{"id":44720,"date":"2026-10-25T20:58:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T18:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=44720"},"modified":"2026-10-26T09:34:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T07:34:21","slug":"mad-scientist-white-magic-and-white-magic-ultra-usb-cables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/review\/cables-reviews\/reviews-digital-cable\/mad-scientist-white-magic-and-white-magic-ultra-usb-cables\/","title":{"rendered":"Mad Scientist White Magic and White Magic Ultra USB Cables"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review sample supplied by Mad Scientist Audio<\/a><\/h4>\n

Retail price in US Dollars at the time of review (ex VAT):
\nWhite Magic USB starts at $399 for 0.8 meter
\nWhite Magic USB $519 for 1,5 meters (as reviewed)
\nWhite Magic Ultra USB starts at $799 for 0.8 meter
\nWhite Magic Ultra USB $1.039 for 1,5 meters (as reviewed)<\/h4>\n

White is the new Black for Mad Scientist Audio! White Magic now covers a full range of cables, including Analog Interconnects, Digital Interconnects, Speaker Cables, and USB Cables. Each cable features a custom-made solid-core conductor with unique mechanical and electromagnetic properties.<\/p>\n

White Magic wire contains no copper, silver, or gold. Instead of traditional high-conductivity metals, Mad Scientist Audio chose a material that offers exceptional vibration resistance, low microphonic susceptibility, and elevated natural field damping.<\/p>\n

As the Mad Scientist himself puts it:<\/p>\n

White Magic USB cables are the culmination of a decade of obsessive refinement. It combines radically unorthodox materials, precision-engineered geometries, and a field-conscious design philosophy. Central to the White Magic philosophy is the belief that signal integrity isn\u2019t just about conductivity; it\u2019s about controlling the environment around the signal: mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic.<\/p>\n

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White Magic Technology<\/h3>\n

At the cable’s core lies a conductor you won\u2019t find in other audiophile cables: the White Magic wire, selected for its exceptional mechanical and electromagnetic properties. According to the maker, this wire doesn’t just transmit; it also shapes the signal environment, dampening vibrational and field-based distortions in ways copper and silver can’t.<\/p>\n

This conductor behaves very differently from copper or silver; for instance, it doesn’t oxidize or tarnish, so unlike copper and silver wires, the surface stays pristine. It also produces a distinct sound. The wire is encased in PTFE (Teflon) tubing to ensure ultra-low dielectric absorption and maintain stable geometry.<\/p>\n

All White Magic cables contain a directional, resistively terminated shielding system designed to absorb and dissipate RF energy, rather than reflect it. This multi-layered shielding approach is inspired more by Stealth Radar and RF anechoic chamber design than by traditional audio cable thinking.<\/p>\n

A proprietary, multi-layer shielding architecture surrounds the core, absorbing and dissipating RF energy instead of simply reflecting it. Each layer is asymmetrically terminated and tuned using resistive networks to break up standing waves. The result is a cable that dramatically lowers the digital noise floor.<\/p>\n

According to the manufacturer, the White Magic USB makes digital sound more like music, and less like math.<\/p>\n

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White Magic USB Cable<\/h3>\n

White Magic USB is the entry cable to the White Magic range. Starting at the same price as the original Black Magic, it uses a single 0.2\u202fmm White Magic conductor paired with a precision-engineered Teflon dielectric and a simple yet highly effective screen. Contrary to earlier designs, this cable is very supple and bends easily.<\/p>\n

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White Magic Ultra USB Cable<\/h3>\n

At the same price as the original Black Magic Ultra, the White Magic Ultra model boosts performance with a hybrid 0.1\u202fmm and 0.2\u202fmm White Magic conductor array, arranged to optimize current distribution and reduce signal-induced resonance. Its triple-layer screening system, tuned for broadband RF absorption, further lowers the noise floor while preserving dynamics and detail. Compared to the entry-level White Magic, the Ultra is slightly stiffer, especially near the DAC end. This is due to the more elaborate shielding. It can still be a little stubborn if you try to bend it opposite its natural bend direction, but on balance, it’s a pretty supple cable, especially compared to the older Black Magic Prime.<\/p>\n

Running In<\/h3>\n

The two USB cables arrived already well on their way to being run-in, having been connected to a Cable Cooker for one week before delivery. Typically, the cables take a couple of days to reach most of their performance, but they keep improving for up to 200 hours. After I started listening, I could hear the cables continue to bed in over successive days. Upon first listen, they sounded crisp and open, but they soon mellowed, becoming warmer, smoother, and more relaxed. After a couple of days, I heard no more changes.<\/p>\n

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Review Context<\/h3>\n

I reviewed the two USB Cables in the <\/span> main system<\/a>, comprising<\/span>\u00a0the CH Precision C1.2<\/a> DAC,\u00a0L1<\/a>\u00a0preamplifier, and\u00a0A1.5<\/a> power amplifier<\/span>.<\/span> As the main d<\/span>igital source, I used the Antipodes Oladra<\/a>. Speakers are the Apogee Duetta Signature (refoiled).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>All interlinks are Driade Flow Link Reference 808<\/a>, and the speaker cables are Driade Flow Reference 808<\/a>. All components (including review components where applicable) are powered by the PS Audio P20<\/a> PowerPlant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next: Listening and Conclusion<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Listening – White Magic<\/h3>\n

After reviewing the White Magic interlinks and now hearing the White Magic USB cables, I can confirm these conductors have a distinct sound, just as the Mad Scientist claims. I know we’re comparing analog interlinks to USB cables here, but I still hear a common sonic signature.<\/p>\n

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Like the interlinks, the White Magic USB cable is simultaneously open and detailed, yet sweet, smooth, and subtly warm. Compared to the Ansuz A3 USB cable<\/a>, my current reference for neutrality, the White Magic offers almost the same level of overall detail retrieval, but with slightly brighter treble and slightly less articulate, yet fuller and warmer bass. Despite the rounder bass, the cable sounds nimble, with upbeat pacing and uncompressed dynamics, making for a full-blooded, powerful, engaging sound that’s easy to get into.<\/p>\n

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Listening – White Magic Ultra<\/h3>\n

Once again, just as the manufacturer claims, the White Magic Ultra is indeed much more neutral than the older Prime. It is also more neutral than the entry-level White Magic. It has cleaner, more incisive bass and purer, more linear treble, without accentuation. The Ultra’s bass is also more robust than the entry-level White Magic, but not so much that it darkens the sound, as the old Prime can.<\/p>\n

It’s striking how you hear higher resolution than with the entry-level White Magic, but in a calmer, less forced manner, and without losing momentum or constraining dynamics or expression. There’s no dryness and no lack of saturation; the sound stays deliciously smooth, fluid, and relaxed.<\/p>\n

The White Magic Ultra improves significantly on the entry-level cable, but it still has the White Magic charm, just more subtly balanced and nuanced. As inviting as the entry-level White Magic may sound at first, I much prefer the Ultra version, as it is easily the most neutral Mad Scientist USB cable yet.<\/p>\n

The Black Magic Prime, in turn, delivers an even more robust performance, with fuller bass and a very physical presentation. But this comes with thicker midbass and drier, less fluid treble, which can make it sound darker. The Prime remains a distinctive, characterful cable that can put a lean-sounding system in a whole new light, but it’s considerably less neutral than the White Magic.<\/p>\n

The Black Magic Prime has also been replaced with a new White Magic Prime. I haven’t heard it, but with its five-layer Prime screening architecture and handcrafted kegs (a composite of graphene, titano-magnetite, and diamond cured under high voltage), it offers even better RF rejection and field control, and I can only imagine it takes things even further.<\/p>\n

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Neutrality versus Magic<\/h3>\n

To my ears, both White Magic cables add a subtle dose of lush smoothness and tonal richness. As such, I don’t regard them as strictly neutral. Then again, most boutique cables are tuned one way or another; after all, that is what makes them special. In fact, I find that very few cables are indeed truly neutral. Those that are can be a two-edged sword, as they can also make a system sound less forgiving or less magical. It’s a delicate matter.<\/p>\n

I have friends who prefer a slightly more euphonic sound over clean neutrality. Moreover, some friends feel that my taste verges on the leaner side of neutral. I’d counter that I prioritize precision over fullness and am willing to sacrifice some saturation for better articulation. Either way, this isn’t just a delicate matter; it’s also very personal.<\/p>\n

The White Magic Ultra strikes a very delicate balance of sweetness, flow, harmonic richness, precision, clarity, and expression. Come to think of it, this cable offers a similar balance of precision and magic as I recall from the Jorma Reference<\/a> and XACT Phantom<\/a>. I’d need to compare them directly to see how close the White Magic Ultra comes, but even so, given the large price difference, the resemblance already looks like a royal achievement for Mad Scientist.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

With White Magic, Mad Scientist Audio has released a worthy successor to the Black Magic range. These two USB cables are more neutral and perform better, without sacrificing the magic. Both models deliver a full-blooded, free-flowing, powerful, engaging sound that’s easy to get into. The entry-level White Magic model already delivers plenty of music without adding coloration, while the White Magic Ultra takes neutrality, precision, refinement, and composure even further without sacrificing the entry-level model\u2019s core qualities.<\/p>\n

The White Magic offers incredible value, making it a very easy cable to recommend.<\/p>\n

The White Magic Ultra is significantly better and my preference, but it\u2019s also considerably more expensive. At this price, it faces competition, though its delicate balance of sweetness, flow, harmonic richness, precision, clarity, and expression is really only found in other cables that cost much more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Associated Equipment<\/a><\/p>\n

External Links<\/h3>\n

Manufacturer: madscientist-audio<\/a><\/p>\n

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