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Peter I want to run a usb c / usb b cable from my laptop to an audioengine d1 for spotify streaming. I need 32' I know that it work with a 8, usb cable (audioengine D1 uses usb b). Is an alternative hdmi from laptop to audioengineDAC usb b? I have not tried this yet. Fred

fred
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USB is USB. It doesn't matter if it is between a PC and an elevator, or a phone and a toaster. The only thing that matters is what the specs say, and weather-or-not the devices are compliant. USB1.1 allows for 3-meter devices at full speed, or low-speed at 5-meters. USB2.0 allows for 5-meter at full speed (in the spec) but realistically, if you have high-quality cabling, can actually go much farther... the only limitation is the "round-trip-delay" of 1.5 μs. USB3.0 doesn't really have a set-maximum length... but requires all cables to meet certain electrical specifications, which is where things can get crazy.

... that being said... there are tricks that can extend usb connections nearly indefinitely. Adding usb-hubs to act as "repeaters" can effectively double the distances, and there are devices out there that can do some spoofing that will allow you to extend your connections to ridiculous distances... but they are error-prone, and do not work correctly with all devices.

On a final-note... most people who are interested in the "audioengine D1" type devices, are trying to leverage ultra-high-quality low-loss audio on older high-quality equipment. If you're streaming spotify... you're really starting with mediocre audio. There is little reason to not simply run longer RCA cables to your output device, and keep your DAC close to your PC.

TheCompWiz
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