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HN has previously had a story on the author, a Google engineer who tests USB-C cables on Amazon to make sure they're spec-compliant. He does some amazing work:

HN has previously had a story on the author, a Google engineer who tests USB-C cables on Amazon to make sure they're spec-compliant. He does some amazing work: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10508494 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10508494 I don't have any devices right now that use USB-C, but whenever I see a deal pop up for one, I usually check the Amazon listing to see if this guy has reviewed/certified the cable yet. I recommend others do the same. It's not worth damaging your $800+ laptop because you wanted to save $10 on a cable.

plorg 11y ago
Another user has compiled Benson's reviews into a Google spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wJwqv3rTNmORXz-XJsQaXK1dl8I91V4-eP_sfNVNzbA/edit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wJwqv3rTNmORXz-XJsQa...
- xur17 11y ago
  And a website: https://usbccompliant.com https://usbccompliant.com
  - nitrogen 11y ago
    Do those affiliate codes support the original reviewer guy, or just the operator of the website (if they are different people)?
    - matt_heimer 11y ago
      Does it matter? As someone that has hunted for cables reviewed by Benson I really wish I had known about this website. They are both providing a service.
      - nitrogen 11y ago
        It's definitely useful. I just wouldn't want Benson's review work to become unsustainable because of lack of funds, jealousy, or whatever.
        fancy_pantser 11y ago
        He works on the Pixel team at Google and orders the cables through the company for testing.
digi_owl 11y ago
Frankly the C plug spec seems overly convoluted. Each cable needs one of 3 resistors depending on them being a A/B-to-C cable, 1.5A C-to-C cable, or 3A C-to-C cable. Note that the A-to-C cable may well be able to carry 3A, but it shall never use the 3A C-to-C resistor (what many of the cables he find as faulty does). Note that all this resistor shenanigans are all independent of the Battery charging spec that has been around for some years, and also the Power Delivery spec that was introduced along with the 3.1 USB spec (can be used for all ports) and the C port spec. Never mind that a C port has so many extra pins compared to a A or B port, that one would think that id-ing a A-to-C cable would have been as simple as looking for life on any of those extra pins.
- teraflop 11y ago
  > Each cable needs one of 3 resistors depending on them being a A/B-to-C cable, 1.5A C-to-C cable, or 3A C-to-C cable. No, for C-to-C connections, the resistance is provided by the host ("downstream-facing") port, not the cable. The resistor in an A-to-C cable is basically emulating the signal that would otherwise be provided by the host. There's no such thing as a "1.5A C-to-C cable"; all type-C cables are required to deliver at least 5A. The limiting factor is the host, not the cable, which means the cable must not incorrectly advertise capabilities that the host doesn't support. > Never mind that a C port has so many extra pins compared to a A or B port, that one would think that id-ing a A-to-C cable would have been as simple as looking for life on any of those extra pins. That's exactly what the new CC pin is used for. Right now the spec says "legacy cables should connect CC via a 56kΩ resistor", but it wouldn't matter if instead the requirement had been "legacy cables should leave CC disconnected"; the issue is that cable manufacturers are ignoring the spec.
  - digi_owl 11y ago
    Do wonder how many others over in China or elsewhere has made the same mistake i have apparently made. 4.11 could really use a massive cleanup for readability it seems.
  - knughit 11y ago
    A world with smart cables is a dumb world. I want smart devices/adaptors and cheap dumb cables.
bsimpson 11y ago
I bought one of these recently, based on Benson's endorsement, for my Nexus 5X: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B018F8BGLA http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B018F8BGLA It's worth noting that the Nexus 5x doesn't do USB 3.1, so even if you get a fancy Super Speed cable like this one, you are still suck with slow charging from your computer's USB A port.
- kstenerud 11y ago
  The Nexus 5X supports the new 15W fast charging USB-C standard . It takes about 15-20m for my phone to go from empty to full from the wall charger, and considerably longer from a USB A port.
  - eklavya 11y ago
    I think something is broken on mine then. It takes an hour and five ten minutes to go from 15% to full from a wall charger. Are you sure it only takes 15-20 mins?
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - bmelton 11y ago
      Second data point. Mine takes about 35 minutes to go from near empty to full if I use the supplied wall charger, and is substantially slower if I use most other things (though oddly, my Anker DC->AC 2-port USB-A charger is able to support rapid charging). When you plug it in, turn it off, then back on. Down at the bottom, near the fingerprint, it should indicate the type of charging you're getting. I've seen three modes, and I apologize for not knowing the distinctions, but they're "charging slowly", "charging" and "charging rapidly". Times are commensurate to the charge mode, and rapid charging is unsurprisingly quite fast. Another thing that might be the case is if the OP is going from actual empty to full without turning it on, which should (to some extent) expedite charging as there is no discharge happening at the same time, maybe.
      - 11y ago

plorg 11y ago

Another user has compiled Benson's reviews into a Google spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wJwqv3rTNmORXz-XJsQaXK1dl8I91V4-eP_sfNVNzbA/edit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wJwqv3rTNmORXz-XJsQa...

xur17 11y ago
And a website: https://usbccompliant.com https://usbccompliant.com
- nitrogen 11y ago
  Do those affiliate codes support the original reviewer guy, or just the operator of the website (if they are different people)?
  - matt_heimer 11y ago
    Does it matter? As someone that has hunted for cables reviewed by Benson I really wish I had known about this website. They are both providing a service.
    - nitrogen 11y ago
      It's definitely useful. I just wouldn't want Benson's review work to become unsustainable because of lack of funds, jealousy, or whatever.
      - fancy_pantser 11y ago
        He works on the Pixel team at Google and orders the cables through the company for testing.

digi_owl 11y ago

Frankly the C plug spec seems overly convoluted. Each cable needs one of 3 resistors depending on them being a A/B-to-C cable, 1.5A C-to-C cable, or 3A C-to-C cable. Note that the A-to-C cable may well be able to carry 3A, but it shall never use the 3A C-to-C resistor (what many of the cables he find as faulty does). Note that all this resistor shenanigans are all independent of the Battery charging spec that has been around for some years, and also the Power Delivery spec that was introduced along with the 3.1 USB spec (can be used for all ports) and the C port spec. Never mind that a C port has so many extra pins compared to a A or B port, that one would think that id-ing a A-to-C cable would have been as simple as looking for life on any of those extra pins.

teraflop 11y ago
> Each cable needs one of 3 resistors depending on them being a A/B-to-C cable, 1.5A C-to-C cable, or 3A C-to-C cable. No, for C-to-C connections, the resistance is provided by the host ("downstream-facing") port, not the cable. The resistor in an A-to-C cable is basically emulating the signal that would otherwise be provided by the host. There's no such thing as a "1.5A C-to-C cable"; all type-C cables are required to deliver at least 5A. The limiting factor is the host, not the cable, which means the cable must not incorrectly advertise capabilities that the host doesn't support. > Never mind that a C port has so many extra pins compared to a A or B port, that one would think that id-ing a A-to-C cable would have been as simple as looking for life on any of those extra pins. That's exactly what the new CC pin is used for. Right now the spec says "legacy cables should connect CC via a 56kΩ resistor", but it wouldn't matter if instead the requirement had been "legacy cables should leave CC disconnected"; the issue is that cable manufacturers are ignoring the spec.
- digi_owl 11y ago
  Do wonder how many others over in China or elsewhere has made the same mistake i have apparently made. 4.11 could really use a massive cleanup for readability it seems.
- knughit 11y ago
  A world with smart cables is a dumb world. I want smart devices/adaptors and cheap dumb cables.

bsimpson 11y ago

I bought one of these recently, based on Benson's endorsement, for my Nexus 5X: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B018F8BGLA http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B018F8BGLA It's worth noting that the Nexus 5x doesn't do USB 3.1, so even if you get a fancy Super Speed cable like this one, you are still suck with slow charging from your computer's USB A port.

kstenerud 11y ago
The Nexus 5X supports the new 15W fast charging USB-C standard . It takes about 15-20m for my phone to go from empty to full from the wall charger, and considerably longer from a USB A port.
- eklavya 11y ago
  I think something is broken on mine then. It takes an hour and five ten minutes to go from 15% to full from a wall charger. Are you sure it only takes 15-20 mins?
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - bmelton 11y ago
    Second data point. Mine takes about 35 minutes to go from near empty to full if I use the supplied wall charger, and is substantially slower if I use most other things (though oddly, my Anker DC->AC 2-port USB-A charger is able to support rapid charging). When you plug it in, turn it off, then back on. Down at the bottom, near the fingerprint, it should indicate the type of charging you're getting. I've seen three modes, and I apologize for not knowing the distinctions, but they're "charging slowly", "charging" and "charging rapidly". Times are commensurate to the charge mode, and rapid charging is unsurprisingly quite fast. Another thing that might be the case is if the OP is going from actual empty to full without turning it on, which should (to some extent) expedite charging as there is no discharge happening at the same time, maybe.
    - 11y ago