Stephen G.
Sources: PC with Daphile software
Amplifier: Topping LA90
Acoustic Speakers: Klipsch Cornwall IV
Other: DAC Topping E50; Multiplug X4100S
The following review of the Invictus USB cable is the result of the "Ricable Review" initiative. Ricable Review is the program designed by Ricable, created to collect feedback from audiophiles, in order to lead to continuous improvement of the products in the catalog. Last but not least, those who join the program receive a certificate at home, with the purpose of certifying how the customer has become to all intents and purposes part of the " Ricable" family.
The following Feedback was created on the basis of a predefined questionnaire to which the user returned their impressions, in a completely free. We thank Stephen for his time.
After watching a video on YouTube, where they magnified its performance, I decided (very skeptical) to get the USB cable Invictus from Ricable to dispel any doubts, that digital cables were simple 1 and 0.
I had come first from classic printer cables, then switched to a 0.75 cm AudioQuest Carbon with 0.5 percent silver, the difference I had noticed, more detail and openness in the high range, but nothing much, tried a few friends' cables, but the experience was always good or bad that the differences were not significant, until the day...
and aesthetics of the product?
The cable looks frighteningly Hi-End, big, hard to bend, I recommend getting at least the one-meter version, really hard to do as you want with this cable, it is the cable in charge. Anyone who has seen this cable has been amazed by this huge blue python.
Another thing to note, the USB plugs are quite bulky, so if you have receivers with USB ports nearby, probably one port will be covered by this cable, losing a USB port usually dedicated to HDDs.
As for the cable, once you plug it in and start listening with a free mind, it is impossible not to notice differences, you take some tracks you know well and off you go, no blind testing etc. needed. This cable is night and day, before, USB cables of about 100 € didn't show differences, but plugged this one in, a world opens up.
Not to sound crazy, I had four, five different people listen to this cable, and they were all unanimous, Ricable for life, it won hands down.
listening impressions?
I started with songs I knew inside out, one among many De André's Don Raffaè, Dire Straits songs, etc. The difference was blatant, air between the instruments, gone was the kneading that was perceived, now each instrument is in its place, crisp, separate, just blending all together into an indistinguishable mush. Nonetheless, the test that most convinced me, just impossible not to hear, was with a Guns N' Roses song: Paradise City.
When there are at first the various guitars playing together, with the various cables, they were fused together, hardly distinguishable, with the Ricable cable now they are close together, sounding in unison, but like two separate instruments; that was the moment I said okay, this is too blatant. Played it to several people and everyone was of the same impression as me.
Your conclusions.
The cable works, for the price one of the best upgrades you can make for your beloved digital music world. I guarantee that not hearing the difference is impossible.
Of course, if you have a setup that is very low level, forget it, not because you will not hear the difference, but the cost of about 350 € I would spend it on the DAC. I have changed several DACs and I have always heard the difference, now I have a cheap DAC, but because I am in the process of changing it, I remember that it is difficult to fit it into the audio chain, because of its huge section and rigidity. If, like me, you happen upon a mini PC that has the USB port turned upside down, it will be the mini PC that has to be turned upside down, the cable does not allow twisting, at least with the 0.50 cm, maybe longer lengths do.
I should add that after audiophile friends tried it, they all ran out to buy it, that says a lot, one came from the €1,000 AudioQuest Diamond.
Again friends pointed out to me that my cable, compared to theirs, sounded slightly different, they had a meter, length somehow affects, mine was superior at some junctures, at others better the one meter one, I say this out of honesty and fairness.
What did you like?
- Incredible sound until you try it
- Top-notch aesthetics and packaging
- Best-in-class price/quality ratio, seems expensive, but compared with €1,000 USB cables it came out on top
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What would you improve?
- To be improved if it were possible the fact of rigidity, it creates quite a few problems to put it into the various setups
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Hi. I totally agree with what Stephen wrote in his review. Some time ago I also purchased the USB cable Invictus. It sounds darn good. Compared with various cables even of superior lineage it always manages to excel. Only against a holy monster like Transparent Cable does it have to give way but alas, wallet matters. We are talking about a cable that costs about 20 times Invictus. Having had a chance to listen to it, since a friend of mine has it I must say that it sounds heavenly. So having said that I made a modification to my Invictus with HARMONIX anti-vibration clamps. Those who know the brand know what I am talking about. Now with these clamps the differences have definitely diminished. What is striking aboutInvictus is the soundstage that perhaps not even Transparent can give. In conclusion a USB cable with a cost far below its performance recommended for those who want to listen really well in Steaming. The cable is connected to INNUOS STATEMENT AND DAC ANALOGUE DOMAIN. I DO NOT ADD ANYTHING ELSE. Hello
Thank you very much Antonio for your additional feedback, it gives us extreme pleasure!