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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2016
Blitzwolf's support also mentioned they are working on correcting the misleading packaging information as well.
This cable earns back the two stars I docked previously, and I can put this on my recommended wish list.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (January 27, 2016) :
Benson here again, continuing my reviews of USB Type C legacy cables. Today I am reviewing Blitzwolf's Braided USB Type C to Type A cable.
Let's talk about spec compliance. My test setup today include a Chromebook Pixel 2015, and a Chromium OS USB-PD Sniffer (codename Twinkie). Please check it out by searching google for "Chromium USB-PD Sniffer". This product is also available on Amazon here : [[ASIN:B015X29HLM Plugable USB 3.1 Type-C (USB-C) Power Delivery Sniffer]]
I got a comment in one of my previous reviews that I should be testing with a 2.4A capable power supply to demonstrate that the cable is of good enough quality to sustain 2.4A charging, so for this review, I am using one of Apple's 1st party power adapters with a 5.2V, 2.4A charging capability, specifically Apple's 12W iPad charger.
Running the ectool command on Pixel:
localhost ~ # ectool --dev 1 usbpdpower
Port 0: SNK Charger Proprietary 4675mV / 2400mA, max 5000mV / 2400mA / 12000mW
Port 1: SRC
In this case, the Pixel has negotiated up to 2.4A of charging through the Blitzwolf cable to the Apple charger.
Switching over to the USB PD sniffer, I'll run the "tw cc" command to get a voltage reading on both CC lines:
> tw cc
CC1 = 426 mV ; CC2 = 12 mV
The important number to look at here is CC1, which indicates a voltage of 426mV. If you refer to the USB Type-C Specification 1.1 Table 4-25.
Look at the row labeled vRd-USB, which indicates the legal voltage values to read from the CC pin in order to be categorized as "Default USB Power". The range is Min : 0.25V Max : 0.61V. For this cable, I measured a value of 0.426V right in the middle of this range, indicating that yes, this cable has a 56k' resistor and is within spec for CC termination.
For a USB 2.0 High Speed data test, I’ve hooked my Nexus 5X to my Chromebook Pixel via the Blitzwolf Type-A to Type-C cable to test large file transfer via MTP. It just works, no problem!
For other more subjective judgements of this cable : The Type-C plug on this cable is the stamped variety, meaning it has a seam on one side of the cable. This is ok, but not as great as the deep-draw plugs we see on other cables (especially 1st party ones from Google and Apple) The Blitzwolf cable also has a very nice and thin braided red nylon. The ends of both connectors are a high quality aluminum shell, which mesh well with all-aluminum products like MacBooks, Pixels and Nexus 6P.
All of this is good, so why did I only rate this cable 3 stars? The description of this cable on Amazon as of this writing is : "Braided USB Type C Cable, BlitzWolf 3ft Reversible USB-C 3.0 Data Sync and Charger Cord"
The Amazon page also contains this this text : "[5Gbps Data Sync] 11 times faster data transfer speed than normal cable, reach 5GB per second."
Also, on the side of the box that this cable was shipped with, has this text :
"Double-sided USB 3.1 USB Type-C male reversible plug".
In my testing, this cable is NOT USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 capable. It is purely a USB 2.0 High Speed cable A-to-C cable, with only 4 pins on the Type-A plug. This is false advertising, as consumers looking for a USB 3.1 capable A-to-C cable to use with their MacBook in Target Disk Mode, or to transfer files at SuperSpeed with their Pixel C may buy this cable and not have that functionality.
Finally, the box contains the following text :
"Supports 5V/9V/12V fast charging at up to 2.4A" and "Compatible with Qualcomm QC3.0 fast charging."
Section 4.8.2 of the Type-C spec forbids Non-USB charging methods like Qualcomm QC that can change voltage on Vbus beyond 5V, so these two lines cannot be true either. Compliant Type-C devices and chargers cannot support methods like QC that can change voltage to 9V or 12V.
In conclusion, this is a Good cable for your Nexus 6P/5X to use with all of your older USB Type-A chargers, hubs, and PCs. It also works great with Chromebook Pixel 2015 and will work great on USB Type-C spec compliant devices to come! However, it is NOT a SuperSpeed USB 3.1 5gbps cable. Look elsewhere if you are specifically looking for a 5gbps cable for use with MacBook or Pixel C.
UPDATE (February 7, 2016) : Blitzwolf has corrected their listing information on Amazon for all colors and variants of this cable to be more accurate. Now the red braided Blitzwolf cable is correctly described as USB 2.0, and no longer references 5Gbps data rate in the description! Great!
Blitzwolf's support also mentioned they are working on correcting the misleading packaging information as well.
This cable earns back the two stars I docked previously, and I can put this on my recommended wish list.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (January 27, 2016) :
Benson here again, continuing my reviews of USB Type C legacy cables. Today I am reviewing Blitzwolf's Braided USB Type C to Type A cable.
Let's talk about spec compliance. My test setup today include a Chromebook Pixel 2015, and a Chromium OS USB-PD Sniffer (codename Twinkie). Please check it out by searching google for "Chromium USB-PD Sniffer". This product is also available on Amazon here : Plugable USB 3.1 Type-C (USB-C) Power Delivery Sniffer
I got a comment in one of my previous reviews that I should be testing with a 2.4A capable power supply to demonstrate that the cable is of good enough quality to sustain 2.4A charging, so for this review, I am using one of Apple's 1st party power adapters with a 5.2V, 2.4A charging capability, specifically Apple's 12W iPad charger.
Running the ectool command on Pixel:
localhost ~ # ectool --dev 1 usbpdpower
Port 0: SNK Charger Proprietary 4675mV / 2400mA, max 5000mV / 2400mA / 12000mW
Port 1: SRC
In this case, the Pixel has negotiated up to 2.4A of charging through the Blitzwolf cable to the Apple charger.
Switching over to the USB PD sniffer, I'll run the "tw cc" command to get a voltage reading on both CC lines:
> tw cc
CC1 = 426 mV ; CC2 = 12 mV
The important number to look at here is CC1, which indicates a voltage of 426mV. If you refer to the USB Type-C Specification 1.1 Table 4-25.
Look at the row labeled vRd-USB, which indicates the legal voltage values to read from the CC pin in order to be categorized as "Default USB Power". The range is Min : 0.25V Max : 0.61V. For this cable, I measured a value of 0.426V right in the middle of this range, indicating that yes, this cable has a 56k' resistor and is within spec for CC termination.
For a USB 2.0 High Speed data test, I’ve hooked my Nexus 5X to my Chromebook Pixel via the Blitzwolf Type-A to Type-C cable to test large file transfer via MTP. It just works, no problem!
For other more subjective judgements of this cable : The Type-C plug on this cable is the stamped variety, meaning it has a seam on one side of the cable. This is ok, but not as great as the deep-draw plugs we see on other cables (especially 1st party ones from Google and Apple) The Blitzwolf cable also has a very nice and thin braided red nylon. The ends of both connectors are a high quality aluminum shell, which mesh well with all-aluminum products like MacBooks, Pixels and Nexus 6P.
All of this is good, so why did I only rate this cable 3 stars? The description of this cable on Amazon as of this writing is : "Braided USB Type C Cable, BlitzWolf 3ft Reversible USB-C 3.0 Data Sync and Charger Cord"
The Amazon page also contains this this text : "[5Gbps Data Sync] 11 times faster data transfer speed than normal cable, reach 5GB per second."
Also, on the side of the box that this cable was shipped with, has this text :
"Double-sided USB 3.1 USB Type-C male reversible plug".
In my testing, this cable is NOT USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 capable. It is purely a USB 2.0 High Speed cable A-to-C cable, with only 4 pins on the Type-A plug. This is false advertising, as consumers looking for a USB 3.1 capable A-to-C cable to use with their MacBook in Target Disk Mode, or to transfer files at SuperSpeed with their Pixel C may buy this cable and not have that functionality.
Finally, the box contains the following text :
"Supports 5V/9V/12V fast charging at up to 2.4A" and "Compatible with Qualcomm QC3.0 fast charging."
Section 4.8.2 of the Type-C spec forbids Non-USB charging methods like Qualcomm QC that can change voltage on Vbus beyond 5V, so these two lines cannot be true either. Compliant Type-C devices and chargers cannot support methods like QC that can change voltage to 9V or 12V.
In conclusion, this is a Good cable for your Nexus 6P/5X to use with all of your older USB Type-A chargers, hubs, and PCs. It also works great with Chromebook Pixel 2015 and will work great on USB Type-C spec compliant devices to come! However, it is NOT a SuperSpeed USB 3.1 5gbps cable. Look elsewhere if you are specifically looking for a 5gbps cable for use with MacBook or Pixel C.
Blitzwolf's support also mentioned they are working on correcting the misleading packaging information as well.
This cable earns back the two stars I docked previously, and I can put this on my recommended wish list.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (January 27, 2016) :
Benson here again, continuing my reviews of USB Type C legacy cables. Today I am reviewing Blitzwolf's Braided USB Type C to Type A cable.
Let's talk about spec compliance. My test setup today include a Chromebook Pixel 2015, and a Chromium OS USB-PD Sniffer (codename Twinkie). Please check it out by searching google for "Chromium USB-PD Sniffer". This product is also available on Amazon here : Plugable USB 3.1 Type-C (USB-C) Power Delivery Sniffer
I got a comment in one of my previous reviews that I should be testing with a 2.4A capable power supply to demonstrate that the cable is of good enough quality to sustain 2.4A charging, so for this review, I am using one of Apple's 1st party power adapters with a 5.2V, 2.4A charging capability, specifically Apple's 12W iPad charger.
Running the ectool command on Pixel:
localhost ~ # ectool --dev 1 usbpdpower
Port 0: SNK Charger Proprietary 4675mV / 2400mA, max 5000mV / 2400mA / 12000mW
Port 1: SRC
In this case, the Pixel has negotiated up to 2.4A of charging through the Blitzwolf cable to the Apple charger.
Switching over to the USB PD sniffer, I'll run the "tw cc" command to get a voltage reading on both CC lines:
> tw cc
CC1 = 426 mV ; CC2 = 12 mV
The important number to look at here is CC1, which indicates a voltage of 426mV. If you refer to the USB Type-C Specification 1.1 Table 4-25.
Look at the row labeled vRd-USB, which indicates the legal voltage values to read from the CC pin in order to be categorized as "Default USB Power". The range is Min : 0.25V Max : 0.61V. For this cable, I measured a value of 0.426V right in the middle of this range, indicating that yes, this cable has a 56k' resistor and is within spec for CC termination.
For a USB 2.0 High Speed data test, I’ve hooked my Nexus 5X to my Chromebook Pixel via the Blitzwolf Type-A to Type-C cable to test large file transfer via MTP. It just works, no problem!
For other more subjective judgements of this cable : The Type-C plug on this cable is the stamped variety, meaning it has a seam on one side of the cable. This is ok, but not as great as the deep-draw plugs we see on other cables (especially 1st party ones from Google and Apple) The Blitzwolf cable also has a very nice and thin braided red nylon. The ends of both connectors are a high quality aluminum shell, which mesh well with all-aluminum products like MacBooks, Pixels and Nexus 6P.
All of this is good, so why did I only rate this cable 3 stars? The description of this cable on Amazon as of this writing is : "Braided USB Type C Cable, BlitzWolf 3ft Reversible USB-C 3.0 Data Sync and Charger Cord"
The Amazon page also contains this this text : "[5Gbps Data Sync] 11 times faster data transfer speed than normal cable, reach 5GB per second."
Also, on the side of the box that this cable was shipped with, has this text :
"Double-sided USB 3.1 USB Type-C male reversible plug".
In my testing, this cable is NOT USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 capable. It is purely a USB 2.0 High Speed cable A-to-C cable, with only 4 pins on the Type-A plug. This is false advertising, as consumers looking for a USB 3.1 capable A-to-C cable to use with their MacBook in Target Disk Mode, or to transfer files at SuperSpeed with their Pixel C may buy this cable and not have that functionality.
Finally, the box contains the following text :
"Supports 5V/9V/12V fast charging at up to 2.4A" and "Compatible with Qualcomm QC3.0 fast charging."
Section 4.8.2 of the Type-C spec forbids Non-USB charging methods like Qualcomm QC that can change voltage on Vbus beyond 5V, so these two lines cannot be true either. Compliant Type-C devices and chargers cannot support methods like QC that can change voltage to 9V or 12V.
In conclusion, this is a Good cable for your Nexus 6P/5X to use with all of your older USB Type-A chargers, hubs, and PCs. It also works great with Chromebook Pixel 2015 and will work great on USB Type-C spec compliant devices to come! However, it is NOT a SuperSpeed USB 3.1 5gbps cable. Look elsewhere if you are specifically looking for a 5gbps cable for use with MacBook or Pixel C.
UPDATE : Blitzwolf's Red Braided A-to-C cable has the correct CC termination, and is a GOOD USB 2.0 A-to-C cable
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2016
UPDATE (February 7, 2016) : Blitzwolf has corrected their listing information on Amazon for all colors and variants of this cable to be more accurate. Now the red braided Blitzwolf cable is correctly described as USB 2.0, and no longer references 5Gbps data rate in the description! Great!Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2016
Blitzwolf's support also mentioned they are working on correcting the misleading packaging information as well.
This cable earns back the two stars I docked previously, and I can put this on my recommended wish list.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (January 27, 2016) :
Benson here again, continuing my reviews of USB Type C legacy cables. Today I am reviewing Blitzwolf's Braided USB Type C to Type A cable.
Let's talk about spec compliance. My test setup today include a Chromebook Pixel 2015, and a Chromium OS USB-PD Sniffer (codename Twinkie). Please check it out by searching google for "Chromium USB-PD Sniffer". This product is also available on Amazon here : [[ASIN:B015X29HLM Plugable USB 3.1 Type-C (USB-C) Power Delivery Sniffer]]
I got a comment in one of my previous reviews that I should be testing with a 2.4A capable power supply to demonstrate that the cable is of good enough quality to sustain 2.4A charging, so for this review, I am using one of Apple's 1st party power adapters with a 5.2V, 2.4A charging capability, specifically Apple's 12W iPad charger.
Running the ectool command on Pixel:
localhost ~ # ectool --dev 1 usbpdpower
Port 0: SNK Charger Proprietary 4675mV / 2400mA, max 5000mV / 2400mA / 12000mW
Port 1: SRC
In this case, the Pixel has negotiated up to 2.4A of charging through the Blitzwolf cable to the Apple charger.
Switching over to the USB PD sniffer, I'll run the "tw cc" command to get a voltage reading on both CC lines:
> tw cc
CC1 = 426 mV ; CC2 = 12 mV
The important number to look at here is CC1, which indicates a voltage of 426mV. If you refer to the USB Type-C Specification 1.1 Table 4-25.
Look at the row labeled vRd-USB, which indicates the legal voltage values to read from the CC pin in order to be categorized as "Default USB Power". The range is Min : 0.25V Max : 0.61V. For this cable, I measured a value of 0.426V right in the middle of this range, indicating that yes, this cable has a 56k' resistor and is within spec for CC termination.
For a USB 2.0 High Speed data test, I’ve hooked my Nexus 5X to my Chromebook Pixel via the Blitzwolf Type-A to Type-C cable to test large file transfer via MTP. It just works, no problem!
For other more subjective judgements of this cable : The Type-C plug on this cable is the stamped variety, meaning it has a seam on one side of the cable. This is ok, but not as great as the deep-draw plugs we see on other cables (especially 1st party ones from Google and Apple) The Blitzwolf cable also has a very nice and thin braided red nylon. The ends of both connectors are a high quality aluminum shell, which mesh well with all-aluminum products like MacBooks, Pixels and Nexus 6P.
All of this is good, so why did I only rate this cable 3 stars? The description of this cable on Amazon as of this writing is : "Braided USB Type C Cable, BlitzWolf 3ft Reversible USB-C 3.0 Data Sync and Charger Cord"
The Amazon page also contains this this text : "[5Gbps Data Sync] 11 times faster data transfer speed than normal cable, reach 5GB per second."
Also, on the side of the box that this cable was shipped with, has this text :
"Double-sided USB 3.1 USB Type-C male reversible plug".
In my testing, this cable is NOT USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 capable. It is purely a USB 2.0 High Speed cable A-to-C cable, with only 4 pins on the Type-A plug. This is false advertising, as consumers looking for a USB 3.1 capable A-to-C cable to use with their MacBook in Target Disk Mode, or to transfer files at SuperSpeed with their Pixel C may buy this cable and not have that functionality.
Finally, the box contains the following text :
"Supports 5V/9V/12V fast charging at up to 2.4A" and "Compatible with Qualcomm QC3.0 fast charging."
Section 4.8.2 of the Type-C spec forbids Non-USB charging methods like Qualcomm QC that can change voltage on Vbus beyond 5V, so these two lines cannot be true either. Compliant Type-C devices and chargers cannot support methods like QC that can change voltage to 9V or 12V.
In conclusion, this is a Good cable for your Nexus 6P/5X to use with all of your older USB Type-A chargers, hubs, and PCs. It also works great with Chromebook Pixel 2015 and will work great on USB Type-C spec compliant devices to come! However, it is NOT a SuperSpeed USB 3.1 5gbps cable. Look elsewhere if you are specifically looking for a 5gbps cable for use with MacBook or Pixel C.
Images in this review
