David Laboga - Akoya USB

Hi-End USB Cable to reach the top of digital audio reproduction.

Stop right there. If you don't know who David Laboga is, do a quick search—or better yet, let me give you the rundown.

Hailing from Poland, David Laboga is a master technician who has spent over two decades specializing in the handcrafted manufacturing of guitar cabinets, speakers, and high-performance cables for musical instruments. His reputation isn't just marketing; it’s built on the trust of some of the most demanding ears in the industry.

He has collaborated with world-class musicians, including:

• Al Di Meola

• Tommy Emmanuel

• Guy Fletcher (Dire Straits)

• Philip Campbell (Motörhead)

• Richard Fortus (Guns N' Roses)

• Steve Lukather (TOTO)

Since around 2018, Laboga has expanded his expertise into the High-End Audiophile market under the brand David Laboga Custom Audio. He applies the same rigorous standards used on global stages to home audio components, creating a bridge between the raw energy of live music creation and the precision of home listening.

His philosophy is simple: if his cables and cabinets can survive the road with Motörhead and meet the tonal standards of Al Di Meola, they are more than ready to handle the nuances of your home system.

In addition to this, he works with countless recording studios, providing them with cabling for both recording and audio playback equipment. In short, it is fair to say that David knows exactly what he is doing, and as home high-fidelity users, we would do well to take a look at his product offerings for our own applications. As the brand’s slogan says: "Bring a new spirit to your sound." Will the Akoya achieve this?

The Akoya is the top tier in the brand's USB cable line and is a very recent model. So recent, in fact, that this is one of the first reviews (though it wasn't published sooner because I switched my DAC and there was a waiting period before I could continue the testing). In any case, David Laboga's experience in cable manufacturing promises a high-quality listening experience.

Construction

At first glance, the construction of the cable is striking. It features aluminum machined terminations for the connector ends and a body covered in leather with white stitching. The weight of the cable is good, feeling solid in the hand. A circular leather tag stands out, featuring the brand's logo and the name: Akoya—which, by the way, refers to the world-famous saltwater pearls from Japan.

Akoya is presented as an evolution of the brand's previous offerings: Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby—all of which have excellent online reviews and a multitude of highly satisfied users. Little is known about the interior of the cable, beyond the fact that it is built from a high-quality copper conductor. According to the manufacturer, this conductor can vary in thickness and characteristics depending on the specific construction of the cable, clearly following the principle of applying the knowledge and experience gained through years of developing these applications.

After extensive testing, the company has decided to offer only two lengths for the cable: 1 and 1.25 meters, warning that other measurements generated unpleasant changes in the presentation and audible results.

The flexibility of the cable is limited, given its construction and the leather sleeve used as outer protection; therefore, I recommend carefully planning the cable's route between your equipment. That said, the connectors are of excellent quality and offer a secure, well-fitted connection.

While we do not know the internal composition of the cable, it is possible to guess from the outside that it consists of several high-gauge wires and that at least one of them is braided, as the pattern is noticeable when handling it.

Also of note is the decorative leather ribbon, featuring the brand's logo pressure-printed along with the cable's name. It is a nice detail that further showcases the class and high level of construction.

How It Sounds

The Akoya first visited (briefly) with the Lampizator Amber 5, though it returned in force once the Atlantic 5 TRP was installed. Therefore, the tests were conducted with the following configuration:

• Preamp: McIntosh C504

• Amplifier: McIntosh MC502

• Interconnects: Final Touch Audio Thebe RCA

• Power Treatment: Lampizator Silk

• Power Cables: LessLoss C-MARC + Firewall 640X

• Speakers: Axxess L1

• Speaker Cables: Nordost Frey 2

• Network: Nordost QNet + Nordost Heimdall 2 Ethernet Cable

• Streamer: Innuos PULSE Mini + LPSU, Custom Raspberry Pi 5 + RoPieee

• DAC: Lampizator Atlantic 5 TRP / Genalex Gold Lion Valves (KT88 + 5U) & PSVANE 274B-AT + EL34AT & KT88AT

• Rack: Artesanía Audio Prestige 4 / Artesanía Audio Glass Turntable Rack

• Accessories: Artesanía Audio Damper / Gutwire Ultimate Ground Cable

Let’s get to what matters. The Akoya replaces my highly esteemed Final Touch Audio Callisto and allows us to explore what is, effectively, a different sound signature.

-- "But a USB cable doesn't change the sound, it only transmits 0s and 1s!" someone shouts from behind a computer screen.

You are right, but not in the way you think. Yes, cables transmit 0s and 1s, as it is a digital cable.

However, there are other factors: insulation, the type of conductor, the type of connectors, soldering, etc. No, these are not abysmal differences. They are subtle; the subtlety they present is generally detectable when using a high-resolution system and, above all, when the listener knows what they are looking for.

I choose tracks and begin to listen. I have gone for music with good dynamic range, smooth sounds, and good bass presence (thus covering some ground in the test). I have also snuck in some female vocals, as timbre is important. Finally, I have added something with more speed and weight; the list looks somewhat like this:

Martina – Bill Evans. With the delicate and subtle presentation that characterizes Evans, this track from the album Quintessence frames Evans with his Quintet: Harold Land, Kenny Burrell, Ray Brown, and the legendary Philly Joe Jones. Burrell's guitar delights us with a harmonic range full of transients and notes that extend and vibrate in the air, thanks to the tweeters of the Axxess L1. Their presentation, however, comes courtesy of the Lampizator + Akoya ensemble and, let me tell you, it is the best this track has ever sounded on my system. The projection and air accompanying the cymbals and piano are truly mesmerizing. The absence of digital artifacts speaks to the organic character that the Atlantic injects into the recording, which, rather than adulterating it, presents it with the body and density it undoubtedly had in its original recording.

Blood Count – Stan Getz Quartet. If there is a track that generates emotion in me when listening to it, it has to be the intro to this song. In an energetic but controlled beginning, Getz sets the scene for what is, in my opinion, an excellent ballad. In an audio system with a solid digital front, the highest registers of Getz's sax, as well as Victor Lewis's cymbals, are clearly rendered. Around the 1:20 mark, once again, high registers could betray us in a lower-capacity system, revealing digital artifacts such as an artificial metallic brightness or pre ringing. This is not the case. Akoya and Atlantic go hand in hand and provide an excellent soundstage, free of intrusions and distractions. We clearly appreciate everything in the recording through the Axxess L1.

Why (Album version) – Sophie Zelmani. This track, featuring the captivating voice of Sophie Zelmani, grabs us accompanied by an acoustic guitar riff and an ensemble of other instruments. Subtle background details illuminate the room, while the Akoya provides the highway for the information from our streamer to travel to the magic cooking inside the Atlantic 5's KT88 valves. The result? Hypnotic. Texture, a detailed presentation but with a slight warmth and a sound that truly generates an addiction to its fluidity and naturalness.

If I had to characterize the sound of the Akoya (compared to my usual Final Touch Audio Callisto), I would say I appreciated better control and body in the bass region, as well as the ability to produce more space between the notes housed in the highest region and reproduced through the Axxess L1 tweeters. These, by the way, lack any metallic or artificial elements, achieving a presentation with a naturalness that rivals what my veteran Revox B77 managed to reproduce when it was in use. That said, the combination of the Lampizator Atlantic 5 TRP, the PSVANE Horizon valves, and the David Laboga Akoya USB are, by far, the digital ensemble that has best represented music in my room and, I must agree, the Akoya is addictive.

Conclusions

Having said all that, I must take a stand. The combination of the Lampizator Atlantic 5 TRP, the PSVANE Horizon valves, and the David Laboga Akoya USB is, by far, the digital ensemble that has best represented music in my room; I have to agree that the Akoya is addictive. I have had the opportunity to test MANY USB cables and, yes, to appreciate their differences. As of today, the Akoya sits at the top of the list. While there are solid contenders that come close in some of the individual areas where this cable excels, none deliver the full set of positive characteristics that David Laboga's cable managed to produce in my system.

Regarding pricing, I will tell you upfront: this is not an inexpensive cable.

• David Laboga Custom Audio AKOYA USB 1m: 4,800 EUR

• David Laboga Custom Audio AKOYA USB 1.25m: 5,200 EUR

Is it worth it? For those who can afford it and appreciate the natural, organic reproduction of music from a digital front end, the answer is clear and resounding: 110%. Believe me, and do not be carried away by the bandwagon of those who think they are clever by saying "all USB cables sound the same." If your system is up to the task, the Akoya will take it a couple of levels higher, and you will be the ones enjoying it.

David Laboga's cables are available through Elektra Hi-End.