A SATA 3.0 cable, the likes of which we have never seen before, has been listed on eBay for the princely sum of $500. For your money, the listing claims (opens in new tab) you will receive the “best computer Hi-Fi cable ever built.” We have seen some highly dubious audiophile / computer hardware crossovers previously, so thought this Audiophile Rocks Superstar Crystal Formula SATA SSD cable was worthy of a closer look.
In the pursuit of the ultimate audio clarity audiophiles will pay big bucks. There are many real audiophile grade products on the market. We can’t be certain that this is true audiophile product, so take the product with a pinch of salt and remember “caveat emptor” (buyer beware) applies here. But what can we see from the listing?
Looking at this basic component connectivity accessory – without its fancy metal, wood and quartz augmentations – it is a pretty standard 50cm (about 20-inch) SATA 3.0 cable. This would typically cost under $5, so the Superstar Crystal Formula modified cable, at $500, is easily 100x more expensive for its touted audio benefits. However, if there were real audible/audio benefits, the price premium may be acceptable to some…
How has the Audiophile Rocks brand augmented this SATA cable? The first thing you will probably notice is that the cable has been fed through what appears to be a steel braided flexible toilet connector (opens in new tab). A reasonable theory might be that this is ‘shielding’, but the obvious problem is that the SATA cable is 50cm (20-inch) and the metal hose is approximately 30cm (12-inch) long.
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Inside the woven toilet connector cable there are some further ingredients which are described as “our classic Superstar Crystal Formula,” and are apparently optimized for computer components. Audiophile Rocks doesn’t stop its Hi-Fi optimizations there though, as the ends of the woven metal sheath for the SATA cable has added wooden stoppers with black quartz crystals sprinkles “for extra strength.” We aren’t sure if the maker is referring to the ‘strength’ of the audio signal optimization or the strength of the physical construction.
Enjoy “Double the Effect,” if You Plug the SATA Cable Into a Drive
Last but not least, the listing suggests that this special SATA cable works its audiophile optimization magic by simply being plugged into the motherboard. It doesn’t need to be plugged into a SATA SSD/HDD on the other end to optimize your system, however if you do so you will benefit from “double the effect.” We wouldn’t feel comfortable with a flexible steel tube flapping around the inside of a live PC, so maybe connect it up and enjoy the enhanced effect?
Without a review sample, we can’t completely dismiss all of the product listing claims regarding this cable’s Hi-Fi qualities. However, the maker has missed some obvious optimizations, as the design omits any reference to using precious metals or oxygen-free conductors.
If you like this audiophile Superstar Crystal Formula SATA SSD cable, you might also find the audiophile SSD, and the similarly targeted Ethernet Switch UEF appealing. Please be warned that all these products include a substantial audiophile tax.