Sablon Evo usb cable

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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@cmarin thanks for sharing news on your progress Carlos. Although I thought the cable sounds great from cold and doesn’t exhibit any nasties whilst burning in, it’s gratifying that you feel that considerable further gains accrue with time.
 

Billygxx

Well-Known Member
Nov 23, 2015
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I was ready to purchase your new Evo USB cable sound unheard. I mean I like the 2020 so why not upgrade? You showed the depth of your integrity by wanting me to try it out first before purchase. Frankly, I was not expecting more than just incremental upgrades. I was surprised by the absolutely clear improvement in the quality of the music. I don't use the word sound in this realm because I was taught early on that sound does not matter, its how it FEELS that is important. Well, the new cable feels great. I particularly agree with those who said "rich" and "musically engaging". If Carlos says its the best he has heard in his room that is mighty praise indeed. He has a stunningly beautiful sounding room. Whomever said that few will be wanting to return the cable was definitely describing me.
Great work
 

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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@Billygxx - you’re a kind and generous soul Billy however I don’t fully deserve all of your praise.

As part of the product user acceptance testing cycle, I selected 10 customers with popular but differing equipment combinations to help flush out any further developmental needs. It was easy to invite you, based on our constructive relationship, to test the Extreme / MSB Select pairing and I am delighted that you have enjoyed the cable so much given your extensive experience of ultra high end gear.
 

frederick184

VIP/Donor
Nov 24, 2019
5
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148
Frederick MD
Took delivery of the Evo cable yesterday. Fresh out of the package I could tell there was an improvement across the board, as compared to my well burned in 2020 model.

First thing that stood out was the lower noise floor, allowing everything to really stand out. There’s a much improved quality to vocals and instruments as well as more powerful bass.

Don’t know how you do it, Mark, but whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!

Colin
 

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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And now, finally, for the non-vbus cable update…..

Historically speaking, I first offered this build configuration several years ago for owners of dacs fitted with the Amanero input card, which didn’t need 5vdc for server handshake, in order to minimise server noise being transmitted to the dac. The key brands using this card were
Lampizator, Nagra, SotM and T&A.

This input card is very accommodating of hand-built usb cables like mine, with the T&A happily churning out 512DSD day in, day out with my no vbus cable i.e. most certainly non-usb2 spec. The landscape however began to change about two years ago when the JL Sounds card started making inroads into the market place. For the purpose of research, I proceeded to buy a Lampizator Baltic dac with this xmos based input to try better develop my usb cable offering.

This dac plays happily from my Taiko Extreme via several combinations of my usb cable models / lengths / vbus configurations. With the no-vbus cable, however, I experience droppages when the amplifier gets switched off, causing the dac to lose its synchronisation from the server. This drop doesn’t happen when using my T&A (Amanero) dac and speaking to another Extreme / Lampi Pac owner, he experiences it too with a variety of usb cables from other brands. Conversely though, another Baltic owner with a different server doesn’t experience any drops. This situation might possibly be grounding related however that’s the way things appear to be and it suggests a tripartite relationship between server / cable / dac.

My regular vbus Sablon Evo cable however runs consistently for me and I would therefore recommend this for owners of dacs with the JL Sounds card, i.e. predominantly Lampizator. The 5vdc feed can easily be isolated by putting some tape over pin one of the usb inlet to check if your system runs happily this way. Better, I feel, to have the option and future flexibility rather than commit to a ‘sunset’ configuration.

For owners of Amanero based dacs, which candidly are now fast disappearing despite their innately musical character, I will continue to offer a no-vbus / unpowered iteration of the Evo usb cable at a lower price point.
 

sbenyo

Well-Known Member
Jun 24, 2017
9
9
83
Evo just arrived. Unpowered version connected to my T+A.
Sounds amazing even for first use compared to 2020 (which is a great cable on it's own).

Everything is more accurately pronounced, spacy and airy thanks for the very low noise floor. Great achievement Mark!
Will give it time to burn-in.
 

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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@sbenyo - I initially developed this cable on the T&A dsd dac 8 like you have. It’s a great little dac, hugely improved by swapping out the factory iec inlet / power wiring with something from Furutech or Oyaide.
 

sbenyo

Well-Known Member
Jun 24, 2017
9
9
83
@sbenyo - I initially developed this cable on the T&A dsd dac 8 like you have. It’s a great little dac, hugely improved by swapping out the factory iec inlet / power wiring with something from Furutech or Oyaide.
Thanks for the tip. I am using filtered power and sablon elite power cable :). Not sure if this will have any effect as power feed should be fine and is already improved. If this can still make a change, I may try it.
 

Glide3

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2019
50
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Received my Sablon EVO USB about a month ago. As is always the case with Mark, great service, fast efficient delivery and a well made and thought out product. I had set up to compare the following cables:
Intona Ultimate
FTA callisto
Shunyata Omega
Sablon 2020

ultimately it came down to the Shunyata and EVO and while I could happily live with either it is the shift the EVO made toward a more natural/real sound that made my choice.

I use the EVO between my “DIY Taiko”/Sean Jacobs DC-4 and my Mutec 120se, dual MC3+USB and then on to a TotalDac D-1 direct.
 

takacs75

Well-Known Member
Nov 17, 2020
122
425
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Hungary
I have been a member for 2 years, but this is my first post on wtb. I am from Hungary, so English is not my first language.
The reason to write is my new Sablon Evo usb cable. The ordering process was super fast. I contacted Marc, got the info I asked for, paid. In 3 days the usb cable was hooked between the Taiko and Tidal Camira dac. Right out of the box it was excellent, better in many ways than my usb cable costing 3 times than the Evo. It was a bit noisier and not as liquid. But it changed after the first 2 days. It is still changing after 100 hours for the better. I don’t realy like to analize the sound. It is simple for me: Do I like it? Does it bring closer to music? The short answer is yes for both questions. It brings more joy for me. I spend more time in my listening room. If I have to use technical terms, I have the same observation than the other members using the Evo. Analog sounding, very much alive, lot of details, bigger soundstage in every direction. The music with the Evo is more realistic, more fun, fills up the room with more beeing there momments. The cost/performance ratio is terrific! It is hard to believe that a piece of usb cable can make such a huge difference. Thank you Mark!
A youtube video is very limited to show how a system sounds but maybe it is usefull for someone. Be aware it is after 100hours. Mark said that the cable needs couple of 100 hours to fully break-in.
 

howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
2,789
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I have been a member for 2 years, but this is my first post on wtb. I am from Hungary, so English is not my first language.
The reason to write is my new Sablon Evo usb cable. The ordering process was super fast. I contacted Marc, got the info I asked for, paid. In 3 days the usb cable was hooked between the Taiko and Tidal Camira dac. Right out of the box it was excellent, better in many ways than my usb cable costing 3 times than the Evo. It was a bit noisier and not as liquid. But it changed after the first 2 days. It is still changing after 100 hours for the better. I don’t realy like to analize the sound. It is simple for me: Do I like it? Does it bring closer to music? The short answer is yes for both questions. It brings more joy for me. I spend more time in my listening room. If I have to use technical terms, I have the same observation than the other members using the Evo. Analog sounding, very much alive, lot of details, bigger soundstage in every direction. The music with the Evo is more realistic, more fun, fills up the room with more beeing there momments. The cost/performance ratio is terrific! It is hard to believe that a piece of usb cable can make such a huge difference. Thank you Mark!
A youtube video is very limited to show how a system sounds but maybe it is usefull for someone. Be aware it is after 100hours. Mark said that the cable needs couple of 100 hours to fully break-in.
Sounds very nice! Congratulations. Let us know how the sablon improves over the next 100 hrs pls.
 
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Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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@takacs75 - welcome to WBF Laszlo and thank you for your wonderful review. You have an exceptional sounding system and I am delighted that my Evo usb cable plays a part in achieving this outcome.
 
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Rovo

Member
Mar 6, 2022
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I initially developed this cable on the T&A dsd dac 8 like you have. It’s a great little dac, hugely improved by swapping out the factory iec inlet / power wiring with something from Furutech or Oyaide.
Hello Mark,

it so happens that I have a T+A DAC8 DSD (and of course a Sablon 2020 USB cable, the EVO to follow shortly). I have seen on pictures that the power connections on the board are by faston connectors (6,3?). Do you have suggestions for quality faston connectors? For the cabling I want to use Neotech STDCT-12 or 14 and for the IEC inlet the Furutech FI-06 NCF. Is there drilling required for the IEC inlet? The pictures do not reveal these details. Any information is appreciated to be well prepared.
 

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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Hi @Rovo. I soldered directly to the pcb rather than use faston connectors - they’re all lossy irrespective of marketing names. Any aftermarket iec inlet will need holes drilling as the stock one is clip-in fitment but the ncf inlet is only for the brave hearted as it it bigger than the typical iec chassis hole and needs some filing out. Maybe better to use the oyaide power inlet r as a first step to evaluate.
 

Rovo

Member
Mar 6, 2022
9
10
8
59
Mark, thanks for the very quick reply. Is there nothing else you can do on a Sunday ;)?
 

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