1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,160 There's a big problem with the marketing around cables. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,320 Actually a lot of big problems. Confusing branding, egregious pricing, 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,760 direct to landfill build quality, not to mention outright lying 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:17,960 about performance and capabilities. But most people don't have a $10,000 cable tester, 5 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,040 so they don't know. They just get frustrated when their devices seem flaky. 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,640 But do you have any idea how often it's actually the cable? 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:31,640 So we took matters into our own hands. Introducing LTT true spec cables. 8 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:37,600 They're durable, they feel great, and most importantly, they are true to the spec. 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,440 If it says 20 gigabit per second, it can do 20 gigabit per second. 10 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,000 If it says 240 watts, it can do that too. 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,760 And with clearest day labeling on the connector, you never have to wonder if the cable you're holding 12 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:56,080 is the right one for the job. Now, a lot of people don't really care about their cables. 13 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:00,480 And I didn't used to either, I get it. But when a whole production can be brought down 14 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,840 by one bad connection, it is amazing how quickly your perspective changes. 15 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,880 This is the story of how LTT true spec cables came to life. 16 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,440 And look at that, it only took, oh, good Lord. 17 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:15,760 Oh, good Lord. 18 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,160 Hey, Kyle, could we make an LTT cable 19 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:30,880 in the next couple of years? Oh, that's great. 20 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,160 Can't wait to have my own cables by 2023. 21 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,880 Yeah, it didn't work out that way. 22 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,480 I need a cable. 23 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,640 I'm holding up for a cable till the end of the night. 24 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,680 It's gotta be long and it's gotta be fast 25 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,480 and it's gotta be at the right price. 26 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,760 Admittedly, part of the reason these took so long was that the first year was pretty much 27 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:04,000 spent on procrastination. Hey, in fairness, we were kind of busy developing 28 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,640 our two biggest products ever. But with those out of the way, for the next year, 29 00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:13,080 we focused on finding the right partner to manufacture our custom cables. 30 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:18,640 And this process took months. We reached out to over 30 different factories, 31 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:22,480 evaluated hundreds of samples, and even after all of that, 32 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,680 we couldn't find one that would consistently pass 33 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,080 the most fundamental of tests, signal integrity. 34 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,640 I think that's like one of the two things a cable does 35 00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:37,760 and it really opened our eyes to the pervasiveness of the problems that plagued the cable industry. 36 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:44,080 Here's an example. Not gonna name any names here, but this cable came from a prominent seller on Amazon. 37 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,840 We go ahead and plug it into our cable tester and watch what happens. 38 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:53,400 Yep, that's a fail. And this happens a lot. 39 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,600 But here's the really tricky part. If you take it out of the tester 40 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,720 and throw it onto a computer, voila, it totally works. 41 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:05,400 What's the deal with that? Well, you see, USB has built-in error handling 42 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:11,360 that monitors for any missed bits and will request that your device resend that information, 43 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,440 all without any user intervention, which is super cool. 44 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:21,240 But it also means that if you have a flaky cable, it could be slowing you down without you realizing it 45 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,600 or it might only behave badly sometimes 46 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,680 or on some devices. The bottom line is that a cable like this 47 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,640 is kind of like a dollar store toilet plunger. It usually gets the job done, 48 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:36,080 but it might let you down at a very critical moment. 49 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:41,560 Let's compare to our cable. What we're looking for here is a distinct eye shape, 50 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,720 a hole in the middle that indicates that our signal is clean. 51 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:49,600 Finding a partner that could deliver results like this across our various speeds and lengths 52 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,160 was critical to moving forward and it wasn't easy. 53 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,880 A typical sample order for us would contain about a hundred cables 54 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:01,320 and in those early months, not a single manufacturer was able to send us 55 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,600 an entire batch of cables that didn't have a failure. 56 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,000 Now no one's perfect and a single bad cable 57 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,360 out of a sample batch, that wouldn't be the end of the partnership, 58 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,960 except that we often found that when one cable would fail, 59 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,500 like say the six foot, 20 gigabit per second type C 60 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:21,960 to type C, all of the cables of that type 61 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,740 in the entire batch would fail. We started to become concerned 62 00:04:25,740 --> 00:04:30,480 that there was simply no manufacturer that could meet our performance standards. 63 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,800 But then at the very end of the year, December, 64 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:39,040 ladies and gentlemen, we got them. Every cable that these guys sent 65 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,760 passed our signal integrity tests and on top of that, 66 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:48,240 they were highly responsive for communication and even seemed excited rather than intimidated 67 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,040 by our desire to create something that was better than what already exists, 68 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,800 which you'd be surprised how few manufacturing partners 69 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,120 are interested in that sort of thing. So we quickly aligned on our goal, 70 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:03,360 the best spec we could reach at any given length and the next three years, 71 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:09,000 we're spent bringing these to life. My perfect USB cable. 72 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:14,480 The connector housing features clear labeling, so there is no ambiguity around data speeds or charging. 73 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,520 And we used a firm but fair strain relief 74 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,800 along with a soft silicone sheathing for a whole bunch of reasons 75 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,000 that I'll get into a little bit later. Because first, I kind of got to address 76 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,960 the girthy elephant in the room. 77 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:32,360 She's a pretty chungus boy, but that's because a high quality cable 78 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,480 has a lot more to it than just some conductors 79 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:41,760 wrapped in some sheathing. This right here is the USB-C connector spec document. 80 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,520 This is the USB-4 spec and this 81 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:51,320 is the USB power delivery spec. This is actually just all the paper we have in the building 82 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:55,920 and consists of only around 60% of the rules you need to follow to make your own cable. 83 00:05:55,920 --> 00:06:00,560 Together, they dictate what you can and can't put inside of your cable. 84 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:05,600 But with over 2,000 pages of rules, how do so many bad cables exist? 85 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:12,240 Well, as it turns out, many of these rules are more like pirate code guidelines. 86 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,800 For example, we have a normal USB-C cable and one of our cables. 87 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,560 Let's take a look inside. Taking a look at these, 88 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,280 the first thing you notice, our cable is a lot larger diameter. 89 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:30,520 And that's for a bunch of reasons. Starting off, we have our main power conductor right here 90 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,000 compared to their other cables here. 91 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,440 We have the shielding around the outside for ground and return. 92 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:42,800 We have our low speed conductors, which are for the most part similar to theirs, 93 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,480 but it's the super speed lines where you see a big difference. 94 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,280 Let's take a closer look at those. 95 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,400 Getting a closer look at these, you can see the twisted pair combos here. 96 00:06:55,400 --> 00:07:00,760 You have four of them in the normal cable. And here we have our coax conductors, 97 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,800 where two of these are one signal path 98 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:08,320 and we have eight on this cable. If your cable has a twisted pair, it can be fine. 99 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,840 But if you have a twisted pair, go to the hospital. 100 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,320 The second reason is that unlike cheaper PVC sheathing found in most cables, 101 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:20,240 including underneath the braids of your braided cables, silicone is highly UV resistant, 102 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:25,720 which means it won't turn brittle after sun exposure. The third reason is that it's highly kink resistant 103 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,160 and doesn't have annoying cable memory, making it a breeze to coil up and store. 104 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,840 But coaxial isn't all upside. They are generally quite a bit more expensive 105 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:39,280 because you have to shield each individual conductor. As well, they can be quite a bit larger 106 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:44,200 and they can be less flexible, which is part of the reason we went with the silicone sheath. 107 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,840 It helps you get closer to the flexibility you'd expect from a premium cable. 108 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,960 If you look really closely, you might notice that these cables aren't perfectly round. 109 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:56,160 While we were trying to balance thickness and flexibility, we kind of ended up with a bit of a ribbed 110 00:07:56,160 --> 00:08:00,720 for your pleasure texture. And besides, where durability really counts 111 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:05,520 is at the ends of a cable. How many of you have one of those white cables 112 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,840 from a brand that shall remain nameless that looks like this? 113 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,680 That's because they have objectively terrible string relief. 114 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,760 We felt we could do better, but like everything else, 115 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:22,400 doing better wasn't as simple as we hoped. If your string relief is too flexible, it's ineffective. 116 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,600 If it's too stiff, you're simply creating a new lever point 117 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:31,400 where the cable is ultimately going to break. So we twit around with ideas like springs 118 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:37,120 or using alternate materials to create a smooth, gradual bend away from the connector 119 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:43,200 until finally we settled on this design. It has some give, but not too much. 120 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,720 And unlike multi-piece designs, it's not going to come apart 121 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,040 because it's molded together with the outside of the connector housing. 122 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:54,000 Of course, you can have the best string relief in the world and that's not going to help you 123 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,320 if that force is transmitted to a fragile connector. 124 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:01,840 Now, for the very end itself, there's only so much we can do within the spec, 125 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:06,120 but we did everything we could to make our connector as durable as possible. 126 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:09,880 We use a seamless metal housing, copper tape, and a soldered connector, 127 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:14,960 meaning it's unlikely to break unless you really reef on it. It is worth noting that that's why our connector housing 128 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:20,400 is a little bit on the larger side. So you may encounter recessed female connectors 129 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,400 where it just plain doesn't fit. Take it as a compliment. 130 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,640 Now you might have noticed the complete lack of USB logos 131 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:33,400 on our cables and on our packaging. That is because they're, I know, I know, not certified. 132 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,780 But does that matter? Not to us. 133 00:09:36,780 --> 00:09:41,960 You don't need USB IF certification in order to sell USB compatible devices. 134 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,080 In fact, as far as we can tell, the main benefit of it 135 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:50,880 is to use their confusing branding, which frankly, we feel we're better off without. 136 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:56,560 Especially when you factor in the cost. Certification is both expensive and time consuming, 137 00:09:56,560 --> 00:10:00,920 which is why even some very large brands completely skip it. 138 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:06,160 Apple, for instance, hasn't produced a USB IF certified cable in this millennium 139 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:11,120 if this list from the USB IF is to be believed. It's not that we didn't test our cables. 140 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,360 Here's a list of the tests that every one of our SKUs went through. 141 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:19,120 And then to be 100% certain, we also sent our samples to a third party tester 142 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:25,000 who helped us out with USB 4 validation since our cable tester is not up to snuff for that. 143 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,420 And then for good measure, we blow torched them. We don't actually recommend that. 144 00:10:28,420 --> 00:10:33,200 But the point is they're really durable, they are tested, and if you get a bad cable, 145 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:37,640 you know we've got your back. LTTstore.com slash support, 146 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,760 which finally brings us to price. 147 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:45,920 Now I'm just gonna throw a QR code here for you guys to scan because pricing is subject to change over time. 148 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:51,640 But the bottom line is no. For such a well-built cable, they aren't ridiculous, 149 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,680 but also no, they are not cheap. 150 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:59,760 And that might seem at odds with my long-time campaign against overpriced cables, 151 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:04,720 but here's the thing, guys. I am not and never have been against 152 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,680 well-built, fairly priced, premium products. 153 00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:12,740 I'm just against snake oil marketing. So you will never hear me claim 154 00:11:12,740 --> 00:11:16,800 that an LTT cable will make your display look crispier 155 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,880 or give your audio DAC more pronounced 156 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,680 and resolved demonstration. These are digital cables. 157 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:28,320 They either work or they don't. And these ones, these ones work. 158 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:34,240 Where have all the good boys gone and where are all the gods? 159 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,320 Where's the tech-wise Hercules 160 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,080 rising to make you do vows? 161 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:47,480 Clearly label perfect length USB-C to C. 162 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:53,040 Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need. 163 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:59,520 I need a cable. I'm holding up for a cable till the end of the night. 164 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,560 It's gotta be long and it's gotta be fast 165 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:05,720 and it's gotta be at the right price. 166 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:12,280 I need a cable. I'm holding up for a cable that will always connect. 167 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,320 It's gotta look clean with a silicon sheet 168 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,320 and a cable is called TrueSpec. 169 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:19,800 TrueSpec. 170 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:26,600 If you guys enjoyed this video, why not check out the one where we talked through the three-year process 171 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:31,240 that it was to bring to life our legendary LTT screwdriver.