Oyaide Continental 5S V2 5N Silver

The Continental 5S V2 is Oyaide's answer to a simple problem. USB carries audio data and 5V power down the same cable, and in most cables the power line noise leaks straight into the signal pair. Oyaide separated them completely. Each pair gets its own 100% coverage copper foil shield, then the whole assembly gets aluminium foil and a silver plated copper braid on top. The stated design goal was unlimited transparency, and the shielding stack is how they went after it. The signal conductor is 5N pure silver, jewellery grade, not industrial. Melted in ceramic crucibles, cold rolled 19 times, low speed drawn to final diameter, mirror finished, then annealed in an inactive gas furnace so the silver never contacts oxygen. Finished wire is nitrogen packed until use. Silver has the highest conductivity of any metal, which is why Oyaide uses it where the data actually flows. Details that matter: signal conductors are 0.5mm (thicker than the AWG28 in standard USB cables, lower resistance, less jitter), silk filament filling controls permittivity, impedance is controlled to USB 2.0 spec at 480Mbps, and the contacts are copper alloy plated first in silver, then rhodium for hardness. The soldered joint is enclosed in a metal shell before moulding, and the plug wears a brass outer cover.

US magazine Positive Feedback reviewed it: "A well balanced and highly musical USB cable where nothing jumps out at you. It really makes the music flow. Oyaide's fanatic attention to detail has clearly resulted in a musical winner."