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

Pearl Is the Start of AudioQuest's USB Range

AudioQuest's Pearl is the first rung of its USB cables. The conductors are solid Long-Grain Copper with no silver plating. Foam insulation and a metal shield wrap them. It is the cable AudioQuest builds for people replacing the lead that came in the box.

Solid Long-Grain Copper, Direction-Controlled

AudioQuest says solid wire avoids the interaction between strands, a major source of distortion. Long-Grain Copper has fewer grain boundaries than ordinary copper, and AudioQuest says that lowers distortion too. Every conductor is direction-controlled. Arrows on the connectors show which way it runs.

Hard-Cell Foam and a Metal-Layer Shield

The insulation is Hard-Cell Foam, injected with nitrogen to form air pockets. AudioQuest says nitrogen neither absorbs nor releases energy, so the foam causes much less of the out-of-focus effect that solid insulation can. It also keeps the signal pair in a fixed geometry.

Around the pair sits Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation. AudioQuest says a plain shield drains radio noise into the ground and dirties the reference. Its metal layers catch most of that noise first. Pearl is a USB 2.0 cable rated to 480 megabits per second.

The USB-A and USB-B Plugs, Explained

Pearl ends in a flat USB-A plug for the computer end and a square USB-B plug for the DAC end. USB-A is the flat plug on a computer or streamer. USB-B is the square plug on most desktop DACs. AudioQuest does not publish the plug plating. Where it applies, arrows on the connectors show which way the cable runs.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Glenn Young tested Pearl against five dearer AudioQuest USB cables for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity on August 31, 2022. He found "all-copper cables" that "seem somewhat better made than what one might get from discount suppliers."

His verdict: "I would absolutely and unequivocally recommend the AudioQuest Pearl cable as a reasonable purchase in any system at their bargain price and as a replacement for generic USB wires."

Who Is This USB Cable Best For?

• You are replacing the cable that came in the box — Pearl brings solid copper, foam insulation and a real shield at the lowest AudioQuest price, so the first step costs little
• Your computer sits next to your DAC — the cable runs from a USB-A port to the square USB-B input on most desktop DACs, so no adapter is needed
• Your desk is full of power supplies and WiFi — the Metal-Layer shield drains radio noise before it reaches the ground reference, so the DAC sees a cleaner signal
• You want a reviewer's low-cost pick — Secrets recommended Pearl "unequivocally" as a replacement for generic USB wires, so the recommendation is on record
• Your DAC has a USB-C or Micro-B input — the square USB-B plug will not fit. Choose the AudioQuest Forest USB-C to USB-A instead, or call us and we will match the plug

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the USB-A end into your computer, streamer or server and the USB-B end into your DAC. Run any arrows on the connectors toward the DAC. Then choose the DAC as the output device in your player or system sound settings.

Then listen. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

A USB cable is one link in a digital chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Digital-to-Analog Converters — the usual receiving end
• Music Streamers — streamer or server to DAC
• Headphone Amplifiers — a DAC and amp on the desk
• Power Cables — clean power at both ends

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation?

AudioQuest's name for its shield. Instead of letting a plain shield dump radio noise straight into the ground, the metal layers catch most of it first. AudioQuest says that keeps the ground reference clean.

What is Hard-Cell Foam?

The stiff, nitrogen-filled insulation AudioQuest uses here. Its air pockets store little of the signal's energy, and its stiffness holds the two signal wires at a fixed spacing.

Will it power a bus-powered DAC?

Yes. AudioQuest lists 5 volts at 500 milliamps for this USB 2.0 cable, which is the standard bus-power budget. Power Delivery charging is not supported.

Which way does the cable go?

Where it applies, AudioQuest marks arrows on the connectors. Run them from the computer or streamer toward the DAC.

What warranty does AudioQuest give?

A limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, for cables bought from an authorized US dealer. AudioQuest will repair or replace a defective cable that has not been abused. Keep your proof of purchase.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest Forest USB is the next rung. It adds 0.5% silver plating to the same Long-Grain Copper and keeps the Metal-Layer shield.

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