AudioQuest Pearl USB Cable - USB-A to USB-B - 3.0 Meter

AudioQuest Pearl USB Cable - USB-A to USB-B - 3.0 Meter

What It Does in Your System

A Long Reach From Your Computer to Your DAC

This cable connects a computer, server, or streamer to a DAC. One end is a standard USB-A plug. The other is the square USB-B plug found on most desktop and component DACs. At 3 meters — about ten feet — it reaches from a desk to a rack across the room.

Pearl is AudioQuest's entry point for USB audio. If you're still using the free cable that came with your DAC, this is the least expensive place to hear a real change in your digital chain.

Solid Copper for a Smoother, Clearer Sound

Pearl uses solid Long-Grain Copper wire instead of the stranded copper in bundled cables. Loose strands rub against each other electrically, and that's a major source of distortion. Solid wire removes the problem entirely.

The copper itself matters too. Long-Grain Copper has fewer impurities and fewer breaks in its structure than the ordinary copper most cables use. You'll hear the difference as lower jitter — small timing errors in the signal — and a top end that stays smooth instead of turning hard.

Stiff Foam and Shielding That Protect Your Ground

Pearl uses Hard-Cell Foam insulation, a stiff foam filled with nitrogen bubbles. Air absorbs almost no energy from the signal, so little comes back as distortion. The stiffness matters too. It holds the wires in a fixed position along the whole cable, which keeps the cable's electrical behavior steady end to end.

Around that sits a Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation System. On a USB cable the real risk isn't lost data. It's radio noise riding the shield into your DAC's ground connection. This shield soaks up and reflects most of that noise before it gets there.

Is This Right for You?

A quick check before you add it to your cart:

• Check your DAC's input shape. USB-B is the square plug on most desktop and component DACs. If yours takes USB-C or micro-USB, you need a different cable. AudioQuest builds Pearl in those shapes too.
• Three meters is a long USB run. It works well with a DAC that has its own power supply. If your DAC draws power from the USB port instead, a shorter cable is the safer choice.
• This is a data cable, not an analog cable. It carries digital audio between a computer and a DAC. It won't replace an RCA or XLR run between components.

Setup & Installation

Plug the USB-A end into your computer, server, or streamer. Plug the USB-B end into your DAC. Most DACs are found automatically. Some ask you to pick them as your audio output. A few need a driver installed first, so check your DAC's manual.

The wires are direction-controlled, which means AudioQuest builds them to run one way. Follow the arrows on the plugs and run the cable from computer toward DAC. Over ten feet, keep the run clear of power supplies and AC cords where you can.

Features & Specifications

Solid Long-Grain Copper Conductors
Solid wire stops the strand interaction that causes distortion, and this copper has fewer impurities than ordinary wire.

Hard-Cell Foam Insulation
Nitrogen-filled foam absorbs almost no energy and holds the wires in a steady position along the full run.

Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation System
Soaks up and reflects radio noise before it reaches your DAC's ground connection.

Direction-Controlled Conductors
AudioQuest sets the wire direction by listening to each batch of metal, and marks the plugs with arrows.

Specifications

• Type: USB digital audio cable, USB-A to USB-B
• USB version: 2.0 High Speed
• Data rate: Up to 480Mbps
• Power: 5V, 500mA
• Length: 3.0 meters
• Conductors: Solid Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
• Insulation: Hard-Cell Foam, nitrogen-injected
• Noise dissipation: Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation System
• Connector plating: Gold
• Jacket: Black PVC with gray stripes
• Directionality: Conductors direction-controlled, arrows marked on plugs
• Included: One USB-A to USB-B cable

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this work with a DAC that draws power from the USB port?
It can, but three meters is on the long side for a bus-powered device. Pearl supplies the standard 5V at 500mA. If your DAC has its own power supply, length is not a concern.

How does Pearl compare to Forest and Cinnamon?
The main difference is the wire. Pearl uses solid Long-Grain Copper. Forest adds 0.5% silver plating and Cinnamon adds 1.25%. Pearl is where the basics — solid wire, stiff foam, real shielding — arrive at the lowest price.

Does a USB cable really change the sound? Isn't it just data?
The data almost always arrives intact. That is not what changes. What changes is how much radio noise the cable carries into your DAC's ground, and how steady the signal timing stays. Pearl's solid wire, stiff foam, and shielding all work on those two things. That's why the difference shows up as a quieter background, not as missing music.

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