Another USB cable review!? Well, not quite. Professional studios are usually quite reluctant to deal with the “audiophile” grade of cables, but as you can read on, David Laboga has managed to change the opinion of some renowned mastering engineers and studio owners with his lines of audio cables. I’ll go into more detail about what this means for our side of the fence, but for starters (along with the first set of photos), here is what he has to say about his USB audio cables…
“When we start to talk about audio USB cables, it always brings big emotion along with disbelief of how digital cables can make differences in sound – after all, they’re just ones and zeroes aren’t they?
In many cases with other cables the differences can be minimal, especially in systems which are not highly-resolving (which can be different to highly-expensive, although often the two go hand- in-hand).
One of our customers who owns a recording studio in Italy wrote on his social media, after testing Expression EMERALD: “This USB cable made me rethink about digital connections. data is data, but does our hearing go beyond math ? Yes it does ….”
We have invested, and are continuing to do so, a lot of effort (and money) in development. It has been a development and testing journey of many years to build the Expression series cables. Before our cables goes to our customers we test them in many different environments and systems, with many different customers who have different music taste, and proudly we can say that we have developed what we believe to be one of the best USB cables on the market.
From the very beginning you hear the differences in sound.
Hiro Furuya the renowned Mastering Engineer from Japan, working with artists / bands such as Eric Clapton, TOTO, Billy Joe, Elton John, Rod Stewart and many other amazing artists could now not imagine performing his magic without our Expression EMERALD USB cables in his system. The Expression EMERALD USB cables contribute to enabling the engineer to hear more of everything: more expansive sound stage, more details, better separation of performers and instruments, greater depth and body, more dynamic attack and completely natural timbre and texture, largely because more of the original signal is being transmitted more faithfully with as little “pollution” and degradation as possible – this is why digital cables do make a difference. The ability to “hear more” ensures the mastering engineer can perform their role more effectively to bring us closer to the realism of the music.
Maor Appelbaum the famous Mastering Engineer from L.A. working with artists and bands such as Annihilator, Eric Gales, Faith No More, Sabaton plus many others, has said that using our Expression EMERALD USB cables in his system was the first time in his entire career that he heard the (positive) effect that USB cables brought to the sound, something which he had never experienced previously.
Mastering engineers such as Hiro and Maor are the ones responsible for producing the music that we all hear in our home audio systems are and it is their expertise that lets us get closer to the reality of the performance. And now we are proud that our USB cables, other digital cables, analogue interconnect and speaker cables, can be a key component of the mastering systems that produce the best quality output for the historic labels which exist today.
As a result of the experiences shared by Hiro and Maor, we hope that the word will spread, and more mastering engineers will at least be open-minded to trying our superior cables too in the pursuit of producing even better sound!
USB cables are one of the most important cables in our audio chain as they convey the original source signal to the rest of the system. If the quality of the initial source signal is the best it can possibly be, there will be fewer problems further along the signal chain that we may feel compelled to try and fix maybe by changing speakers, amps, different interconnects and speaker cables, etc. Of course, every component in the system is important and has an effect (positive or negative) on the fidelity of the final output, but ensuring the source signal is as pure and unadulterated as possible will be a significant factor in delivering the best sound possible, both in terms of mastering and in terms of music reproduction.”
Like all of our cables, the Expression series USB cables carry a lifetime warranty.
THE EXPRESSION FAMILY
There are three models in the David Laboga Expression USB series that use different materials to suit different budgets, but all were designed from the start to ensure the purest possible path for the delicate USB signal.
The EMERALD represents the beginning of the journey. The SAPPHIRE is the next step up and RUBY is the reference model of the Expression line.
Here is how they differ:
EMERALD
EMERALD features a unique design using ultra-high purity oxygen-free copper and 3U high- quality gold plated type A – B custom made connectors. Available in the following lengths: 30cm, 50cm, 1m, 2m, and 3m.
SAPPHIRE
SAPPHIRE features a unique construction using ultra-high purity oxygen-free copper conductors and custom copper-silver alloy connectors. Available in the following lengths: 30cm, 50cm, 1m, 2m, and 3m.
RUBY
RUBY is characterized by a unique design using ultra-high purity, oxygen-free copper with silver and specially manufactured, tellurium copper/rose gold-plated connectors.
THE MUSIC
The legendary and iconic Joe Satriani’s Surfing With The Alien’ was one of the early additions to my Desert Island disks selection that many of us aspiring guitarists looked up to. For some, it has a similar, but not the same overall effect as The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Not many people know how Satriani was a mentor for Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett by Metallica!!! Although both have made progress in their respective ways, Satch (Satriani nickname) has never tried to reinvent himself for anything he is not. One thing that always sets him apart from others and his famous prodigies is his tone and his feeling for the time. Among all the wizardry and amazingly fast tempos that might distract some people, he has a feeling for the blues.
“Always with Me, Always with You” is one of my favorite songs on the album. Nothing is rushed, the pacing is just right and Satch does not try to impress others, but as always prefers to challenge himself. In contrast to many modern great guitarists, who seem to lose themselves in their endless hunt for mind-boggling otherness over the years.
It’s worth listening to Surfing With The Alien in the high-resolution 96kHz 24bit version, where more of the music and Satriani swing is materialized.
David Laboga Expression EMERALD USB not only took “Always with Me, Always with You” to a new level of vibrancy. It also brought back a lucid and pleasant memory of countless car escapades where time and space lost their effect, at least for a while.
Among other things, I have always appreciated “Always with Me, Always with You” for its radiance and the straightforwardness. It also offers a highly effective holographic presentation with plenty of room for notes to form in space. David Laboga USB cable did not change the kernel aspects of the track. It showed a unique equilibrium and aside from not getting in the way of the music, it revealed another layer of consistency that permitted the sound projection to expand more prominently and even farther into the room, both horizontally and vertically, and most importantly, without affecting the core of the tempi or tone. That alone is worthy of praise.
Another favorite artist that I follow all these years and from a very young age is Pat Metheny. Not in the same, but similar way as Satriani, Metheny does not push his virtuoso guitar playing. The mastery is automatically hidden in his feather-like fluid playing so that the guitar playing sounds like the simplest, most natural thing, where the notes float like leaves in the wind.
Metheny had many guitar giants he looked upon, but no matter what album or period of his career, I perpetually sense Kenny Burrell’s influence on the timing and the way he handles the tone. This rare quality he has picked up is one of the biggest trademarks of Metheny’s guitar proficiency and something that makes him detached even from the plane where the most respected guitarists and musicians reside.
Many cables are characterized by the fact that they indicate a certain tonal characteristic and exaggerate it far beyond their natural inclinations. What I like about David Laboga Expression EMERALD USB cable is the ability to extract the desired and needed leitmotif and leave the flow of information unchanged. Not pushing the sound in any direction.
This became immediately clear with “Summer Day” from Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau from the album Metheny/Mehldau.
The remarkable fusion of the Mehldau’s piano artistry with the immediately recognizable Metheny guitar playing forms a unique, melancholic, sometimes even poignant mood, which is permeated by a positive vibe.
The result is an unexpected musical mixture that requires many renditions to fully comprehend and to cherish al of the subtle discoveries. Expression EMERALD USB allowed the notes to both float and overlap and to fathom each other without sounding out too early. Smallest decays and delays did not lose their traces too early, and the EMERALD showed a far greater density of anchor points that the price tag should allow, making the atmosphere and the formation of reverberation much more vivid.
The David Laboga Expression EMERALD USB cable was now way near reserved when it came to the dynamic impact. “Gobelin” by Puna Syndicate is one of the tracks often used to evaluate various dynamic challenges. These include the ability of any connexion, whether analog or digital, to maintain the leading edges of the note and sharp attacks. Too easily! And yes… Even USB cables can smooth out the dynamics.
On the piece above you can even hear me play the percussions and dynamics necessary to make this track truly come alive, are deeply etched into my memory. This unusual sonic escapade requires a higher grade of transparency and clarity. I liked the way David Laboga EMERALD permitted unusual polyrhythms to “bite” through the track without altering different timbres and sharp attacks of tabla, mridangam drum, and the rest of the percussion.
CONCLUSION
What is the very first question that comes up with any high-end audio USB cable? A simple question. Works!????
You would not believe how many of the extreme and exotic USB cables do not even work between the music server, streamer and or even directly from the computer.
Some of the so-called artisan boutique craftsmen do not even much or anything about the proper USB 2 standards and specifications, what to say about starting a discussion about USB 3 physically separate channels that carry USB traffic… Be aware of this if you are aware of it, as some devices simply do not work or do not show up in the computer or as connected devices in software or hardware.
David Laboga did his homework, and there were zero problems with connectivity. It not only worked seamlessly well. The level of density it introduced was certainly not anywhere near its asking price tag.
I shifted Expression USB cable through the diverse roles in my reference system, which is in a completely another price league, but EMERALD was not shy or had to be shy about what it was capable of delivering sonic wise.
In an age of exotic and esoteric ambitions and prices, the Laboga offers an affordable, low-cost USB cable that has consistently proven its worth in areas outside our beloved but still niche market. In professional audio, producers, mastering engineers, etc. do not only rely on the tools of the trade, which must work perfectly day after day. They are after all kinds of connexions that do not add tonal tones and distortions to the signal path.
In both worlds, professionals and end-users are recognizing the importance of proper audio cabling to varying degrees and audio cables sounding different and such benefit in the overall audio system is no longer a tabu!
Recently, especially in the digital domain, discoveries and explorations are opening up new sonic frontiers. Digital sound has finally reached a point where it is no longer seen as some sort of follow up or being inferior to analog. It is actually taking on the role of a forerunner, and a cable such as David Laboga Expression EMERALD USB cable is among the products that are more than worthy of keeping eyes and ears open when the system is in need for these type of cabling.
Rigorous research has been carried out in the analog field, and yet discoveries are constantly being made. Every year millions are spent on research and development in various fields for all types of cables. There still seems to be many ways to improve the performance of cables.
In the high-end audio digital data cables could be the last to be included in the scope of application and put into practice. In reality, the digital universe is perhaps even more susceptible to quark like changes than in analog areas, with amazing changes emerging on a much more subtle level.
The David Laboga Expression EMERALD USB cable has proven that it offers something special, namely an “out of the box” sound emission that offers a premium serving of zeros and ones, but without premium pricing.
For what it sounds like and at what price, I’m happily appointing David Laboga 2020 Mono and Stereo Best Buy Product Award for his Expression EMERALD USB cable.⧉
Matej Isak
PRICES
USB cables EXPRESSION ( A-B plugs ). Available also in version -5V ( Only Data )
Model: EMERALD
Length:
- 20cm : 429euro
- 50cm : 469euro
- 1m : 529euro
- 1,5m : 589euro
- 2m : 639euro
- 3m : 709euro
( Custom order ) each additional 50cm : 49euro
Model: Sapphire
Length:
- 20cm : 1219euro
- 50cm : 1349euro
- 1m : 1539euro
- 1,5m : 1719euro
- 2m : 1899euro
- 3m : 2089euro
( Custom order ) each additional 50cm : 185Euro
Model: RUBY
Length:
- 20cm : 2029euro
- 50cm : 2199euro
- 1m : 2449euro
- 1,5m : 2689euro
- 2m : 2939euro
- 3m : 3189euro
( Custom order ) each additional 50cm : 250Euro
TECHNICAL SPECIFICIATIONS
- TYPE A – B TYPE
- TYPE A – TYPE C
- TYPE C – TYPE B
- TYPE C – TYPE C
- TYPE C – TYPE MICRO USB B
- TYPE A – TYPE MICRO USB B
- TYPE A – TYPE MINI USB B
- TYPE C – TYPE MINI USB B
Available in Standard lengths: 20cm, 50cm, 1m, 1,5m, 2m and 3m. Custom length available at extra costs.