TiGLON PREMIUM LINE TPL-2000U USB cable 1.0m Made in Japan
TPL-2000U
Type: USB cable
Conductor: OCC silver signal line, OCC copper power line
Shield: Magnesium Shield with Advanced Magnesium Filter
 
The JAPANESE USB CABLE repeated most of the things I had heard before with the company's analog interconnect and its AC power cord, also belonging to the "2000" series. Its sound (by "sound" I mean how it modifies the signal) is fast, open and accurate. 
 
USB cable
Despite having Advanced Magnesium Filters on both the input and output ends, the TPL-2000U is the lightest and most flexible of the five Tiglon products I tested, which is a plus point because USB ports can be quite vulnerable to strain. The signal lines in this USB cable are made from OCC silver, the 5V power lines from OCC copper, and the two are shielded from each other by a magnesium screen. Installing the 2000U between my transport and DAC instantly dissolved the guilt I felt about setting aside the TPL-2000L ethernet link that was also included in the original shipment of cables, my transport being USB only.
Before leaving the factory, all cables undergo Tiglon’s ‘Hyper Saturated Energizer’ (HSE) process that applies a modulated, high-intensity current to organise the crystal structure of the metal and improve its conductivity. This process apparently removes oxide layers at the grain edges and increases the length of the crystals. The heating effect is also claimed to reduce the internal mechanical stresses of the cable making it more pliable; I dare not imagine the stiffness of the 2000A power cord prior to HSE.
 
Sound quality
When it comes to upgrades I’m a firm believer in putting one’s ducks in a row and, for me, that means investing first and foremost in a quality playback system and ensuring that the room is properly treated. Only then does it become possible, in my experience, to appreciate the more subtle improvements to be had from upgrading cables. As passionate as he is about his products, I’m sure that even Kentaro Okino would concede there’s little point in reducing noise passing between components if the transparency of the system is hamstrung by the components themselves and the acoustic character of the room.
 
The difference was so big that I listened to these recordings with interest, following the details that were previously there somewhere, but which did not build the music in the same way as with the tested cable. It happened not only because of how detailed the sound now was, because it was not about it, but thanks to the resolution - it was clearly better thanks to it. The sound of the instruments was deepened with it, the depth of the stage was also better than with both reference cables. This cable builds larger phantom images, but not by inflating them, but by delivering more information about them, by better - let me repeat - depth.
 
The two systems used for this review each include a component that balances resolution with a generous measure of musicality. In my reference rig comprising a Mac Mini transport, Schiit Yggdrasil DAC, Yamaha A-S3000 Class AB integrated amp and Celestion Ditton 66 loudspeakers, that measure is delivered mainly by the speakers. In the system loaned to me earlier this year featuring a Bricasti M3 DAC, Mastersound Compact 845 S.E.T. amp and Blumenhofer Tempesta 20 hybrid horns, the forgivingness is provided by the amplifier. While the improvements I’m about to describe were perceptible on both rigs, I expect they would be more readily revealed by systems with higher levels of transparency.
 
The tested cable is fast, clear, accurate and differentiating. However, it does never sound cold, skinny or emotionally bland. The manufacturer managed to choose the right proportions between these elements and not overdo any of them. The cable’s appearance is not as eye-catching as - for example - the Siltech or Wireworld cables, but this is the case where what you see does not announce what you will hear with it. A truly high quality, great sounding USB cable. ■