AudioQuest Carbon

AQ Carbon is noticeably better than Cinnamon - it's remarkably clear and neutral. By comparison, Cinnamon lacks its level of definition and is warmer in presentation. Best upgrade I had made in my office setup recently. Worth every penny.

Have questions for
?

High quality but suspect

The big question- does it improve the quality? I spend this much on a usb cable.so yes it improved the quality lol. Honestly, I have not noticed a difference yet however, it hard to say that's because of the cable. My entire system consist of McIntosh components with all AudioQuest cables. Everything it separated and shielded. I have tried to do a side by side comparison however, by the time I get everything powered off, cables switched and components powered back on, the differences are so minimal that I cannot tell. It's a very high quality cable and I wish I would have order it slightly longer but I had a hard enough time justifying the cost already. Only down side is that the cable itself is pretty stiff and not very flexible. The system sounds the way I want it to so I am rating 5 stars.

Have questions for
?

Excellent Quality

Excellent USB cable. It just vanishes. I use it to run a Lumin U2 Mini into a Denafrips Pontus II. It's a terrific cable that will absolutely help you get the most out of any level of streamer. Love it.

Have questions for
?

Excellent USB Cable

The AudioQuest Carbon USB cable works as advertised and is providing a robust connection from my MacBook Pro to the USB port on my Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse DAC/Amp I want to thank Crutchfield for getting this to me next day with free shipping! Kudos.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

High quality and great sound!

Have questions for
?

Excellent sound quality

Another excellent quality cable from AudioQuest. The clarity and sound quality from my DAC is amazing.

Have questions for
?

Worth it, results may vary. Better I think.

This in fact does add just about 1.75 out of 10 improvement on my system. I would get the longer run, the cable is stiff. Other reviewers talk about your checking account, or affordability. Well. I don't know. Decide to decide that you will add this to your USB out to your DAC or signal processor. "More" is always entertaining, so. Take your pick. Find a clear USB cable, where the tinned copper RFI shielding is showing, or a fatter polyethylene USB cable with two ferrite cores on the ends. You try those and then this one. This Carbon is ahead somewhat. Your system may vary.

Have questions for
?

Verdict Not Out Yet 100%

I connected this to my Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 and desktop. Then I hooked that up to my Yamaha R-N602 with Klipsch speakers using Tidal Master. Any improvements in sound, in my opinion, were minimal if any. I really couldn't tell any differences between the Carbon and your everyday USB cord. Now, in defense of the Carbon, I'm not sure if it has to be broken in, but that's where my review stands for now. Time will tell.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

Nice build quality.

Have questions for
?

Noticable Sound quality improvement.

This cable brings out all the detail and accuracy I was looking for in my new iFi Zen Stream and Cambridge CXA 81. But there can be a downside to equipment that passes a clean signal from scource to amplifier exactly as an artist records it. If a recording lacks a strong bass track it still come through but without punch and pop. One workaround I use to defeat that weakness is a Zen DAC V2 and or a subwoofer without a forware firing port. The Audioquest Carbon A to B going from the Streamer to the DAC or direct to the CXA81 brings better bass than a stranded copper SP/DIF digital Coax cable. Whatever the difference is it works and is a noticeable improvement. Now music sounds full and warm even at lower volume levels.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

The AudioQuest build quality is top notch. I purchased Carbon USB cable as an upgrade from the Forest USB cable. I use the USB cable between my iMac and a DAC. The difference between the Forest and Carbon USB cables have so far just been cosmetic. I probably don't have good enough ears to notice if there are any changes in sound quality.

Have questions for
?

Quailty

Great quality. Definitely need a good quality cable of this kind for music. A little stiff but no issues.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

cleaned up my signal from my PC

Have questions for
?

Excellent Sound

Takes time to break in. After 100 hrs of play the sound was very much improved. Continues to get better in time.

Have questions for
?

Works for me

It's a well made USB cable like all AQ accessories. Connecting my laptop to a Chord Qutest with this cable, which is connected via AudioQuest RCA's (Carbon I think) to powered Audioengine A5's... Music is surprisingly noise free with a nice, dark background. Is it the Chord? Is it the USB? They are all a necessary part of a stellar musical experience. This cable gives peace of mind and a bit more juice in all departments compared to what the stock Chord USB was able to deliver. I even tried the AQ Jitterbug with this cord and it actually gave a slight muffled sound... like it was too much. I don't use it anymore. This cord is excellent all by itself.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

Used to connect SDR to computer. Made sound better and cleaner spectrum.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

This is essential. Sound upgrade is awesome.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

I have reviewed the Audio Quest Forest as wonderful hi fi and the Cinnamon as making it sound like real life music in your room. Where can you possibly go from real life? I kept asking myself is the Carbon really worth twice the price as the Cinnamon? Well I'm here to tell you ladies and gentlemen, " You bet it is!" All sound from every frequency is more intense. The dynamics have more energy and contrast. Giving the music much more passion with robust emotional highs and lows. I saved the best part for last. I have never heard my SVS sub crank like this. I kept all settings flat with the same songs as I did on the other two USB cables. Clearly the bass is stronger with Carbon. That alone is worth twice the price but with more detail and the added passion it's like I just bought a more expensive amplifier and speakers. Now when I look at twice the price. It's a bargain! How ever don't be like me and buy all three to see which one is the best just buy the Carbon. It's cheaper that way.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

Worth the investment. I actually noticed a difference in sound with this cable. I run a Sennheiser HDV 820 amp and this cable really improved the sound.

Have questions for
?

Seriousaboutmusic

Purchased this along with my DacMagicPlus and couldn't be happier.These two items together have made the biggest improvement to my system more than anything else I have done so far.If you stream your music off of your computer and use a DAC do NOT scrimp on the cables.The price seems high for a 2.5 ft. cable but the performance it delivers is worth it to people who are as serious about their listening experiences as I am.

Have questions for
?

BLACKWOOD

Audioquest is one of the best cable manufacturers. Crutchfield is the best place to buy stereo related produts! Best Service, Best Support, Best Selection... A+++

Have questions for
?

Good choice for high end systems

A good, solid USB option for high end systems. Is it worth the money? Maybe. It is possible that you can get similar performance for less, but if money is not an overriding consideration this is probably a reasonable choice. I use it in a higher end system featuring PS Audio separates, B&W 606 speakers and a sub, all being fed from a new, high end laptop computer. The Carbon cable enhanced low end response and overall smoothness of the sound in my system. But it had nothing like the impact of swapping out basic preamp to amplifier XLR interconnect cables for Audioquest Mackenzie interconnects. Cables DO make a difference in higher end systems. These are a good choice if they fit your budget.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

Improved claity and overall sound quality compared to the stock cable that came with the DAC. Used streaming Qobuz Hi Res from my Mac to my Chord DAC.

Have questions for
?

AudioQuest Carbon

Running this from my iPad to a Chord Qutest. Very pleased with the performance of the cable. I have done an A/B test with a generic black jacket typical USB camera cable and the difference is undeniable.

Have questions for
?

Really dtailed but smooth sound

This the most I have ever Invested in an audio cable. I was nervous but I'm glad I went for a really great cable. I use other audioquest products in my hi-fi and have found them to sound very good. Swapping out older wires for the audioquest from time to time just to see if I am imagining the improvement demonstrates every time that the audio quest products are great.

Have questions for
?

USB carbon

Works good. My headphone amplifier didn't come stock with any USB cable. Oh well. This made out to be a nice accessory. Great quality.

Have questions for
?

Carbon Cable

Amazing clarity from my Mac Mini to my HA-1 DAC

Have questions for
?

Clean and clear

I paired this cable with a Sydney mini to mini interconnect for my Marantz DAC that I had bought a couple weeks earlier. The little bit that the Sydney did not clean up, this cable did. Beautiful, crisp, clean, and clear. Exactly as advertised. Just never would have thought how much a so called "good" cable would contribute to noise until you replace them with "great" cables. You really need to hear to believe, and I suggest you do so if your serious about your tunes. Next are a pair of Rocket 44's and all the noise will be a thing of the past. Thanks Audioquest and Crutchfield for helping me be a believer!

Have questions for
?

good quality cable

Got this to connect my NAD M52 vault to M50 network player. It is a well made cable, good quality connectors. Not sure if it's all that much better than the NAD-supplied cable, but wanted to make sure that I had all bases covered, especially for hi-res files. AQ Carbon is a good fit for my systems, a bit pricey but not ridiculous.

Have questions for
?