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Topic: USB Cables |
Cass Broadview
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Posted 1 Jan 2009 5:57 pm |
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| I need to upgrade my USB cables. I am still using the ones that came with my plug ins. They are real thin and not built well. I visited Radio Shack, $40.00 for a USB cable? Anyone know of a place either online or local to get decent USB cables at a decent price? Cass |
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Jeff Hyman
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 2 Jan 2009 3:39 am
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If they work, why replace them? A thicker cable is not going to work any better or speed up the interface. We are talking digital signals here, not low impedence audio like we have with guitar cables. Size doesn't really matter with USB cables.
The old "if it ain't broke don't fix it" applies here. |
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Cass Broadview
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Posted 2 Jan 2009 9:26 am
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Thank you all for the advice. Jack, i have a habit of pushing my computer desk up against the wall when i vacuum over there. And my cables are now kinked to a permanent right angle. These are very cheaply made cables, and i really do need new ones. I just thought a Belkin, or equivalent cable would work fine. Below are the type of cables everyone has up around here, Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack. So i guess it's off to walmart.
http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=1389 |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 2 Jan 2009 2:12 pm
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| Forget the Monster cable, Monster Cable is overpriced and doesn't work any better than less expensive brands. I do use the "high grade" George L's cable for my steel but as long as it's a certified for USB 2.0 most any cable will work. |
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Jeff Hyman
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 2 Jan 2009 2:43 pm
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Jack,
I'm a firm believer you get what you pay for. If quality is a priority over price, then I'd go with the Monster. Ever taken a look at the guts of a Monster UPS? That extra heavy gauge may help prevent the kinking problem. Just my thoughts.
PS: I vacuum once ever 6 months so its not a problem for me :-) |
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Cass Broadview
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Posted 2 Jan 2009 4:49 pm
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| I bought two belkin cables $10.95 each 6FT, from Walmart. They work dandy. George said that the "Gold Plated" stuff doesn't connect any better then the regular cables, and is just a sales pitch mostly. So i purchased the $10.00 cables, and my little Dell and my music is playing again. I can also download my photos on the forum. Thanks everyone. Cass |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 3 Jan 2009 3:16 am
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Monster is not "quality", Monster is sales pitch. If you go to the monster site and try to find electrical specs for their guitar cables, for example, there are no specs just marketing flim flam. I'm an electronics techie aned most electronics tech's and electronics engineers that I know all agree with me on Monster.
All the stuff about Gold connections is also fluff. Gold is a superior connection material but in the real world where things are plugged in and unplugged and usually into a jack that is not gold plated it means nothing.
The size of cable has nothing to do with electrical spec's and how good it is. The George L's cable proves that.
A $15 HDMI cable will work just as good as the $125 Monster HDMI cable.
But, Monster has done a great marketing job. |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2009 9:20 am
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| We got our USB cables at the 99 cents only store and they work fine. |
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Cass Broadview
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Posted 3 Jan 2009 9:49 am
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For the fussy users. The web site said this cable is $150 for a 12 footer. I guess i will have to just stick with my spaghetti wire, they work. Hummm...i think i can get shrink wrap at my local ACE hardware store.
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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John Cipriano
From:
San Francisco
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Posted 3 Jan 2009 2:08 pm
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Cables for digital signals, like USB or HDMI cables, either work or don't work. The "in-between" is extremely small due to the error correction built into the signal (something that analog signals don't have). This behavior is called the digital cliff because the signal will either be perfect or drop straight off:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_effect
Just go to your local mom & pop computer store, they might have bins of shrink-wrapped USB cords for cheap. At least mine does. The office supply stores will have blister pack ones (usually Belkin) but you are not getting anything for the extra money. |
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Jeff Hyman
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2009 5:43 pm
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| Jack Stoner wrote: |
Monster is not "quality", Monster is sales pitch.... I'm an electronics techie aned most electronics tech's and electronics engineers that I know all agree with me on Monster.
A $15 HDMI cable will work just as good as the $125 Monster HDMI cable.
But, Monster has done a great marketing job. |
Jack, With your background and experience in this field, I certainly would not argue your point. My only experience with Monster was the UPS and not the cable. The UPS is certainly quality IMHO. Either way, from a marketing point of view, a company that does plenty of marketing, has inventory in the big retail chains, is typically subject to more editorial reviews may be more apt for better customer service to help maintain their image, pricing and reputation. This still does not out weigh your reply... but is food for thought. |
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Jeff Hyman
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2009 4:30 am
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Jack... I've been really thinking about this issue being influenced by another thread on cord length (You should chime in on that thread). With my lack of electronic knowledge let me ask:
1. I use George-L cable. Period. It's been working great for me for many years for many good reasons. This kinda endorses your comments on cords vs: costs, etc.
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-12860235764893_2020_160275
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-12860235764893_2020_292461
on the other hand
2. My WEBB Amps have superior tone and tone control over any other brand of amps I've used... and I used plenty. The cable and wiring in a WEBB is extremely heavy gauge and its built like a freakin' tank. I love them.
Where do the two issues overlap? ... and why?
Donny Hinson, and anyone else too... I'd appreciate any comments you would have also. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 4 Jan 2009 10:10 am
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Jeff, it depends on what internal wiring you are referring to. Is it power (voltage) wire, or audio wire? Internally, audio cable doesn't really matter as it's very short runs in most cases. In fact between tube stages in a tube amp they will not even use shielded audio cable in most cases, just a piece of "hookup wire" which can be 22 gauge or even smaller and it won't matter (again with the short distances).
Power cable is a different story and it has to be large enough (actualy metal diameter) to accomodate whatever current it is carrying, but even there, other than the filament voltage wiring it doesn't have to be a very heavy gauge wire.
There is no real relationship between the actual wire and the size of the material that surrounds the wire. If you use teflon jacket (casing) for the wire you can get by with a thinner coating than if you used, for example, a PVC based jacket.
Finally, in low impedence audio cable (instrument cable), the resistance/per foot of the wire and the capacitance/per foot of the wire are the primary electrical characteristics. The actual shield around the inner core and inner core dielectric material is another measure of quality in a cable. Some cables (cheap and expensive) do not have a very tight (not a lot of metal) shield "braid" around the wire and the better shielding (which is grounded) helps to prevent hum and noise in a cable. The outer jacket can be large (in diameter) or small dependingon the material used. Finally, the actual 1/4" phone plug material and design is the final part. Obviously you want good conductivity metal (but you don't need gold plating - which will eventually wear off on cords that are frequently plugged in and unplugged); and you want the end of the cable completely enclosed in (grounded) metal for complete shielding which again avoids or minimizes external hum and noise. The George L's plugs meet these requirements. Cables that have a "molded" connector may or may not provide 100% shielding (and who knows unless you dismantle the connector and you would have to ruin the connector to do that).
As far as the Webb being superior that is a purely subjective and personal opinion similar to which steel guitar is superior. The 3" or even 12" pieces of wire inside are not the reason for the sound of the amp, it's the overall electronic design and components that are used. |
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Blake Hawkins
From:
Florida
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Posted 4 Jan 2009 11:31 am
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Jack,
Thanks for the rundown on the various types of cables.
I agree with all you have said.
Also agree with your comments on Amp wiring.
Heavier hookup wire is used to give more physical strength.
In the '40's and '50's most all radio and amplifier
tube gear was wired with #20 solid hookup wire.
Components such as tube sockets, capacitors and
resistors were larger and heavier.
As printed circuits and smaller, lighter components
were used, the hookup wire got smaller. Down to #22 or smaller, mostly stranded.
Guitar amplifiers, in general, need to be ruggedly built because of the vibration and abuse they will be subject to during their normal use. The designer
may use a variety of solid and stranded wires with various types of insulation to achieve these goals.
The person repairing an amp should understand
the physical needs as well at the electrical and electronic requirements.
That's why specialists such as Ken Fox and Jack
are so valuable.
The above comments are very general. There are so many variations and reasons for them.
So don't take any of the above to be absolute.
Blake |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 5 Jan 2009 4:20 pm
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I tend to frown upon and be very leery of anything being sold with the prefix moniker - MONSTER.
That word, alone, smacks of teens-at-work. Nothing against teens, but their minds are still developing.
"Monster" is only one example of stuff that's being pushed with over-hypeness; and is more to distract, than acknowledge what's under the hood. 
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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