USB Cables, varying quality?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
T

tinpanalley

Distinguished
Feb 23, 2011
292
3
18,795
I can't imagine why it would matter but is there a USB cable that is technically "better" than another if the purpose is to have a Micro to USB-A to be used on different computers and devices around the house? The only thing I can think of that you'd want to pay more for is preventing what happens to me eventually which is cable sheath/jacket splitting at the collar of the plug. But other than maybe gold contacts is there anything else that differentiates a good USB cable from a bad one?
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
J

jmcgaw

Distinguished
Aug 9, 2010
29
2
18,545
Better cables seem to feature larger gauge conductors. That means lower resistance and that should mean better (at least marginally) charging. I've felt some really cheap cables that get warm to the touch while charging and would certainly not handle 2+ Ampere current gracefully.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
T

tinpanalley

Distinguished
Feb 23, 2011
292
3
18,795
Well, I'm talking about picking up two 3 ft cables, maybe one 6 footer for the living room.

None of our phones have chargers that are rated at more than 1.1A.
We have two tablets, one charger is rated at 1A, the other at 2A, and all are 5V.
And that's really it.

Most of these things however get plugged into a charging dock for full charging that can output to 5 ports at 2A each, combining any devices from 2 to 12V. But I'd still like to know I can get good cables to ensure that I'm getting the most out of that dock's capabilites. I'm very well versed in how to buy other cables so I'm curious about the intricacies of buying USB. Any thoughts on these? Are they just gimmicky?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom