AudioQuest Cinnamon USB Cable - USB-A to USB-B

Cinnamon Doubles the Silver in AudioQuest's USB Range

AudioQuest's Cinnamon is the third rung of its USB cables. Its conductors are Long-Grain Copper with 1.25% silver plating, more than twice the silver of Forest. Hard-Cell Foam insulates them, a Metal-Layer shield wraps the pair, and a nylon braid covers the jacket.

Long-Grain Copper With 1.25% Silver Plating

AudioQuest says a USB signal is so high in frequency that it travels almost entirely on the surface of the conductor. The 1.25% silver layer on Cinnamon puts more silver on that surface than Forest. AudioQuest says the result is closer still to a solid silver wire. Every conductor is direction-controlled.

Hard-Cell Foam, a Metal-Layer Shield and a Nylon Braid

The insulation is Hard-Cell Foam, injected with nitrogen to form air pockets. AudioQuest says nitrogen neither absorbs nor releases energy, so the foam causes much less of the out-of-focus effect that solid insulation can. It also holds the signal pair in a fixed geometry.

Around the pair sits Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation. AudioQuest says a plain shield drains radio noise into the ground and dirties the reference. Its metal layers catch most of that noise first. Cinnamon is a USB 2.0 cable rated to 480 megabits per second.

The USB-A and USB-B Plugs, Explained

Cinnamon ends in a flat USB-A plug for the computer end and a square USB-B plug for the DAC end. USB-A is the flat plug on a computer or streamer. USB-B is the square plug on most desktop DACs. AudioQuest does not publish the plug plating. Where it applies, arrows on the connectors show which way the cable runs.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Doug Blackburn reviewed Cinnamon for SoundStage! Access on September 15, 2011. It "removed more fog, letting me clearly see the musicians and their instruments, though still not with absolute clarity," he wrote.

Glenn Young disagreed in Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity on August 31, 2022: "The soundstage was wider than with the Pearls, but the tone didn't seem as rich." The Cinnamon cables "just weren't knocking me out," he added.

Who Is This USB Cable Best For?

• You want more silver on the signal path — Cinnamon plates its copper with 1.25% silver, more than twice Forest, so the surface the signal rides on is closer to solid silver
• Your computer sits next to your DAC — the cable runs from a USB-A port to the square USB-B input on most desktop DACs, so no adapter is needed
• Your cables get handled — the nylon braid over the jacket resists scuffs, so the cable survives a desk that gets rearranged
• You want both sides of the reviews — SoundStage! heard more clarity than Forest while Secrets was unmoved, so audition it in your own system under our 60-day guarantee
• Your DAC has a USB-C or Micro-B input — the square USB-B plug will not fit. Choose the AudioQuest Cinnamon USB-A to USB-C instead, or call us and we will match the plug

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the USB-A end into your computer, streamer or server and the USB-B end into your DAC. Run any arrows on the connectors toward the DAC. Then choose the DAC as the output device in your player or system sound settings.

Then listen. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

A USB cable is one link in a digital chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Digital-to-Analog Converters — the usual receiving end
• Music Streamers — streamer or server to DAC
• Headphone Amplifiers — a DAC and amp on the desk
• Power Cables — clean power at both ends

Frequently Asked Questions

Why plate copper with silver?

AudioQuest says a USB signal rides almost entirely on the surface of the conductor. A silver skin on that surface behaves close to a solid silver wire at a fraction of the cost.

What is Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation?

AudioQuest's name for its shield. Instead of letting a plain shield dump radio noise straight into the ground, the metal layers catch most of it first. AudioQuest says that keeps the ground reference clean.

Will it power a bus-powered DAC?

Yes. AudioQuest lists 5 volts at 500 milliamps for this USB 2.0 cable, which is the standard bus-power budget. Power Delivery charging is not supported.

Which way does the cable go?

Where it applies, AudioQuest marks arrows on the connectors. Run them from the computer or streamer toward the DAC.

What warranty does AudioQuest give?

A limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, for cables bought from an authorized US dealer. AudioQuest will repair or replace a defective cable that has not been abused. Keep your proof of purchase.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest Carbon USB is the next rung. It moves to 5% silver plating and AudioQuest's Carbon-Based 3-Layer shield.

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