Jimmy Chen
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[Notes] Supplier USB vs. Metal-Cased USB 3.0 Hub Showdown

ShowdownFirestoneHeadphonesFirestone AudioMy Jimmy CityUSB HUBAudioNotes

By popular request, I ran this showdown, XDD

It was done with a Custom Cute + Supplier HD + Xiaomin 3 + Supplier AC + Philips X1 as the fixed setup,
comparing the following:

  1. Custom Cute plugged directly into the PC’s USB 3.0 port.
  2. Custom Cute plugged into the metal-cased USB 3.0 hub (which connects to the PC’s USB 3.0), but without the Supplier USB.
  3. Custom Cute plugged into the Supplier USB, but without the metal-cased USB 3.0 hub.
  4. Custom Cute plugged first into the metal-cased USB 3.0 hub, then into the Supplier USB.

I didn’t do the test of Supplier USB first then the metal-cased USB 3.0 hub…
because that would mean rerouting my whole cabling…

Let me give the conclusion first:
Option 4 is the best! (obviously)

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S h o w d o w n B e g i n s
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Here are the differences one by one:

  1. Custom Cute plugged directly into the PC’s USB 3.0 port
    The thinnest, least full/rich-sounding of the four—clear and bright to the point of being a bit harsh, somewhat unacceptable, @@
    It also had the most fuzz and roughness, and the least bass extension.
    You could feel a kind of “digital” flavor? Resolving in a way that felt a bit off, very odd—
    not the kind of sound that easily melts into the background or into daily life, but standing out on its own (?).

  2. Custom Cute plugged into the metal-cased USB 3.0 hub (connected to the PC’s USB 3.0), but without the Supplier USB
    Compared to option 1, the sound wasn’t as thin, though still on the thinner side. The mid-bass also wasn’t very full/rich, with the bass digging down slightly.
    It was still analytical and bright, but not as heavily “digital”; the brightness was also pretty good,
    and sometimes it could hit high notes without being harsh. Overall I found it quite decent.

  3. Custom Cute plugged into the Supplier USB (connected to the PC’s USB 3.0), but without the metal-cased USB 3.0 hub
    Compared to option 1, the mid-bass clearly became full/rich, and overall the “digital” flavor was removed.
    The bass dug down a lot more and gained character—a very full-bodied, warm and dependable sound~
    It’s just a shame the fuzz and roughness were as much as in option 1, and it was still clear and bright to the point of being a little harsh,
    though acceptable now.

  4. Custom Cute plugged first into the metal-cased USB 3.0 hub (connected to the PC’s USB 3.0), then into the Supplier USB
    Overall, this combines the strengths of the two options above, and it’s the combo I listen to the longest and am most used to, XD
    In short, the mid-bass is very full/rich, the bass digs down plenty, the resolution and brightness are just right without much “digital” flavor,
    and instead there’s character, with the fuzz and roughness gone.
    Some may say this tuning seems bass-heavy—wouldn’t that be a bit odd?
    My take: a thick sound inherently has more mid-bass, and I think as long as the highs extend upward it’s fine.
    Besides, with a thick foundation, if the highs then extend upward it actually gives a great sense of layering,
    and honestly, a thick sound is more listenable over the long run~

Let me talk about the principles I’m guessing at, XDD

The metal-cased USB 3.0 hub:
The metal-cased USB 3.0 hub is just a USB hub, and a hub’s job is to collect and transmit USB signals,
and it may even need to “reshape” the signal so it’s less error-prone during subsequent transmission.
And the sound signal after being “reshaped” is my option-2 impression—overall, less fuzz and roughness~

The Supplier USB:
The Supplier USB is basically what the forums have discussed a lot: a “split cable” plus a “linear power supply.”
So the USB signal part is pulled straight out without any processing,
and after the original USB power part is taped off, the Supplier USB provides a clean 5V/1.5A power source instead.
Two wishes granted at once, XDD
So what effect does this cause? Refer to the option-3 impression.
But why is that? Take the Custom Cute: it’s divided into three parts—
USB Decoder: XMOS-XS1, D/A Converter: Wolfson - WM8740, LPF OPAmp: TI - OPA604 *2
Of these, the USB Decoder—the USB receiver module we speak of—still draws power from the USB to do its processing,
while the D/A Converter and LPF OPamp afterward are powered by the independent supply.
So if we strengthen the power on the USB side, it definitely has a positive effect.

Not to mention DACs that draw USB power from start to finish, like HIFACE’s little black stick, little white stick, and yōkan,
or Firestone’s FireKeys (e.g. BlackKey, BlueKey, RedKey)—the improvement is sure to be even greater.

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S h o w d o w n C o n c l u s i o n
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  1. Want to reduce fuzz and roughness —> take the “metal-cased USB 3.0 hub.”
  2. Want to add mid-bass body and character —> take the “Supplier USB.”
  3. Want your USB DAC to perform better —> take both the “Supplier USB” and the “metal-cased USB 3.0 hub.”
  4. If I had to put an overall number on the improvement, with the Custom Cute on its original power adapter as 50 points,
    here’s the point boost:
    50 + 20 (Supplier HD) + 12 (metal-cased USB 3.0 hub) + 8 (Supplier USB) = 90
    The remaining ten points come from upgrading the OP, changing the sound direction, and so on~

Once again, the impressions and “prescriptions” above are personal, subjective listening impressions; for details, do audition for yourselves~
If you have questions, feel free to ask me~

Signed in Taiwan · 2014