AudioQuest Forest Micro USB Cable - USB-A to Micro-B - 1.5 Meter

AudioQuest Forest USB Cable - USB-A to Micro-B - 1.5 Meter

What It Does in Your System

A Real Step Up from a Generic Cable

Micro-B is the small trapezoid connector found on portable DACs, headphone amps, and plenty of compact audio gear. The cable that came in the box was built to charge a phone, not to carry music.

Forest is AudioQuest's entry point into serious USB cable, and it's a big jump over ordinary computer cable. At a meter and a half, this length reaches from a laptop or desktop to a DAC sitting nearby.

Silver Where the Signal Actually Travels

USB audio runs at a very high frequency. Signals that fast travel almost entirely along the outer surface of a wire rather than through its middle. That makes the surface metal the part that matters most.

AudioQuest plates 0.5% silver over Long-Grain Copper, so the signal rides on high-purity silver while the copper underneath does the structural work. It's a smart way to get most of silver's benefit at a price much closer to copper.

Insulation and Shielding That Do Real Work

Hard-Cell Foam insulation holds a lot of air, so it stores and releases very little energy. Its stiffness also keeps the conductors in a steady relationship along the whole cable, which keeps the signal consistent end to end.

Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation soaks up and reflects most radio noise before it can reach the ground layer. Every conductor inside is direction-controlled so that noise drains away from where it would do harm.

Is This Right for You?

A few things to check before you order:

• Check both connectors. You need a standard rectangular USB-A port on your computer and a small Micro-B port on your DAC. Micro-B is common on portable gear but rare on desktop DACs, which usually take the square USB-B.
• Confirm which Micro-B you have. There are two kinds. Micro-B 2.0 is a single small trapezoid. Micro-B 3.0 is wider, with an extra section beside it. They don't interchange, so look at the port before ordering.
• This is a digital audio cable. It's built for connecting a source to a DAC, not for high-speed file transfer or charging duties.

Setup & Installation

Connect the USB-A end to your computer and the Micro-B end to your DAC, then select the USB input on the DAC. Most modern DACs are recognized automatically on macOS and Linux. Some need a driver on Windows, so check your DAC's manual if the computer doesn't see it right away.

Arrows on the jacket show which way the cable is meant to run — point them from computer toward DAC. Micro-B connectors are smaller and more delicate than full-size plugs, so don't let the cable's weight hang on one. Keep the run away from power supplies and wall warts where you can.

Features & Specifications

Semi-Solid Concentric 0.5% Silver Conductors
Silver plating over Long-Grain Copper puts high-purity metal where the signal travels, and fixed strand positions cut distortion and jitter.

Hard-Cell Foam Insulation
High air content means the insulation absorbs almost no energy, and its stiffness holds conductor spacing steady along the run.

Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation
Soaks up and reflects most radio noise before it reaches the ground layer and reaches your equipment.

Direction-Controlled Conductors
Every conductor is oriented so noise drains away properly instead of circulating.

Specifications

• Length: 1.5 meters (about 4 ft 11 in)
• Termination: USB-A to Micro-B
• Conductors: Semi-solid concentric, 0.5% silver-plated Long-Grain Copper
• Insulation: Hard-Cell Foam
• Noise Rejection: Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation; direction-controlled conductors
• Signal Type: Digital audio
• Quantity: Single cable
• Series: AudioQuest Forest

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this fit my DAC?
If your DAC has a small Micro-B port and your computer has a standard USB-A port, yes. Look closely at the port first. Desktop DACs usually take the larger square USB-B connector instead, which needs a different cable.

Can a USB cable really change the sound?
The data arrives either way. Timing and noise don't. Jitter picked up along the run and radio noise reaching your DAC both affect how cleanly that data turns back into music. That's what the silver, the shielding, and the fixed conductor spacing are working on.

How does Forest compare to Cinnamon and Carbon?
All three use silver-plated Long-Grain Copper. The difference is how much silver and how elaborate the shielding gets. Forest uses 0.5%, Cinnamon 1.25%, and Carbon 5%. Forest is the value pick and still a real upgrade over a generic cable.

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