{"video_id":"OT_iyvOy0Tk","title":"Why It Took Me 4 YEARS to Make a USB Cable","channel":"Linus Tech Tips","show":"Linus Tech Tips","published_at":"2026-02-03T14:53:29Z","duration_s":813,"segments":[{"start_s":0.16,"end_s":6.72,"text":"There's a big problem with the marketing around cables. Actually, a lot of big","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.319,"end_s":11.759,"text":"problems. Confusing branding, egregious pricing, direct to landfill build","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":8.96,"end_s":17.359,"text":"quality, not to mention outright lying about performance and capabilities. But","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":14.48,"end_s":21.52,"text":"most people don't have a $10,000 cable tester. So, they don't know. They just","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":19.68,"end_s":26.0,"text":"get frustrated when their devices seem flaky. But, do you have any idea how","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":23.519,"end_s":31.679,"text":"often it's actually the cable? So, we took matters into our own hands.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":27.92,"end_s":34.239,"text":"Introducing LTT true spec cables.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.679,"end_s":40.399,"text":"They're durable, they feel great, and most importantly, they are true to the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":37.04,"end_s":43.12,"text":"spec. If it says 20 Gbit per second, it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":40.399,"end_s":48.48,"text":"can do 20 Gbit per second. If it says 240 W, it can do that, too. And with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":46.64,"end_s":51.84,"text":"clear as day labeling on the connector, you never have to wonder if the cable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":50.16,"end_s":57.12,"text":"you're holding is the right one for the job. Now, a lot of people don't really","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":54.8,"end_s":60.8,"text":"care about their cables, and I didn't used to either. I get it. But when a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.879,"end_s":64.239,"text":"whole production can be brought down by one bad connection, it is amazing how","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":63.199,"end_s":69.68,"text":"quickly your perspective [music] changes. This is the story of how LT","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.36,"end_s":75.159,"text":"Truepec cables came to life. [music] And look at that. It only took Oh, good","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":72.159,"end_s":75.159,"text":"lord.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":76.635,"end_s":78.655,"text":"[music]","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":81.92,"end_s":88.92,"text":"Hey, Kyle. Could we make an LTT cable in the next","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":85.6,"end_s":88.92,"text":"couple of years?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":90.0,"end_s":100.68,"text":"That's great. Can't wait to have my own cables by 2023.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":95.28,"end_s":100.68,"text":"Yeah, it didn't work out that way.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":101.6,"end_s":109.28,"text":">> I'm holding out for a cable till the end of [music] the night. It's got to be","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":106.799,"end_s":113.371,"text":"long and it's got to be fast and it's got to be at the right price. [music]","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":114.72,"end_s":122.0,"text":"Delta Hub. Protect your wrist with an LTD edition CarpioG.2 from Delta. A","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":119.92,"end_s":126.079,"text":"magnetic strap and perforated pads make it great for those long gaming sessions","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":123.84,"end_s":129.32,"text":"where comfort is key. Pick one up today at LMG.gg/deltahubltgaming.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":129.679,"end_s":136.16,"text":"Admittedly, part of the reason these took so long was that the first year was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":133.36,"end_s":140.319,"text":"pretty much spent on procrastination. Hey, in fairness, we were kind of busy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":138.56,"end_s":144.8,"text":"developing our two biggest products ever. But with those out of the way, for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":142.8,"end_s":150.8,"text":"the next year, we focused on finding the right partner to manufacture our custom","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":147.04,"end_s":152.8,"text":"cables. And this process took months. We","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":150.8,"end_s":157.68,"text":"reached out to over 30 different factories, [music] evaluated hundreds of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":154.879,"end_s":161.68,"text":"samples, and even after all of that, we couldn't find one that would","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":159.68,"end_s":166.72,"text":"consistently pass the most fundamental of tests, signal integrity. I mean,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":164.56,"end_s":170.72,"text":"that's like one of the two things a cable does. And it really opened our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":168.64,"end_s":174.72,"text":"eyes to the pervasiveness of the problems that plague the cable industry.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":172.64,"end_s":179.519,"text":"Here's an example. Not going to name any names here, but this cable came from a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":177.04,"end_s":186.0,"text":"prominent seller on Amazon. We go ahead and plug it into our cable tester and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":181.92,"end_s":188.66,"text":"watch what happens. Yep, that's a fail.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":186.0,"end_s":192.48,"text":"And this happens a lot. But here's the [music] really tricky part. If you take","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":190.4,"end_s":197.68,"text":"it out of the tester and throw it onto a computer, voila, it totally works.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":195.68,"end_s":201.92,"text":"What's the deal with that? Well, you see, USB [music] has built-in error","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.92,"end_s":206.879,"text":"handling that monitors for any missed bits and will request that your device","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":204.56,"end_s":212.159,"text":"resends that information, all without any user intervention, which is super","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":209.519,"end_s":216.239,"text":"cool. But it also means that if you have a flaky cable, it could be slowing you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":214.239,"end_s":222.4,"text":"down without you realizing it. [music] Or it might only behave badly sometimes","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":219.44,"end_s":226.0,"text":"or on some devices. The bottom line is that a cable like this [music] is kind","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":224.0,"end_s":230.959,"text":"of like a dollar store toilet plunger. usually gets the job done, but it might","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":228.4,"end_s":235.802,"text":"let you down at a very critical moment. Let's compare to our cable. What we're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":233.599,"end_s":239.68,"text":"looking for here is a distinct eye [music] shape, a hole in the middle that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":237.76,"end_s":243.439,"text":"indicates that our signal is clean. Finding a partner that could deliver","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":241.04,"end_s":248.239,"text":"results like this across our various speeds and lengths was critical to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":245.519,"end_s":252.4,"text":"moving forward. And it wasn't easy. A typical sample order for us would","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":249.84,"end_s":257.28,"text":"contain about 100 cables. And in those early months, not a single manufacturer","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":255.439,"end_s":261.6,"text":"was able to send us an entire batch of cables that [music] didn't have a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":259.04,"end_s":265.759,"text":"failure. Now, no one's perfect. And a single bad cable out of a sample batch,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":263.967,"end_s":270.72,"text":"[music] that wouldn't be the end of the partnership. Except that we often found","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":268.0,"end_s":276.88,"text":"that when one cable would fail, like say the 6 ft 20 Gbit per second type-c to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":273.68,"end_s":279.52,"text":"type C, all of the cables of that type","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":276.88,"end_s":283.44,"text":"in the entire batch would fail. We started to become concerned that there","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":281.04,"end_s":288.8,"text":"was simply no manufacturer that could meet our performance standards. But then","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":286.24,"end_s":294.08,"text":"at the very end of the year, December, ladies and gentlemen, we got them.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":291.478,"end_s":298.479,"text":"[music] Every cable that these guys sent passed our signal integrity tests. And","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":296.8,"end_s":303.12,"text":"on top of that, they were highly responsive for communication and even","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":300.479,"end_s":307.039,"text":"seemed excited rather than intimidated by our desire to create something that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":304.8,"end_s":310.96,"text":"was better than what already exists, which uh [music] you'd be surprised how","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":309.28,"end_s":314.639,"text":"few manufacturing partners are interested in that sort of thing. So, we","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":312.639,"end_s":319.44,"text":"quickly aligned on our goal, the best spec we could reach at any given length.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":316.96,"end_s":324.16,"text":"And the next 3 years were spent bringing these [music] to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":321.12,"end_s":325.84,"text":"life. My perfect USB cable. The","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":324.16,"end_s":330.56,"text":"connector housing features clear labeling so there is no ambiguity around","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":327.759,"end_s":334.96,"text":"data speeds or charging. And we used a firm but fair strain relief along with a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":333.12,"end_s":338.08,"text":"soft silicone sheathing for [music] a whole bunch of reasons that I'll get","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":336.24,"end_s":342.8,"text":"into a little bit later because first I kind of got to address the uh girthy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":340.88,"end_s":347.919,"text":"elephant in the room. >> She's a pretty chungous boy. But that's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":345.84,"end_s":352.88,"text":"because a high quality cable has a lot more to it than just some conductors","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":350.4,"end_s":359.759,"text":"wrapped in some sheathing. This right here is the USBC connector spec","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":355.919,"end_s":361.52,"text":"document. This is the USB 4 spec. And","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":359.759,"end_s":365.919,"text":"this is the USB power delivery spec. This is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":364.24,"end_s":370.96,"text":"actually just all the paper we have in the building [music] and consists of only around 60% of the rules you need to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":369.28,"end_s":376.24,"text":"follow to make your own cable. [music] Together, they dictate what you can and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":373.6,"end_s":381.759,"text":"can't put inside of your cable. But with over 2,000 pages of rules, how do so","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":378.96,"end_s":389.039,"text":"many bad cables exist? Well, as it turns out, many of these rules are more like","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":385.039,"end_s":391.28,"text":"pirate code guidelines.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":389.039,"end_s":395.44,"text":"For example, we have a normal USBC cable and one of our cables. Let's take a look","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":393.36,"end_s":399.039,"text":"inside. Taking a look at these, the first thing","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":396.96,"end_s":403.919,"text":"you notice, our cable is a lot larger diameter, and that's for a bunch of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":401.6,"end_s":409.44,"text":"reasons. Starting off, we have our main power conductor right here. compared to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":406.56,"end_s":414.16,"text":"their other B cables. Here we have the shielding around the outside for ground","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":411.44,"end_s":418.479,"text":"and return. We have our low-speed conductors [music] which are for the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":416.0,"end_s":421.12,"text":"most part similar to theirs, but it's the super speed lines where you see a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":420.08,"end_s":425.4,"text":"big difference. [music] And let's take a closer look at those.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":426.56,"end_s":432.08,"text":"Getting a closer [music] look at these, you can see the twisted pair combos","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":430.0,"end_s":437.36,"text":"here. You have four of them in the normal cable. And here [music] we have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":434.16,"end_s":439.84,"text":"our coax conductors where two of these","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":437.36,"end_s":443.599,"text":"are one signal path and we have eight on this cable. [music] If your cable has a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":441.199,"end_s":448.4,"text":"twisted pair, it can be fine. But if you have a twisted pair, go to the hospital.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":446.72,"end_s":452.08,"text":"The second reason is that unlike cheaper PVC sheathing found in most cables,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":450.319,"end_s":455.919,"text":"including underneath the braids of your braided cables, silicone is highly UV","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":454.639,"end_s":459.599,"text":"resistant, which [music] means it won't turn brittle after sun exposure. The","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":458.08,"end_s":463.84,"text":"third reason is that it's highly kinkresistant and doesn't have annoying","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":461.68,"end_s":468.96,"text":"cable memory, making it a breeze to coil up and store. But coaxial isn't all","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":466.639,"end_s":472.479,"text":"upside. They are generally quite a bit more expensive because you have to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":470.4,"end_s":476.72,"text":"shield each individual conductor. As well, they can be quite a bit larger and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":474.639,"end_s":480.24,"text":"they can be less flexible, which is part of the reason we went with the silicone","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":478.08,"end_s":484.0,"text":"sheath. It helps you get closer to the flexibility you'd expect from a premium","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":482.16,"end_s":487.52,"text":"cable. If you look really closely, you might notice that these cables aren't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":486.0,"end_s":491.12,"text":"perfectly round. While we were trying to balance thickness and flexibility, we","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":489.36,"end_s":496.24,"text":"kind of ended up with a bit of a ribbed for your pleasure texture. And besides,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":493.759,"end_s":500.8,"text":"where durability really counts is at the ends of a cable. How many of you have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":499.039,"end_s":504.56,"text":"one of those white cables from a brand that shall remain nameless that [music]","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":502.479,"end_s":510.56,"text":"looks like this? That's because they have objectively terrible strain relief.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":507.599,"end_s":514.8,"text":"We felt we could do better, but like everything else, doing better wasn't as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":513.12,"end_s":519.12,"text":"simple as we hoped. If your strain relief is too flexible, it's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":516.399,"end_s":523.12,"text":"ineffective. If it's too stiff, well, you're simply creating a new lever point","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":521.44,"end_s":528.0,"text":"where the cable is ultimately going to break. So, we toyed around with ideas","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":525.44,"end_s":532.399,"text":"like springs or using alternate materials to create a smooth, gradual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":530.399,"end_s":537.6,"text":"bend away from the connector until finally we settled on this design.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":534.486,"end_s":540.399,"text":"[music] It has some give, but not too","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":537.6,"end_s":543.656,"text":"much. And unlike multi-piece designs, it's not going to come apart because","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":541.839,"end_s":546.64,"text":"it's molded together with the outside [music] of the connector housing. Of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":545.279,"end_s":551.36,"text":"course, you can have the best strain relief in the world, and that's not going to help you if that force is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":549.839,"end_s":556.16,"text":"transmitted [music] to a fragile connector. Now, for the very end itself,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":554.32,"end_s":560.08,"text":"there's only so much we can do within the spec, but we did everything we could","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":558.16,"end_s":564.48,"text":"to make our connector as durable as possible. We use a seamless metal","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":562.24,"end_s":567.92,"text":"housing, copper tape, and a soldered connector, meaning it's unlikely to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":566.0,"end_s":571.519,"text":"break unless you really reef on it. It is worth noting that that's why our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":569.2,"end_s":575.92,"text":"connector housing is a little bit on the larger side. So, you may encounter","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":573.839,"end_s":579.36,"text":"recessed female connectors where it just plain doesn't fit. Take it as a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":577.76,"end_s":583.839,"text":"compliment. Now, you might have noticed the complete lack of USB logos on our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":581.92,"end_s":588.24,"text":"cables and on our packaging. That is because they're I know, I know, not","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":587.36,"end_s":594.56,"text":"certified. >> What? >> But does that matter? Not to us. You","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":591.92,"end_s":599.519,"text":"don't need USB if certification in order to sell USB compatible devices. In fact,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":597.6,"end_s":604.72,"text":"as far as we can tell, the main benefit of it is to use their confusing","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":601.519,"end_s":606.72,"text":"branding, which frankly we feel we're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":604.72,"end_s":611.76,"text":"better off without, especially when you factor in the cost. Certification is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":609.36,"end_s":616.959,"text":"both expensive and timeconuming, which is why even some very large brands","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":614.48,"end_s":622.0,"text":"completely skip it. Apple, for instance, hasn't produced a USB if certified cable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":619.6,"end_s":625.92,"text":"in this millennium. If this list from the USB is [music] to be believed, it's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":624.24,"end_s":629.92,"text":"not that we didn't test our cables. Here's a list of the tests that every","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":627.839,"end_s":634.0,"text":"one of our SKs went through. And then to be 100% certain, we also sent our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":632.16,"end_s":639.04,"text":"samples to a third party [music] tester who helped us out with USB4 validation","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":636.399,"end_s":642.56,"text":"since uh our cable tester is not up to snuff for that. And then for good","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":640.48,"end_s":646.079,"text":"measure, we blowched them. We don't actually recommend that, but the point","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":643.839,"end_s":649.519,"text":"is they're really durable. They are tested. And if you get a bad cable, you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":648.24,"end_s":652.48,"text":"know we've got your back. lttstore.com/support.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":651.732,"end_s":657.519,"text":"[music] Which finally brings us to price. Now,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":655.839,"end_s":661.279,"text":"I'm just going to throw a QR code here for you guys to scan because pricing is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":659.279,"end_s":667.04,"text":"subject to change over time. But the bottom line is no, for such a well-built","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":664.64,"end_s":672.72,"text":"cable, they aren't ridiculous, but also no, they are not cheap. And that might","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":670.399,"end_s":678.959,"text":"seem at odds with my longtime campaign against overpriced cables. But here's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":675.76,"end_s":681.76,"text":"the thing, guys. I am not and never have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":678.959,"end_s":686.72,"text":"been against well-built, fairly priced, premium products. I'm just against snake","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":684.88,"end_s":692.32,"text":"oil marketing. [music] So, you will never hear me claim that an LT cable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":688.88,"end_s":695.2,"text":"will make your display look crispier or","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":692.32,"end_s":699.68,"text":"give your audio deck more pronounced and resolved demonstration. These are","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":697.519,"end_s":705.2,"text":"digital cables. They either work or they don't. And these ones, these ones work.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":703.279,"end_s":712.32,"text":"Where have all the [music] good wires gone? And where are all the gods?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":709.36,"end_s":719.853,"text":"Where's the tech wise Hercules rising [music] to make you do","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":716.0,"end_s":722.48,"text":"clearly lab perfect l","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":719.853,"end_s":730.24,"text":"[music and singing] to see late at night I toss and I turn and I","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":725.279,"end_s":732.32,"text":"dream of what I need I need a cable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":730.24,"end_s":737.92,"text":"I'm holding up for a cable [music] till the end of the night it's got to be long","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":735.839,"end_s":744.32,"text":"and it's got to be fast and [music] it's got to at the right price. I need a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":741.36,"end_s":749.92,"text":"cable. [music] I'm holding out for a cable that will always connect.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":747.279,"end_s":757.279,"text":"It's got to look clean with a silicon sheet. And that cable is called True","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":751.948,"end_s":758.8,"text":"[music] Spec. True spec","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":757.279,"end_s":762.8,"text":"Delta Hub. Whether you're climbing the leaderboards or grinding through your 9","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":760.48,"end_s":766.88,"text":"to5, your wrists deserve to be protected during every click or flick. With our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":765.12,"end_s":771.04,"text":"new collab product, the LTT edition Carpio G.2. 2, you'll have all your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":769.279,"end_s":774.8,"text":"boxes covered from extreme gaming sessions to even more extreme spread","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":773.04,"end_s":778.32,"text":"sheeting. Its magnetic strap keeps it locked onto your wrists, keeping them in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":776.48,"end_s":782.079,"text":"an ergonomically correct position no matter where it might be on your desk.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":780.56,"end_s":786.56,"text":"And the perforated pads are there for extra ventilation cuz come on, we know","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":784.24,"end_s":791.44,"text":"how sweaty the entering the cell values can make you. Plus, like the OG Carpio,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":788.88,"end_s":794.88,"text":"its PTFE feet let it glide smoothly with your hand movements. Also, this isn't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":793.36,"end_s":798.72,"text":"quite an advertised feature, but they make for some pretty darn good fidget","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":796.639,"end_s":804.48,"text":"toys. So, pick up a Delta Hub Carpio G2.0 in our exclusive LT colorway today","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":802.0,"end_s":806.969,"text":"using our link in the video description. If you guys enjoyed this video, why not","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":806.0,"end_s":814.24,"text":"check out the one where we talked [music] through the three-year process that it was to bring to life our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":810.0,"end_s":814.24,"text":"legendary LT screwdriver.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"There's a big problem with the marketing around cables. Actually, a lot of big problems. Confusing branding, egregious pricing, direct to landfill build quality, not to mention outright lying about performance and capabilities. But most people don't have a $10,000 cable tester. So, they don't know. They just get frustrated when their devices seem flaky. But, do you have any idea how often it's actually the cable? So, we took matters into our own hands. Introducing LTT true spec cables. They're durable, they feel great, and most importantly, they are true to the spec. If it says 20 Gbit per second, it can do 20 Gbit per second. If it says 240 W, it can do that, too. And with clear as day labeling on the connector, you never have to wonder if the cable you're holding is the right one for the job. Now, a lot of people don't really care about their cables, and I didn't used to either. I get it. But when a whole production can be brought down by one bad connection, it is amazing how quickly your perspective [music] changes. This is the story of how LT Truepec cables came to life. [music] And look at that. It only took Oh, good lord. [music] Hey, Kyle. Could we make an LTT cable in the next couple of years? That's great. Can't wait to have my own cables by 2023. Yeah, it didn't work out that way. >> I'm holding out for a cable till the end of [music] the night. It's got to be long and it's got to be fast and it's got to be at the right price. [music] Delta Hub. Protect your wrist with an LTD edition CarpioG.2 from Delta. A magnetic strap and perforated pads make it great for those long gaming sessions where comfort is key. Pick one up today at LMG.gg/deltahubltgaming. Admittedly, part of the reason these took so long was that the first year was pretty much spent on procrastination. Hey, in fairness, we were kind of busy developing our two biggest products ever. But with those out of the way, for the next year, we focused on finding the right partner to manufacture our custom cables. And this process took months. We reached out to over 30 different factories, [music] evaluated hundreds of samples, and even after all of that, we couldn't find one that would consistently pass the most fundamental of tests, signal integrity. I mean, that's like one of the two things a cable does. And it really opened our eyes to the pervasiveness of the problems that plague the cable industry. Here's an example. Not going to name any names here, but this cable came from a prominent seller on Amazon. We go ahead and plug it into our cable tester and watch what happens. Yep, that's a fail. And this happens a lot. But here's the [music] really tricky part. If you take it out of the tester and throw it onto a computer, voila, it totally works. What's the deal with that? Well, you see, USB [music] has built-in error handling that monitors for any missed bits and will request that your device resends that information, all without any user intervention, which is super cool. But it also means that if you have a flaky cable, it could be slowing you down without you realizing it. [music] Or it might only behave badly sometimes or on some devices. The bottom line is that a cable like this [music] is kind of like a dollar store toilet plunger. usually gets the job done, but it might let you down at a very critical moment. Let's compare to our cable. What we're looking for here is a distinct eye [music] shape, a hole in the middle that indicates that our signal is clean. Finding a partner that could deliver results like this across our various speeds and lengths was critical to moving forward. And it wasn't easy. A typical sample order for us would contain about 100 cables. And in those early months, not a single manufacturer was able to send us an entire batch of cables that [music] didn't have a failure. Now, no one's perfect. And a single bad cable out of a sample batch, [music] that wouldn't be the end of the partnership. Except that we often found that when one cable would fail, like say the 6 ft 20 Gbit per second type-c to type C, all of the cables of that type in the entire batch would fail. We started to become concerned that there was simply no manufacturer that could meet our performance standards. But then at the very end of the year, December, ladies and gentlemen, we got them. [music] Every cable that these guys sent passed our signal integrity tests. And on top of that, they were highly responsive for communication and even seemed excited rather than intimidated by our desire to create something that was better than what already exists, which uh [music] you'd be surprised how few manufacturing partners are interested in that sort of thing. So, we quickly aligned on our goal, the best spec we could reach at any given length. And the next 3 years were spent bringing these [music] to life. My perfect USB cable. The connector housing features clear labeling so there is no ambiguity around data speeds or charging. And we used a firm but fair strain relief along with a soft silicone sheathing for [music] a whole bunch of reasons that I'll get into a little bit later because first I kind of got to address the uh girthy elephant in the room. >> She's a pretty chungous boy. But that's because a high quality cable has a lot more to it than just some conductors wrapped in some sheathing. This right here is the USBC connector spec document. This is the USB 4 spec. And this is the USB power delivery spec. This is actually just all the paper we have in the building [music] and consists of only around 60% of the rules you need to follow to make your own cable. [music] Together, they dictate what you can and can't put inside of your cable. But with over 2,000 pages of rules, how do so many bad cables exist? Well, as it turns out, many of these rules are more like pirate code guidelines. For example, we have a normal USBC cable and one of our cables. Let's take a look inside. Taking a look at these, the first thing you notice, our cable is a lot larger diameter, and that's for a bunch of reasons. Starting off, we have our main power conductor right here. compared to their other B cables. Here we have the shielding around the outside for ground and return. We have our low-speed conductors [music] which are for the most part similar to theirs, but it's the super speed lines where you see a big difference. [music] And let's take a closer look at those. Getting a closer [music] look at these, you can see the twisted pair combos here. You have four of them in the normal cable. And here [music] we have our coax conductors where two of these are one signal path and we have eight on this cable. [music] If your cable has a twisted pair, it can be fine. But if you have a twisted pair, go to the hospital. The second reason is that unlike cheaper PVC sheathing found in most cables, including underneath the braids of your braided cables, silicone is highly UV resistant, which [music] means it won't turn brittle after sun exposure. The third reason is that it's highly kinkresistant and doesn't have annoying cable memory, making it a breeze to coil up and store. But coaxial isn't all upside. They are generally quite a bit more expensive because you have to shield each individual conductor. As well, they can be quite a bit larger and they can be less flexible, which is part of the reason we went with the silicone sheath. It helps you get closer to the flexibility you'd expect from a premium cable. If you look really closely, you might notice that these cables aren't perfectly round. While we were trying to balance thickness and flexibility, we kind of ended up with a bit of a ribbed for your pleasure texture. And besides, where durability really counts is at the ends of a cable. How many of you have one of those white cables from a brand that shall remain nameless that [music] looks like this? That's because they have objectively terrible strain relief. We felt we could do better, but like everything else, doing better wasn't as simple as we hoped. If your strain relief is too flexible, it's ineffective. If it's too stiff, well, you're simply creating a new lever point where the cable is ultimately going to break. So, we toyed around with ideas like springs or using alternate materials to create a smooth, gradual bend away from the connector until finally we settled on this design. [music] It has some give, but not too much. And unlike multi-piece designs, it's not going to come apart because it's molded together with the outside [music] of the connector housing. Of course, you can have the best strain relief in the world, and that's not going to help you if that force is transmitted [music] to a fragile connector. Now, for the very end itself, there's only so much we can do within the spec, but we did everything we could to make our connector as durable as possible. We use a seamless metal housing, copper tape, and a soldered connector, meaning it's unlikely to break unless you really reef on it. It is worth noting that that's why our connector housing is a little bit on the larger side. So, you may encounter recessed female connectors where it just plain doesn't fit. Take it as a compliment. Now, you might have noticed the complete lack of USB logos on our cables and on our packaging. That is because they're I know, I know, not certified. >> What? >> But does that matter? Not to us. You don't need USB if certification in order to sell USB compatible devices. In fact, as far as we can tell, the main benefit of it is to use their confusing branding, which frankly we feel we're better off without, especially when you factor in the cost. Certification is both expensive and timeconuming, which is why even some very large brands completely skip it. Apple, for instance, hasn't produced a USB if certified cable in this millennium. If this list from the USB is [music] to be believed, it's not that we didn't test our cables. Here's a list of the tests that every one of our SKs went through. And then to be 100% certain, we also sent our samples to a third party [music] tester who helped us out with USB4 validation since uh our cable tester is not up to snuff for that. And then for good measure, we blowched them. We don't actually recommend that, but the point is they're really durable. They are tested. And if you get a bad cable, you know we've got your back. lttstore.com/support. [music] Which finally brings us to price. Now, I'm just going to throw a QR code here for you guys to scan because pricing is subject to change over time. But the bottom line is no, for such a well-built cable, they aren't ridiculous, but also no, they are not cheap. And that might seem at odds with my longtime campaign against overpriced cables. But here's the thing, guys. I am not and never have been against well-built, fairly priced, premium products. I'm just against snake oil marketing. [music] So, you will never hear me claim that an LT cable will make your display look crispier or give your audio deck more pronounced and resolved demonstration. These are digital cables. They either work or they don't. And these ones, these ones work. Where have all the [music] good wires gone? And where are all the gods? Where's the tech wise Hercules rising [music] to make you do clearly lab perfect l [music and singing] to see late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need I need a cable I'm holding up for a cable [music] till the end of the night it's got to be long and it's got to be fast and [music] it's got to at the right price. I need a cable. [music] I'm holding out for a cable that will always connect. It's got to look clean with a silicon sheet. And that cable is called True [music] Spec. True spec Delta Hub. Whether you're climbing the leaderboards or grinding through your 9 to5, your wrists deserve to be protected during every click or flick. With our new collab product, the LTT edition Carpio G.2. 2, you'll have all your boxes covered from extreme gaming sessions to even more extreme spread sheeting. Its magnetic strap keeps it locked onto your wrists, keeping them in an ergonomically correct position no matter where it might be on your desk. And the perforated pads are there for extra ventilation cuz come on, we know how sweaty the entering the cell values can make you. Plus, like the OG Carpio, its PTFE feet let it glide smoothly with your hand movements. Also, this isn't quite an advertised feature, but they make for some pretty darn good fidget toys. So, pick up a Delta Hub Carpio G2.0 in our exclusive LT colorway today using our link in the video description. If you guys enjoyed this video, why not check out the one where we talked [music] through the three-year process that it was to bring to life our legendary LT screwdriver."}