The Mad Scientist does it again!
Review sample supplied by Mad Scientist Audio
Retail price: $399 for all lengths
Once again the company issued a newer version of a product that beats the previous incarnation by a sizable margin, no matter if that previous product was already marvelous! Of course, I am referring to the Heretical USB, which I raved about in this review.
Background
While developing the Heretical USB cable, Mad Scientist Audio found when making a 2-meter cable on request for me, that this cable sounded better than the 1-meter cable. They carried out further experiments with other lengths and it quickly turned out that the 2-meter length sounded best. While developing its successor, the design brief was to make it look better and sound better and, importantly, irrespective of length. Thus, the new Black Magic USB cable is available in 0.8, 1.2 and 2.0-meter lengths.
Left: Heretical USB cable; right: Black Magic USB cable. Fair is fair: the new model really looks the part.
The Black Magic USB cable comes with a nice pouch, which you will never use because the cable will never leave the system!
Review System
Since the last review, my system has changed entirely. The speakers have changed from Apogee to Wilson W/P 8 and the front end and amplification, formerly divided over many separate elements, has been replaced with only two components from CH Precision: the A1 stereo amp and the C1 DAC/Endpoint/Controller. These components are incredibly transparent and can deal with any source, including Ethernet and USB. The Ayon Stealth preamp is used in combination with the Thorens turntable, outside of the scope for this review. As digital music sources, I use a Melco N1ZH via UPnP and an Antipodes EX with Roon via USB.
Listening
For the longest time, my reference has been the 699 euro AudioQuest Diamond USB. Even today, I still feel that this is a very good, highly neutral and highly transparent cable. However, the Heretical USB cable, by comparison, makes the Diamond sound a bit, well, normal. Normal is good, for sure, but sometimes you just want a little extra magic, right? When I compared the Diamond to the Heretical I noted that the latter sounded timbrally fuller and richer, without being less dynamic than the Diamond. But it isn’t better on all accounts.
For this review, I connected all three USB cables one after the other using the same playlist on the Antipodes EX, starting with the Heretical USB. Yup, this cable still sounded very convincing and highly engaging, encouraging the listener to forget about technicalities and just enjoy the music. But compared to the Melco server via UPnP, the EX + Heretical USB combination sure was a bit on the fulsome side. Now that’s actually a good thing most of the time, but a deviation from neutrality all the same. Sometimes that’s just the price you pay for a nice dose of magic and swapping to the AudioQuest Diamond further substantiated this feeling. However, the Diamond did sound slightly more upbeat and articulate.
In came the Black Magic USB cable. Well, I think I can express my feelings best by English-izing a Dutch phrase: it simply made sausage of the other two cables. Not only did the Black Magic USB cable sound more dynamic and alive than the other two cables, it also sounded more delicate, more transparent and more detailed at the same time.
Going back to the Heretical the music is still intact and still communicating, but not quite as clearly and vividly. And going back to the Diamond… well, that’s an even bigger leap. In absolute terms, it is still a great cable, but somehow, it just seems to be missing the fun and expression that the Black Magic USB cable delivers so effortlessly.
The Antipodes EX is a highly capable and supremely musical server but also with this server, the influence of USB cables really should not be underestimated. The Mad Scientist Black Magic USB cable, however, plays to the EX’s strengths, and then some!
The Black Magic USB cable is here to stay!
Normally, certain positives come along with some negatives, but, amazingly, there are just no downsides with this cable that I can find: no glare, no hardness, no loss of detail, no slowing of speed or rounding off of articulation. Simply just glorious, communicative music. The Mad Scientist is spot-on when summarizing the sound of this cable with two words: Clarity and Musicality.
Oh boy, what am I to do if they develop the next USB cable? I’d be flat out of superlatives!
Conclusion
This really is as no-brainer a situation as they come. The Heretical USB was already a breakthrough product but the Black Magic USB cable simply improves on it, literally on every aspect. Trust me: this is THE USB cable to get. Just try it, with their return policy there’s no risk but I guarantee that you won’t be returning it!
External Links
Manufacturer: madscientist-audio
Hi Christiaan
Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but quick question: I was wondeirng if voltage for the older JRDG amps (specifically model 6) can be converted easily (like from 100V to 220V). If not, would it require an extensive overhaul?
Many thanks in advance,
Joey
Hi Joey, I believe this would be simple with the sixes. If you post this comment in a more appropriate location then I will respond there.
https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/specials/jeff-rowland-company-special/jeff-rowland-power-amplifiers/jrdg-company-special-model-6/
Wow, Christiaan, this is quite a review / recommendation. What also interests me is the idea that with this cable you can rid yourself of all the other suggested tweaks (USB isolater, regenerators, LPS, etc.).
That would be a beautiful thing –
Gary
It’s definitely a great cable and a well-deserved current personal reference. However, while I feel that USB isolators and USB regenerators in general do more harm than good and I share the opinion of the manufacturer that they are certainly not required with this cable, the quality of the source and its power supply remain factors to take into account. Better music servers will still sound better:-)
No doubt about the source quality and PS. Since I’m not in a position to shell out thousands for a music server, I am using a dedicated Windows 10 PC with JPLAY software. Do you have any plans to revisit the whole topic of computer-based audio?
Hi Gary, since I noticed that considerably better sound can be achieved by using a low-power, Linux-based system rather than a computer, I have not looked back at computer-based audio. Then came Roon, which combines excellent sound with state of the art operation, so I have not felt the need to further explore the topic of computer-based audio.
I do have a review in the works covering custom-made convolution filters for Roon, by a company called Home Audio Fidelity. Oh, and I did plan to compare Raspberry Pi’s with Hifi Berry audio boards and various power supplies and did the comparisons but never got around to writing the review. That review might still materialize one day.
BTW I have not done an article on it, but JPLAY worked very well for me in combination with Devialet and Air, with very good operation and really good sound, too. So it seems that regular computers can produce good sound but it depends greatly on the application.
Thanks for the feedback.
FYI, Marcin at JPLAY wrote on his Forum today there will be a newsletter issued with the official announcement of a new release of JPLAY. In his words “I’d rather not disclose anything before other than the sound quality is vastly improved.”
He doesn’t give an expected date, only maybe this summer and for sure this year.
One final comment. As someone posted on CA:
I have many different USB cables of various different lengths and constructions, none of them in the ultra expensive category, but plenty of them at price points far greater than the typical generic printer cable that so many cling to as perfect.
Not only do they sound different from each other, but it isn’t 100% consistent with regard to selecting a favorite for every application, invariably just changing out either the source or the load end component can change things to the extent a different USB cable becomes a better partner than the one previously in use.
Are these what most folks would call earth-shaking sonic differences, necessitating everyone needs to run out and buy a different USB cable or be left hugely missing out in some way? No, but they do not sound the same. How exactly subtle, important, or worth any particular cost/expense in realizing such sonic differences is both a matter of personal subjective taste, and one’s own wallet.”
Well, this is the point and one that’s difficult for the home audio consumer to deal with. With regards to reviews, too many times I’ve learned the changes in sound is subtle at most, but to the uninitiated they would read the review as suggesting the difference to be huge.
Right now, on Computer Audiophile, there is a bit of a back and forth going on between the manufacturer of the MH USB cable (so far as I can discern) and other forum members. I can understand that because Mad Heretical is, to one degree or another, in the camp of “you don’t need all these other USB devices”. Of course, the manufacturer of all those other devices is weighing in to the contrary.
But I return to my original point – how different is the sound from any of these products and are expectations being set appropriately?
Back to the MH Black Magic USB cable for a minute, have you ever tested out Scott Berry’s USB cable at Computer Audio Design?
I’m afraid not Gary. But I’ll see if I can get a sample in for review.
Hi Gary, the CAD USB will be coming in for review.
That’s great. Not to go crazy about testing every USB cable in the world, but the Phasure Lush USB cable has gotten a lot of great reviews by users. Anyway, will be very interested to hear your take on these various cables.
Curious how it would compare to one of the world’s reference – Curious Cable.
I’ll see if I can get a sample in for review.
Oh great. But for Curious shorter is better. Even less than 50cm.
And it is a silver cable (at least what i heard).
Ok, thanks for the heads up.
Hi Marek, the Curious USB will be coming in for review.
Hi Christiaan
After reading your review I took a punt(pun intended) and purchased the black magic USB cable. I am a kiwi also ,so I figured it would be good to buy local.
I am truely astonished how much this cable has changed the sound being produced by my system, it is quite remarkable. The cable does take a few hundred hours to really come-on-song, but the wait is worth-it. The mad scientist has a truly amazing product on his hands here, and I hope he does really well financially out of his invention.
I am a little surprised the truth of this product has not garnered more commentary around the audiophile community.
Thanks for your review.
Regards
Colin
Speakers: Dynaudio C1 Platinum
Streamer: Antipodes GT
AMP: Modwright KWA100SE
DAC/PRE: T+A DAC8 DSD
This post by Colin has really gotten me thinking. I currently have the Mad Scientist Heretical USB and am now wondering if I should get the Black Magic.
Question for you, Christiaan: out of all of the USB cables you have tested, which one is, in your opinion, the “lushest” sounding?
Hi Gary, lushest would be either the Elijah Quad Braid or the MS Heretical. The former is perhaps most fluid but the latter is smoother. Black Magic is overall a better cable but I’m not sure if I would characterize it as lusher than the Heretical.
Hi Christiaan.
After reading your review I decided to buy the Black Magic but the result is more than sad.
I got it today but it do NOT WORK with my Lampizator Pacific DAC!
There is no sound at all or the music server do not find any DAC at the other side. I have to reboot the DAC compleatly to be able to play with my own USB cable later.
With a cheap 100 euro china DAC / headphone amp it works,
The same problem a friend reported wich had to use a USB reclocker to get any signal to the DAC.
A. Any idea about
B. The readers should know that it do not work with every DAC
Hi Reinhard, that’s sad to hear. I must say that I have not encountered a situation in which the Black Magic USB cable did not work. I recommend writing the manufacturer, I’m sure they can help.
Hi Christiaan.
I did already and they wrote back within 24 hours to report me that in 1 from 100 cases the cable do not work together with the USB interface of the DAC. The more specific the USB board and the less standard like XMOS the bigger the chance that it don’t work. They offered me a free exchange to another version which should work or a refund of my money.
Great support at all!
Good to hear it’s already sorted:-)