
 
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