Help with RAL Reference DualConduit USB cable

[fabrizioinguglia]

Dear All,
I'm new to this forum, I tried to look for similar issues already opened but I couldn't find something similar with this issue I have. I would need some help in properly connecting using a Revelation Audio Labs Reference DualConduit USB cable to Bryston BDA-3 DAC.

I purchase the cable few weeks ago and it finally arrived yesterday. I had hard time to make it work: none of the ports on my PC seemed to provide connectivity between the DAC and the PC. After more than 2 hours of trying different combinations and angles I finally had connectivity. Needless to say, it sounds amazing.

I contacted the vendor (True Audiophile) asking if something may be wrong with the cable. My expectation was not to find such a finicky alignment between cable and USB ports with everything in a perfect angle to make it work.

The vendor contacted RAL (Brad Vojtech) who said that is the actual expectation and nothing is wrong with the cable.

Did anybody in this community face similar challenges? Should I expect signal conduit to work only on one single port in my PC and only in a very specific angle? This seems very unstable, not sure there is anything I can do to make it more reliable (e.g. with a support of some sort).

I'm considering returning it. Based on your knowledge/experience, what could be another USB cable with similar sound quality? Please let me know your comments, thank you!

Fabrizio

 

[slipperybidness]

Dear All,
I'm new to this forum, I tried to look for similar issues already opened but I couldn't find something similar with this issue I have. I would need some help in properly connecting using a Revelation Audio Labs Reference DualConduit USB cable to Bryston BDA-3 DAC.

I purchase the cable few weeks ago and it finally arrived yesterday. I had hard time to make it work: none of the ports on my PC seemed to provide connectivity between the DAC and the PC. After more than 2 hours of trying different combinations and angles I finally had connectivity. Needless to say, it sounds amazing.

I contacted the vendor (True Audiophile) asking if something may be wrong with the cable. My expectation was not to find such a finicky alignment between cable and USB ports with everything in a perfect angle to make it work.

The vendor contacted RAL (Brad Vojtech) who said that is the actual expectation and nothing is wrong with the cable.

Did anybody in this community face similar challenges? Should I expect signal conduit to work only on one single port in my PC and only in a very specific angle? This seems very unstable, not sure there is anything I can do to make it more reliable (e.g. with a support of some sort).

I'm considering returning it. Based on your knowledge/experience, what could be another USB cable with similar sound quality? Please let me know your comments, thank you!

Fabrizio

You are getting ripped off!

You paid way too much $ for a USB cable. It is a digi cable that transmits digi data, likely to a buffered input.

Go buy a normal USB cable and hook it up. If it "works as expected", then you know with 100% certainty that you were sold a piece of junk at a premium price.

 

[fabrizioinguglia]

slipperybidness thank you, I know that may be the case. I realized there is a considerable part of the audiophile community that share exactly the same thoughts. I may be crazy but when is actually working I think I hear the improvements (is there such thing as audio placebo? )

 

[slipperybidness]

slipperybidness thank you, I know that may be the case. I realized there is a considerable part of the audiophile community that share exactly the same thoughts. I may be crazy but when is actually working I think I hear the improvements (is there such thing as audio placebo? )

Yes placebo and expectation bias are very much alive and well in this hobby.

Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of snake oil salesmen.

It is possible that you had tested it against a poor cable.

They already misled you once when you read their marketing and decided to make a purchase, what makes you think they won't keep misleading you until your return period has ended and they keep your $?

Do you mind telling how much this cost?

 

[fabrizioinguglia]

Well.. I think it's public knowledge on trueaudiophile website It goes for $649.00. I think I know the next thing you are about to say

 

[slipperybidness]

Well.. I think it's public knowledge on trueaudiophile website It goes for $649.00. I think I know the next thing you are about to say

It's your $ and you are the one that is going to have to justify spending that much $ for a cable.

You would be much better off if you took that $650 and put it towards better speakers, room treatments, or measurement gear--items that WILL give you noticeable improvements.

Oh BOY! I had a look at their marketing, classic BS with some technical terms thrown in to dazzle the uneducated.

My advice is to get your $ back while you still can.

@jinjuku

Didn't you have some hard-data on USB cable comparisons????

 

[fabrizioinguglia]

Thank you for your feedback slipperybidness. I think your point is clear. Not sure I need to justify my choice, but I appreciate the new information that this discussion is bringing. I don't want to challenge you, I'm just sincerely trying to understand. I'm new in this community. Do you think that reviews on these type of cables are completely bogus? The one I bought is a recommended component from stereophile.com, while I also see extensive reviews on many other respectable sites (I think!) like hifi-advice.com?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Welcome to AH.
While your were exchanging with slippery, I will jump in.
Reviews are opinions based mostly on unreliable testing, sighted comparisons, that is totally biased. A bias that is not controllable by the listener.

One way to minimize the effect of bias is through a double blind listening protocol with sufficient trials to have significant outcome beyond just guessing.
Science does play into this.

 

[lovinthehd]

This cable is so defective it doesn't fit properly in a standard port? You could get a proper cable for a few dollars, you got ripped off not only by the vendor but the schmucks at StereoPILE who encourage cable nonsense.

 

[fabrizioinguglia]

thanks mtrycrafts/lovinthehd. I'm with you and slipperybidness from a logical and rational point of view. The only explanation is that the cable is magic anyhoo, I think I will return it and follow your suggestion and go with a $9.99 amazon basic cable.

 

[slipperybidness]

This cable is so defective it doesn't fit properly in a standard port? You could get a proper cable for a few dollars, you got ripped off not only by the vendor but the schmucks at StereoPILE who encourage cable nonsense.

Oh, but "this isn't a problem, in fact it is expected"

What a douche!

 

[lovinthehd]

A vendor called True Audiophile just screams bullshit!