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Model: | Platinum Starlight USB |
Category: | Cable |
Suggested Retail Price: | $600 |
Description: | Premium USB cable |
Manufacturer URL: | Wire World |
Model Picture: | View |
Review by jonbee on August 30, 2014 at 10:09:22 IP Address: 98.225.22.34 | Add Your Review for the Platinum Starlight USB |
Since I built my music server 2 or 3 years ago I've tried a number of USB cables and am always struck by how much they affect the sound. I have two servers now; even though both my NAD M51 and Eastern Electric Minimax Plus DACs have asynch USB inouts, I found I prefer the sound using the Musical Fidelity VLink192 spdif converters, so the USB feeds the MF devices and AES/EBU cables feed the DACs.
Cheap give away cables sound gritty and flat, definitely inferior to the Sony 9100/modwright signature player I had been using.
Moving to an Audioquest Coffee was a definite step up, and the sound now matched or exceeded the Sony player. I replaced the Coffee with a Mapleshade USB, which surprised me with a nice, smooth, non-digital sound that I liked very well. More recently, a Black Cat Silverstar USB also gave me the smooth sound I liked, but with more extension on the extremes. The result was a very high quality sound, but I noted that my system still lacked the ambience and spaciousness that I was hearing from really good vinyl setups.
I got a good deal on a Wireworld Platinum Starlight (aka Platinum Starlight 6) cable, and with that the ambience, separation and "blackness" between the instruments improved greatly. The images opened up and spread out wide and deep from my Daedalus DA-RMA V2 speakers. It was exactly what I felt I was missing. The Wireworld was just much more 3-d and the sense of space is greatly enhanced. In my system I'm feeling that I'm finally hearing what the recordings offer. It does not sound quite "like" vinyl, but I'm now feeling that I'm not missing some important musical information.
Much more $ than the others (of course!), but now that I've heard how a really good USB cable compares in my system, there's no going back for me. Are there better cables out there? I suppose so, but I'm very pleased with what I'm hearing.
Product Weakness: | A bit stiff, not exactly cheap. |
Product Strengths: | Huge, open and airy soundstage, very detailed yet naturally smooth |
Amplifier: | Hypex N-Core NC-400 |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | NAD M51 pre/DAC |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Windows 7 Server/ Jriver 19 |
Speakers: | Daedalus DA-RMA v2 |
Cables/Interconnects: | Wireworld/Wywires/ZenWave |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | lots |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 17 x 20 x 8 |
Room Comments/Treatments: | eats bass, bu otherwise good |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | 1 week |
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | PS Audio PPP, Uberbuss |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Will this be possible??? It will be more like a rounded 90 degree angle.
I have 4 3/4" between my CD player and laptop...
not as stiff as some other cables I've used. I also use it in close quarters, without much trouble.
Which cable are you using?
I plan on purchasing the Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7 USB cable.
Keep me posted when you buy this cable and break-in period.
Thanks! for sharing. I use a WW Silver Starlight 5.2 HDMI and it is a killer cable, bettered only by the Platinum version.
Of all the HDMI cables I've tried, the Wireworld Silver Starlight 5.2 does the best job at preserving image (both video AND audio!) outlines. Makes me wonder how much better the cable would perform, if the audiodharma Cable Cooker, Nordost VIDAR, and Hagerman FryKleaner were able to treat HDMI cables.
In the meantime, I have the Silver Starlight 5.2 HDMI coming out of the Nintendo Wii U. The word I hear the players say most is "awesome."
That is the One!
I was lucky to have bought mine on a close-out a few years ago for $100.00 shipped. As stated above, this is only bettered by the Platinum HDMI.
Happy Watching!
audiodharma have now come out with an adapter [photo courtesy of Audio Excellence AZ], which allows their Cable Cooker to treat USB cables. So if you are having success with the Wireworld Platinum Starlight 6 USB now, just wait 'til you Cook it.
As an example, when I reviewed Wireworld's Platinum Eclipse interconnects and speaker cables, proper cable burn-in devices were required to get these products to realize their potential.
We're still waiting for someone to come up with an adapter which will let the Cable Cooker treat HDMI cables. I have half a dozen different HDMI cables in the stable, and am currently reviewing the Chord Company HDMI Active Resolution.
-Lummy The Loch Monster
All you need is a "type A HDMI female to female cable"...
Get one a foot or two long... Cut it in half and separate the wires into two bundles... If they are color coded,keep track of the colors... Strip the wires and connect to a RCA connector,half to the Hot and the rest to the Ground...
Do the same to the other cable,keeping track of the wire colors...
If the HDMI cable has arrows for direction,align the cable on the Cable Cooker...
Connect to the two top RCA connections on the Audiodharma Cable Cooker and condition for a few days... Take a spare RCA cable and connect it to the lower RCA connections on the Cable Cooker...
Take a spare RCA cable and connect it to the lower RCA connections on the Cable Cooker
RW....there is no need to add a second cable to the second set of RCA's. The top pair of RCA's work independently from the others, and will show continuity with a properly soldered set of adaptors. :--}
Good call with the HDMI cable shown above....however, the "trick" is sorting out all 19 (!!) conductors, and bundling them properly. One must make certain the positive leads and negative leads are neatly separated, combined, and soldered to their appropriate destinations to achieve good continuity. 19 is a heck of a lot of conductors to deal with.
Yes,Alan,I understand 19 is a big bundle,but I will be dealing with about half that number into each Hot And Ground on the RCA connector...
I have solved this problem before by inserting a short larger gauge insulated stranded wire into each bundle so it sticks out the front. The larger stranded insulated wire should be the maximum gauge the the RCA connector can handle,this way it is not the weakest link to the adapter...
After each bundle is soldered I slip a piece of Heat Shrink over each bundle and then connect the single stranded insulated wire to each of the Hot and Ground connections on the RCA connector...
Then I will take a larger diameter piece of Heat Shrink and cover both Hot and Ground bundles. Then do the same to the other HDMI Adapter...
I have solved this problem before by inserting a short larger gauge insulated stranded wire into each bundle so it sticks out the front.
I still don't get how you're going to attach/solder this larger gauge conductor to the various leads of the HDMI cable....
All wires are stripped and Pre-tinned with Cardas Quad Eutectic Silver Solder...
I use a Soldering Jig to hold the wires steady...
Then add a little more heat from my Hakko 936 Soldering Station to the bundle...
Very interesting Radio Wonder & Alan.
Great pics- Radio Wonder.
I did the same thing when I made my DIY USB Adapters from spare iFi Audio parts... My out of pocket cost was zero dollars,except for the Cardas solder...
Here I am conditioning two iFi Audio USB cables on the Audiodharma Cable Cooker...
Edits: 09/14/14 09/14/14
Nice Lummy! Keep me posted.
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