UR816c USB-C vs USB-3.1 question?

Steinberg Hardware UR Series
#1

Hi, I’ve just ordered one of these UR816 USB c interfaces. My motherboard has a 3.1 USB input (like the one on the left in the picture below) and also a type C USB input (like the one on the right).

I understand that the cable that Steinberg supplies with the UR816 is USB type C to USB 3.1. My question is, would I get better speeds if I used a type C to type C cable instead?

The reviewer from Sound on Sound had the same question (see quote below)https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/steinberg-ur816c

“Most interfaces with Type C ports still use the USB 2 High Speed connection mode. For compatibility with older systems, the UR816C can do so too, but its ability to be switched into USB 3 SuperSpeed mode is quite unusual. Whilst I admire Yamaha and Steinberg for moving with the times, though, I have to say that the practical advantages of this are unclear. The manual explicitly states that “performance values such as latency will not change”, and given that UR-series interfaces can’t be daisy-chained or used in multiples over USB, it’s not clear how the additional data bandwidth of SuperSpeed mode can usefully be exploited. In fact Steinberg don’t even supply a Type C-to-Type C cable that would allow you to make use of this mode.”

Any owners care to chime in? Many thanks, Steve.

#2

A type C port could be USB 3.1, or TB-3. It depends on the card and protocol. If its on the same card as the 3.1 port then its probably USB 3.1. You should check the specifications and see which one it is. The connector and protocol used are separate. The UR-C are 3.1 SuperSpeed interfaces, so USB 3.1 is as fast as they can go. Even if your USB-C port is TB-3 capable, the interface isn’t, so you wouldn’t gain anything by using it other than leaving the type-A port open for other things.

#3

Thanks very much for the information

These are the inputs on my new motherboard.

Number 3 (the red one) is called

‘USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps (Type-A)’ From what I’ve read that’s what used to be called USB 3.1. So if I plug my UR816c in there I should be getting the maximum speed allowed by the interface?

#4

Its hard to tell in your picture but they all look like they say “SS” which is “SuperSpeed” which is 3.1, which is the speed of the interface. So, it probably doesn’t matter but you might experiment. You probably won’t be able to tell a difference unless you are recording 1,000 tracks or so at once.
Personally, I would probably save that 3.2 port for a drive or something that needs the bandwidth. The audio interface can’t touch the speeds that port is capable of.
32 bits x 192,000 samples /sec x 8 channels = about 49.2 MEGAbits / second. 10 Gigabits is 200 x that. Of course, that isn’t counting the stuff going the other way, which it probably only two channels or maybe 5 in Surround?

#5

Thanks very much for your help Jaslan.