I started several cable reviews towards the end of 2019. My lack of interest in cable reviews prior was due to disbelief that extremely high end cables, especially digital cables, would lead to improved sound quality. I also will be honest and say, even if these high end cables do provide a noticeable benefit, I have no good method for A/B testing or quantifying the differences. The Final Touch Audio Callisto USB cable challenged my preconceived notions in such an interesting way, that I have now completely changed my thinking on the improvements that cables can make. With that in mind, you will see me writing more cables reviews over the upcoming months.
Before I go onto the review itself, I do want to make one thing clear to the reader. I do not suggest that anyone go out and $500+ interconnects unless they have an appropriately expensive system to begin with. My go to rule of thumb is 20% or less. What I mean by this is your overall interconnect budget should be in the range of 20% of your entire systems retail value. This would mean that if you have a system that costs $1000, spending $200 on interconnects is overall reasonable. If your system is $10,000, spending up to $2000 on interconnects can be reasonable depending on your priorities. This is not a hard and fast rule, but given the Callisto's $865 price tag, it is important that the reader keeps my 20% rule in mind when reading my endorsement.
The Review System
- Home Built Roon Core
- Pro-ject Stream Box S2 Ultra
- Chord Dave
- Chord M-Scaler
- Ampsandsound Bigger Ben
- Hifiman Susvara
- Interconnects are Wireworld Starlight BNC cables, and Wireworld Equinox RCA interconnects
- The Final Touch Audio Callisto USB cable provides the connection between the S2 Ultra and the Chord M-Scaler.
A short and very sweet review
After reading my intro paragraph, most would ask why the Callisto USB cable caused me to reevaluate my point of view on high end cables. First of all, I did not seek out the Callisto USB cable for review. Positive Feedback received a review request from Final Touch Audio, which piqued my interest because another well-known reviewer was quoted calling the cable "a game changer" and put his money where his mouth was and personally purchased it. I requested a review sample and the sample arrived about a week later.
My sample is a one meter Callisto finished in black. The cable is nicely packaged in a soft black carrying case. The cable itself is quite sizable. It is easily the largest and best-made USB cable in my collection (my collection includes several by Wireworld, Curious Cable Co, and Core Power).
While I have explored USB cables in my personal time with my own money, up to this point I had really not heard a difference between them. Sometimes I perceive a larger sound stage, more bass, or smoother highs, but I have never noticed those things blindly and could never identify a USB cable in a blind listening test. I attributed these perceived, but un-repeatable differences, to observation bias or as I like to call it "pretty cable syndrome."
So once again, why is the Callisto USB cable different?
I received the Callisto cable at the end of a really long day. I hooked it up into my system between the Streambox S2 Ultra and the Chord M-Scaler. I then immediately left for dinner and was out for the rest of the night (I did not listen to my system immediately after the cable swap). The next day, I got home late from work, and once again did not have a chance to listen to my system. Finally, on the third day, I had time to listen to my headphones. Before I go on, the important thing to note is that I completely forgot that I even received and installed the Callisto USB cable into my system.
The other thing to understand about me is how I listen to music. I go through phases that tend to last between two weeks and four weeks, where I will listen to the same set of thirty to forty songs constantly and consistently. I was on week three or so of listening to the same thirty to forty songs when I clicked play.
After about 20 seconds passed, I realized something was different. It was the same music, but it was as if someone had injected raw energy into the mix. It sounded more dynamic, more alive, more lifelike, more exciting. I thought maybe it was just a good day, but I kept having this reaction, song after song. Every song just seemed to sound better, to the point that I began to get suspicious that something in my system had changed. I started by checking the M-Scaler, the Dave, made sure I was still using my standard set of tubes in my Bigger Ben, all checked out. It was only as I was scratching my head that I saw the Final Touch Audio cloth bag sitting on my dining room table, and I remembered that the Callisto was installed.
Inside to Outside: Wireworld USB Cable, Curious USB Cable, and the Final Touch Audio USB Cable
Removing the Callisto and replacing it with my Curious USB cable brought the system back to its usual self. It was still great sounding, but it was missing that injection of energy. Switching back to the Callisto restored the excitement.
The differences between the two cables are small and I will be honest, I cannot quantify them. However, there is something unmistakably different when the Callisto is installed and it is reflected in perceived greater dynamics and increased clarity/energy.
Knowing what I know about digital audio, this really should not be possible (I have a Computer Science Degree and spent the first two years of my college life working with digital circuits), but I cannot deny what my ears are hearing. This is especially true because I heard the difference without even realizing the cable was installed.
Personally, the debate is not whether or not the Callisto USB cable makes a difference; but instead the question is whether or not its cost is worth the increase in my system's performance. Right now I am leaning toward yes, and as such, will likely end up requesting the purchase of the review sample. Either way, the performance of the USB cable has prompted me to request that Final Touch Audio send me a pair of RCA interconnects and two BNC cables. That way I can see what a full set of Final Touch Audio interconnects sound like. I look forward to sharing the results once I receive them. Until then, I am going to go put my headphones back on and continue enjoying this lovely cable. If your system is at least 5x the price of a Callisto, I highly suggest auditioning this USB cable. I think you will be quite surprised by what it can do.
Personally, I will anxiously await the arrival of the next round of Final Touch Audio interconnects.
Callisto USB Cable
Retail: $865 for one meter
Final Touch Audio
US Distributor
Destination Sound Group
